Although Harley Quinn is amongst the most popular comic book characters, her first appearance did not occur in print but on the small screen instead. While working on Batman: The Animated Series, Paul Dini and Bruce Timm were in need of a comic foil and henchwoman for the Joker. As a result, they co-created Harleen Francis Quinzel. Her popularity inevitably led to an appearance in issue twelve of the Batman Adventures comic book series and incorporation into the overall DC Comics Universe.
The popularity of Harley Quinn has also led to thousands of female cosplayers portraying the character at comic book conventions across the country, including the famed San Diego Comic-Con. In 2014, the “real” Harley made her Comic-Con debut within the pages of the Harley Quinn Invades Comic-Con International: San Diego one-shot comic book, and the resulting adventure is everything one would expect from the mischievous anti-heroine
Harley Quinn arrives in San Diego on the Tuesday before the convention, asleep in the back of her friend Queenie’s van. Upon awakening, she is immediately swept away by the sunshine, palm trees, celebrity sightings, and excitement of attending Comic-Con. While Queenie is there as a vendor and able to get into the San Diego Convention Center a day early to set up, Harley only has a general admission pass and must wait until the con officially opens.
Walking the streets of the Gaslamp Quarter that evening, Harley Quinn inevitably finds trouble. First, a truck transporting superhero garb to be sold at Comic-Con accidently hits her – in retaliation, she hijacks the truck and gives all the clothing to the homeless. At Rude Rick’s Hateful Hideaway, meanwhile, the waitress greets her with the words, “So, ya gonna sit there all day staring at the menu, or ya gonna order already?” After a few more insults are thrown at her, Harley pins the waitress to the ground and prepares to stab her.
“Wait!” the waitress screams. “I wasn’t serious! The name of the place is Rude Rick’s! We’re rude to our customers on purpose! It’s part of the joke! We do it to everyone!”
The next day is Preview Night at San Diego Comic-Con, and Harley Quinn arrives with her comic art portfolio, intent on showing it to an editor and landing a job as an artist. When she arrives at the DC Comics booth, however, she finds Editor-In-Chief Bob Harras talking to Batman. Although it is actually a cosplayer dressed as the superhero, Harley believes him to be real and worries that he is warning Harras about her. She thus decided to embarrass Batman in the hopes of discrediting him, and the only plan she can come up with is to pull down his pants. While the Harley Quinn boxer shorts worn by “Batman” delights her, convention security is not amused and evicts Harley from the premises.
On Thursday, she is back in the Convention Center and selling T-shirts at the booth of her friend Queenie. The experience isn’t going well, as Harley is continually bombarded with questions – “Does it come in any other colors?” “What is it made of?” “When you buy it, does it come bagged?” “Is it a limited edition or do you keep running off copies?” Eventually, she has enough and attacks the customers, which leads to her eviction from Comic-Con for the second time.
While once again walking the streets of the Gaslamp Quarter, a stretch limousine pulls up beside her, filled with other Harley Quinns out for a night of “chaos and pandemonium.” The female cosplayers met on a website and every year they rent a limo at Comic-Con. “Tonight we’re gonna crash the Warner Bros. party,” one Harley explains to the real Harley. “The rumor is they have a bunch of actors, writers and comic artists attending. It’s impossible to get in, but that won’t stop us girls, will it?”
Since she was told that the theme of the evening is “chaos and pandemonium,” Harley Quinn attacks the limo driver and orders him to stop the vehicle in exactly four seconds. He does as ordered out of fear, leaving the limo in the middle of some railroad tracks just as a train is approaching. The crash splits the limo in two, but everyone inside survives unscathed. When two police officers arrive on the scene, Harley thinks they are cosplayers – or maybe even male strippers – steals a guns and shoots one of them in the butt. Because everyone is dressed as Harley Quinn, the cop is unable to identify the actual culprit, and the night comes to an end.
The next day, Harley again makes her way to the DC booth at the San Diego Convention Center, still intent on having her comic art evaluated. Publisher Dan DiDio is in the middle of a television interview, however, and Harley Quinn is evicted from the area when she “photo bombs” the proceedings. Her friend Big Tony suggests that she work at Queenie’s booth for the rest of the day, after which she can borrow his dealer badge and try again after the con has closed.
Harley does just that, but finds the DC booth empty except for a lone security guard who says that everyone left early for an editorial dinner. After filling out a raffle ticket for Jim Lee to personally review her portfolio, Harley Quinn hijacks the Batmobile in the DC booth and heads off in search of the dinner. Upon her arrival, she is told that she is at the wrong restaurant and leaves – never realizing that the cosplayer she spoke to was actually a DC employee and that she was in the right place after all.
By now Saturday has arrived, and it’s time to draw the winning name for the Jim Lee portfolio review. When the name “Harleen Francis Quinzel” is announced, cheers of “I won!” reverberate throughout the convention center as every Harley Quinn cosplayer claims victory. A long line forms, with the actual Harley bringing up the rear. By the time she finally arrives at his table, the famed DC artist and publisher is exhausted but slowly and methodically makes his way through her portfolio nonetheless. With each passing second, however, Harley’s thoughts of excitement inevitably turn to rage.
“I can’t take it anymore!” she internally tells herself. “I can’t do it! I just want to reach across this stupid table, push my art aside and wrap my hands around his stupid throbbing neck and strangle him till his brain pops out of his overgrown, egotistical, meaty head!”
At that exact moment, Jim Lee finally looks up and says, “Looks pretty good. Storytelling is solid. Keep it up and you’ll be there in no time.” A now enthralled Harley Quinn skips away from the booth, announcing to the world, “I love Jim Lee! He’s the greatest!”
On the last day of San Diego Comic-Con, Harley’s plans are low key – work at her friend Queenie’s booth, then pick up some comic books, art prints, and maybe even a statue. She is also determined to get the autograph of at least one celebrity, and her chance arrives when she stumbles across actor Stephen Amell, who portrays Green Arrow on the CW television network. As Amell takes questions from the crowd surrounding him, Harley begins to push her way to the front, shouting, “Out of my way, knot-head! Oh my God! I can’t believe it! I think I’m gonna pass out! You just gotta sign my autograph book!”
Stephen Amell consents, but Harley pushes past him as well until she is standing face-to-face with Bruce Timm. The co-creator of Harley Quinn isn’t alone, as his partner in the creation process – Paul Dini – is there as well. “Oh my God!” Harley gushes. “I feel like I know you! I swear I can’t breathe, I’m so excited! This has been the greatest comic convention ever! I can die happy now!”
Despite her ecstasy, she has one last mission before the convention closes – to buy a copy of Batman Adventures #12, featuring the first comic book appearance of Harley Quinn. When a vendor tells her the book costs $300, however, Harley bulks. “Take it or leave it,” she is told, so she takes it along with a handful of other comics and heads to the exit with a security guard in hot pursuit, ending her first foray into the world of San Diego Comic Con.
Anthony Letizia