Word spread Monday in the comics community of the death of Anna-Maria Cool, an artist who worked on Marvel’s Barbie titles in the 1990s, as well as an adaptation of the movie Hook, a Doctor Strange Annual and illustrations for various media set in the world of Oz. Author Daryl Richard Lawrence wrote in with a personal tribute.
I first became aware of Anna-Maria Cool in an entirely conventional way — I saw her name at the front of a comic. Specifically, an issue of Barbie Fashion. This was a few years ago, as Barbie (2023) fever was reaching its apex and, as a podcast producer and co-host, the opportunity to indulge in an episode focused on Marvel’s Barbie titles was too tempting to pass up.
Some readers may be unaware that Marvel had a Barbie title. What’s more, they may be surprised to learn there were multiple! As someone who was the target demographic for this comic as it was coming out (except my gender — unfortunately, young, gay me never ran across these; otherwise I would have definitely asked for a few from my parents), I can assure you that Barbie was the be-all, end-all of licensed properties. Mattel’s female juggernaut was getting a major push in all areas of consumables, including comics. The main Barbie title ran for 63 regular issues from 1991 to 1996, and Barbie Fashion ran for 53 issues from 1991 to 1995. Between the two titles, Anna-Maria penciled dozens of stories, as well as quite a few covers.
As I prepared for the episode, I first had to track down more issues of the comic. Both titles are relatively hard to come by — they aren’t often in long boxes at comic shows, and it’s very rare to see them at local comic stores. My best guess is that a lot of the copies were just destroyed over time — again, thinking about the target demographic for Barbie and Barbie Fashion, it’s probably elementary school-aged kids, and they can be none-too-gentle on comics.
After scoring a beauty of a deal on a lot of them on an online auction site, I sat down to read them. At one point, I turned to my now-husband and said, “These are really good and really fun,” then proceeded to foist some upon him. What caught us both were not only the words, but the art drawn to tell the complete story. The world within the comics is fully immersive and, dare I say, a lovely escape from the horrors of the actual world.
I then reached out to invite Barbara Slate, who penned both series, and Anna-Maria, who provided art for both (but predominantly Barbie Fashion), on the podcast. I also invited Michelle Waffle-Otero, a friend within the comic podcasting world, and Isabel Dieppa, a Barbie superfan and writer who I thought would love to chat about Barbie comics. We all got together one Saturday afternoon and spent a solid two hours talking. Some of it didn’t make the final episode, but the joy we all found in these stories was evident and, in my opinion, made the best podcast episode I have ever released. Anna-Maria talked specifically about how she used reference for an issue with a sad character — she had just gotten divorced, looked in the mirror and saw exactly how to draw that emotion.
Afterward, I stayed connected to Anna-Maria. I purchased a couple original pages from her and also asked for a commission; she drew Baywatch Ken, the only Barbie-related doll I had growing up, in the style of the comics and it hangs proudly in my living room to this day. We became friends on Facebook, and she regularly reacted to pictures of our pet bunnies.
In chatting more with her, I saw just how wonderful she was. Sometimes I would reach out, sometimes she would; it was a steady flow of messages back and forth. I was always interested when she posted about the date nights she would have with her hubby — she always included the menu, the cocktail of the week and the music that set the tone. Anna-Maria also sent us holiday cards — and I mean that in a broader sense than just Christmas. As a former Hallmark artist, she had impeccable taste in cards, especially those sent at Halloween. When we made a calendar with pictures of our pet rabbits, I made sure to send a copy to her.
This Monday morning, before I knew of her passing, I was actually doing an inventory of my Barbie and Barbie Fashion comics. I kept pulling out issues to see my friend’s name on them. I’m still stunned that I am fortunate enough to know people who work on comics. But to call one a friend? That’s special.
The artistry Anna-Maria poured into covers for a comic about a toy doll was considerable. My personal favorite cover is Barbie Fashion #32 — a cover that is special because the two issues I have show Barbie in a fluorescent orange dress, while the copy Anna-Maria had showed her in an almost white dress. We had a good laugh about it, as she had never seen the orange dress version.
A close second would be issue #35, which showed a tiny bunny beside the hiking trail Barbie is on. The small details Anna-Maria was able to work in — as well as her sense of movement — make it not only fun, but visually dynamic. You can check out both series on the Internet Archive (I can’t see an official re-release for these due to licensing issues); they are good reads and even better companions. You can see exactly how Anna-Maria made Barbie and her cast tell stories through their actions within the comics. She, and her fellow creatives on the team, really did something special with Barbie and Barbie Fashion that not many fans are aware of. And what’s better than being able to read them for free, instead of having to find increasingly rare physical copies? Anna-Maria would have loved you to see her work.
I will miss my friend. I will miss the light she brought not only to my life, but to so many others. Her kindness and warmth will live on in our remembrances, and when autumnal breezes sigh through my pine trees each October, I will remember Anna-Maria Cool and the magic she brought to my life for too short a time.
Daryl Richard Lawrence is an author (when he’s not working at his actual job), and his most recent book, True North, is a comprehensive companion to Alpha Flight’s first volume. It can be found on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. His next book, covering the music of Stevie Nicks, is out this spring. Follow him on Bluesky and Instagram @maconfleetwood.
