Mina Sanwald - Harry Potter: Bellatrix Lestrange

2014.07.20 Jersey Shore Comic Con, Toms River, NJ

When I decided to attend this show and reviewed the artists in attendance, I knew immediately I wanted to have Mina draw Bellatrix Lestrange. Mina has done a sketch for me in the past, and I really enjoy her style and vibrant color palette. 

Since Mina is a big fan of Sailor Moon I thought of Bellatrix in a Sailor Moon anime treatment. I was not disappointed. This almost looks like a fashion design for Bellatrix, evil can still be beautiful on the outside.

Yes, even though Bellatrix is purely evil throughout the Harry Potter movies, her portrayal in the movies is fascinating, you can't take your eyes off her (beside that would not be wise).

Mina Sanwald - ThunderCats

2012.06.09 Super Mega Show, Whippany, NJ

During the Super Mega Show I stopped by Erica Schultz's table to say hello and pick up M3 #4. Erica said I had to get a sketch from her friend Mina, because she was an awesome talent. Mina was born on Ling Island, showing an interest in art at an early age, studying the great cartoons of the 80s and 90s... TMNT, Ducktales, Sailor Moon...Call Me Mina!

Her studies would lead her to the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. She is credited in two animated shorts from Plymtoons, the Weird Al music video TMZ and the restored version of Winsor McCay's The Flying House. In April of 2012 she published her first book The Big Fat Book of Luscious Chicken, released through Hound Comics...

I overheard someone at the show looking for a ThunderCats comic, to get signed by voice actor Larry Kenney, who was at the show. That's when I had the idea to get a ThunderCats sketch. Mina's rendition of Cheetara is delightful. You can see how much fun this must have been to draw from Cheetara's expression. The Show ThunderCats debuted in 1984 from Rankin-Bass Productions, based on characters created by Ted Wolf. The story follows the adventures of a band of cat-people who live on the planet Thundera, which is dying. Forced to flee Thundera the ThunderCats - Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, WilyKit and Wilykat and Snarf - must find a way to survive on their new home Third Earth...

Larry Kenney is a radio personality and voice actor, voicing the lead character Lion-O, as well as Karate Kat from The Comic Strip, 1987 and Bluegrass from Silverhawks, 1986...in commercial work Kenney has voiced Count Chocula and Sonny the Cuckoo Bird...

The stamp on the envelope is from the Bright Eyes series of five stamps issued in 1998. The series features popular pets - cat, dog, goldfish, parakeet and hamster - designed by Bill Mayer...