There’s so much amazing talent in the world of comics and superheroes—particularly in the realm of art and design. DC Direct prides itself on bringing these images to life and having direct from the source access to these incredible artists. The DC Designer Series statue line represents the best of this relationship, and looks to recreate the work of visionary and beloved comic artists into detailed, beautifully sculpted collectible statues. One of the amazing things about the line this year is that most of the artists chosen were international. In this series of posts, we highlight some of these artists, discovering what motivates and inspires them to create the work they do.

Many DC fans will know Enrico Marini’s work from his own written and illustrated graphic novels, including 2018’s Batman: The Dark Prince Charming, which he described as “fulfilling a childhood dream.”

It is from that stylized and special graphic novel that DC Direct pulled their inspiration for their DC Designer Series: Harley Quinn statue by Enrico Marini. Not only did Marini come up with his own interpretation of the characters, he created a fresh new look for the famous Harley Quinn that has become so popular it is now appearing in art, cosplay and of course in DC Direct’s case, sculptures.

Marini developed his own style from his years studying at the Swiss Academy of Fine Arts in Basel and his reference teachers were Hermann Giraud and Katsuhiro Otomo.

“I had a great passion for drawing and a love for cartoons which led me to decide very early that making comics would be the job of my life,” shares Marini.

He is among the first to combine the Franco-Belgian style of art that he learned in school with the Japanese manga art style. Marini’s work is also highly influenced by movies, American comics, Italian fumetti and French bande dessinée.

“I admire artists such as Alex Toth, Jim Aparo, Neal Adams, Mike Mignola, Moebius and many more,” he reveals.

Translating Marini’s work into the 3D-design world of DC Direct was a pretty seamless process, due largely to Marini’s preference when it comes to drawing characters. The artist always makes sure to draw his characters in action, never static.

“I give big importance to the characters and let them interact like actors in a play,” Marini says. “The pages are organized and readable in a very fluent way, with sequences reminiscent of cinematic camera shots and movements.”

In fact, Marini’s work on the 2000 comic Le Scorpion was his tribute to old Hollywood swashbuckling movies like Scaramouche and Moonfleet.

“The series, set in the 18^th Century, requires careful documentation and a taste for the characteristics of the time, whether it is clothing, behavior, weapons, architecture or decorations,” Marini admits.

It’s this attention to detail in the costuming and the stylizations of his Harley Quinn that make Marini’s DC Direct statue such a vibrant addition to the line. His diverse influences and unique sense of style have resulted in a Harley who feels warmly familiar and yet wholly original and new. This DC Designer Series statue is set to come out in a few months, and if you’re looking to broaden your DC Direct collection, you won’t want to miss your chance to own this special piece.

DC Designer Series: Harley Quinn by Enrico Marini Statue by DC Direct will be available later this year.

Amanda Levine writes about DC Direct, Young Adult comics, cosplay and the DC Universe in general for DCComics.com.