Collage of the five faces from each of The Five Faces of Hecate I-V by my favorite fantasy artist Luis Royo, as fair use representation of the full artworks (collected in his Subversive Beauty art book and available as limited edition prints), arguably among his most iconic art (as well as my favorite)
Yes – I can find Fantasy Girls anywhere, so it’s not surprising I find them in fantasy itself. Fantasy, that is, as in literary fantasy & SF – as distinct from my preceding fantasy girl top tens for the girls of comics, video games, anime and animation, all of which can well be characterized as predominantly fantasy or SF.
Note that reference to literary – this top ten is for the girls from fantasy or SF literary works, not those of fantasy or SF in cinema or television, with a couple of caveats. The first caveat is that they may be adapted by other media – and let’s face it, that’s where I get the visual representations in art or cosplay that are a large part of my rankings – although my rule remains that they originate in literary fantasy or SF works. The second is that I have extended my special mentions to include girls from cinematic or television fantasy, albeit typically franchises that have an ‘expanded universe’ in other media, often including books.
ART & COSPLAY
But first a note on the visual images used in this top ten. Given the copyright in such images, I only use a visual image as fair use for the purposes of comment and review in each entry – an iconic feature image to identify the character, either in general or in their most iconic version as I review it to be (or both), typically excerpted from their adaptations on screen or in comics (surprisingly prevalent for my top ten entries).
As usual I include a special section in each entry under the subtitle of art and cosplay – not for any actual art and cosplay as such but instead where I nominate my favorite artists and cosplay models depicting the character, which you can look up for yourself.
As for my iconic feature image, it was a close call with my other favorite fantasy artist Frank Frazetta, but I went with a collage I compiled of the five faces from The Five Faces of Hecate I-V by my favorite fantasy artist Luis Royo, as fair use representation of the full artworks (collected in his Subversive Beauty art book and available as limited edition prints), arguably among his most iconic artwork (as well as my favorite).
Although…shouldn’t it be the three faces of Hecate, as she is normally associated with a trinity (such as the Hecate Sisters trope in TV Tropes)? In which case, I’ll go with III-V (or the three on the right) as my favorites.
(10) IMPERATOR FURIOSA
My usual rule is to award my wildcard tenth place entry to the top entry for the previous or current year – where the subject permits that is, which is surprisingly tricky when it comes to my Top 10 Girls of Fantasy & SF. Remember this top ten is for the girls of literary fantasy & SF. Hence all other entries in my top ten originate in literary works, but if I am to keep my rule for wildcard entry as best of the previous or current year – and have some art, cosplay or visual representation for it – that entry has to be an exception as one from fantasy or SF in other media. (In fairness, I have separate special mentions for fantasy or SF in other media).
Hence I’m going with Imperator Furiosa, introduced in the 2015 Mad Max Fury Road film and played by Charlize Theron – as there was the prequel film in 2024 with a younger Furiosa played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Sadly, it did not do well commercially in theaters, which I think did not reflect its quality as a film – I liked it, even if it (inevitably) fell short of the Fury Road film. And let’s face it – I have a thing for Taylor-Joy and whatever it is about her fey eyes that appeals to me. Although that could be partly that she or her body double seem to have a thing for stripping off in her films.
As for the character of Furiosa, you can’t help but admire a girl who through sheer force of will and toughness seems to have risen through the ranks of post-apocalyptic warlord Immortan Joe to become his War Captain – only to turn around and stick it to the man, absconding with his “wives”.
ART & COSPLAY
For my iconic feature image, I’ve gone with a clip of her from the trailer, showcasing those distinctive intense eyes framed by face paint, all shiny and chrome! (Taylor-Joy’s performance necessarily had to rely on the expressiveness of her eyes, given the minimalist dialogue and that her face is masked to a large degree, by war paint or otherwise).
No art or cosplay for her yet, at least from my favorite artists or models.
RATING: 4 STARS****
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Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in the different styles of costume as she appeared in the TV series
(9) DAENERYS TARGARYEN –
A SONG OF ICE & FIRE / GAME OF THRONES (1991-? /2011-2019)
Like the unfinished book series or the poorly finished TV series, Daenerys Targaryen may not have stuck the landing – dare I say it, the King’s Landing (heh) – but she still rules the Iron Throne of my ninth place entry.
