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Something that isn't touched on a lot, at least not from the little I have read, are Harley's experiences with drugs. In Poison Ivy (G. Willow Wilson) she takes some of Ivy's Lamia spores and trips out and in Birds of Prey she takes a dose of cocaine before that amazing fight scene.

I wonder what her history is with drugs? Is it after her Clown Princess of Crime era, is there a canon to it?

I love the idea of Harley on drugs. She isn't like the rest of us. She is wired uniquely and is extremely intelligent, so drugs have a much different effect on her than others.

In Poison Ivy what drove others mad while taken over on Lamia spores, she enjoyed the tingles and visuals.

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Harley says Happy Pride and Fuck Ice!

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Dedicated to the one and only Fantabulous Harley Quinn!

Most that read this blog, who I am grateful for, are not into the stranger and magical side of the Chaos Magic Current, but that is a big part of who I am and where I have been. As well as the grind of a full time job.

I have a handful of comics to read and comment on with my ridiculous insight into the Clown Princess of Crime, and maybe a rewatch of the Animated Series on max for the hell of it.

For those that are interested, I purchased the middle and right pieces from Big Bad Toy Store. The left statuette, poster, and Dr. Harleen Quinzel badge I got at ComicCon last year.

For those with a magical mindset, I call my work with Harley Quinn as Divine Fool as Current 308, and invokes what I call the Clownskin. Our Clown Name, our masks, and our magical:trickster personality.

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Source: Poison Ivy (2022-) #19, Book by G. Willow Wilson

While Harley Quinn beats up any and all who challenge Harley and Her Gang of Harley's, blows up corporate buildings, chases down drug dealers, or eats pizza and plays in a punk rock band, Poison Ivy is off hunting and killing the patriarchy one CEO at a time.

Poison Ivy also becomes She-EO of the Legion of Doom and forwards her concept of Socially Conscious Evil in the Harley Quinn Animated Series. Socially Conscious Evil is not used as an excuse for destruction and death but using destruction and death to raise awareness on the atrocoties of corporate greed.

Source: Pinterest

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Harley sees you. Harley loves you.

Source: Pinterest, Val S.s

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Source: Stjepan Šejić

For whatever reason, this simple painting almost brought me to tears. Take note that these are my ponderings specifically, not commenting on what I think the artist was trying to convey.

The rose blooms on Harley's arm, the vine hiding a small leaf, like the growth of their companionship. There is always a seed of something new and always the beauty of the flower of love.

The contrast of the earthly green vine caressing Harley's skin makes otherwise hidden scars visible to the wandering eye. Battle scars of both physical and emotional confrontations. Joker did a number on her and Batman the fuel for her rage and nightmares under Joker's spell.

What sparked this curiosity originally were the different grasps of their hands. Ivy is holding on tightly and it looks like Harley is barely trying, like she doesn't care nor wants to hold on. At first glance it made think of the fragility of love itself, but it being Harley, I see it telling of her own fragility and Ivy being her stability.

Harley's touch is gentle because she is ready to fall, but a closer look it speaks volumes about her trust in Ivy. She knows Ivy is always there for her, that her heart blooms like the rose despite their pasts of betrayel and abuse.

The gentle touch of a lover versus the strong grasp of a lover portrays levels of need within their relationship. To hold on is an act of determination and steadfastness, to gently touch is an act of comforting and relaxing into the moment, both geared towards trust and faith.

This picture represents a balance of forces: Ivy won't let Harley fall into crippling self -doubt ever again and Harley won't let Ivy give up on her determination to save the world.

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Source: Justice League VS Suicide Squad, art by Jason Fabok, words by me.

I love Wonder Woman, and we all know she stands for actual Justice, but for the sake of political commentary, what we are seeing as "Justice" in America is a tool for oppression.

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HAMMER HARLEEN AND THE FISTS OF CLOWNING (FREE FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION)

I have been looking for what martial arts Harley Quinn may have learned as she is seen going toe-to-toe with the likes of Catwoman, Nightwing, Batgirl, Lord Death Man, and Batman, to name a few. All that comes up is her backround in gymnastics and learning from the Bat Family, and her aggression and fearless approach of being a wild card. She is a scrapper, but Batman and Nightwing are too skilled to be beaten by a simple scrapper. So, what is her fighting secret?

Source: Pinterest. If you know the artist, please let me know and I will credit their work.

What I am about to present is not canon, and I do my best to stick to canon because this is about Harley Quinn and how she is presented in popular culture and not my fantasies, but martial arts was my first love ♡. I have spent over 30 years training and studying various forms of martial arts from books to learning under local masters, so I have more than a basic understanding of the Fist.

Source: Harley's hammer from a keychain I bought.

