Gay fandom facts

[Dermot]

Star Fox's gay fan base has been around since practically the beginning, in the 1990s.  Here are a few of the names that have punctuated the gay fandom around the world.

What draws the gay fandom?  Well, despite the characters being furry and being somewhat attractive, they also have very interesting personalities.  Considering that most of the cast has traditionally been male, they form friendships and associations that can especially be related to.  Note that this isn't by definition sexual in nature - gay life experience and gay domestic culture play a significant part, which makes gay people's appreciation of Star Fox a highly-diverse appreciation.  (Compare today's fan interest in Krystal, which runs the entire heterosexual spectrum from innocent to risque.)

The gay fandom is also assisted by gay elements in the Star Fox series itself.  At least in Japan, Leon has been understood to be gay since he was first introduced in Star Fox 64, where in Japanese he was scripted in a very conspicuously gay manner.  Later, Wolf was refashioned into a male fanservice character (parallelling Krystal as a female fanservice character), with a particularly homoerotic scripting in Star Fox Assault.  Then, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Leon and Wolf were given an even stronger gay appeal, where Wolf was drawn very heavily in the Japanese "Hard Gay" style (made famous decades ago by a pro wrestler named Hard Gay - this is now the best known gay stereotype in Japanese culture), and Leon had a particularly homoerotic commentary with Panther where Panther came to wonder if Leon sadomasochistically envied Wolf's opponent.  This gay fan attention has also extended to Panther, largely by virtue of being a sensitive attractive man who loves roses (roses - "bara" - being a nontraditional flower in Japan, are now the common symbol for the Japanese gay male community), who is in a three-man team (Star Wolf) whose other two members have such a gay reputation already - though Panther is portrayed as straight for Krystal, popular gay fan imagination is that he's bi.  The Falco issue is far more ambiguous, though Falco is actually the most popular character in Japan to pair romantically with Fox.  Falco's moment of greatest gay fan appeal is in the manga Farewell, Beloved Falco, where his very strictly platonic good friendship with Katt and his complete eschewing of women, struck a particularly relatable chord with gay readers.  And though not portrayed as gay in the games, James and Peppy are also of particular gay fan appeal, as they were best friends, who had each been married and had children but lost their wives young, and were loyal friends to a fault up to James's disappearance.

Interestingly, not all the gay attention in the Star Fox fandom is necessarily by gay men.  In Japan, there is an especially great abundance of gay art, which is actually traditionally something appreciated by Japanese women and girls - indeed, "boys love" genres have a fairly high degree of acceptance in Japanese family entertainment where it appeals to the female demographic, who find it a refreshingly heartwarming, sympathetic and nonthreatening alternative to the Japanese straight male's reputation of being unromantic.  A portion of Western women also share this interest.

This means that while some of the producers of this gay fandom are certainly gay men, many of them are also straight women.  It should be noted that, in Japan, Fox×Falco is the most popular gay romantic pairing, and Fox×Wolf is popular as a fanservice pairing.  More than this, both pairings are overall more common than Fox×Krystal fan art - Krystal isn't nearly as popular in Japan as she is in the West.  This means that, as far as shipping art is concerned, gay fan art is more common in Japan than straight fan art.

Foxbert ran the first Star Fox fan community I ever found.  Back before Star Fox 64 was released, our fandom circle was relatively small, but about half of us were gay or bi.  In fact, Foxbert was my first boyfriend.  He's long since moved on from the fandom, as he grew up and moved on with his life.

I (Dermot) ran a series of Star Fox fan message boards in the 1990s, first called MouthOff (originally named by Foxbert), and then Papetoon.  I retired from this in the late 1990s, and the community moved on to new boards with new administration.  There have apparently been several boards which have come and gone from existence before Star Fox Online became well-established.  I've mostly been uninvolved in the wider fan community since then, until recently.

(I've actually found a few gay and bi male fans on Star Fox Online - to my surprise, most of them are in the closet, something that was never necessary on gay-friendly MouthOff or Papetoon.  This seems unfortunate to me, and a Star Fox fan community should be accept gay fans with open arms and accepting minds, rather than prejudice or opposition.)

