jamaligle:So, without dwelling too much on the why’s, I was,...

jamaligle:

So, without dwelling too much on the why’s, I was, at one point going to be the artist on Birds of Prey with Gail Simone back in 2010. Unfortunately before I was set to begin, it was leaked to Bleeding Cool on Saturday and by Monday morning I was out of a job and ended up on Zatanna. These were the sketches i did to get prepared for the book.

Dinah in particular was going to be of particular because the plan was for her to become an even bigger badass fighter than she already is. The idea was, she would never open her coat unless she was in a fight. It would be a visual cue so that the reader knew, when she did, someones ass was about to be whooped.

I was disappointed, because i’d been wanting to work with Gail for years, and she fought for me to be on the book in the first place.

So I gave these to Gail as a gift. I love Gail and will back her play any day.

Jamal, I adore you as a person and an artist and I hope you already know that. You are pretty effing special to me.

The fact that we didn’t get to do BOP together is one of the goofiest editorial decisions ever. I was SO EXCITED when I thought you were on the book.

And when you drew these ‘sketches,’ I just flipped out. It would have been a classic run, there’s no question you got each of these characters EXACTLY. It drives me nuts thinking about what could have been.

And for the readers out there, yes, Jamal gave me this entire set of original sketches at a small con in Kansas City. They’re huge, the small shots here don’t do them justice. I didn’t know how to accept them, it was just overwhelming, I tried to tell him this was too much but he insisted, and now they are among my most treasured possessions.

Jamal, that’s exactly how I envisioned the duster when I originally asked for it in Bop #56. If she opened the jacket, everyone in the area was about to get messed up good. I had the hardest time conveying that concept to artists! 

These are so gorgeous. Wow. That Lady Blackhawk kills me. What a missed opportunity!

HOWEVER! I am so delighted with your success with Molly Danger. If you ever do an anthology, and I’m not invited to participate, you’re on my bad list, mister!  :)