There's a lot to be said about the typically vapid and shamelessly self-serving behavior of celebrities on Twitter, which is ostensibly designed as a medium for relevant exchange and interaction with one's friends, fans or other kinds of followers. But every now and then you come across a Tweeter of note who truly avails themselves of the technology in a very cool way. In response to a couple of fans recommending her work, Year of the Flood author Margaret Atwood was inspired to design original superheroes based on their usernames.

Update: Several comics artists have jumped on the bandwagon and added their own versions of these heroes below!After Twitter user @kidney_boy recommended Atwood's books to his friend @DrSnit, Atwood said she wanted to design superhero costumes. She updated the pair every few days with her thoughts on design elements and possible superpowers, suggesting "a crown made out of painkiller pills." One month after the initial communique, Atwood produced a full color sketch of her interpretation of "Dr. Snit" and, later, a black-and-white model sheet for "Kidney Boy."

As a consequence of this uncharacteristically friendly exchange, Atwood's endeared herself not just to loyal fans, but to everybody observing the action. @Kidney_Boy was inspired to blog about the experience, prompting us to blog about it, causing you to read it, and so and so on. Authors and other celebrities take note: we already read your books, listen to your records and see your movies. What Atwood's done is an example of the coolness of Social Networking.



UPDATE: Periscope Stuidos artists Ben Dewey, Ron Randall and Steve Lieber have put their own spin on Atwood's creations, with awesome results:

Steve Lieber

Ben Dewey

Ron Randall

[Via PBFluids]

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