J. Jones
You may be looking for the fan Jane Jones.
| Fan | |
|---|---|
| Name: | J. Jones, JJ Jones, J.J. Jones, Judy Jones, J Jones |
| Alias(es): | |
| Type: | fan artist, Vidder, Fan writer |
| Fandoms: | Starsky & Hutch, Harry and Johnny, Miami Vice |
| Communities: | |
| Other: | |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
J. Jones is a Starsky & Hutch fan artist and vidder who began creating art and fan vids in the mid-1980s. Her artwork appeared in numerous fanzines, and she once hosted some of her art work on a GeoCities site. She remained active in fandom through the early 2000s, posting some of her art online under her full name in the Paula Wilshe and Hutchrules3 story Tandem. She also created art for Miami Vice and the Harry & Johnny fan universe and wrote a small quantity of Miami Vice fan fiction.
About Jones' Zine Art
As can be seen in the representative art gallery below, Jones's early work tended to focus on portraits of Starsky & Hutch. And because many of her portraits were used for fanzine cover art, they often featured both characters. While some of Jones's portraits are somber or intense, a few, like the smiling Starsky below from Moonlight and Mists show fandom's perception of the light-hearted side of the characters. In some cases, her artwork was drawn to accompany events in the story like the cover art for Convicted or the interior art in TLC and Half You, Half Me. As an artist, she did not shy away from using 'unpopular' looks for the characters, such as drawing Hutch with his infamous mustache (see TLC art below). She also excelled at combining zine titles with her art as seen on the covers of With a Little Help from My Friends and Commitment. And last, like many fanartists, some of Jones' portraits were modeled on studio photos stills released at the time (see the 5th portrait of Starsky & Hutch below from Moonlight and Mists. As a side note, the zine, Moonlight and Mists contains the artist's earliest work currently available on Fanlore.)
Zines With Jones' Art and Fiction
Miami Vice
Behind Blue Eyes | Crockett-Dial #5, #6 | Gold Coast #4, #5 | Good Guys Wear Fangs #3 (crossover with Forever Knight) | Long Time Gone | Mascarda | Our Favorite Things #9 | Out Where the Busses Don't Run | Partners in Verse | Vice Verse #1
Starsky & Hutch
A Little Bit of Cyn | Between Friends #9, #10, #11, #12 | Blue Eyes and Blue Jeans #1 | Convicted | Commitment | Distant Shores | Don't Give Up On Us, Baby | The Fix #2, #4, #6, #13/#14, #15, #17, #19 | Frienz #2, #11, #12, #14, #17 | Half You, Half Me #2 | Leave a Light On for Me | Moonlight and Mists | Nightlight #2 | Penal Code #1, #2 | Renascence | Seasoned Timber #3 | Shadowplay | Shining On | TLC | Venice Place Chronicles #1 | With a Little Help from My Friends
Some Fannish Commentary
Terrific artwork this issue. Especially the portrait of Hutch on Page 8. It is such a handsomely done piece of work that even the hairy caterpiller looks good! Hope to see more of your work in future issues.[2]
Vidding
As one of the early vidders in media fandom, Jones experimented with the fanvid format. In her "History of Vidding" panel presented by Kandy Fong at Vividcon 2008 Kandy explained: "[Jones] took the 'one action scene'/one song concept a different direction by reusing scenes to extend the action sequences. [For example in the vid "Don't Stop" by Chilliwack she looped together repeated clips of Starsky running in a park to empathize the song's theme "Don't stop what you're doin' to me. Do it forever, do it forever".] She also used the show's dialog in her vids." An example of a vid that blended music with dialog was her Starsky & Hutch vid "Runaway" which was shown at the Vividcon "Vidding History: 1980-1984" panel.
A complete list of Jones' vids can be found here.
