Comics veteran David Tischman brings 'Heroine Chic' to the Internet

David Tischman [who once authored the "Poster Child" feature for the Daily News] has had a long career in writing comics that spans both work at Vertigo and IDW, but his latest venture is his most personal, ambitious yet - and available only on the web!

"Heroine Chic" (art by Hong Kong-based Audrey Mok) is set in a New York populated by superheroes. However, rather than focusing primarily on heroic battles between superpowered characters, Tischman's creation follows the life of fashion designer Zoe Porter, after she lands a job with famous and renowned costume designer Dyna Cuff.

Zoe finds herself immediately immersed into a life of high fashion and adventures as she begins designing the costumes for some of the city's most popular heroes.

"At it's core, 'Heroine Chic' is about identity," Tischman said. "It's about who you are and about how what you wear affects how you identify yourself."

"I mean, guys will act and feel differently in a shirt and tie than they will in a T-shirt and sweatpants," he continued. "Women will definitely feel like a different person when they're wearing a pantsuit than when they wear a cocktail dress."

Tischman says the series focuses on "Zoe, at 23, still trying to figure out who she is" and that he has been inspired by all the superheroes popping up on big and small screens the past few years.

"Once you're thinking about TV shows and movies those costumes become fashion, because they're designed by someone," he said. "That's how I came up with 'Heroine Chic.' "

Tischman also says he was inspired by the stylish sportswear he sees these days - and that's why he has mixed feelings about the trend of comic companies "covering up" their characters, particularly heroines, a bit more with eyes toward being "practical" in TV and film translations.

"While I absolutely am on the bandwagon toward not hypersexualizing our characters, at the same time a lot of these characters - like Red Sonja and Vampirella - have an iconic look. I mean, Gail Simone and Dynamite are free to 'modernize' their characters' looks, but I find the boob window on Power Girl a lot more objectionable than Red Sonja's chain-mail bikini or the classic one-piece Vampirella outfit."

As far as "Heroine Chic," Tischman says a new chapter comes out every Monday and can be found on webtoons.com. "Chic" has had over 100,000 page views a week and will eventually be available in trade paperback form.

"I think there are several more stories that Zoe has that I can tell," he said.