Today, the most obvious expression of the Star Fox gay fandom is in fan art.  Of course, this ranges from the most innocent to the most risque, and both gay men and straight women are involved in its production and appreciation.

In the list below, I will be including artists who have drawn occasional fan art - not just one picture.

• 74gou (74?) is a female Japanese artist.  She has drawn some Fox×Falco.
  
• Ameri (???) is a female Japanese artist.  She has drawn some James×Peppy and some Wolf×Falco, and an abundance of other non-gay fan art, particularly of the Hare women.
  
• Aruto (???) is a female Japanese artist.  She has drawn some Fox×Falco.
  
• Ayato is a male artist of unknown nationality.  Most of his gay Star Fox art involves Fox in tame scenes, including a three-part PG-13-rated comic about Fox×Bowser.
  
• Barrault (???) is a male Japanese artist.  Most of his gay Star Fox art involves Wolf in tame scenes by himself.
  
• DracoJeff is a male Mexican artist.  Though he isn't particularly known for drawing Star Fox gay art, he has drawn occasional fan art of Krystal as a male.  Most of them are nude art, but some use an outfit stylistically similar to Krystal's outfit in Star Fox Adventures.
  
• HEMO is a Japanese artist of unknown gender.  This artist is a highly accomplished yaoi artist, both of the clean and adult-oriented variety.  Most of the pairings involve Fox×Falco, or James×Peppy, or Wolf×Leon×Panther (as a triad).
  
• Gabosuke (????) is a male Japanese artist.  Most of his art is of Fox in scenes by himself, most of which are tame.
  
• Kenai Munz is a male Mexican artist.  Most of his art is tame bara-style (bara = gay muscle), of bodybuilder-style poses.
  
• Kyuuhari is a male Malaysian artist.  Most of his art is bara-style - some of it is tame, some of it is not.
  
• Lefty-Flip is a female American artist.  Most of her art is romantic and fairly tame.
  
• Macks is an artist of unknown nationality or gender, who has drawn a variety of gay fan art.
  
• Mato (??) is a male Japanese artist.  He has drawn some tame Fox×Wolf fan art.
  
• Mosatayu is a Japanese artist of unknown gender.  This artist has drawn some Fox×Wolf.
  
• Mucheondosa is a Korean artist of unknown gender.  This artist has drawn some Fox×Falco.
  
• k. Nahoko (k.???) is a Japanese artist of unknown gender.  This artist has drawn a variety of Fox×Falco art.
  
• Poeta (???) is a Japanese artist of unknown gender.  Most of this artist's art is tame art of Fox×Falco and James×Peppy.
  
• Rockgaara is a female Spanish artist.  Most of her Star Fox fan art is tame art of Fox×Falco.
  
• Wolfgang Cake is a male American artist.  His contribution to Star Fox fan art is relatively small, and exclusively non-paired bara-style, and none of it so far is tame.
  
• WolfoxOkamichan is a male Filipino artist.  He is one of the single most accomplished Star Fox fan artists ever, and most of what he draws is bara-style - some of it is tame, some of it is not.  His greatest interest is Wolf and the Star Wolf team, though has also periodically drawn Fox, Falco and Bill.
  

The Star Fox gay fandom was famously parodied in the online webcomic VG Cats, where the female character Aeris is asleep dreaming of Fox and Falco having a gay rendezvous.

[Fredryk Phox]

OH MY GOD THIS IS SO RAD

I AM TELLING ALL OF MY FRIENDS AS I SPEAK

<3

<3 <3

  <3 <3 <3 <3

[Dermot]

OH MY GOD THIS IS SO RAD

I AM TELLING ALL OF MY FRIENDS AS I SPEAK

<3

<3 <3

  <3 <3 <3 <3

You have friends interested in this study?

[Guest Julius Quasar]

I'd like to see  and  making out! *drools*

[Dermot]

I'd like to see  and  making out! *drools*

Draw some.

