The Southern Cross

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Fan
Name: The Southern Cross
Alias(es):
Type: fanartist
Fandoms: Star Trek: TOS, K/S
Communities:
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URL:
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The Southern Cross is a Star Trek: TOS fanartist. Her artwork has won numerous awards, including the Surak Award and Philon Award.

If you have not yet been privileged to feast yours eyes on a SC illo, ANY SC illo, I feel for you. Southern Cross is the best artist to hit fandom since Pat Stall and then some.[1]

From the 2007 Article/Interview: Scribbling Women: Artists Talk Back

What inspired you to draw K/S?: "The Southern Cross also finds herself thinking up story outlines as she draws, but here she tells us how she got involved with drawing K/S: “I started drawing Spock when the show first aired. Kirk really didn’t have any appeal to me back then. I was very young and there was something about him that even at that age I didn’t trust as a female. I trusted him as a hero but not as a man. Spock on the other hand was much more honest and trustworthy. On the other hand, while the same-sex premise was a bit beyond comprehension at that age, simple bondage was not. Poor Spock suffered valiantly through being bound and gagged, usually naked! Looking back, that was probably a healthier pastime than smoking cigarettes, taking drugs or hanging out with boys. But what finally inspired me to draw K/S was I think a story by Cynthia and I can’t even remember the title!”

Do you feel comfortable drawing erotic art?: The Southern Cross says “I have never been comfortable with the really explicit stuff. I do not think assholes are erotic or attractive and don’t want to see them or see someone licking them or sticking fingers in them, etc. I also don’t want to see blowjobs. There are only a very few stories I have read that can handle these things without making me want to puke. I prefer to read stories that inspire and enlighten, not send me running for the bowl.”

What kind of things do you try to express in your art? Beauty? Sexiness? A good likeness?: “I want to make these characters attractive to myself and hopefully to others as well. For instance, I do not like body hair. Anyone who has been to the beach during the height of summer has seen the gorilla in the Speedo. Usually an overweight gorilla. Nope, not attractive to me. Therefore, I do not draw body hair. I find that it does not translate well in artwork and obscures a nice physique. I also try for good likenesses—otherwise what’s the point? I feel, especially when you are dealing with fictional characters such as this, it is important to create something that is pleasing to look at.”

Do you draw from your mind’s eye or do you use some kind of source material? The Southern Cross tells us with a twinkle in her eye, “I usually used source material as a guide. It would be pretty difficult to get either Mr. Nimoy or Mr. Shatner to pose live. I thought about calling them up for a life study session but after seeing both of them topless in various ST episodes I decided I could probably come up with better physiques. Shatner has bigger tits than I do! After seeing the Nazi episode and Catlow I was inspired to enhance Mr. Nimoy’s reality as well. This better suited my ‘mind’s eye’ of the fictional characters and kept my work from getting bogged down by what the real life actors actually look like.”

Reactions/Reviews

The reviewed art may not necessarily be displayed below—it may either (a) be located on other related pages or, (b) does not appear on Fanlore.

[general comment about the artist]: "Seeing The Southern Cross appear at the Shore Leave art show was a big surprise. [We] dogged her steps until she eventually took us out to her car where she was keeping the K/S art she couldn't hang but still wanted to sell. I ruthlessly trapped her by the curbside until she accepted my bid for the work still cradled in her trunk. So now I'm the proud owner of a big, original Southern Cross, the one of K and S at an oasis, with Spock's "frals" wrapped around Kirk's hand.[2] I've always lusted after it. (And I've never been one of those who objects to frals, either.) And [my friend] was able to bid for and win another SC original in the art auction, at a ridiculously low price, so we were both happy. (But you should have seen me late...attempting to package the art for transportation [home]. "Mom, what's in the big box? Why can't I see it?")"[3]

[general comment about the artist]:"Oh, my! I also am the proud owner of a Southern Cross drawing (in color, no less) that reduced me to tears."[4]

[general comment about the artist]:"I was standing in the [[[Shore Leave]] art show] on Friday contemplating a panel filled with Southern Cross pieces when [C] comes and stands next to me. Two minutes later she's crying. With trembling finger pointing to a exceptional color drawing, she gasps, "It’s so beautiful!" and has to leave to regain her composure. (And how wonderful that, through the auspices of someone truly extraordinary, [C] now owns that picture.)...[When one of my other friends] was opposed in a bid for a piece from The Price of Freedom by a determined young man, I scooted across the room and informed him, sotto voce, just where that picture came from. A novel about, gasp, two guys! Kirk and Spock! Do you know what K/S is? The poor fellow blushed, and stopped bidding. [She] got the picture. Sabotage!”[4]

[reviewing the cover of Consort #1]: "When I saw the cover of this zine, I knew I would like it. Southern Cross did a fantastic piece that makes you want to just buy the zine regardless of content."[5]

[reviewing the art in The Price of Freedom]: "This novel was a great story! However, the story could be nil, and you'd still get your $20.00 worth because of the art. There are no covers, but inside are TWENTY Southern Cross pictures -- THREE of them foldouts. One of the foldouts is similar to the cover of SCATTERED STARS II, so you know when I say the art is fantastic that it's true. Not every picture is that stunning, of course, but overall the art is superb and, at least, seven of the twenty in my opinion are the type you stare at and maybe even use as a starter for a fantasy. This is NOT art one just flips through. If one were a beginning K/S addict, this book would clinch it.[6]