Daenerys Stormborn. Daenerys of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name. The Queen Across the Sea, Lady Regnant of the Seven Kingdoms, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, the Unburnt and above all, Mother of Dragons.
And since this is for my top ten girls of literary fantasy & SF, the entry goes to the silver-haired violet-eyed Daenerys Targaryen from the books (albeit somewhat older than when we first meet her – and when she is married off to Khal Drogo – in her early teens).
Daenerys is frequently hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world – and is the stuff of fantasy even there. (In the television series, a harlot cosplays as her, to a hearty cheer of “Mother of Dragons”).
Of course, it is not simply her appearance, but her character as one of the most badass and kickass females in fantasy, before she was brought low by the final seasons of the TV series.. Initially a meek and timid girl abused by her creepy older brother Viserys, she is married off to Khan Khal Drogo for the promise of his (Mongol) Dothraki army in the reconquest of the Seven Kingdoms. However, she takes her position of Khaleesi thrust upon her (literally in the person of Khal Drogo) and makes it her own – eating a raw stallion heart, foretelling that her son will be the Stallion That Mounts the World. Unfortunately, things don’t quite work out that well as she loses both husband and son, but she emerges as the closest thing the series has to a superhero – mother to three dragons and conquering queen at the head of her army. (Unfortunately, she then spends an interminable amount of time sitting around the conquered city Meeren, although given how the TV series handled her return to Westeros, perhaps she should have stayed there).
Her superhero status is also demonstrated as one of the few characters with a strong moral compass, again before that compass was thrown out the window by the TV series – particularly as that feature usually marks one out for an early (and typically grisly) death in the first few seasons.
As Tyrion Lannister summed her up with his usual eloquence:
“I know that she spent her childhood in exile, impoverished, living on dreams and schemes, running from one city to the next, always fearful, never safe, friendless but for a brother who was by all accounts half-mad…a brother who sold her maidenhead to the Dothraki for the promise of an army. I know that somewhere upon the grass, her dragons hatched and so did she. I know she is proud. How not? What else was left to her but pride? I know she is strong. How not? The Dothraki despise weakness. If she had been weak, she would have perished with Viserys. I know she is fierce. Astapor, Yunkai and Meeren are proof enough of that. She has survived assassins and conspiracies and fell sorceries, grieved for a brother and a husband and a son, trod the cities of slavers to dust beneath her dainty sandalled feet.”
ART & COSPLAY
For my iconic feature image, I’ve gone with a collage of Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in the different styles of costume through the TV series (from the Game of Thrones subreddit), although I remain disappointed she did not have violet contacts.
ART – DANDONFUGA
Whoa – she scores my Dandonfuga ranking for Dandonfuga’s art of her, evoking the style of a Disney princess. There’s also Neoartcore art of her.
COSPLAY
No cosplay of which I know from favorite models, although I have seen good cosplay of her. However my favorite ‘cosplay’ of her may well be Emilia Clarke’s body double Rosie Mac.
RATING: 4 STARS****
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Galadriel as she was portrayed by Cate Blanchett in the cinematic trilogy directed by Peter Jackson
(8) GALADRIEL –
THE LORD OF THE RINGS (1954)
“Do you like what you doth see . . . ?” said the voluptuous elf-maiden as she provocatively parted the folds of her robe to reveal the rounded, shadowy glories within. Frito’s throat was dry, though his head reeled with desire and ale.
She slipped off the flimsy garment and strode toward the fascinated boggie unashamed of her nakedness. She ran a perfect hand along his hairy toes, and he helplessly watched them curl with the fierce insistent wanting of her. “Let me make thee more comfortable,” she whispered hoarsely, fiddling with the clasps of his jerkin, loosening his sword belt with a laugh. “Touch me, oh touch me,” she crooned.
Frito’s hand, as though of its own will, reached out and traced the delicate swelling of her elf-breast, while the other slowly crept around her tiny, flawless waist, crushing her to his barrel chest. “Toes, I love hairy toes,” she moaned, forcing him down on the silvered carpet. Her tiny, pink toes caressed the luxuriant fur of his instep while Frito’s nose sought out the warmth of her precious elf-navel.
“But I’m so small and hairy, and . . . and you’re so beautiful,” Frito whimpered, slipping clumsily out of his crossed garters. The elf-maiden said nothing, but only sighed deep in her throat and held him more firmly to her faunlike body. “There is one thing you must do for me first,” she whispered into one tufted ear.
