To conclude this Supergirl mini-series on a high note, we have selected one of the many Superman/Supergirl spanking cartoons of Dave Wolfe (another one may be found here). For many reasons, Superman is the most natural spanker for Supergirl: he's the only man powerful enough to do it, he's her older cousin, and with her parents presumed dead (the storyline in the early Silver Age Supergirl stories), he was very clearly in charge of her upbringing and discipline.
As we've noted elsewhere, spanking cartoonists usually try to maintain some kind of balance between humor and eroticism, or as Dave himself refers to it, the "Hilarity and Horniness Factor". Some have tried to split the emphasis 50-50, notably Dan DeCarlo among the "old masters" and Dan Rivera among present-day artists. We can't say for sure what Dave's intention has been - maybe we'll get around to interviewing more artists one of these days - but whether out of conscious intent or unconcious gestalt, we believe that he is first and foremost a humorist, willing to take a chance and sacrifice other considerations when necessary. In this cartoon, for example, he has made it impossible for the viewer to look at Supergirl's face without smiling, or even breaking into gales of laughter, so perfectly has he captured her embarrassment at being turned over Superman's knee with her skirt raised, while Supes is wearing the big grin that you or we or Dave himself would be when about to apply some heat to that seat.
Art by Dave Wolfe. Superman and Supergirl are © DC Comics Inc.
But in order to pull that off, Dave had to give up on maximizing the erotic implications, for example by not sexualizing the body (as Matt Baker certainly would have) or posing Supergirl so as to suggest sexual submission. This trade-off is justified in our view by the humorous effect achieved and the fact that Superman may be considered a paternal figure to Supergirl.
