For certain people, comic books are more than a hobby, they are a way of life. One of those people is filmmaker Kevin Smith. I am not using hyperbole here. When he first set out to make Clerks, Kevin sold his comic book collection to raise the necessary funds. After meeting success in his film career, he went on to contribute to several comic books, including his own, Chasing Dogma. Plus he has a reality show, Comic Book Men, set in his NJ store, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, which sells comic books and merchandise. It probably will not shock you to know that Kevin and his wife Jennifer named their 16 year old daughter after the Joker’s best girl from the Batman series, Harley Quinn. Supervillain shenanigans aside, Harley Quinn Smith is a really cool name.
With the Suicide Squad movie coming out, Harley Quinn Smith must have been primed to see her name in all kinds of lights. So what do you get the person with her name emblazoned on everything from shot glasses to t-shirts? As a thank you for hosting the Dawn of the Justice League special, Warner Bros. gave Kevin Harley Quinn’s bat from the movie. Cue Father of the Year Award:
Harley Quinn Smith, the daughter of filmmaker and DC fan Kevin Smith, received a gift that brought her to tears. That gift was the bat wielded by Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad.
Kevin posted a photo to Facebook of Harley with tears of joy after opening her gift, which was given to the Tusk director by Warner Bros. for hosting the Dawn of Justice League TV special on The CW.
“Asked ‘You know what a totem is? It’s a powerful, mystical object that wards off evil and gives the bearer strength and power. Before you begin your journey where I started my adventure 22 years ago, I wanted to present you with this powerful totem,” he wrote.
Smith continued, “She opened the tube to discover the bat and immediately started bawling. Harley cried tears of joy for the next 2 hours. Like her old man, the kid goes to pieces over this comic book stuff. It’s not just in her name, it’s in her DNA. Regardless, I’ve never seen anybody so overjoyed to receive a gift.”
By the way, yes, Kevin named his daughter after the fan favorite DC villain.
Harley Quinn stars next in her dad’s film, Yoga Hosers, with another famous offspring, Lily-Rose Depp. Look at her face in the Instagram. She knew Harley Quinn was going to be everywhere and yet received the one thing that could still make this whole experience unique. Bless her. When I look at this I wonder what Kevin’s face must have looked like when he gave it to her. I expect this was as as big a deal for him as her. It’s a dynamite gift and I love that he presented it as a totem.
I love name connections. I recently bought my female progeny several books in which the protagonists bear her name. She is excited to have her own little army of like-named literary friends.
Photo credit: WENN Photos and Getty Images
I will never understand the love of comic books. I didn’t even like them as a child. Not criticizing, just don’t get it.
I thought the story about Hecate’s daughter and the little literary army was very sweet, though.
Comic books and the love of Marvel type movies aren’t my thing as well. And it’s not from lack of trying. It’s a lovely gesture though and he’s daughter seems genuinely touched.
GNAT (or anyone else!)- If you’d like to give them a shot as an adult – Blankets and Maus are both very highly regarded and not super hero stories. Gorgeous art and wonderful storytelling.
I would add Persepolis and the LoyisvRiel story to that list of graphic novels. I think there is quite a difference between the two, but I enjoy both. Who doesn’t like comics? Even Archie?
I wasn’t a comic book kid – they’re so expensive! – but the likes of Persepolis, Watchmen and Maus changed that. I read them in my early twenties, and they are still on my shelf, for re-reading.
I love graphics novels and comics as a brain break between reading book after book. I almost always read novels, but I go through phases where no matter what book I try to start, it’s just not working, I can’t get into it, and I can end up murdering books for myself, cause I won’t finish them. When that happens I change it up by reading non-fiction, comics or occasionally poetry. I also like audio stuff.
Theres sometimes an assumption that comic readers are all super nerds, or that ordinary readers can’t get anything from trying out a comic, and I think it’s such a mistake. Why limit yourself?
@GNAT I’ve been reading comics for 40 years, I passed along that love to my oldest, also she inherited my Star Wars obsession, but during the 70’s I got into it because they showed women could be heroes or villains when a lot of women characters on TV were used as just girlfriends.
Now there was still a lot of misogyny in comics during those years, but it was the first time outside of my Nancy Drew books, that women were strong and independent and didn’t need a man to save themselves – or the world.
Comics are simply just another medium for storytelling.
Try the Dark Horse stuff. A little more cerebral. Sandman by Neil Gaiman is awesome. Also the Fables series. Its the original fairytale characters in modern america series that Disney ripped off to make Once Upon a Time. Its a really fun series. I am not always in love with Marvel and DC, but there are a lot of graphic novels that are amazing.
Yes yes yes to Sandman, Neil Gaiman is awesome. Also Bitch Planet and Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Saga and Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughn, too many others to name. It’s not superhero nonsense anymore; there is some really interesting writing happening in that world once you get away from Marvel and DC. Image Comics in particular – in addition to Dark Horse – are killing it.
Have you tried Asian comics? I never understood the appeal of comics until I read ones that were more my cup of tea – there’s a huge variety though, with some targeted at girls and women, some devoted to just romance, to fantasy, supernatural, the whole shebang.
I never got into them either, and I love most of so called “nerd” stuff – fantasy, sci-fi, anime. When I was a teen I really tried to read mangas because I was such a huge anime fan, but there is just something about the image/text combination of comics that exhausts my brain. So I gave up and went back to reading regular books.
Comic books are a really nifty medium for visual storytelling – the industry is just dominated by the DC/Marvel superhero trend, and it can be a turn off if that’s not your bag. If you go outside the more mainstream storytelling, though, there’s a lot more subject from which you can pick.
