Ever since she made the transition from a spot of light on the stage in 1903, to a tiny flying woman in a 1924 silent film, James Barrie’s Tinker Bell has been a shining example of how an indomitable spirit and a beautiful body can excuse even the worst behavior. Since appearing in a Disney film almost sixty years ago, she has inspired generations of artists to depict exploits her author never imagined.

Tinker Bell seems like a slender, shiny bug to 14bis, but still quite attractive clutching a leaf to hide her assets. Wagner provides his trademark curves to a particularly willful sprite easily overflowing her costume in every direction. Eddie Holly‘s teenybopper Tink is compactly cute and only a little bit naughty while Pat Carlucci‘s rendition is leggy, busty and glowing all over.

As long as children grow up to the tales of Never Never Land, adults will wonder how this most famous of fairies frolics, without necessarily wanting to make a trip beyond that second star to the right, and straight on till morning. Fortunately for us, curious artists are willing to make that trip, and delight us with their flights of frisky fantasy.

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To say that Johnathan Darkly is an enigma would be something of an understatement. No one in our organization has ever met him in person, and his website has suffered immense stretches of time without updates, including the entire year of 2009.

More than once, we have been tempted to write Mr. Darkly off for dead, yet — when he delivers — his fascinating forays into fantasy character creation and animation are almost invariably worth the wait.

What was one of your earliest fantasy experiences

We’re all born to fantasy. From the stories we tell kids, to the myths we take as gospel, every one of us has a deeply cherished belief that’s plainly wrong. We need fantasy to survive.

How did you become a professional artist?

Trial and error. Print sales were a waste of time and effort, but Erotinomicon.com is a good excuse to keep on playing with figures.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

The female form where it starts and ends, but Patrick Nagel’s minimalistic expression of it, and Masamune Shirow’s playful distortions of it were important sparks. Reinterpretations of mythology, especially animal and technological fusions are always a great source too.

Is there a single message that you find yourself most drawn to?

With an open mind, beauty is in the strangest combinations of features and attributes. There is no one perfect beauty, only infinite flawed expressions of it.

What has been your most challenging project?

One job a few years back  involved modifications to an existing female model. The requests were very specific, very anatomical, and got creepier and creepier.

What are you working on now?

Still trying to find the best way to show the “sculptures” from as many angles as possible. Moving away from a dying 3D application over to Blender. It’s improving quickly, and trying to create better animation loops of creepy bug-eyed fairies seems like a simple way to learn how to make it work.

Jon’s fantasy character stylings reside at Luminous Shadows

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Recently, Geek Tyrant featured a selection of Jessica Rabbit artwork. Be sure to carefully review each work, as each artist has a unique appreciation for the seductive songstress dangerous dimensions. But sadly, their retrospective did not tell the whole story, as some artists have even dared imagine an even more seductive side to this siren of the silver screen.

Ralphie Boy makes a solid case that Jessica’s breasts are even more gravity defying when unencumbered by sequins. Andrew Hibner treats Ms. Rabbit to a more realistic shading to stunning effect. Paul Jaworski reveals that she’s an avid cosplayer, but unaware that magnets are not a valid substitute for midichlorians. Finally, Russ Plat illustrates a decidedly more exhibitionist side to the sexy songstress… and that she loves hearts.

These important images of Roger Rabbit’s darlin’ diva have been brought to light, but rest assured that resources will not be spared in the pursuit of revealing portraits of other fantasy and science fiction characters. The truth will be exposed!

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A recent contest gave us a nostalgic look back at some of the original D&D artwork, with a welcome twist. The Erotic Monster Manual Contest rewarded artists who could best mimic the folksy, slightly wobbly look of that 70′s progenitor of all things monsterific.

A few adventurous artists, however, strayed far from the scratchy ink on paper vibe and created some interesting modern interpretations of those classic creatures of yore.

Submitted for your appreciation are the following: A scaly Medusa with a few more serpents than her kid-friendly incarnations; A semi-seductive Nighthag in mid-transformation; and a perky young Harpy yet untouched by the ravages of evil.

Perhaps the next D&D update will cover the rules for Drow Beholder Volleyball Tournaments.

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ArtOrder’s D&D Pin-up Line-up contest is ending tonight, and has revealed a wide variety of fabulous fantasy females as envisioned by an incredibly talented pool of illustrators.

With most every race humanoid race from D&D sourcebooks to choose from, Elves of every color and disposition are the clear favorite. Humans too are well represented among the underclad sorceresses and warriors, as well as a stray gnome, reptile or elemental. The unforeseen popularity of the human-demon hybrid Tieflings was an odd, but welcome sight. Their horns and tails do not diminish their allure.

