[ SECRET POST #2669 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2669 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 017 secrets from Secret Submission Post #381.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

09. http://i.imgur.com/EtEEKHB.jpg

[galerian-ash.livejournal.com]

But that was more zines, no? In those cases it was more a group of really dedicated fans who teamed up to create stuff together -- these days, the vast majority of fics are simply written and posted (by one person, I mean).

[fingalsanteater]

Certain fests team up artists and writers still.

[fingalsanteater]

I love reading the Starsky and Hutch zines online that still have the art attached. It feels so... nostalgic, even though the era of zines was well before my time in fandom. (What fic is that image from? It's looks familiar, but I read so many s/h zines recently.)

I don't really like art with fics, though. Most of the time the fic is better than the art. (Except for that one time I started reading a Merlin AU fic because the art was amazing, but the fic just didn't interest me.)

[(Anonymous)]

Maybe it was on fanlore? I know that site always shows a LOT of examples of fanart on all their pages for different fandoms.

[(Anonymous)]

One of the big tragedies of zine fandom is that a lot of them are cataloged and referenced, but only exist in print form and cannot be found or even summarized on the web, so you are faced with a tantalizing unfulfilled glimpse forever.

Not only are the fics impossible to find, but so are letters from letterzines, the precursors of usenet discussions and review comments. I would really like to be able to read the discussions people had way back then, especially given the shift in values.

[(Anonymous)]

Curious...where do you get these zines online with attached art? Is there a particular site?

[diet_poison]

idk, I think a lot of people are really good at writing or really good at drawing or both.

Did people used to make art for their own fic or vice-versa? Or was it just more common to team up and produce joint fanworks?

[(Anonymous)]

I think both? A lot of people knew each other in person and could collaborate that way, I believe, and communities were closer and smaller so it was easier for artists and writers to hook up.

[(Anonymous)]

Holy shitballs that's some amazing art there. I don't just mean the skill, I mean the imagination in the concept -- the silhouette and the noir-ish-ness and their poses and the light shining on them and the suggested symbolism of it all put together (which I might be totally misinterpreting because I have no idea who the characters are or what the fic is or the event in the fic that's illustrated here, but I can tell that whatever the symbolism is, it's there.) The strong concept aspect is especially rare in a lot of fanart now, although certain genres -- mostly kids' fantasy or superhero movies, seem to have quite a lot of good high-concept fanart.

[(Anonymous)]

Goodness gracious, that looks good enough to be a professional interior illustration for a noir mystery novel or something.

Who are the characters?

[(Anonymous)]

This picture makes me really, really curious to read the fic it's from and flip to the scene it's portraying, which is probably a sign that it's a really good illustration ;)

(I wonder if the art is supposed to be slash or gen? With Starsky & Hutch, they're so intense it's hard to tell sometimes.)

[(Anonymous)]

A lot of writers are not artists, and a lot of artists are not writers. Sorry, OP. And as a writer myself, as long as the author is putting that kind of work into their fic instead I'll probably be happy with it.

Also, besides people who both write and draw, some people do commission art for their fics, though. So it still happens sometimes.

[(Anonymous)]

Personally, I'd love making the kind of art you describe to accompany my fanfiction, but I can't draw to save my life so I'd have to either find a fanartist who wants to collaborate or commission art myself, which I can't afford. That's a lot of time and effort not everyone has to spare.

[(Anonymous)]

It's not weird to immediately recognize a character just from a silhouette, is it? I'm not even a fan or anything, but Starsky has such a distinctive profile...

I really like the idea of illustrations, but even back then, a lot of illustration were crappy uncanny valley pencil drawings that detracted from the readers' mental image rather than enhanced their ability to see the scenes. Just like today. Trust me, I remember taping pieces of paper over some of the particularly off-putting art in some old Star Trek zines I used to read.

