The hotel receptionist on this page is based on a few people in the pics I sent Harsho for the hotel interior. It's long been a particular source of amazement to me that some of the biggest names in comic book art seem completely unable to draw women. Or to be more precise, women who look different from each other. From the Golden Age pioneers, through the Jack Kirby influenced Sixties to today, there seems to be a tacit agreement that all women look "cute"; that what constitutes "cute" is a uniform set of facial features; and that any differentiation should be limited to the colour and length of their hair.

Well, I didn't want those cookie-cutter women in "Shades"! For almost every character (male and female), I sent Harsho a selection of photographs of the "type" of person I had in mind and, from those, he constructed some very believable characters. I think he did a great job!