Between school and comics I am still managing to fit some other reading in these days, though it is generally limited to right before bed time so I am working on things that might some a bit fluffy. Two of the books I am dragging my heels on getting through are one one body language and one on the history of high heels. As I tend to do I have found somethings in common about the two, even if they are necessarily very related. That thing is however, not a thing but rather a person - Marylin Monroe. Of course when it comes to an expert on feminine body language or how to wear a pair of heels there may be no one better to reference, but in realtion to comics this got me thinking. A while back I wrote about how earlier comic book characters had been based on certain real life actors and actresses but it seemed strange to me that Marilyn had never really had a lookalike in comics. Logic would state in a sense that of course having a very similar looking character to Marilyn Monroe might set off some easy associations and serve as either a source of distraction, or as a source of complaining among fans of her being ripped off so easily. However, in a sense I think that Marilyn does in fact get shown a lot in comics, not in a specific sense but in a more general sense. For instance, as with her signature look with the raised eyebrows and nearly closed eyes, certain feminine aspects of the character have likely been borrowed from one of the most feminine and sexual women of the 20th century. Of course I am not an artist so I don't have a full appreciation of this, but I have noticed just in the short time that I have been reading this book that the better artists will using things like pouts, raised eyebrows or opened eyes to different effects. Marilyn was considered by many to be not be as talented an actress, but still the sexual and feminine nature of her actions likely served as the basis for a number of artists who followed her. 6 Comments
