YJST: PHANTOMS - JONNY KENT

WB Animation Character Design, YOUNG JUSTICE: PHANTOMS, Jonny Kent, and Jonny Kent in tuxedo.
Media: Digital art.

In Season Four, little Jonny Kent reappears in a few episodes. It was my task to design him as a 3 year-old. Of course, I felt obliged to add an "S" spit curl to his dark hair at the middle of his forehead, like his daddy. For his casual outfit, I subtly used a color palette suggestive of Superman's classic suit of primary colors, red, blue, and yellow, with the little red hood hinting at a cape.

For the wedding ring-boy design, I submitted a concept showing his hair neatly styled, figuring his mama Lois would prefer that. However, the show's producers nixed this idea, citing the part in the script where the boy's grandfather affectionately tousles Jonny's hair as he sits beside him. This was a valid point. But I also believe that Greg and Brandon were hesitant to allow significant hairstyle changes on characters for the sake of consistency, and perhaps for fear that audiences might fail to immediately recognize a character sporting a slightly different look. I think Jonny looks better in a tux with his hair neatly and appropriately styled, and so I am presenting him that way here.