Concept 6: Ms Bubbles (otherwise known as Bubble Girl)

Ms Bubbles started off (like many of my ideas) as a cute gag that I decided to embellish. As a fan of the Legion of Super-Heroes, I always liked how some characters were given lame powers, and yet that didn't hinder them from acting heroic. One day at work, I doodled a woman wearing a bath towel, and labled her Lather Lady.

From there, the idea grew. My first impulse was to showcase a female character who transcends the limitations of a weird power she's gifted with; I later figured that she could act as a commentary on how women (and female super-heroes) tend to be objectified as sexual objects, with no likeable personality. Still later, I decided to add a level of campiness to the concept, with the title character facing goofy villains and predicaments with a wink to the audience. I see her as a sexy, out-going crime-fighter, who still struggles with esteem issues and day-to-day life.

Ms Bubbles is a tricky tight-rope; I don't want her to be seen as a 'bad girl' character (like Lady Death or Vampirella, who dominated comics in the early 1990s). As well, my goal isn't to produce titilating material appealling to young teenage boys and insulting to girls. I simply hope to create an interesting, believable female character who uses her rather strange abilities to do what she feels is right.

I guess I'd need feedback from readers to find out if my vision translates. I asked Ash to tackle some pages, and I really like what he came up with. As always, his pencils were fun to embellish, and he helped shape the overall feel of the strip perfectly. Ms Bubbles is one of my favorite concepts, and one I definitely want to put the effort into to get to the next level.