VELVET: THE UNUSUAL SUPERHEROINE! - NEW BEGINNINGS!

Welcome to the "New Beginnings" Graphic Novel! and Welcome back, to those who were around back when Velvet had her first run on the internet a few years ago!
To those of you who are new to the character of Velvet: The Unusual Superheroine! I will go ahead and just explain something before it is asked simply because it has been asked in the past by those who weren't familiar with her. The question always was: "Why is she an UNUSUAL Superheroine?" Well, it's all in the attitude! I believe that in today's day and age women have lost a certain something. Mostly I'm referring to women in positions of power or in the media in general.

Let's start off with me asking a question instead! My question would be "What ever happened to femininity and innocence in today's world where we are bombarded with sexuality and suggestiveness from all angles? Everywhere we look today, we see models in suggestive poses looking almost as if the photo had been extracted from a pornographic magazine, or as if they're selling their bodies, etc...

Let's take the movie "The Devil Wears Prada" as a reference. The character played by Merryl Streep, or even Anne Hathaway's co-worker in the office. They play women who are beautiful, they know that they're beautiful, and they capitalize on the fact that they're beautiful. On top of that, they portray a "tough bitch" attitude. It's all fine and dandy, but... we're saturated with this sort of thing to the point where it isn't refreshing. This is why Anne Hathaway comes off as such a refreshing young girl in the film! She's a really pretty girl who doesn't actually let it get to her head! There is nothing more unattractive than a beautiful woman who knows she's beautiful and thinks she's "all that".

There is another aspect that separates the character of Velvet from what I think would be a "usual" superheroine. In the world of "Comic Books" we have hundreds and even thousands of Superheroines. They're all different in their own ways, yet they all have something in common for the most part. If you're a comic book reader I want you to notice something the next time you read one starring a female superhero. Look at the attitude they're portrayed with most of the time. They act like angry MEN. Tough, Menacing, Grimacing. Just because you have powers and abilities far beyond those of normal people does not mean you have to be void of femininity. A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS DO COME TO MIND, HOWEVER!. For example: George Perez's rendition of "Wonder Woman" back in the late 1980's, and Alex Ross's version of Wonder Woman as well. Very femenine, refreshing, and provides a real entertaining contrast to the moments when they actually DO NEED to get tough! But those are real few and far in-between examples!

ENTER: Velvet.

Truth be told, Velvet would qualify for the category of a "Superheroine" only because she has enhanced physical abilities far beyond those of "normal" humans. In reality, she's just a normal girl trying to make sense out of a world that no longer understands what kind of a woman she is. I try to portray Velvet as a sweet young woman who endured alot of negative aspects that life has thrown her way and she manages to do so without compromising her femininity, and it comes naturally. As someone who mistifyingly enough -- has gone through hell and somehow retained a certain sense of innocence. Although she understands that men find her attractive, she places more value in who she is inside, than the fact that she wears a size 38 bra.

But anways... that is my silly opinion, and with all that said, I do truly and sincerely hope you enjoy what you're about to see! I am almost afraid to work on Velvet sometimes because I do take this very seriously and when I sit down to do what I do, I give it all I have and I do it with compassion and heart!


-- Rob Olivera
-- Velvet: T.U.S.H.