The Southern Cross

Fan
Name:	The Southern Cross
Alias(es):
Type:	fanartist
Fandoms:	Star Trek: TOS, K/S
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The Southern Cross is a Star Trek: TOS fanartist.

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.

Awards

Her artwork has won numerous awards, including the Surak Award and Philon Award.

Transformative Works Based on The Southern Cross' Art

• Can You Feel The Love Tonight?, a video by Karen P that used fan art images
• In His Image, fiction by Charlotte Frost is a challenge story written based on one of The Southern Cross' illos
• Out of the Rock, fiction by Martha Selena Brown is a challenge story written based on one of The Southern Cross' illos
• There Will Be Dancing... by Sheila Clark - "This was inspired by a drawing done by The Southern Cross. An admiral is inspecting the Enterprise..." (printed in Enterprise Log Entries/Issues 44-94)

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.”

Fan Comments

1987

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.

1994

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. 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?")

1995

Oh, my! I also am the proud owner of a Southern Cross drawing (in color, no less) that reduced me to tears.

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!

2008

[Many years ago] I also spoke in tones of awe to Southern Cross at a Boston con and kind of had an altercation with an elderly woman looking at her work and then saying it was disgusting. To my husband's embarrassment, I nearly went ballistic on that woman. She learned, I hope, that the love of Jim and Spock was something too lovely and sensual to be believed.

2009

Do any of the K/S fans remember the Southern Cross? Holy cow, what an artist!

Emotional impact is as important as is style which is why I think The Southern Cross's art was so powerful for me.

When I first started reading and writing K/S, I would visualize artist's interpretations of the characters rather than imagining the actors. For some stories, I'd have more stylized versions in my head (Gayle, and Leslie Fish, for example). Sometimes I'd visualize them as The Southern Cross or Caren Parnes or Merle Decker or Pat Stall versions. It all depended on the style of the story. I later found, through fannish conversations, lots of other people were doing exactly the same thing.

Was One of Several Targets of a Malicious Flyer

A malicious flyer was anonymously distributed parody flyer called Naked Doubles distributed at Shore Leave #6 in July 1984.

A fan commented:

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.

Zines

Amazing Grace | As I Do Thee | Beside Myself | Consort | Day of Vengeance | First Time | First Time Calendar | Matter/Antimatter | Mind Meld | Naked Singularity | Nome | Out of Bounds | The Price of Freedom | Scattered Stars | Shades of Grey | Splendor | T'hy'la | To Catch a Unicorn

Zine Artwork

Unknown

"Kirk's Fantasy: One of the most intriguing K/S illos ever produced. The bedroom they are standing in is the bedroom to end all bedrooms! The head board is draped with heavy brocade and the headboard itself is of two magnificent carved horse heads with flowing manes that are designed to hold candles. In the foreground, (profiles to viewer) K is dressed in an oriental style costume with a conspicuous bulge in his pants. He has a possessive look on his face and is caressing Spock who is wearing nothing but a black cape decorated with runes. His arms are bound behind him, his hair is long and he has J.T.K. tattooed on his leg. He has a definite look of defiance and apprehension on his face. There is conspicuous and large key in K's other hand. Use your imagination to decide what will happen next!" artist's description from The K/S Press #41

1983

• 

  from Matter/Antimatter #3/4 "Pg.61—Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Kirk dressed in kilts for no particular reason. This illo doesn’t illustrate a story or poem. It appears to have been done for the pure pleasure of imagining what the Enterprise officers would look like outfitted in Scotty’s traditional garb. Faces and costumes are superb."

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  from Matter/Antimatter #3/4 "Pg. 63—Again, this illo doesn’t appear to depict any particular story, but oh, the possibilities. It appears a mutiny is in progress. Kirk and Spock are costumed in typical British naval officers’ uniforms, circa early to mid nineteenth century. (Think Mutiny on the Bounty.) Two crewmen are holding Spock with a knife at his throat and are using him to make the captain give in to their demands. Any good a/u writers out there want to give this a try?"