I’m not into DC or marvel at all, but if you are a little curious, try Saga or Rachel Rising
That is super cute. Her face reads pure joy. Good going dad!! 🙂
Slightly off topic but Kevin Smith is such a disappointment to me. He had so much potential as a director, not to mention goodwill from decision makers like Harvey, and he managed to squander it. I listen to him reviewing comic films and just think “that should have been your film, doofus”. And his college speaking tours where he gossips about celebrities are entertaining but talk about senselessly burning bridges. Why is he surprised Affleck avoids him? Who wants to hang with someone who could decide to make you the subject of a stupid podcast or college comedy session?
I’m not familiar with the history of Kevin Smith, how exactly did he squander all his goodwill (other than the college tours you mentioned)?
If I had to say then I guess it would be 2 things. Firstly, his films lost artist credibility and therefore stopped being the type of film Harvey will back even if it doesnt kill at the box office. Then because of that quality fail, his audience deserted him. If iirc Zack & Miri was the last film he did with Harvey and that was a box office disappointment. It made its money back but it starred Seth Rogen (the most sought after comedic actor at the time) but ended being Seths worst performing film up to that point, by a wide margin.
Secondly, the loose tongue. E.g. Warner Bros head hunted him to write a Superman film, he didnt even have to pitch for the job. But he didnt take to one of the execs so a decade later Kevin Smith is still doing podcasts on how ignorant this named executive was of superman. I cant even count the number of celebrities he talks crap about, lets just say they range from Prince to Tim Burton. I dont think there is a Hollywood interaction that he will not air for comedy. Which makes him entertaining but also stupid. From what I know about Hollywood, if your movies arent making big money and you are not getting artistic cred, then at least dont be that guy who humiliates potential colleagues for a cheap laugh. Kevin Smith is that guy.
Ah, okay. Makes sense. Thank you.
God, yeah. Clerks was so good, and he has made such trash since. One trick pony, movie-wise, in my opinion.
And ON TOP of all you said Naya, Those Hockey Mumus he wears… it’s such Manchild fashions, I praise the Gods that I broke my boyfriend of dressing like a man baby
Rofl @ “Hockey mumus”. A description that is both accurate and hilarious!
I disagree with whomever said he was a “one trick pony.” I love quite a few of his movies…Chasing Amy, Mallrats, Dogma, Clerks, but I think his problem is that he is a smart, funny guy who never matured with his audience. His humor is still stuck at age 21 and his audience is now 40ish. Also, his abilities as a director never improved and he gets his panties in a wad whenever critics call him out on it.
I really like Kevin Smith.
I don’t even hate the name Harley Quinn – it’s actually pretty cute. I’ve always had a soft spot for the name Quinn though.
He seems to be a really family oriented person – which is great to see, especially in Hollywood. I know he’s also done a tonnnn for Jay Mewes over the years; helping with his addiction and doing whatever he could to keep his sobriety in check.
I get that Kevin Smith loves comic books and whatnot, but naming his child “Harley Quinn”? What a terrible character to name your kid after. I mean, yes Harley Quinn is a complicated female character and that’s cool and all but she’s also extremely annoying and a terrible role model in terms of someone to name your kid after. Why would one name their child after a character with psychological problems who willingly allows herself to be in an abusive relationship?
Aren’t there better female comic book characters to name one’s kid after?
I actually thought about this too, but then again – I want to name my future daughter Cersei (as in Cersei Lannister from GoT) just because I think the NAME itself is beautiful, not because I think she’s a good role model.
i’m sick of children of famous people being a thing. show me you can actually do whatever it is you do and i’m paying attention, otherwise, go away.
I hear you, but what are they supposed to do? What if they love acting or modeling or whatever and the opportunity presents itself because of their parents? Should they turn it down?
no no. like I said, if they’re good at it, it’s fine. it bothers me when they become super famous for being the children of famous people, for instance depp’s daughter is very average looking so it’s beyond me how she’s even modelling, and this film is probably her first… so why is she everywhere without having done anything? same with smith’s daughter. this film got terrible reviews, in fact.
I mind them slightly less when the admit how much their parents did for them and how many doors they opened. The only celeb kid I ever heard admit that was Domhnall Gleeson. All others pretend they did everything themselves.
@ell Depp’s daughter is far from being very average looking, she’s a beautiful girl. And she has style. She got many good notices in spite of the movie’s general reviews being negative.
I don’t really see this being so much about her as him. That being said, her mother is a decent actress, and from what I have hear, both Harley and Lily Depp are pretty decent in this upcoming movie. It’s not Oscar worthy, but does every movie have to be?
I think there’s some really talanted celebrity offspring though. Angelina Jolie springs to mind immediately, and there’s plenty more.
I get what you’re saying and somewhat agree, In this specific case, it’s their first movie (well first they’re starring in cuz they were in Tusk for a minute) so HQ and Lily Depp get the chance to prove themselves.
Nepotism. Nepotism everywhere.
Did he get bad cosmetic surgery to give him that wide-eyed, derpy expression that he has in all of his photos?
It’s really sweet how genuinely happy she looks. Tho I gotta say, I never saw the appeal for Harley Quinn. And I know people have different taste and all that jazz, but I still cannot fathom why she is so popular.
I think it’s awesome when you can share interests like that with your kids. Its a really neat way to bond. That said…my last name is Gray and I absolutely threw down with my husband over naming our daughter Jean. No way.