A few standouts include Guido Kuip‘s dark and devious Drow, James Wolf Strehle‘s blindingly beautiful Elf, and Ryan Monastyrski‘s tempting Tiefling, but there’s far more loveliness to behold on actual thread.

Be sure to check out the challenge page for some compelling — and disturbing — sketches that didn’t make the final deadline.

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It should come as no surprise that whenever publishers need a quick traffic boost, they release some permutation of the “Sexy Babes of SciFi” pictorial. With the wordily-titled  28 Sexy Skintight Outfits from 5 Decades of Sci-Fi Film and TV, an impressive half-century review of form-fitting fantasy is offered.  The compendium recognizes a wide variety of shapely sirens from classic film and television, as well as a few not-so-classic projects.

They say you always remember your first, and it’s true that the shapely, athletic forms of Yvonne Craig and Erin Gray righting wrongs and defeating villains will always be romping through my sexual psyche. It could very well be that — through their campy escapades — Batgirl and Colonel Deering convinced a generation of boys that girls were not only capable partners in the fight against evil, but of interest in other more confusing ways as well.

The article’s selection of fabricated bodysuited beauties becomes slightly more problematic as it approaches more contemporary offerings, such as GI-Joe and Kill Bill, but still accurately identifies the modern marvels that are Kate Beckinsale’s vivacious vampire Selene and marvelous Middleman-in-training Natalie Morales.

There were a few complaints about the dearth of male contenders, so don’t be shocked to find an in-depth review of Gill Gerard and Lorne Greene’s physical charms at Sci Fi Wire in the weeks to come. But don’t hold your breath.

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With their superfit bodies and supertight costumes, there should be no doubting the sexual foundation of superheroism. This libidinous legacy is joyously celebrated by the exceptionally talented Adam Warren in his latest genre-straddling efforts collectively titled Empowered.

Mr. Warren’s latest comic series is a richly developed alternate reality riddled with costumed crimefighters, vengeful vigilantes and vile supervillains. Empowered is an awkwardly named junior member of the SuperHomies — and is constantly mocked for her uncanny knack of being captured, bound and humiliated by a seemingly endless parade of low-rent baddies.

Helping her confront her body issues and continual embarrassments — in spite of a long list of unconventional victories — are her boyfriend and former evil minion and Thugboy, a New Jersey shinobi princess Ninjette, and a coffee-table-bound interdimensional being seething with impotent rage, lust and helpful advice.

Each of the five trade paperbacks currently in print contain a wide assortment of zany, bloody, sexy and heroic exploits of Emp and her post-human and otherworldly associates. Don’t miss any of them!

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As recently illustrated by AMC’s Sci Fi Scanner, there is a long and noble tradition of science fiction’s exhaustive exploration of sex in space. ABC’s new drama Defying Gravity, however, expands on this time-honored titillation in surprising detail, considering its a network-broadcast series.

The first few episodes have featured a recurring dream wherein Zoe — one of the many attractive women in the show — can be seen floating naked and smiling out an airlock. A carefully-framed session of zero-g consolation sex is a touching sendoff when a husband must leave the mission. There is all manner of traditional hanky-panky among the crew, including amateur hour at the local strip joint, but these Earth-bound exploits must pale in comparison to the weightless workouts to come.

The science is sound enough to satisfy the casual science fiction fan, but viewers will no doubt be more intent on observing the future floating frolic of these ardently amorous astronauts. If you have any qualms about the crew’s unprofessional undulations, be certain that when all is said and done, the unseen alien influence will ultimately take the blame.

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Many would be alternately interested and afraid to hear about a science fiction softcore porn series that’s recently appeared on Cinemax: After Dark. Doug Brode’s Forbidden Science wrestles with the impact of cutting-edge technological advances, and illustrates how their discovery and abuse will lead to lots of hot, steamy sex.

The series follows the trysts and trials of the employees and products of 4Ever Innovations, a corporation involved in the design and production of a wide variety of tech tropes, including clones, androids, brain backups and memory manipulation. In between the social commentary and office intrigue, lots of male/female interfacing gets underway, at times with the aforementioned clones and androids.

Sadly for folks looking for actual science fiction naughtiness, clones and androids look alarmingly like normal humans. The kinkiest set piece from the first few episodes features a husband and mistress cheating on — and on top of — a sleeping clone of his dead spouse. Ultimately, the series seems more about strange fetishes than actual science fiction.

There is a serious attempt at dealing with the ramifications of life- and world-altering advances in biomedical science, but there is no new unexplored territory here. Viewers seeking lots of near-explicit carnal capers will be pleased, but those hoping for a lusty version of Better off Ted will want to leave this future for others to explore.

