A: That would be me, Nick Hardin (a.k.a. Aelius). My partner in crime is Jodimest. More specifically, I created the entire concept, as well as the Vixens themselves and a few of their arch villains. I am the main writer for the stories and chief editor. Jodi is other writer, main artist, and creator of most of the villains within the comic. The mysterious figure you see on the first page of issue one is created by Fox Champion, who was going to be the main artist until some R.L. matters caused him to decline later on. And this website... is put together by our good pal Slippy.
Q: So, what’s this comic about, anyway?
A: Jewel Vixens is about a group of supermodels-by-day/superspies-by-night that enter the world of 1960s-1970s international espionage in a classic mission to save the world from evil supervillains bent on world domination. It’s an adventure/action comic with many parody ties to the spy movies of the 60s era. Think of it as a mix of James Bond, Mission: Impossible, Charlie’s Angels, and Austin Powers, with a li’l bit of fur, all in one.
Q: Why use anthros? Why not humans?
A: Truth is, I’ve grown up around cartoons like Bugs Bunny, Mighty Mouse, and Sonic the Hedgehog, so writing stories with furries has kinda been what I’m used to. It’s interesting to individualize a character when you’ve got so many species, not to mention TYPES of species, to use in creating them. Not only that, but I can’t draw humans to save my life; anthros are much more what I’m used to.
Q: So, this is all about furries?
A: Heh, whatever you say :p
Q: How does an anthropomorphic world work, anyway? For instance, do predator anthros prey on prey anthros?
A: Not necessarily, but in the world of JV, animals (both normal and anthropomorphic) do exist together. Anthro species normally do not have to worry about being preyed upon, but sometimes carnivore species can become addicted to feral hunting or even the taste of pure blood and raw meat, which presents a rare, but serious problem for prey anthro species. On the other hand, there has been an occasional movement of prey anthros against the killing or eating of their individual natural species (such as anthro deer against natural deer hunting, or anthro cows against hamburgers, or anthro fish—yep, they do exist in small numbers—against the fishing industry). Such movements don’t really last that long, though... since the carnivores aren’t usually willing to go without meat. They ARE carnivores, afterall... On the plus side, cans of tuna have already been deemed dolphin safe, as well as anthro-dolphin safe. Also, movements to save some types of species from extinction have been more successful for having a variety of similar anthros backing them.
Q: What other features of this anthropomorphic world exist besides food?
A: Well, some species are well-equipped for certain jobs, such as the marine species not needing to spend much money on scuba-diving equipment, or raptor species like hawks not needing to buy binoculars, or even our Vixens not necessarily needing night-vision goggles on most occasions. Claws, fangs, talons, and venom also came in handy long before pepper spray and tazers (and kangaroos or rabbits that practice the art of kickboxing are utterly devastating). The main drawback is usually fur, though. Shedding is a killer for house-maids...
Jodimest says: Well, when I'm drawing the comic, I really don't pay too much attention to predator-prey relationships so much as caricature. If a guy is a sleazeball, chances are he's gonna be a rat or a weasel. The way we perceive animals in cartoons and entertainment is a big part of how I try to do 'animal casting' for the characters. Example: Richard Nixon's characterization in the comic is that of an elephant. Why? ‘Cause he was a republican, and cause hey, let's face it, he had quite a shnozola.Aelius says: Now that I think about it... I hardly knew who Nixon was beyond the public showings... The result was an absent-minded, self-centered, fun-loving, always-smiling guy who loves getting attention. Sheesh, I really need to catch up on my history.Jodimest says: Heehee.... Anyways, culture is also kind of a factor, as I see it. I've found that more Russians like to look at themselves as wolves, not bears as the western mentality would have it.Aelius says: Interesting...
Q: HEY! A comic about a bunch of hot, sexy, supermodel vixens with just a PG-13 rating? Where’s the porn??
A: Uhm, two reasons: One, our web host happens to be a minor, and Two, porn is NOT my style. Ick...
Q: Aw, you’re not going to get anywhere without sex in your comic...
A: Hmm, funny, Sabrina Online, FreeFall, and The Suburban Jungle seem to be doing rather well...
Q:Furries... in the 70's... am I getting this right?
A: Jodimest says: Well, we don't fit into that many genres, that's true enough... but between the afro and shag carpeting, 1972 was a terrific time for furry things!
Q: Why do Emerald and Amethyst have navel rings? That style wasn’t around in 1972.
A: Ah, that is true, though that’s merely a bit of foreshadowing...
Q: Why was Emerald sent to prison so many times?
A: She tends to take it rather personally when her fans get a bit too ‘close’, and has resorted to violence when some of the more annoying ones wouldn’t leave her alone. She’s still (reluctantly) learning how to control her temper...