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  from Matter/Antimatter #3/4, "Pg. 65—Kirk, towel around his neck, hip deep in a calm sea. The artist has captured Kirk’s face to perfection, and if his abs are a little too detailed for my taste, his assets are lovely to gaze upon. Facial features are done to perfection. "

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  from issue #3/4, Southern Cross: "Pg. 67 — depicts a scene from Cynthia Drake’s “By Worlds Divided” published in Final Frontier 1. If you are a “get Spock” fan, this story is on your list of Best of the Best of this type. In this illustration, Spock is on his knees facing the viewer. Long-haired, of course, complete with an iron slave collar around his neck, hands bound behind him, gagged, and draped in rags that are artfully arranged to reveal the good parts."

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  from issue #3/4, Southern Cross: "Pg. 69 — depicts a scene from Cynthia Drake’s “By Worlds Divided” published in Final Frontier 1. For those of you unfamiliar with this story a little background is necessary here. “By Worlds Divided” is an a/u set on a world where slavery is practiced. Kirk is the new captain of the Enterprise and on his first shore leave since being promoted, he and his first officer, Gary Mitchell, are taken on a tour of the famed slave market on Todaka. The captain recognizes a mistreated slave as a Vulcan—a citizen of a Federation member world—and buys him out from under the nose of an abusive bully named Peryard. Back at Kirk’s hotel, the two men become closer as the captain cares for his new acquisition. Spock learns to trust him. When the captain has to leave on an errand, Peryard tricks Spock into letting him into the suite, overpowers the Vulcan, and rapes him. This is the scene depicted in the illo. Worst of all, he tells Spock that Jim Kirk has “rented” Spock to him and leaves his “payment” on the dresser. "

1984

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  "Blood Brothers" (original art, dated 1983)

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  Blood Brothers from Nome #7.

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  from Nome #7, based on Stars by Maxfield Parrish (1926). "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."

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  from Nome #7 for the story "All I Can See"

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  from issue #7, for the story "Triptych" in Nome #7. The chasm between Kirk and Spock is likely metaphorical. This art is similar to a piece by the same artist published three years later as the cover of As I Do Thee #6

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• 

  Unicorns, inside art from Amazing Grace #1 (1984), part of a fold-out. This same drawing was used on the cover of To Catch a Unicorn (1998) (winner of a Philon Award). The artist's description: "Kirk and Spock are in an intimate reclining pose with Spock in front, head resting on Kirk’s arm. Kirk is up on one elbow with his other hand between Spock’s legs and Spock is erect. In the background are two beautiful white unicorn heads with ethereal trees behind them."
  
  "To be honest, the only reason I bought this novel was because it had artwork from The Southern Cross in it.

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  interior art for Day of Vengeance, Note: Marked for sexual assault/rape; minimized. An example of the tentacles trope. "The second is a large foldout again of Spock, his body naked, ensnared by vines and trapped inside his own mind with the vicious eyes of his tormentor watching him."

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  from Naked Singularity

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  from Naked Singularity

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  from Out of Bounds #6

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  from Out of Bounds #6, titled: Oasis

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  illustration for And a Bottle of Rum, portrays consensual sex, where "Kirk and Spock play pirates on the Shore Leave planet...with some interesting results."
  
  "I just started flipping through it, and the first thing I found was this fantastic, explicit, Southern Cross of Spock and Kirk. It blew my mind. I remember just staring at it, mouth hanging open."
  
  The illo for this story inspired a new fan: "[It] introduced my bestest K/S buddy Deanna Gray to the fandom, a wonderful little tale called And a Bottle of Rum. Although I kind of think it was due more to the delicious Southern Cross illo that accompanied the story that REALLY made her a fan."
  
  "It took a while [to find slash fandom] but I was eventually steered to Bill Hupe, who was in the process o f selling out his zines. I bought about ten. The first one I pulled out was T'HY'LA 4, and it just so happened I opened it to the Southern Cross picture that accompanied the story A Bottle of Rum. It's a very erotic, explicit piece of art. I stared for about one second and promptly shut the zine. After gathering my breath I reopened it, to the same page as my finger just happened to be still holding that particular page, and I shut it again, but I had stared at the picture a little longer. A few more times, and I was eventually just sitting there gawking over it, and I hadn't even read a word yet.Needless to say I read through those zines very quickly. I immediately contacted Bill Hupe and proceeded to order everything possible."

