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So, over on my art blog I've started a meme to draw 30 Monster Girls.
Both to keep it interesting and for Great Justice I like the idea of moving beyond the fairly narrow box of typical depictions of "monster girls" (or female monsters, which aren't quite the same but are close enough for my purposes) you usually see eg as on fuckyeahmonstergirls. Thinking about what that box really is has been instructive, and I'd love to get some suggestions for things you guys would like to see (can't guarantee I'll draw them, but more inspiration is always good!)
So, my tentative theory is that there are three sets of relevant stereotypical traits:
"woman": narrow waist, large breasts, long hair, pale (and usually white!), short, traditionally feminine
"sexy" monster: angry, blood, violent, sexually aggressive, bdsm overtones (leather etc), super skinny, easily fetishised disability or disfigurement eg amputation
"unsexy" monster: old, fat, hairy, muscular, sickly, powerful, harder to fetishise disability or disfigurement eg burn scars
The two most common ways to create a "female" monster are to (a)take a male coded monster and add the traits of "woman" or (b) Take a female character/archetype and add the traits of a "sexy" monster.
The only time female monsters get to have any of the unsexy traits is when they're supposed to be entirely gross and unsympathetic, the femaleness making them extra unsettling (like the broodmothers in Dragon Age)
My aim is to make female monsters that don't fit neatly into these boxes, who are female but boxy/flat chested/bald/dark/tall/butch and who are sympathetic or attractive (but not necessarily both) while still having "unsexy" traits (and maybe some of the "sexy" ones too)
Thus far: a centaur with underarm hair and a missing boob, a friendly fat slime monster, cute bald nagi and trans mermaid. (I didn't describe her as trans in the image description since I like it being ambiguous. Maybe she's a cis woman with broad shoulders and no waist! She was also meant to be Indian but the colour scheme really doesn't make that clear)
I'll do some more traditional ones too if the idea feels right (like my scary old harpy)
So! Do you agree with my theory? What are some types of female monster (including not-so-monstrous fantasy characters like mermaids) that never gets drawn and you'd like to see?
nb I am feeling sooo ill right now, I hope this makes sense. And I have no idea how long it'll be before the novelty of this wears off and I give up on the idea.
EDIT: Managed seven! I plan to do more later. Anyway, some things from the comments and elsewhere:
Femaleness is personified by cuteness as well as sexiness.
The definition of monster and the way it's used really does tie into disability a lot.
Markers of biological femaleness for monsters and non-humans can differ dramatically from ours (a mane-less lion for example)
the seam of skin and scales is a trans woman talking about "a feminism of the monstrous".
Both to keep it interesting and for Great Justice I like the idea of moving beyond the fairly narrow box of typical depictions of "monster girls" (or female monsters, which aren't quite the same but are close enough for my purposes) you usually see eg as on fuckyeahmonstergirls. Thinking about what that box really is has been instructive, and I'd love to get some suggestions for things you guys would like to see (can't guarantee I'll draw them, but more inspiration is always good!)
So, my tentative theory is that there are three sets of relevant stereotypical traits:
"woman": narrow waist, large breasts, long hair, pale (and usually white!), short, traditionally feminine
"sexy" monster: angry, blood, violent, sexually aggressive, bdsm overtones (leather etc), super skinny, easily fetishised disability or disfigurement eg amputation
"unsexy" monster: old, fat, hairy, muscular, sickly, powerful, harder to fetishise disability or disfigurement eg burn scars
The two most common ways to create a "female" monster are to (a)take a male coded monster and add the traits of "woman" or (b) Take a female character/archetype and add the traits of a "sexy" monster.
The only time female monsters get to have any of the unsexy traits is when they're supposed to be entirely gross and unsympathetic, the femaleness making them extra unsettling (like the broodmothers in Dragon Age)
My aim is to make female monsters that don't fit neatly into these boxes, who are female but boxy/flat chested/bald/dark/tall/butch and who are sympathetic or attractive (but not necessarily both) while still having "unsexy" traits (and maybe some of the "sexy" ones too)
Thus far: a centaur with underarm hair and a missing boob, a friendly fat slime monster, cute bald nagi and trans mermaid. (I didn't describe her as trans in the image description since I like it being ambiguous. Maybe she's a cis woman with broad shoulders and no waist! She was also meant to be Indian but the colour scheme really doesn't make that clear)
I'll do some more traditional ones too if the idea feels right (like my scary old harpy)
So! Do you agree with my theory? What are some types of female monster (including not-so-monstrous fantasy characters like mermaids) that never gets drawn and you'd like to see?
nb I am feeling sooo ill right now, I hope this makes sense. And I have no idea how long it'll be before the novelty of this wears off and I give up on the idea.
EDIT: Managed seven! I plan to do more later. Anyway, some things from the comments and elsewhere:
Femaleness is personified by cuteness as well as sexiness.
The definition of monster and the way it's used really does tie into disability a lot.
Markers of biological femaleness for monsters and non-humans can differ dramatically from ours (a mane-less lion for example)
the seam of skin and scales is a trans woman talking about "a feminism of the monstrous".
no subject
If you feel like doing a version of her, let me know and I'll send you some screencaps.
Looking forward to seeing the ones you have done/will do.
no subject