“Anything,” sobbed Frito, growing frantic with his need. “Anything!”
She closed her eyes and then opened them to the ceiling. “The Ring,” she said. “I must have your Ring.” Frito’s whole body tensed. “Oh no,” he cried, “not that! Anything but . . . that.”
“I must have it,” she said both tenderly and fiercely. “I must have the Ring!”
Frito’s eyes blurred with tears and confusion. “I can’t,” he said. “I mustn’t!”
But he knew resolve was no longer strong in him. Slowly, the elf-maiden’s hand inched toward the chain in his vest pocket, closer and closer it came to the Ring Frito had guarded so faithfully…
*
Yeah, that’s not Galadriel. Nor is it The Lord of the Rings, as you might have guessed from the substitution of Frito for Frodo (and boggie for hobbit). It’s from the parody Bored of the Rings. Actually, it’s from the teaser ‘excerpt’ in the prologue – which, as part of the joke, is not in the book itself (much to my bitter disappointment). But it totally should be Galadriel! When the Fellowship of the Ring see Galadriel in her elven queendom of Lothlorien, they all collectively exclaim “phwoar!” Well, not quite, but they do talk a lot about her afterwards.
Galadriel herself needs little introduction to fans of the literary or cinematic trilogy – the predominant female character in Lord of the Rings, the elven Lady of Lothlorien. Galadriel is probably the most powerful of the elves in Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings – and wields the most powerful elven artifacts, one of the three elven Rings of Power (Nenya, the Ring of Water) as well as her Mirror.
However, Galadriel is more than just the most powerful elf in Middle Earth. She embodies the divine feminine in it, with her pervasive spiritual presence in the narrative. Indeed, with her many titles of the Lady (Lady of Lorien, Lady of the Golden Wood, Lady of Light) show the influence or at least an echo of the Virgin Mary from Tolkien’s Catholicism – Our Lady of Middle Earth. Like the Virgin Mary, she intercedes rather than actively wields power in the War of the Ring (unlike, say, Eowyn, who punches out the Lord of the Nazgul). However, her intercession does provide critical help, without which the Ringbearer’s Quest would have failed.
Sadly, the elves, as the most powerful magical beings in Middle Earth (and wielders of the only Rings of Power outside Sauron’s control) tend not to actually do anything in the War of the Ring other than prance about their woods and go West – and Galadriel is no exception.
As awesome as her intercession or spiritual presence was, it would have been even more awesome if she had played an active role – like joining the Fellowship. It is clear enough in the books that she wielded magical power of extraordinary magnitude. The cinematic version of Middle Earth made explicit what was implicit in the books – that when faced with Sauron (or the One Ring), she could transform into a practically omnipotent being of unfathomable power. In the third Hobbit movie, we all saw her kick Sauron’s ass (at Dol Goldur) all the way back to Mordor – and wondered why we didn’t see any of that in The Lord of the Rings.
Or even darker (and sexier), if she had indeed taken the Ring for herself when Frodo had offered it to her. Instead, all she gave us was a mild teaser of her power – from the book “In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen! And I shall not be dark, but beautiful as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!”
Ah – did anyone else in the audience other than me think that would have been AWESOME! Or was as excited by the prospect of this elven goddess as Dark Lady. Only me? Surely not! Long live the Dark Queen!
ART & COSPLAY
For my iconic feature image, I’ve gone with what has become the archetypal screen portrayal of her by Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson’s cinematic trilogy.
No art or cosplay for her yet, at least from my favorite artists or models as far I’m aware.
RATING: 4 STARS****
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Variant cover art by Dan Panosian of Belit for the Conan comic issue 6 published by Titan Comics 3 January 2024
(7) BELIT –
CONAN: QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST (1934)
Before Bond girls, there were Conan girls – and I couldn’t have a Top 10 Girls of Fantasy & SF without an entry for one of them. But which one?
Well, obviously it’s Belit but why? One problem as a starting point is that due to Bond being a high profile media franchise with many movies – in which the Bond girls are a core element – the Bond girls are far better known than their Conan counterparts. I anticipate most people could name at least one Bond girl, but sadly the Conan girls do not have the same profile.
