Well, I'm attempting the impossible. I'm planing to make a comic series based off Catwoman in an Arkham City-style Gotham. But there's one thing that I can't seem to get right. That's her cowl. I can't make it look convincing in any way, so I was thinking of just leaving it out, but keep the goggles.

But I'm trying to make her similar to past Catwomans, so is the cowl an iconic piece of her costume? Can it be either way? Do I need to make up my own goddamn decisions?

I'd just like an answer.

 

The current version isn't iconic. It's cool, but not iconic. If any version is iconic, it's the Golden Age/Silver Age/Bronze Age version.



But yeah, just do your own version of the headgear. In fact, do yourself a favor and just make up your own character. That way, if the story is any good, you can actually use it for something. Maybe even publish it. Don't limit yourself by using other people's characters as a crutch. There is plenty of room in the world of fiction for more new female cat burglars. It's okay if it's inspired by Catwoman. Catwoman herself was inspired by other, previously-existing characters.

 

Thing is, I did come up with a few characters. But none of them seemed unique. So I just began thinking 'who's my favorite DC gal?' and got Catwoman.

I'll try some Golden Age stuff. But the problem is, everytime I finish the head (With cowl) the facial features don't match.

That's my main problem, anyway.

 

Try drawing the face unmasked first, then draw the mask on top of the drawn face.

 

I've been trying that, too. It's not the head-on shot I screw up on. It's the side-ish profile. (Like head turned slightly)

Guess I need more practice with something on someone's head.

 

Actually that's pretty strictly the bronze age version 2 design.

See the design directly to the left of the BTAS design? That's the golden age version version 1, golden age version two is to the right of bronze age version 1 (itself to the right of BTAS). The silver age version is right above the bronze age version 2.

 

You're simplifying a little and overcomplicating a little. The cowl is the same between Golden Age and what you call "Bronze Age 2". And what you call "Silver Age" was only around temporarily for part of the Silver Age. Same with what you call "Bronze Age 1." The point is, she kept going back to the purple dress and full cowl, because that is the iconic look.

And "Golden Age version 2"? Check again. Yeah, that uncostumed look represents her first appearance, but her first Golden Age cat costume was an actual cat head and isn't pictured there.

 

Actually it's that style dress with a collar and cat mask. It's a variation on the original, not a full on redesign. Batman's original costume had even more variations.

 

Not really. It wasn't even the same color dress.


You don't consider that a redesign?

 

That thing is hideous.

Anyway, thanks for the response, STK.

I tried my first head/upper bidy scetch for her. Needs some work in the head shape and face, but I think it's okay.

 

No, that's just Bob Kane refining the look. If you read the Batman strips in Detective he had a slightly altered design every time. Pink gloves, blue gloves, no gloves, gauntlets (military style like Cap wears), fins on bracer's, fins on the gauntlet . Cape attached to the arms, not attached to the arms, hangs to the ankle, hangs to the mid shin. The pistol holster would switch sides all the time, or disappear then reappear. All this was done by Bob Kane.

 

So switching between a totally different dress and actual CAT head to the purple dress and cowl is not a new design, but purple-and-green-with-cowl Golden Age Catwoman to purple-and-green-with-cowl Bronze Age Catwoman is a new design because of slightly different cut and boots.

Right. Got it.  



And lol@ "all done by Bob Kane". Not by a long shot. Sure, he put his name on all of it, but that is far from the same thing.

 

So, uh, are we done here?

 

just about.

 

It's the style same dress, just a different colour.

Finger was a writer. Kane worked from his concepts, or a mix of both of their ideas (I've read how the Joker was created). So visual experimentation would be Kane's. Saying Kane "stole credit for everything" is as stupid as saying he did everything himself.

 

Are you still keeping this up? I wasn't talking about Finger. I was talking about the legion of ghost artists Kane hired to draw for him while still signing his name to everything. You'd be surprised how little Golden Age Batman was actually drawn by Kane.

 

Well, this took an interesting change...

 

I apologize for my part of this inane derailment.

 

It's fine. You DID give my the most help, after all.

 

Catwoman has gone through some serious costume overhauls over time, but I do believe the black suit and orange goggles that she has had for nearly twenty years may be a tad more iconic than her other suits, as she has been going back to this black suit for so long. It seems every time they let someone like Jim Lee or other artists redesign her, it always finds its way back. Kind of like how Batman may be redesigned, but you know it will never stick. They always fall back to something incredibly similar to how Bruce usually is.