First, we all know she had a backround in gymnastics and was a criminal psychologist that worked in Gotham, where crime is the rule and not the exception. With that, before she was the Maiden of Mischief, she was just Dr. Harleen Quinzel, so it would be logical that she took self defense classes. She also grew up in New York and is Jewish, so Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defense art inspired by Israeli military hand-to-hand combat, would make the most sense. Krav Maga is also one of the more popular and efficacious self defense systems in the United States.

Krav Maga uses open hand strikes, clinches, knees, elbows, weapons disarms, and evasion tactics. They also teach eye gouging, throat and groin strikes, as well as grappling defense. Being a military art, it is based on survival and not for sport or beauty like prize fighting or traditional martial arts.

Source: Harley VS. Apokolips

Although she was a gymnast, gymnastics does not teach fighting, but there are martial arts that combine gymnastics and fighting, the most famous being Wushu and Shaolin Kung Fu. There is an ancient kung fu method called Yi Jin Jing, or Muscle Tendon Change Classic, which is influenced by Yoga and combines a mix of flexibility and strength exercises.

Shaolin Kung Fu combines acrobatics, gymnastics, iron body, animal forms, weapons forms, meditation, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. I wouldn't go as far as saying she trained in China, but New York has a large martial arts community and its own Shaolin Temple, so it is a possibility.

Source: Google. Young Sifu Shi Yan Ming training in Shaolin Temple. He runs the New York branch of Shaolin.

Another style that involves acrobatics and kung fu, which is one of my favorite styles, is Drunken Boxing.

It isn't a single style. It is taught to intermediate to advanced students once they have mastered the basics of their style. It has a mix of tumbling, jumping, spinning, flipping, and deceptive tactics and techniques based on the movements of a drunkard.

Sources: Jackie Chan, Drunken Master 2, Gordon Liu, Shaolin Drunken Monk.

Finally, we have her weapons. Her most notable being her bat and (oversized) mallot.

Source: Harley Quinn Animated Series

The Irish have a stick fighting style called "bataireacht" which uses a shillelagh, a hard wood (blackthorn) stick with a natural nob as a handle that is good for hooking and smashing, such as smashing a skull.

Source: irelandjournal.typepad.com

Of course, swinging a bat at someone is a very effective way to end almost any fight.

Source: Harley Screws Up the DCU

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Source: Harley Quinn: Girl In Crisis side quest story

She just wants to find her Sleeping Ivy and kiss her awake.

Side note and short rant...

People think Harley Quinn has gone soft or is too heroic. Malarkey. She does her best to help, she does care, but she is still Harley Quinn the Harlequin of Hell Riders.

Source: Harley vs. Apokolips beheading Lord Death Man

She takes Lord Death Man on a ride through grevious bodily harm (GBH, a great 80's punk group, by the way), all to win some money to save her apartment/place of business for her and her Gang of Harley's.

The Maiden of Mischief will maim, kill, destroy, distort, and go to almost any extreme to save those she loves ♡. People call her an 'anti-hero' but I think she is just Harley Quinn living life with people she loves and going on wild adventures that may, or may not, be for the greater good.

Her character is great because she can't really be put into any box.

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Suicide Squad Isekai? Yes.

Classic crazy eyes before a beatdown!

Dragon Mom Harley!

Cute pink gun for mass destruction of the undead!!

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Critics don't like that Harley Quinn breaks the fourth wall, that the writers are turning her into the DC version of Deadpool.

Source: Harley vs Apokolips

I just started reading Girl In Crisis, and it gets into how her madness is causing a rift in realities. Personally, I love all these iterations of Harley Quinn. With Joker, without Joker, Gotham City Sirens, Birds of Prey, her Gang of Harley's, ad infinitum. As long as the writing is good, I'm good.

Here's how I see it. She has auditory and visual hallucinations, she is mad from past trauma and falling into the same white chemical that manifested Joker. For all she knows, she is just talking to the hallucinations.

Maybe that's because Deadpool is one of my favorite Marvel characters. Either way, I don't mind.

She's a comic book character, her story is going to change, and I'm sure there will be narratives I don't enjoy as much, but it won't destroy my mad love for Harley Quinn.

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HARLEYDAYS!

February - Harley Quinn Month

July 20th, 1990 - Cannon Birthday

September 11th, 1992 - Fourth Wall Birthday

September 21st - September 24th, Mabon/Autumal Equinox - Harley Quinn as the Holly Queen; the dance of Oak Queen (Poison Ivy) and Holly Queen (Harley Quinn)

Source: Harley Quinn: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Volume 1

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Source: Harley Quinn: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1

Batman beats up the poor, Harley hugs them.

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so i made a thing

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Hªrłəƴ Qųîŋŋ and the Skull Bags!

Source: Harley Quinn: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Volume 1

What's better than Harley Quinn as a punk rocker? NOTHING.

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This song makes me think of the Gotham City Sirens.