The most well known Conan girl would be Red Sonja…except that she’s only a Conan girl in the comics, proving so popular as to earn an enduring title in her own name. She was adapted from one of Robert E Howard’s stories, but not from his Conan stories – instead, she was Red Sonya of Rigatino, a sixteenth century Polish-Ukrainian warrior-woman with a grudge against the Ottoman sultan, well after Conan’s legendary ‘prehistoric’ setting (“before the oceans drank Atlantis”). As this top ten is for literary fantasy or SF, I don’t feature her here – although of course I do feature her in my Top 10 Girls of Comics, in third place (and goddess-tier) no less.
There’s Valeria, Conan’s lover and fellow adventurer in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian, who was so awesome that she even helped Conan in spirit form after her death – “Do you want to live forever?”. Unlike Red Sonja, Valeria was adapted from her namesake Conan girl in the story “Red Nails”, but was somewhat different from her literary character – indeed, borrowing elements from none other than Beli (so much so that some thought she was Belit as she was not named onscreen as Valeria until the sequel).
“Who is Bêlit?” The wildest she-devil unhanged…She is called the queen of the black coast.””
Which brings me to Belit as my entry – and it’s nice to see that she also has Red Sonja’s she-devil epithet!
What more can I say than she’s a pirate queen? And although she only appears in one story, that story was named for her? And what a story – widely regarded as being one of the best Conan stories. Also this is how she is described in her first appearance:
“She turned toward Conan, her bosom heaving, her eyes flashing. Fierce fingers of wonder caught at his heart. She was slender, yet formed like a goddess: at once lithe and voluptuous. Her only garment was a broad silken girdle. Her white ivory limbs and the ivory globes of her breasts drove a beat of fierce passion through the Cimmerian’s pulse, even in the panting fury of battle. Her rich black hair, black as a Stygian night, fell in rippling burnished clusters down her supple back. Her dark eyes burned on the Cimmerian”.
Or in other words – phwoah!
And she just gets steamier from there. Note that she wears nothing but jewellery and that silken girdle – although that comes off quickly as she entrances Conan mid-battle with him and performs a mating dance, which they consummate right there on deck, in front of her crew. Like Valeria in the Conan film – who arguably adapted Belit more than she did her own story namesake – Belit’s so awesome that she returns from death in spirit form to aid him.
“There is life beyond death, I know, and I know this, too, Conan of Cimmeria — my love is stronger than any death! I have lain in your arms, panting with the violence of our love; you have held and crushed and conquered me, drawing my soul to your lips with the fierceness of your bruising kisses. My heart is welded to your heart, my soul is part of your soul! Were I still in death and you fighting for your life I would come back from the abyss to aid you — aye, whether my spirit floated with the purple sails on the crystal sea of paradise, or writhed in the molten flames of hell! I am yours, and all the gods and all their eternities shall not sever us!”
And she damn well does, by Crom!
Bêlit herself is among Howard’s best known characters despite only appearing in this one story – she’s been named among the best female pirates in fiction.
ART & COSPLAY
For my iconic feature image, I’ve chosen the glorious cover art of her by Dan Panosian for the Conan comic. Well, iconic for me at least and for the version of her in comics, which is somewhat different from the ivory-skinned version of her in the story (as you can see from the description of her in the quoted passage). Some art does lean more into that ivory-skinned description of her.
Other than Dan Panosian, while there is obviously art of her in comics, none by my favorite artists or cosplay models as far as I’m aware.
RATING: 4 STARS****
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Jane looking good and all damselly in distress in comic cover art by Lucio Parrillo for Dynamite Entertainment’s Lord of the Jungle issue 5
(6) JANE PORTER –
TARZAN OF THE APES (1912)
“Me Tarzan, You Jane”.
Of course, that’s the broken English of the barely articulate screen version of Tarzan, as opposed to the literary Tarzan, but Jane Porter is consistently the love interest of Tarzan throughout Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan series and its adaptations in other series. Indeed, she was his love interest from the very first Tarzan book, Tarzan of the Apes in 1912, subsequently his wife and mother of their son Korak. In her first appearance, she was a blond teenage girl, 18-20 years of age. She was also a conventional literary damsel in distress but subsequently became “an educated, competent and capable adventuress in her own right, fully capable of defending herself and surviving on her own in the jungles of Africa”.