J. Jones use of title cards was also a standout feature, not common at the time.
screencap of the title card of the fanvid "Runaway" - the yellow tint is the result of the aging on the videotape and the effect of multiple copies
for this title card for the vid "Love's Got A Hold On You" J.Jones uses a behind the scenes magazine photo that was popular among the slash fan community
This pensive screencap of Hutch staring through a hospital window at a gravely injured Starsky is a favorite among fans. Here it is paired with Melissa Manchester's song "Midnight Blue": "Midnight blue. Wouldn't you give your hand to a friend? Maybe it's not the end. And I think we can make it.."
Sample Gallery
Starsky & Hutch
1985
from Between Friends #10 (1985)
the same illo, a slightly different version in Between Friends #11 (1985)
from Between Friends #12 (1985)
from Moonlight and Mists (1985), reprinted in Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001). This is one of Jones's earliest art pieces, and it shows an unusual sensitivity for the moodiness and sadness many fans saw in the character of Hutch. The drawing is notable both in terms of style (half-portrait) and its use of white space and the application of a single colored pencil, giving the drawing a uniform sepia tone.
from Moonlight and Mists (1985) Like other pieces of her art, this drawing was reused in another zine, Between Friends #11. This smiling Starsky and Hutch is a departure from Jones's often more moody or dramatic depictions of the characters. The art is probably modeled on this production still. Using official production stills or photographs as reference models is a common practice in fan art.
from Moonlight and Mists (1985)
from Moonlight and Mists (1985)
from Between Friends #9 (1985), also in Moonlight and Mists (1985)
from Moonlight and Mists (1985)
from Moonlight and Mists (1985)
from Moonlight and Mists (1985), also in Between Friends #9 (1985), reprinted in Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001)
from Between Friends #9 (1985)
from Moonlight and Mists (1985)
from Moonlight and Mists (1985)
from Moonlight and Mists (1985)
from Moonlight and Mists (1985)
1987
from Half You, Half Me #2 (1987)
from Half You, Half Me #2 (1987)
from Half You, Half Me #2 (1987)
from Half You, Half Me #2 (1987)
from Half You, Half Me #2 (1987)
from Half You, Half Me #2 (1987)
from Half You, Half Me #2 (1987)
from Half You, Half Me #2 (1987)
1988
from The Fix #2 (1988)
from The Fix #2 (1988); an example of one of the author's preferred styles, a portrait of Starsky and Hutch—this illo was one that could be used for many zine stories as it didn't give any clues, aside from the lack of Hutch's mustache, to time or place
from The Fix #4 (1988)
from Commitment (1988) In this cover Jones has seamlessly integrated the title into the art, giving the cover an almost professionally designed look. The use of a single colored pencil helps with the integration.
from Commitment (1988), winner of a Huggy Award
from Commitment (1988)
from Commitment (1988). This art piece was created to illustrate a scene in the story. Not all inside art is a story illustration; in fact, this art piece was re-used out of context in black and white in the zine Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001).
from Penal Code #1 (1988), reprinted in Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001). Hutch sipping wine in his 'greenhouse.'
1989
from Shadowplay (1989)
from Shadowplay (1989)
from Shadowplay (1989)
1990
from Penal Code #2 (1990), reprinted in Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001)
from Penal Code #2 (1990)
from Penal Code #2 (1990)
from Penal Code #2 (1990)
1991
from the story White Feather in Nightlight #2 (1991). The image is unusual because the center focus is not Starsky & Hutch, but rather a detailed portrait of a female OC. Most fan art focuses on the characters from the show; however, parts of White Feather are told from the OC's POV so a visual introduction early on in the narrative is crucial. The drawing also demonstrates Jones's emerging style with significant effort being put into pencil shading (hair, clothes and even the wallpaper).
from Nightlight #2
from Nightlight #2
from Nightlight #2
from Nightlight #2
from Nightlight #2
from Nightlight #2. This J. Jones Hutch portrait is based on 4th season, a period in which many fans found the actor, with his signature mustache, to be aesthetically displeasing. Here, her pencil work softens the look and gives the character an almost dignified air. Note the detailed light and shadow strokes the artist used on the hair.
