An Unfamiliar Street: TG & Noir?

[Alchemical Night]

Hello there,

Friends, it's been a while since I last posted to the process - and indeed, to this forum - though, recently, a thought occurred to me and I mused that it might prove interesting for those here.

Given that the history of TG fiction online now spans some twenty years and more, and that it has come to embrace a whole sweep of different genres and themes - though popularly settling on the magical, alternative and pseudo-scientific - a recent kick into the Noir genre (Raymond Chandler etc), aroused a question, which could be interesting if brought to the world of TG TF fiction.

Thinking now, how do those here feel the Noir genre could be mingled with the more popular or prevalent themes of TG TF fiction, and what might come of it, if the idea proved more interesting to the community at large?

A notion that came to me, as I poured myself a drink, listening to some nice noir jazz .


Thanks again,

Alchemical Night.

[Case Scenario]

It's been done here and there. A few comics by CastleDolphyn and KannelArt, and some stuff on TG Comics.

I had a concept along those lines too, though I never did much with it beyond a half-finished sketch. I called it "Princess Town," and it takes place in a segregated city where the government consigns men who have succumbed to an ailment which turns them into cartoon women (usually princesses). The protagonist is John Maleficent, and the story would follow his/her efforts to solve the murder of a Sleeping Beauty he recently romanced.

Now that you mention it, I'm slightly surprised that it isn't done more often, though I guess it's because Noir fiction depends on certain elements, like atmosphere, scenery, dialogue, motivation, and character, and these aren't often really emphasized in our rarefied subject matter. At least, not all at once. The Noir aesthetic kind of has to exist for its own sake, with a heavy emphasis on a "down" mood which is rarely combined with the usually "up" attitude of fetish art.