I find it interesting that the romance between Tarzan and Jane is a trans-Atlantic one – with the former a British aristocrat (Lord Greystoke), albeit raised as a feral child by apes, and the latter an American, like Burroughs himselfm but from Baltimore in Maryland and daughter of Professor Archimedes Q. Porter. I also find it interesting that the literary Jane was blond, consistently with most jungle girls in comics, but tends to be brunette in her cinematic or television adaptations.
She’s also one of two literary creations by Edgar Rice Burroughs in this top ten and probably the better known or with the higher profile of the two, but I just have to rank the second Burroughs girl higher in my next entry…
ART & COSPLAY
For my iconic feature image, it was a narrow win over some of her portrayals in film (okay, one of them – Margot Robbie) but ultimately her appearances in comics cover art won out, with Lucio Parrillo’s characteristically gorgeous painted cover art featuring Jane with Tarzan for the fifth issue of Dynamite Entertainment’s Lord of the Jungle comics series.
Sadly, despite her prolific appearances in other media, she just doesn’t seem to attract art or cosplay by my favorite artists (other than Parrillo) or models. Perhaps it’s the lack of a distinctive signature costume, with the closest being to such a costume being her appearance in yellow dress in the Disney film.
RATING:
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Warlord of Mars comic cover art by Ed Benes
(5) DEJAH THORIS –
A PRINCESS OF MARS (1912)
Dejah Thoris is the love interest of John Carter, the Confederate Civil War veteran, who is transported by astral body projection to Mars, or as its inhabitants call it, Barsoom, in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Mars series. Dejah is, however, no mere love interest – as the title character of the first book, A Princess of Mars, she is indeed the princess of the Martian kingdom of Helium, a kingdom of the so-called Red Martians (as opposed to the other Martian races). In appearance, she is essentially human but for her red skin, and of renowned beauty throughout Barsoom:
“And the sight which met my eyes was that of a slender, girlish figure, similar in every detail to the earthly women of my past life… Her face was oval and beautiful in the extreme, her every feature was finely chiselled and exquisite, her eyes large and lustrous and her head surmounted by a mass of coal black, waving hair, caught loosely into a strange yet becoming coiffure. Her skin was of a light reddish copper color, against which the crimson glow of her cheeks and the ruby of her beautifully molded lips shone with a strangely enhancing effect. She was as destitute of clothes as the green Martians who accompanied her; indeed, save for her highly wrought ornaments she was entirely naked, nor could any apparel have enhanced the beauty of her perfect and symmetrical figure.”
Or in other words, phwoar! No, really – that is essentially the reaction of the male population of Barsoom, regardless of Martian species. (As her Comicvine entry dryly captions her image – coveted by all). As the above quotation indicates, she is particularly stripperiffic – indeed, she makes a stripper look over-dressed by comparison, with no clothing except for some body jewellery and heels (because a Martian princess has to wear high heels). However, in this, she is typical of the Martian population. Indeed, what is it with aliens and nudity? ET, the Greys – they all have the technology to cross interstellar space but walk around naked? Is that why Earth is left alone, because we’re too uptight in a galaxy of alien nudists? Of course, that might explain the probing. Anyway, it certainly has made Dejah popular with fantasy and comics artists, although challenging to find art in which she does not appear too naked.
Oh – and she lays eggs. Given that she’s clearly mammalian, I guess that makes her some sort of monotreme, like a platypus or echidna. Eggs or not, if our first contact is not with aliens like the Red Martians or at least Dejah Thoris, I’m going to be bitterly disappointed…
ART & COSPLAY
For my iconic feature image, it was a hard choice but I decided that her art by Ed Benes for the cover of the Warlord of Mars comic published by Dynamite Entertainment captured her best, partly because it emphasises her literal Red Martian skin tone.
Sadly no art by my favorite artists Sciamano and Dandonfuga but many of my other favorite artists in comics have tried their hand at her on pinup covers for Dynamite Entertainment – foremost among them Lucio Parrillo, but also J. Scott Campbell, Elias Chatzoudis, Nathan Szerdy, Ale Garza, and Josh Burns.
As you can imagine, there’s little cosplay for her – literary fantasy tends to be outranked by comics, video games and anime for cosplay. Yes – Disney took a shot at a cinematic version of her in a John Carter film but sadly it flopped. Also, her stripperiffic costume compounds the lack of cosplay as only the better and braver models could pull it off.