[Guest Julius Quasar]

Draw some.

I can't draw for s***!

[Dermot]

I can't draw for s***!

Find an artist who accepts commissions.

[Asper Sarnoff]

Interesting reading, thanks for taking the time Dermot.

I believe myself that there currently aren't any of the mayor characters of the franchise, that means Star Fox and Star Wolf, that are homosexual. But I'm also willing to accept that not all people believe the same things as me.

So, no hard feelings here.

BTW.

"Hard Gay"

There excists such things? I've always believed that would be very self-contradictory. :lol:

[Dermot]

There are complex Japanese cultural issues here, for sure.

Here is a good description and list of examples of Hard Gay.

[fox1235]

I think the reason that community is weird about this stuff is that before Dermot came here a person who I think got banned here posted some graphic pictures of the the Starfox males.

[Asper Sarnoff]

There are complex Japanese cultural issues here, for sure.

Here is a good description and list of examples of Hard Gay.

Well, japanese culture have always seemed so strange to me that it could just as well have come from another planet. I don't fear or dislike it, but I don't understand it.

I think the reason that community is weird about this stuff is that before Dermot came here a person who I think got banned here posted some graphic pictures of the the Starfox males.

No that's not it. Those pictures was removed just after they was uploaded. Only I, Steve, and one other person saw those images. It was mostly about Krystal as well. Didn't really look closely at them before I got it reported, to save innocent eyes from the horrors.

The person also sent such images via PM to Kursed.

["User"]

Find an artist who accepts commissions.

^^^ This.  If you have the money lying around that is.

[Dermot]

I think the reason that community is weird about this stuff is that before Dermot came here a person who I think got banned here posted some graphic pictures of the the Starfox males.

Crap and abusive people happen all the time, no matter who they are or what their interest is.  The only way one or two bad experiences can make a person feel weird about an entire group of people is if they had a significant prejudice to begin with, or if they develop new prejudices far too easily.

Either way...if someone has a prejudice, it can't be made my concern or my problem, because I've done nothing but simply be myself. :3 Education is one of the best solutions anyway - it reduces ignorance, thus giving prejudice less room to stand on.

See, a prejudice necessarily makes life harder for the prejudiced by forcing them to feel anxiety in proximity to the object of their prejudice.  If the object of prejudice can rise above its effects, then the prejudice fails.  The prejudiced then has two options - overcome the prejudice, or suffer from its effects.  It's entirely up to them.

:3

[Guest Julius Quasar]

Find an artist who accepts commissions.

I think I already did a while back, but I ain't got no damn money to pay him, or ANY artist.

["User"]

I think I already did a while back, but I ain't got no damn money to pay him, or ANY artist.

There are a lot of good artists that are willing to do requests, but those of course take lower priority over paid commissions

[Guest Julius Quasar]

There are a lot of good artists that are willing to do requests, but those of course take lower priority over paid commissions

True 'dat....it's times like this, I wish I could draw. *kicks wall in anger*

Can't just "take classes", with art, you either can or you can't do it.

Anyhoo, back OT (sorry for the derailment),

Am I against gays?

NO.

Am I against gay Star Fox fanart?

Not really.

Am I against gay Star Fox fandom or fans?

Hell no.

[Dermot]

True 'dat....it's times like this, I wish I could draw. *kicks wall in anger*

Can't just "take classes", with art, you either can or you can't do it.

Anyhoo, back OT (sorry for the derailment),

Am I against gays?

NO.

Am I against gay Star Fox fanart?

Not really.

Am I against gay Star Fox fandom or fans?

Hell no.

I never thought you were. :3 But of course I beg your forgiveness for posting inappropriately large image embeds. X3 I suppose they can still overwhelm some people's browser memory.

[Zicka]

Self Indulgent canon breaking tripe. Why is this even a thread.

Gays will try to make anything gay to fulfil their own deviant fantasies. Paring up Fox and Falco in sexual relationships is a perversion of an otherwise kid-friendly group of space mercenaries.