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Humor and sex are undeniably life’s most desirable pursuits, so it’s a rare treat to find both in one convenient location. A new website simply titled Oglaf.com is one such lucky find. While only currently available in preview form, Bodil’s vibrant vignettes range from innocently amusing to laughingly lewd, but are each skillfully crafted and oddly insightful.

The most captivating comics involve a seductive sorceress and her eager-to-please apprentice. One wonders if his overly sexual tasks and encouters are truly character building lessons, or simply cruel jokes for his mistress’ amusement. We eagerly await the answers to these — and other — questions raised by this tantalizing taste of adventures to come.

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Every artist needs inspiration, especially those that venture into the expansive realm of the unreal. AskMen.com has listed their Top 10 Fantasy Art Models, and while they seem to have been distracted by a few female artists and a scream queen, they’ve cast their lecherous, lingering gaze on a handful of truly motivational muses.

Standout sirens with great galleries of tribute art on their sites include the French femme fatale Drakaina, the exotic gothic Sabina Fajal, and comicbook contessa Stacy E. Walker. They, and the other four actual models featured in the article have graced countless fantasy and science fiction creations.

After seeing these seductive models, it’s easy to see why.

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The most enduring tales from our earliest history are brimming with ghastly violence and wanton sexual conquest. Hollywood has been reminded of the raw origins of heroism by Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary, and Robert Zemeckis, through their visceral retelling of the epic tale of Beowulf.

The visual effects crew have metamorphosed a middle-aged thespian into a Nordic demigod who does battle with gibbering giants in the nude, and transformed a reasonably attractive member of Hollywood royalty into a luminous goddess clothed only in golden fire and azure waters. They are both perfect specimens of inhuman grace and beauty on the movie screen, subtlety — but recognizably — unreal.

How long has it been since such a solidly mainstream film has been steeped in so much blood and lust? Could it be that this thin veneer of digital fantasy is all that is necessary to herald a new golden age of sex and violence in American cinema?

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Fallen Angel recently posted a list of the hottest sci-fi hunks on After Elton. The list is fairly mixed between supernatural creatures, aliens and humans, but there seems to be a bias for the supernatural.

Two of Buffy’s beefy vampire beaus, and the omnisexual Captain Jack are the standouts — David Boreanaz, James Marsters, and John Barrowman respectively — and they all portray long-lived Lotharios. The human contingent seems to consist largely of undeserving federal agents.

Another user picked up the mortal slack and showed love for the notable absences of Nathan Fillian and Ben Browder. What list of fantasy and sf heartthrobs could be called complete without the military might of Captain Malcolm Reynolds and Commander John Crichton?

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A charming little fan site that caters to one of my more guilty pleasures has recently garnered the attention of Wired.com: Leia’s Metal Bikini.

While the fan photos are certainly worth a peek, the highlight is a huge collection of fan art, featuring the creative efforts of Jon Moss, Dan Veesenmeyer, Garrett Blair, and many other talented Leia fans.

Why, you may ask, a guilty pleasure? Carrie Fisher’s brief, sexy flirtation with bondage and bestiality was one of the few good things to come out the Star Wars franchise. The other being full acceptance of open robot homosexuality.

Nevertheless, go revive an eternal childhood crush… or discover a new one.

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When I first read Scaramouch’s recent article The Top Ten Sexiest Female Robots, his list seemed to fall a little short. Sure, many of the mechanical marvels he mentioned were beautiful, but none ever really inspired me to forgo the pleasures of the flesh. A few hours later, I realized the problem: he had failed to cite the sexiest robot ever.

Under the bizarre, yet inspired direction of Chris Cunningham, Bjork — as industrial-strength lesbian love machine — put all other techno love dolls to shame in her music video All Is Full of Love. To deny this fact is to deny robot lust itself.

To quell any remaining doubt, please reference Scaramouch’s Third Law of Robotics and note that Bjorkbot does have really perky breasts.

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Aphrodisia, a compendium highlighting the “art of the female form” was recently released by Aristata Publishing. The full-color tome is brimming with a wide array of fantasy, pin-up, and contemporary illustrations, submitted by an equally broad selection of artists.

Works presented in the book were selected by art luminaries Joe Chiodo, Spencer Davis, Frank Frazetta Jr., Greg Hildebrandt, Bud Plant, and editor Craig Elliott.

Several artists appearing in Aphrodisia have been featured here at Lucid Skin, and several newcomers will undoubtedly be seen. A second book is planned, with a call for artists already underway. Fortunately, the female form is an unlimited source of inspiration!

Aristata Publishing’s website seems to have fallen into disrepair.

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