RATING: 4 STARS****
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J Scott Campbell art from his Fairytale Fantasies calendar series
(4) WENDY DARLING –
PETER PAN (1904 PLAY)
JM Barrie is best known for the eponymous trickster hero Peter Pan in his original play and novels, as well as a source of subsequent adaptations, allusions and inversions in popular culture – “a playful demigod, with aspects of Puck and Pan” and “a cultural symbol of youthful exuberance and innocence”. However, Peter’s Edwardian English companion, Wendy Darling (or Wendy Moira Angela Darling), is also one of the icons of fantasy and might well be argued to be the true protagonist of the stories. Wendy’s most iconic visual imagery owes itself to her animated Disney adaptation – with her blue nightdress, blue ribbon and brown hair.
The elements of Peter Pan have lent themselves readily to adaptation and popular imagination – Neverland, the Lost Boys, pirates, Captain Hook, the crocodile, mermaids and fairies (with their magical pixie dust). Wendy’s role in the stories are as its most developed and mature character. While she is a lover of childhood stories, particularly about Peter Pan himself, her adventures with him from their outset involve her in a more mature role caring for the other characters, including sewing Peter’s shadow back to him. Not surprisingly, she ultimately embraces growing up and returns with her brothers to her family in England. (Of course, popular culture has offered different interpretations of Wendy – I have a soft spot for the blonde ‘Lost Girl’ of Zenescope Comics’ Neverland).
ART & COSPLAY
For my iconic feature image, I went with the older (and blonder?) version of her in art by J. Scott Campbell for his Fairytale Fantasies calendar series – which in turn adapts the depiction of her in her blue nightdress from the Disney animated Peter Pan film. There’s also Zenescope Entertainment and the various artists used by them for their pinup cover art in their Neverland comics series – where she’s definitely blond (and very much a buxom adult version of the character).
Apart from that, no art or cosplay from my favorite artists or models.
She was also a close call with the other girls of Neverland, Tinkerbell and Tigerlily – particularly the former – but Wendy just seems a more substantial character (and is also keeping in theme with my next entries).
RATING: 5 STARS*****
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J Scott Campbell art from his Fairytale Fantasies calendar series
(3) DOROTHY GALE –
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ (1900)
“I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”
Dorothy Gale is one of the iconic fantasy females, even if more from the 1939 cinematic adaptation than the original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Through her adventures with their vivid imagery and characters, not least the central trio of her companions in the original novel and cinematic adaptation (the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion), Dorothy has been a source of adaptations and allusions throughout popular culture.
Dorothy is fundamentally (mid-western) American, befitting the protagonist of what was intended as a modern American fairy tale. She’s a Kansas farm girl (although she subsequently becomes a princess of Oz and lives there – in the numerous sequels), an orphan raised by her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, with her equally iconic dog Toto. Famously, she and Toto are swept up in a tornado to the Land of Oz.
However, Dorothy is more iconic in popular culture through the 1939 cinematic adaptation (portrayed by Judy Garland) than her original novels. Her appearance was never set out in the books, so that her cinematic appearance has become iconic – although it did retain the literary description of her clothing as her trademark blue and white gingham dress. Otherwise, the film condensed the novel – but most significantly altered the ending, that it was all just a dream – unlike the original novel, where it was all definitely real.
Dorothy’s adaptations in comics, such as those featured here, have of course in the tradition of comics tended to depict an adult (and buxom) Alice in darker fantasies (with titles such as The Warlord of Oz or the Witch-Queen of Oz). They tend to keep her blue and white clothing, just less of it – it’s definitely not Kansas any more!
A particularly apt adaptation for this American fairy tale involved Dorothy as a Western gunslinger with her horse Toto and guns with ruby-colored handles (and bullets) – titled The Wicked West (of course!)
ART & COSPLAY
Similarly to my previous place entry, for my iconic feature image I went with the adult version of her in art by J. Scott Campbell for his Fairytale Fantasies calendar series, which in turn adapts her cinematic appearance in (brunette) hairstyle and clothing – although the latter seems faithful to her blue and white gingham dress from the book. (If you’re looking for those signature ruby slippers – remember she got them from the Wicked Witch of the East once in Oz, or more precisely that the Good Witch Glinda magically transported them from the dead witch to Dorothy’s feet. Also the ruby slippers are from the film – in the book they’re silver shoes).