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  interior art for Day of Vengeance Note: Marked for sexual assault/rape; minimized

1985

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  from Leonard Nimoy Compendium #2, art for the poem "Boston: A Weekend in June"

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  from Mind Meld #2

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  from Mind Meld #2

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  from 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."
  
  "This illo is an oldie (1984) but a goodie by one of the best K/S artists that ever put pen, pencil—what have you— to paper. If you ever want to see a picture with attitude, this is the one to check out. Kirk and Spock are reclining with just their bared upper bodies showing. Kirk is slightly behind Spock with his left hand splayed possessively over Spock‘s chest. The expressive look on the captain‘s face leaves no doubt as to his feelings. ― This is mine! -- he is saying as clear as day. Their bodies are a bit buff as this artist tends to draw them, but you‘ll hear no complaints from me. Gorgeous bodies. Gorgeous faces. I love it."

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  from Consort #1, for Assumptions "A gorgeous accompanying Southern Cross drawing with beautifully muscled bodies and full erections as only that artist can do! It's a must see! Just some strange things in the sex scene—a passing mention of "gonads" in Spock's back (what is this? Ripley's Believe It Or Not...?)"

• 

  from Consort #1, for "Beastiary," a rare example of a simple line drawing

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  from T'hy'la #5, " The last drawing [in the zine] is by far the most attractive one to me. Spock is tied and gagged and looking very agonized, and that in itself would be a rather disturbing image if it weren't for the absolute skill with which the drawing is made. It is a Southern Cross, and I suppose that says it all. She is probably my favorite K/S artist right along with Shelley Butler."

• 

  from Consort #1, Kirk's Bondage, artist's description: "Kirk Bondage Yep, just what it sounds like. K is tied, arms behind his back to a chair. His pants are open revealing a large erection which is also bound with heavy rope. How did he get like this? There is a devilish look on his face and his gaze is probably directed to his 'captor'."
  
  Used for a "story contest" "...the one of Kirk on his knees, his jeans unzipped and his engorged penis wrapped around by the rope that ensnares his arms as well] .... Allow me a moment to collect myself, it’s gotten awfully hot here in front of this computer!"

1986

• 

  from The Price of Freedom "...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."

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  from The Price of Freedom "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."

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  The Kiss from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom, a scene reminiscent of a popular Starsky & Hutch episode, "The Fix." The author confirmed this in the zine's editorial: "The first question: What would it take to get Spock to betray Kirk? That tied into my question about the implications of true non-emotion. I didn’t want to use something with permanent implications, like brain surgery. As I wanted this story to take place in relatively primitive conditions I needed something they could deal with under those circumstances. My roommate at the time was into Starsky/Hutch fandom. She held several video parties at our house. At every one of these parties, they would play a favorite episode from Starsky and Hutch called The Fix, where the bad guys hook Hutch on heroin. After seeing that episode any number of times, I realized that drug addiction was the key to my story."

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

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  from The Price of Freedom

1987

• 

  from As I Do Thee #6 (1987).
  
  The original art is 24"x3.."
  
  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. After the cover of As I Do Thee #6 was created, the author altered it to be more anatomically correct.
  
  A fan said that it reminded her of the Gayle F illo for the story "Sorcerer"
  
  This illo was printed in As I Do Thee #8 as a story challenge. Charlotte Frost's story, In His Image, was one of the offerings.
  
  comment from a fan: "...it was hard for me to get past the strikingly disturbing Southern Cross cover. Admittedly, after having read (and re-read) the accompanying poem - "Reunited" --by Faris Vincent on the inside front cover, I understood the cover drawing more and my view of it changed. Now, after having had the zine for several months, find it hard to believe that the cover ever bothered me. Now, I think it's without a doubt the most stunning AIDT cover stock which gives the zine a different, sharper look."
  