[reviewing the art in The Price of Freedom]:It is with great pleasure that I write these comments... Never mind I got the zine within three weeks of ordering it, which has got to be record time. The zine is a masterpiece....The illustrations throughout the novel by The Southern Cross, in keeping with her magnificent style, manages to accurately convey the emotions the characters experience in the story. The illos, in my opinion, are wroth the price of the zine one their own. K/S fans, don't miss out on this one -- it is destined to become a classic.[7]

[reviewing the art in The Price of Freedom]: "....Regardless of the dryness and the stand-offishness that the author seems to impart to the novels that she's written, I wouldn't have wanted to miss it. The primary reason is because of the artwork. Scads of traditional and innovative art from The Southern Cross. I feel this artist to be one of the few honest-to-god artists in the K/S field, and I am very sorry to hear that she's had problems with an east coast editor (admittedly, a rumor), and might not do any more K/S. In fact, I've written her, pleading for her continuation (as have many more of you, I'm sure). The pieces of art tell the story as well, if not better, than Ms. Lightfoot. i'd kill to see the originals. You must see the art, and the story is worth reading, just not as exciting as I would have wished or expected.[8]

[reviewing the art in The Price of Freedom]:"As an added plus, the artwork by the Southern Cross melds perfectly with the story. The scenes are depicted in exactly the way the author describes them. Most of the art is haunting, all of it is inspired. I was really amazed at how perfectly this zine came together. And I was extremely impressed."[8]

a fan takes issue with comments about Southern Cross published in the parody flyer Naked Doubles:"As for the comment on the Southern Cross, the jealousy & petty spite that motivated it should be embarrassingly obvious even to the author. As anyone who has seen any of the Southern Cross' art knows, fandom is graced by her awesome talent. The entire tone of the flyer is vindictive, immature & stupid. The only saving grace is that the above qualities are so evident upon even a casual perusal that I can't see anyone taking it seriously. The author has overstepped the bounds of civilized behavior this time. I care deeply for most of the people mentioned, & am outraged on their behalf.[9]

[reviewing the cover of First Time #14]: "I have heard that the artist actually had some men pose for this particular picture. I'm not sure if that's true or apocryphal [the editor steps in and says 'the drawing is from a publicity photo for a movie about Rudolph Valentino starring Rudolph Nureyev]. Here the fellows are naked, although the pic doesn't show anything explicit. There's a lush background that sort of reminiscent of Persian rugs. But what's so riveting is how Spock is leaning back in Kirk's arms, how Kirk is staring into his face, how Kirk's arm is round about and supporting Spock's head... It's the emotion in almost any great K/S picture that makes it great, and there's lots of emotion and sexuality in this one. One of The Southern Cross's very best, in my opinion."[10]

[reviewing the covers of First Time #14]:"Do you like The Southern Cross' art work? I do. But never have I liked it more than on the covers of FIRST TIME # 14 . These are two of the most erotic, sensual, breath-taking illustrations I've ever seen. The front cover is of Kirk and Spock in tuxes (tails)... dancing with each other! And they don't come off wimpy or 'faggish'. The back cover is of Spock in Kirk's arms amid an array of tapestries and overstuffed pillows and fur rugs.... Beautiful![11]

[reviewing the cover of Nome #7]:"This is one of my favorite covers! Here we see a naked Kirk sitting on a rock by the water, knees bent up, arms around his legs lost in thought as he looks up into the night sky; Spock's face is in the back ground among the stars. Perhaps in that moment Spock is thinking of Jim as well, far away on Gol? That's the feeling I get from the images."[12]

[reviewing the cover of Scattered Stars #2]: "The moment I laid eyes upon this artwork, it literally took my breath away. It is so astonishing and so perfect, I just could not believe it. I had ordered some back issues of zines and as I opened the box and beheld this cover, I had to write this to the artist. It is the most passionate piece of art I have ever seen. Gloriously rendered, even as a black and white photocopy of the actual oil painting, filled with emotion and vitality, beautiful use of gestures and form. Even as I write this, I feel at a loss for words. I need to know who this artist is: he/she is a genius. I am an artist, myself, but I could never had done this as beautifully. I am still unable to describe how much it affected me, I WANT THAT OIL PAINTING! Looking at this reminds me why I am a part of the K/S fandom."[13]

[general comment about the artist]:"K/Sers may not all like every artist's work, but they understand that we can't all be the caliber of The Southern Cross and probably never will be. They they appreciate and encourage the fan artist's efforts. And I find that very comforting and reassuring."[14]

Zine Artwork

  • interior illo from Consort #1, a rare example of a simple line drawing

  • Story illustration from Nome #7 (1984). Spock's lower body appears to be growing into the rock, while one arm is robotic.

  • Cover of As I Do Thee #6 (1987). The composition of the Nome #7 scene is reused, but redrawn as more stylized and dynamic. Spock is made of fluid muscle instead of rock and metal.

References

  1. ^ a fan's review of Naked Singularity in Not Tonight, Spock! #4
  2. ^ This art, "The Oasis," was originally printed in Out of Bounds: Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.
  3. ^ 1994 Shore Leave convention report in Come Together #8.
  4. ^ a b 1995 Shore Leave convention report in Come Together #20.
  5. ^ Datazine #41
  6. ^ The LOC Connection #33
  7. ^ Datazine #45
  8. ^ a b from On the Double #1
  9. ^ Not Tonight, Spock! #5
  10. ^ The K/S Press #64
  11. ^ a much longer review in On the Double #6
  12. ^ a fan in The K/S Press #77.
  13. ^ The LOC Connection #48
  14. ^ LOC to On the Double #3.
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