And again Zenescope Entertainment has various artists used by them for their pinup cover art in their Oz comics series or spin-offs, including Keith Garvey, Eliaz Chatzoudis, and Ale Garza. Interestingly, the Zenescope design often features a visual design closer to Daisy Duke, particularly with the shorts (albeit with clothing still usually in blue and white).
Sadly, no cosplay from my favorite models – literary fantasy just doesn’t compete in cosplay with video games or anime.
RATING: 5 STARS*****
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J Scott Campbell art from his Fairytale Fantasies calendar series – so iconic they made a statue out of it!
(2) ALICE –
ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1865)
“Curiouser and curiouser”…
Few fantasy females are as iconic as Alice, the protagonist of Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking Glass (although the two books are often merged in popular culture) – although her iconic visual imagery owes itself to her animated Disney adaptation, which “has done the most to fix her image, to wed her firmly to a blue dress and white pinafore, to blonde hair” (and blue eyes). Through the vivid imagery or encounters of her adventures, as well as their potential symbolic allusions, Alice has lent herself readily to adaptation and popular imagination.
Of course, the original literary protagonist was a Victorian era child of 7 years age, but she wins the silver medal of my top ten on the strength of her allusions and imagery in popular culture, extending to adult characters and adaptations (as in the fantasy art in this feature).
Allusions to Alice have earned their own trope on TV Tropes, which notes that the original novels can be associated with surreal or psychedelic fantasy, drug imagery (as in Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit), gothic horror and other aspects of Victorian England, such as steampunk.
As TV Tropes notes, “the name ‘Alice’, when used in a reference to Alice in Wonderland, therefore tends to be used for fantastical, ethereal characters or concepts, and that goes double if her last name is a variation on Carroll” (or Liddell – but more about that later). Other frequent references include white rabbits or going down the rabbit hole (as in The Matrix) – into a world of the hero’s journey that doesn’t conform to real world logic (and in which our heroine has to use intuition, a good heart, and an ability to acquire allies).
Not to mention white rabbits, cats and tea parties – or Mad Hatters.
As for Alice herself, Lewis Carroll described her (when writing on her personality in “Alice on the Stage”) as “wildly curious, and with the eager enjoyment of Life that comes only in the happy hours of childhood, when all is new and fair, and when Sin and Sorrow are but names — empty words signifying nothing!”. I can’t think of a better – or more endearing – description than that.
For Carroll, there was, at least to some extent, a real Alice – Alice Pleasance Liddell, who inspired Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, when she asked Carroll to tell her a story on a boating trip in Oxford. The extent to which his character can be identified with Alice Liddell is not clear (and the brunette Liddell certainly did not resemble the blonde illustrations in the original book by cartoonist Sir John Tenniel). However, there are direct links to Liddell in the books – they are set on her birthday and her half birthday six months later (with the corresponding age), they are dedicated to her and the letters of her name are featured in an acrostic poem in the sequel.
As Catherine Robson wrote in Men in Wonderland – “In all her different and associated forms—underground and through the looking glass, textual and visual, drawn and photographed, as Carroll’s brunette or Tenniel’s blonde or Disney’s prim miss…in novel, poem, satire, play, film, cartoon, newspaper, magazine, album cover or song—Alice is the ultimate cultural icon, available for any and every form of manipulation, and as ubiquitous today as in the era of her first appearance.”
ART & COSPLAY
And again for my iconic feature image I went with the (adult) version of her in art by J. Scott Campbell for his Fairytale Fantasies calendar series – art so iconic they made a statue out of it. Essentially, Campbell’s Fairytale Fantasies art is a running theme for these higher place entries from fairy tales or children’s fantasy, particularly as it is essentially pinup art of those characters. Of course, his art in turn follows her appearance as the blonde Alice in blue and white from the Disney animated film – although I understand the blonde hair at least followed Carroll’s instructions for illustrating her, even if some illustrations seem to have her closer to brunette (something followed by the American McGee Alice video game)
And with Alice we come to perhaps the most popular of my girls of fantasy and SF for depictions, at least in art by my favorite artist. It helps that once again Zenescope Entertainment has artists used by them for their version of her in their Wonderland series – effectively including a brunette version of the character with her daughter Calie, who closely resembles her mother but for brunette hair and a black and white clothing palette. It also helps that some of my favorite comics artist have done their pinup art of her, whether for Zenescope or otherwise – including Elias Chatzoudis, Nathan Szerdy, and Ale Garza.
