DC Comics Bombshells
In fall 2011, four character designs of Wonder Woman, Stargirl, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn were used to pitch the idea of a nine-inch statue line.
Ant Lucia, the creator of the sculptures and variant covers design, drew a heavy influence from World War II aesthetics and pin-up models.
The sculptures created a convergence between modern ideologies regarding feminine agency and nostalgia for the golden age of comics.
The similarities between the two icons is seen in both of the characters’ bandanna pinned back hair and nearly identical color scheme of red, yellow and blue.
The American pop culture references of the sculptures become more tongue-in-cheek in Harley Quinn and the Joker's statue as to better reflect the former's explosive behavior.
The sculpture was a humorous rendition of the infamous "Kissing on VJ" photo where a sailor embraces a nurse in a moment of celebration.
However, DC began using separate pieces attached with pegs or magnets due to a high percentage of damaged early statues.
Based on the increased interest in the property, a digital-first ongoing series written by Marguerite Bennett and various artists began in July 2015, with a printed comic book following in 12 August.
In her initial conception for building a narrative out of Ant Lucia's designs, Marguerite Bennett has stated: "We were able to retro-engineer this complete environment that lets them showcase their powers that lets them have good relationships and friendships that they wouldn't have been able to explore in another sphere....Going down to the smallest details that [Ant Lucia] puts into the statues and creating whole backstories for items".
[11] Bennett explored traditional genres and mediums of the 1940s such as radio shows and propaganda films to provide a realistic history for the Bombshells franchise.
Each arc focuses on a specific group of characters, with the first storyline introducing the Bombshells versions of Donna Troy and Cassie Sandsmark.
She kept her father's company afloat in the depression and fought in the Spanish Civil War with her then girlfriend, Renee Montoya.
[25] Wonder Woman - Diana Prince was first introduced in the series as she disrupted an air raid between US troops and an unidentified opponent because they were causing unintentional harm to Themyscira.
[27] After their parents met unfortunate circumstances, Kortni and Kara lived in the Dormitory For Daughters of the Workers’ Revolution and had dreams of flying for the Night Witches, "the most terrifying bombers of the Soviet Air Force".
[27] At an enlistment exam, Kara's Kryptonian powers were revealed and the sisters were turned into propaganda for Russia's war effort.
The Batgirls stop corruption from running rampant in an orphanage to rescue Harper's brother Cullen and come across Tim Drake.
[5] Based on the success of the initial statues, the Bombshells designs have been licensed out to a number of other companies for a range of merchandise.
DC Collectibles released a set of three busts (Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Mera) based on artwork by Emmanuela Lupacchino and sculpted by Jack Mathews.
The first wave of figures was released in April 2017 and features Bombshells versions of Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Batwoman.
In 2017, Cryptozoic released a Bombshells trading card set featuring cover arts and variants as well as portraits of characters from the series.
Several of the Bombshells were featured prominently in the DC HeroClix set Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls, including Batgirl, Batwoman, Black Canary, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Hawkgirl, Katana, Mera, Poison Ivy, Raven, Stargirl, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and Zatanna.