from Distant Shores (1991) showing both Captain Dobey and Huggy Bear. J. Jones was one of the few fanartists to draw these two characters at all, and having them both together in one drawing is rare.
from Distant Shores (1991). Hutch in a wheelchair. In the background is his physical therapist Melissa. The smile on Hutch's face is a counterpoint to the story, as Starsky realizes just how serious Hutch's injuries are.
from Distant Shores (1991). While Starsky's acceptance comes easily, some of Hutch's family have a harder time coping with his new physical and mental limitations. In this picture, Hutch's niece ignores the family's reaction and gives her uncle a hug and an offer to help. Depictions of either Starsky's or Hutch's real (or fictional) families are rare as most fan artists choose to focus on the TV show characters. This drawing is also unusual in its composition, with Hutch looking sadly off to the side while his niece's hair gently frames their intimate and tender moment.
from Distant Shores (1991)
from Distant Shores (1991)
from Distant Shores (1991)
from Distant Shores (1991)
1992
from TLC (1992) for the story Black and Bruised. As TV series progress, the actor's appearance may change, something not all fans embrace. In this image the artist has chosen to draw 4th Season Hutch with his often unpopular mustache.
from TLC (1992)
1995
cover of Convicted (1995) An example of Jones's art that was drawn specifically to match the storyline. The cover clearly signals to the reader the major themes of the novel: a wrongful conviction and prison.
art from Blue Eyes and Blue Jeans #1 (1995). This drawing accompanied the poem The Rose, You which takes place during the events of Sweet Revenge. The image is based on the scene where Hutch sits, distraught and tense, next to Starsky's hospital bed. Time stopped again today....Alone, my sorrow flows too well/And sets my mind adrift.... At the time of publication fan poetry was waning in popularity and only a few zine editors continued to publish it.
art from Blue Eyes and Blue Jeans #1 (1995). This image was reused with some modifications for the cover of With a Little Help from My Friends. Jones's art was sometimes repeated in multiple fanzines. See that page to learn how the addition of color and title text subtly changes the look and feel of the drawing.
1996
from The Fix #15 (1996)
1997
from The Fix #17 (1997)
1999
from The Fix #17 (1999)
2001
art from Venice Place Chronicles #1 (2001). This drawing accompanied Paula Wilshe's story Tandem and shows Hutch standing next to a horse. In the story Starsky & Hutch leave Los Angeles to spend time at Hutch's family home. The drawing was reprinted as part of Shining On, a memorial zine for Wilshe.
from Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001). This drawing was also used in colored format in the zine Commitment. See that page to learn how the addition of color subtly changes the mood and feeling of the scene. (Many of Jones's pieces were used in different zines, often creating different interpretations depending on the context and placement of the image.)
from Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001), for the story Ninety-Nine Miles From LA
from Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001), for the story Ninety-Nine Miles From LA This was also used in another zine, Commitment.
from Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001)
from Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001), reprinted from Moonlight and Mists
from Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001)
from Don't Give Up On Us, Baby (2001)
2002
Leave a Light On for Me (dated 1990, reprinted in 2002). The setting is generic and the image does not tie into any specific event in the story it is illustrating (Home Again)
from Leave a Light On for Me (dated 1986, reprinted in 2002)
2004
from A Little Bit of Cyn (2004)
from With a Little Help from My Friends (2004) One of the challenges many fanzine cover artists face is to how to prevent their art from being overshadowed by the zine title text. In this drawing, Jones has quite cleverly framed the text around a smiling Starsky & Hutch so that it draws the eye towards the center of the cover. The font selection and use of hand drawn asterisks also complements the image - informal and carefree. Contrast this with her earlier cover on the zine Commitment.
from Seasoned Timber #3 (2004)
Miami Vice
from Vice Verse #2 (1991)
from Our Favorite Things #9 (1993)
from Good Guys Wear Fangs #3 (1996), Sonny from a Miami Vice/Forever Knight, hits the bottle hard
References
- ^ from Between Friends #12, a fan recounts the Paul Muni Special convention art auction
- ^ from Between Friends #12