COSPLAY – HELLY
It also helps that there’s the American McGee Alice video game version of the character – with the same clothing color palette but brunette – which also sees her score my Helly cosplay ranking for Helly Valentine’s cosplay of the video game version, one of only two Helly rankings or indeed any cosplay rankings for my Top 10 Girls of Fantasy & SF.
RATING: 5 STARS*****
S-TIER (GODDESS TIER)
Disney Frozen film poster
(1) SNOW QUEEN
Few fantasy female characters are so iconic, narratively and visually on a worldwide scale, as the female characters and particularly the protagonists of (European) fairy tales, so it was obvious my top spot had to go to a fairy tale girl.
But which one?
It was a close call with the big three or holy trinity of fairy tale girls – Cinderella, Snow White, and my former top spot as one of my personal favorite fairy tale girls, Red Riding Hood.
Ultimately however, all three have been eclipsed by the Snow Queen, the titular antagonist (or is she?) of the fairy tale by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. The fairy tale may well have set something of a trend for the snow queen or similar female personification of winter, cold, snow and ice. And ironically, she’s hot! Usually blonde of course – white, platinum or silver blonde for snow or ice – but not always (as for example with the black-haired White Witch in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, inspired by the Snow Queen).
There have been a surprisingly prolific number of adaptations of the fairy tale, but one in particular saw the Snow Queen win both top spot for my girls of fairy tales and my girls of fantasy in general – Disney’s Frozen, loosely adapting the Snow Queen (and the fairy tale’s male protagonist Kai) as Elsa, who in turn has been a surprisingly popular subject of art and cosplay, sometimes in combination with her sister Anna (adapting the fairy tale’s female protagonist Gerda).
Speaking of which…
ART & COSPLAY
For my iconic feature image, I considered going with the original version of the Snow Queen in art by J. Scott Campbell for his Fairytale Fantasies calendar series, but instead I went with the Disney Frozen film poster of Elsa.
And with the Snow Queen, particularly in Elsa’s version of her, we have the only potential rival to Alice as the most popular of my girls of fantasy and SF in depictions in art – and indeed also in cosplay, scoring a Helly ranking (which I would rank over Helly Valentine’s cosplay of Alice).
ART – DANDONFUGA
That’s right – she scores a Dandonfuga ranking, thanks to Elsa being a repeated subject for art by Dandonfuga.
My top ten on the spot for Elsa art
1 – Dandonfuga
2 – J. Scott Campbell (as the original Snow Queen)
3 – Kiko L
4 – Nathan Szerdy
5 – Elias Chatzoudis
6 – Neoartcore
7 – Aroma Sensei
8 – Logan Cure
9 – Artgerm
10 – Eric Basaldua (for Zenoscope’s Snow Queen)
SPECIAL MENTION
1 – Zenoscope (for their version of the fairy tale Snow Queen character)
2 – Fables (for its version of the fairy tale Snow Queen character)
3 – Oglaf (for its webcomic version of the Snow Queen character)
4 – Jeff Chapman (for his photorealistic version of Elsa)
And shout-out to Naughty Neurals, who has featured Elsa on more than one occasion.
COSPLAY – HELLY
As mentioned above, the Snow Queen scores a Helly ranking for Helly Valentine’s cosplay of Elsa. Special mention for Anna Faith, who launched a cosplay and modeling career on her resemblance to Elsa.
RATING: 5 STARS*****
S-TIER (GODDESS-TIER)
FANTASY GIRLS –
GIRLS OF FANTASY & SF: TOP 10
(TIER LIST)
S-TIER (GODDESS TIER)
(1) SNOW QUEEN
(2) ALICE
(3) DOROTHY GALE
(4) WENDY DARLING
If the Snow Queen is my Old Testament of girls of fantasy & SF, then Alice, Dorothy and Wendy are my New Testament.
A-TIER (TOP TIER)
(5) DEJAH THORIS
B-TIER (HIGH TIER)
(6) JANE PORTER
(7) BELIT
(8) GALADRIEL
(9) DAENERYS TARGARYEN
X-TIER (WILD TIER) – 2024 TOP GIRL OF FANTASY & SF
(10) FURIOSA