Q: What’s the deal behind F.U.T.U.R.E.?
A: F.U.T.U.R.E. is a high-tech, ultra-modern, benevolent organization responsible for hiring and supplying the Vixens for their missions against evil supervillains. Their origin is classified, but it’s somehow related to the very same organization they are fighting against, which is hinted at in the first issue... (F.U.T.U.R.E. also gives me an excuse to introduce ultra-modern technology into the comic, heh heh)
Q: Who is the shady character at the beginning of issue one?
A: Ah, you’ll have to wait and see...
Q: How many issues will there be?
A: As many as we can make!
Q: Do you sell prints or portfolios of JV artwork?
A: We started to sell our first ‘folio, dedicated to Emerald, back at Anthrocon ’04, but it didn’t sell very well. Then again, we didn’t have much publicity back then. We hope to continue producing some prints and we have some portfolio projects already in planning.
Q: Hey Aelius, I’ve seen your art sites. Why don’t you draw the comic?
A: Good question. As much as I’d love to, Jodimest is able to churn out high-quality color pages in a fraction of the time it would take me to, so he’s a natural choice for the job of main artist. I hope to try a short comic or two (at the time of this writing, there’s a small story I hope to begin and post in between issues one and two).
Q: Are you or Jodi available for commissions?
A: I have a few pic requests on the back burner that I need to finish first (that, and I have college looming in front of me), but after that I may be able to take a few. Sometimes when college work is slow I go up for art trades; never hurts to ask, I guess. As for Jodi, you’d have to ask him, as I’m not sure if he’s available for them or not.
Q: Are there plans for a dead tree version of Jewel Vixens anytime soon?
A: The comic is quite new at the time of this writing. When/if it gets as popular as some of the larger online comics, enough to warrant a dead-tree version, we'll consider it. But currently? Nah, not yet. We have considered submitting to Furrlough or even Shanda Spotlight, though...
Q: There are a few parallel themes to "Tank Vixens". Coincidence?
A: Jodi says: In fact, the whole concept of the Jewel Vixens was devised without ever having read Tank Vixens. Only recently did we pick up a copy and laugh at the striking similarities. Of course, it's too soon to say that Jewel Vixens is a Tank Vixens clone, cause the plotline and characters are still being formed.
Aelius says: Yep, that's-a true! I will admit, though... The Tank Vixens creator, Paul Kidd, happens to be my favorite writer, so it was pretty neat to read such a comic :p ‘cept that the Jewel Vixens doesn’t have any sex....Jade says: What? Awwww.... Killjoy...
Q: Do you vote?
A: Jodi says: Yes. I personally voted for Emerald. I think she's the sexiest in the group, personally, but there's a lot of competition for Ruby and Jade.
Q: How long has Jewel Vixens been in the making?
A: Hmm, well I'm not totally sure of the EXACT amount of time, but the idea began when I was still in high school, so I'm guessing at least three-to-five years.
Q: How do you go about making a comic page?
A: Jodi says: First we script it out, then discuss the content of the script to see whether or not alterations need to be made on a page-by-page basis. After that, we move to pencils, then inks. That usually takes a couple days. The kicker is the color, which takes almost as much time as the others combined, but the results speak for themselves.
Q: Given the difficult production of color artwork, are there any plans to stop doing it?
A: Jodi says: I love coloring too much to give it up for the comic. It also plays an important role in setting the scene, and on top of that I'm a terrible inker and my B&W art is rather sparse.
Q: The image size on some of the comics is "666". Are you secretly in league with the devil?
A: Jodi says: All devil worshipping questions of that variety should be forwarded to Procter and Gamble.
Aelius says: The locals are getting suspicious...
Q: Which characters belong to who, exactly? I'm terribly confused.
A: Jodi says: The mysterious villainess on the first and last pages of issue 1 belongs to "Fox" Champion. All of the Jewel Vixens themselves, Mendoza, Mr. Brig, and Lithgow Deuwin belong to Nick "Aelius" Hardin. The Twins (Ira and Ria), Slappy Cromwell, and the major villains are copyright Steven "Jodimest" Swanson.
Aelius says: Yep yep, though I admit I never was totally sure about Furious Fuchsia. We both kinda had an equal hand in his creation.
Q: Hey, can I be featured in your comic?
A: Sorry, but we can’t really do requests like that. We may offer a comic cameo/featuring/thingie in the future, though...
Q: Can I submit fanart/fanfics?
A: Sure! A fan-works section should be coming up very soon.
Characters ©2001-2005 Nick Hardin, Steven Swanson
and Charles Champion
Site and Design ©2004-2005 John Silipino
Powered by Macromedia MX
Site and Design ©2004-2005 John Silipino
Powered by Macromedia MX