Today in Comics History, November 20: Happy birthday, Jill Thompson!

Born on this day: comic book writer and artist Jill Thompson (Sandman, Wonder Woman, Elementals, Black Orchid, more; co-creator of Beasts of Burden, creator of Scary Godmother)!


from cover of Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #5 (Bongo, September 1999), pencils and inks by Bill Morrison, colors by Nathan Kane
Chibi Vertigo editor Shelley Bond (left) and Jill Thompson self-portrait!:


from Vertigo X Anniversary Preview one-shot (DC/Vertigo, April 2003), by Jill Thompson



Thompson's distinctive appearance means that characters based on her frequently pop up in comics! From P. Craig Russell:




from Night Music #9-11 (Eclipse, 1990); script, art, and colors by P. Craig Russell, letters by Bill Pearson
Gosh, P. really does love the look of Jill Thompson!:



from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #42 (DC, February 1993), script by John Francis Moore, pencils and inks by P. Craig Russell, colors by Lovern Kindzierski, color separations by Digital Chameleon, letters by Bill Pearson
Even Jill's doin' it herself! She based Sandman character Etain on herself after drawing her own apartment, then progressed to drawing herself for the character.



from Sandman (1992 series) #43 (DC, November 1992), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils by Jill Thompson, inks by Vincent Locke, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by Todd Klein
Thompson was involved at early stages with the planning of The Invisibles but didn't pencil the opening issues.


interview from Anarchy for the Masses: The Disinformation Guide to the Invisibles (Disinformation, April 2003) by Patrick Neighly and Kereth Cowe-Spigai
Whether Ragged Robin from that book "is" or "is not" Jill, probably depends on whatever Grant Morrison was thinking at the time he created the original design.


from The Invisibles (1994 series) #7 (DC/Vertigo, March 1995), script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Jill Thompson, inks by Dennis Cramer, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by Clem Robins
But one character you can't deny is based on Jill Thompson's appearance is her own creation, Scary Godmother!


from Scary Godmother (SIRIUS, September 1997), by Jill Thompson
Happy birthday, Jill Thompson!


from Dark Horse Comics cover-dated February 2013