The Evolution of Harley Quinn, From Sketch to Screen Queen

Paul Dini’s first sketch of the character: “a 1960s blonde in a miniskirt” based in part on I Dream of Jeannie’s Barbara Eden with a dash of 1940s “screwballs” like Betty Hutton, Gloria Grahame, and Claudette Colbert. (Image: Paul Dini/Warner Bros.)

Dini also drew inspiration from his friend and Days of Our Lives star Arleen Sorkin (seen here in a 1986 publicity photo from the soap opera), who would go on to voice Harley in Batman: The Animated Series and provide her real name: Harleen. “She has that personality of the very snappy, wisecracking, bubbly blonde,” Dini says. (Photo: Joseph Del Valle/NBC/Getty Images)

Dini showed his sketch to Bruce Timm, lead artist and co-producer of Batman: The Animated Series. “I think we can do better,” Timm told Dini and he came up with the classic red-and-black jester-style look for her first appearance. “She combined a sense of fun and impishness. You could tell she was a gymnast or maybe a ballet dancer just from the way he drew her — up and ready to move,” says Dini.

Harley’s first appearance in DC Comics came in this issue of the book based on the cartoon. Her look is taken directly from Batman: The Animated Series. (Image: DC Comics)

The one-shot comic by Dini and Timm established Harley’s backstory: Psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel comes under the sway of the Joker. She’ll do anything for her “Puddin’,” including busting him out of Arkham Asylum. (Image: DC Comics)

Illustrator extraordinaire Alex Ross did the classic cover for DC’s first solo Harley Quinn book in the canon (which the movie gives a nod to during a flashback scene). Her costume remains relatively unchanged from Timm’s vision to this point. (Image: DC Comics)

Until Robbie came along, Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) was the only live-action Harley Quinn, playing the part on The WB’s short-lived series. Hers was the first Harley to eschew the traditional jester hat and mask. (Photo: The WB)

A stylized Harley turned up in the fourth season of this animated series. (Image: Warner Bros. TV)

Rocksteady’s seminal Batman: Arkham video-game series helped establish the visual palette for DC’s cinematic universe. The ponytailed, nightmarish “Nurse Harley” obviously influenced the look of future incarnations, including Robbie’s character. (Image: Rocksteady/Warner Bros. Interactive)

The “Emperor Joker!” episode of the irreverent animated series had a flapper-esque Harley reminiscent of that early Dini sketch. (Image: Warner Bros. TV)

Meanwhile, back in the comics, a more traditional Harley was teamed with Catwoman and Poison Ivy in this book, scripted in part by Dini. When that title finished its run, Dini says, “I was afraid she might be in mothballs.” (Image: DC Comics)

In 2011, DC rebooted its comic universe, with Harley featured majorly in several books of “The New 52,” including a reimagined Suicide Squad. The heavy makeup, two-toned hair, and barely there costume informs Robbie’s movie look. “I was really excited when ‘The New 52’ came out… They did a solo book on her, and the Suicide Squad was going to use her. She was also such a prominent element in the video games. Suddenly she was everywhere,” says Dini. (Image: DC Comics)

This direct-to-video feature has a softened version of the video-game Harley, with plain blond tresses, no mask, and no makeup. (Image: Warner Bros.)

This combo cartoon and toy line focuses on the high-school antics of several female comic characters, including Harley in her colorful rebooted guise. (Image: DC Comics/Mattel)

The most recent installment in the video-game series features a bat-wielding bombshell version of Harley, not dissimilar to Robbie’s. (Image: Rocksteady/Warner Bros. Interactive)

In DC’s latest revamp, a.k.a. “Rebirth,” comic-book Harley closely hews to movie Harley. (Image: DC Comics)

Margot Robbie’s multihued miscreant, as seen in the new film, owes a debt to the myriad Harleys before her. “I love the color scheme,” says Dini. “The candy-colored look. She looks great.” (Photo: Warner Bros.)