  "The drawing is very mysterious, a dark, organic place, or at least Spock seems to be half in the dark, and Kirk is the light. The interaction between them—Spock reaching out, Kirk holding and looking down at Spock's hand—is equally mysterious, and so is very open to interpretation. It's so interesting to see how the same visual is interpreted by different writers; K/S'ers sure do have fertile imaginations."

• 

  cover of First Time #14 (winner of Surak Award for "Best Action Illo") This art was displayed at Shore Leave in 1996: "Hope to see most of you at Shore Leave. Remember the original cover of FT 14 will be hung in the art show (they only said no nudity! Men must have made the rules!) I'm shocked that Dovya is willing to part with it, but even if you can't afford it, write her and tell her what a riot it caused. She'll love it."
  
  "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'."
  
  "This portrait of Kirk and Spock dancing the tango takes your breath away. The picture relates to the first story in the zine, but even standing on it's own it's wonderful. You just don't run across very many picture of the fellows dancing these days. A purist might argue that Kirk is too tall in this picture (he is), and the the sweep of the leg is exaggerated (it is), and that the body positions might be a tad feminized (I'm not sure). But in this instance, I'm not a purist, and I just enjoy."
  
  "I'm not sure if the artwork enhanced the stories or vice versa, but a vivid picture was certainly painted with Southern Cross' magnificent art on the covers. It was very effective having the illo for the first story, "Tango", knock your eyes out before delving into Dovya Blacque's strongly believable story. A suggestion of Kirk and Spock dancing would not have been the most realistic scenario for me, but Dovya's story make them such equals that it comes off more as a blending of their uniquely complimentary personalities rather than the traditional dominant-submissive, leader-follower pattern of traditional dancing and many K/S stories in general."
  
  "Absurd Image of the Month: Lately my local radio station has been playing the duet Unforgettable, by Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie Cole, brought to us by the wonders of technology. I keep thinking of Jim and Spock singing that to each other! Clad in tuxedoes, of course, reminiscent of that incredible Southern Cross cover on First Time 14, where they are dancing. But in my mind they're each sitting on tall stools, holding mikes. Now, is that an image to accompany me as I drive for endless car pools, or what?" }}

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  back cover 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."

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  the movie poster the back page of this zine is based on, see Photo Reference

1989

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  from Beside Myself #1 (art is dated 1988, zine is 1989) "What can one say except not to drool on this magnificent drawing of two Kirks. No one does it better than Southern Cross."
  
  " I wrote BESIDE MYSELF a long time ago and thought; 'Southern Cross - who could I get to do the idea justice?' I hope you're pleased. I certainly am. I look at my two guys nightly hanging over my bed, in gold and green decadence and drool. The boyfriend didn't turn a hair when I first brought them home. Asked only if I was going into something new. I laughed. Men are such sweet naive things, aren't they? At least he's accepting...."

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  from Beside Myself #1

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  from Shades of Grey #4, Leonard McCoy (1989)

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  cover of As I Do Thee #13

1990

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  cover of issue #2 by The Southern Cross: "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."
  
  "And the cover was... breathtaking. A Southern Cross painting of Kirk and Spock laying in lapping seawater, nude, of course. Wonderful, erotic and very, very, stirring. What fun."
  
  "...the highlight was the Southern Cross oil painting of Kirk and Spock kissing as the ocean water swirled around them. That was probably the most erotic thing I have ever seen."

1993

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  cover of As I Do Thee #20

1998

• 

  cover of Splendor

2010

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  from The K/S Art Project "From Gol by The Southern Cross — Okay, this just about stole my breath away. Spock. Spock with long hair releasing that iron control long enough to relax back in his lover‘s arms. Just exquisite. I think the Kirk is less successful, but I have to admit it took me a long time before I even glanced at him. It‘s been ages since we‘ve seen anything new from The Southern Cross. I fervently hope this piece means we will see more K/S art from her in the future. She holds a unique place in our fandom., and I, for one, will never have enough.