This is the fic it's from

[galerian-ash.livejournal.com]

I saw a lot of people asking which fic it was from, and since I recognized it I did a little digging through my stuff -- and voilà, it's from a novel zine called Graven Images. The artist in question is Connie Faddis, who has a very distinctive style and has one plenty of great illustrations.

(Hope everyone who was curious sees this reply; I gonna head offline soon so I didn't have the time to individually reply to everyone.)

[(Anonymous)]

Can anyone read the signature at the bottom? It looks like it says "D. Fackles" or "Fadhis" or something.

[(Anonymous)]

If we're talking getting fanart from your fanfics, I adore it when people draw things for my stories. Too bad it also gives BNF's huge egos to the point where they feel superior to everyone else.

But as for collaborations between artists and authors, you're right OP, people don't really tend to do that much anymore. I've seen them on big bangs and stuff, but that's about it.

[tabaqui]

I agree - i wish there was more art out there!

I would do just about anything for some awesome art for one of my fics. I've gotten a few things over the years, and loved them, but man - to have a fic be *illustrated*, several scenes instead of just one thing...how cool would that be?

Am I the only one who absolutely cannot stand photorealistic fanart?

[(Anonymous)]

It's just too much like appropriating the actors rather than the characters -- I don't know why, because the actors have lent their physical image to this particular character, but it creeps me the fuck out. Same with photomanips. Ew ew, do not want.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, I would kill for an awesome illustration or two for my fics.

Unfortunately, it's mostly gone the way of the dodo, which makes me sad.

I'd do it myself, but.. stick figure art isn't all it's cracked up to be. ;)

[(Anonymous)]

I've seen attached art on fics on AO3, either embedded with the text or linked (genetally the latter, if the artist is someone other than the author).

I agree with the top comment about the difference between zines and modern online fic. Zines strike me as being like those student magazines that get put out by high schools and colleges where everyone knows a volume is going to be published and they send in poems and stories and art. If you post a fic online and want illustrations, you have to make them yourself, ask artists to contribute something (not likely to happen if you don't know many fan artists because why should they draw something for your fic and not one of the potentially many, many others out there or just draw what they want and throw it up on tumblr or Deviant Art without a fic being involved?) or wait and hope someone is inspired to create something for you.

[esteefee]

OMG S/H secret! I have that zine.

Back when I wrote for S/H zines, the publisher would sometimes obtain an illo for one of my stories. It was the most amazing thing to see one of my scenes come to life that way.

Now, if I write a longer piece (20K+) I like to go to an illustrator in my fandom and beg for cover art for the story before I post it. I've been really lucky more than a couple of times and had them say yes. Of course, I wait to post the piece until they finish the art. But it's the awesomest thing in the world to have custom art for your story, and well worth begging for.

Maybe more folks could try doing it informally, instead of just for artbangs?

[ex_mek82]

I'm curious OP, but... what do you mean by "too cartoony"?

Also, I draw illustrations for my own fics. Unfortunately, I'm a shit writer in addition to being a shit artist, so nothing really ever gets done in that department, lmao. But yeah, I think I'd be more inclined to read fan fic more often if there were some illustrations attached to them (though I'm not picky about the style itd be in either). But that's just me.

Couldn't disagree with you more

[(Anonymous)]

Generally speaking this is what I used to hate about fanzines, the overabundance of bad fanart... And the example you provide in your secret is the exact reason why: I hate this style of supposedly realistic fanart which I find both ugly and amateurish.

For some reason, I am very, VERY picky when it comes to illustrations and I really cannot stand the output of some of the most popular fan artists out there. Besides the fact that some have really toxic personalities, I mean.

For instance, I cannot think of a single fanzine illustration for ST: TOS, Starsky & Hutch, Blake's 7 or Pros that I liked, and I always felt that those were the most forgettable part of fanzines, the reason I do not regret their era. What you call the 'book-like' art that accompanied it and defaced some great stories: I regret the stories we lost, not the fanart... These fanzine illustrations were just tacky, frankly.

Personally I like the fact that it's gotten far easier to ignore the accompanying art when reading illustrated stories.