Just like how the fandom following Krystal is mainly a gross perversion, the so-called gay fandom of Starfox is even worse, digging through vague entendre, finding potentially sexual relationships where none exist, and then drawing about it.

This is not gay bashing, I just think that it's ridiculous to insist that the characters have some sort of homosexual connection when barely even the canon relationships are given any light.

[Dermot]

So, Julius Quasar, do you think Krystal and Katt would actually make a good relationship?  Heaven knows Katt is never going to have one with Falco. X3

[Steve]

Self Indulgent canon breaking tripe. Why is this even a thread.

Gays will try to make anything gay to fulfil their own deviant fantasies. Paring up Fox and Falco in sexual relationships is a perversion of an otherwise kid-friendly group of space mercenaries.

Just like how the fandom following Krystal is mainly a gross perversion, the so-called gay fandom of Starfox is even worse, digging through vague entendre, finding potentially sexual relationships where none exist, and then drawing about it.

This is not gay bashing, I just think that it's ridiculous to insist that the characters have some sort of homosexual connection when barely even the canon relationships are given any light.

For crying out loud, we have had a lot of freaking issues with this already. Read the topic in the announcement subforum to understand what's going on.

As simply as "if you don't like it, don't even bother watching", no one needs to see a negative comment towards this, we are already fed up with them, so keep your own comments to yourself.

[Dermot]

For crying out loud, we have had a lot of freaking issues with this already. Read the topic in the announcement subforum to understand what's going on.

As simply as "if you don't like it, don't even bother watching", no one needs to see a negative comment towards this, we are already fed up with them, so keep your own comments to yourself.

Thanks, Steve.  I was actually trying to ignore it. :3 This is a civil thread.

[Guest Julius Quasar]

I never thought you were. :3 But of course I beg your forgiveness for posting inappropriately large image embeds. X3 I suppose they can still overwhelm some people's browser memory.

It's okay, we all make mistakes.

So, Julius Quasar, do you think Krystal and Katt would actually make a good relationship?  Heaven knows Katt is never going to have one with Falco. X3

Would they?....well...maybe. heh heh heh...

[Dermot]

Would they?....well...maybe. heh heh heh...

Ahhhhh, I see.  You just want to see them play tonsil hockey. XD

[Guest DRL]

Interesting reading, thanks for taking the time Dermot.

I believe myself that there currently aren't any of the mayor characters of the franchise, that means Star Fox and Star Wolf, that are homosexual. But I'm also willing to accept that not all people believe the same things as me.

So, no hard feelings here.

Mostly the same here....

Well, japanese culture have always seemed so strange to me that it could just as well have come from another planet. I don't fear or dislike it, but I don't understand it.

I bet the ENTIRE EARTH

that if you were a blue,

four-arms alien you could

walk in Japan´s streets and

nobody would even mind!!

(Maybe the scientific comunity,

but not common folk)!

...Not that there is anything bad

about that, in fact, that is one

of the reasons I admire Japan:

Their Weirdness. 

So, Julius Quasar, do you think Krystal and Katt would actually make a good relationship?  Heaven knows Katt is never going to have one with Falco. X3

I know, I know, you did not ask me but...

I prefer Katt x DRL. Especially

the Pink Katt.  :cool:

[Dermot]

...Not that there is anything bad

about that, in fact, that is one

of the reasons I admire Japan:

Their Weirdness. 

The theory of general relativity applies to culture too. :3 If you're a foreigner, it will be weird.  If you are a native, it is normal.  I think it's been a lot easier for me to immerse in Japanese culture than in American culture.  So I have very little trouble believing some of the things I learn. :3

It's actually amazing how Leon can even out himself in a game in English and people can say "oh, he's not gay".  And Ricky Martin is a ladies' man. It's amusing. :3

I know, I know, you did not ask me but...

I prefer Katt x DRL. Especially

the Pink Katt. 

Ahhh, author insertion fantasy.  She seems to fall for brash, antisocial woman-haters who still know how to girltalk.  Think you can pull it off? :3