Dear /tg/ I come to you with a question that's been vexing me for years.
What is the actual origin of the "metal bikini" trope? It certainly doesn't exist in the original versions of the fantasy short stories and novels often associated with it (like ERB's John Carter or Howard's Conan). I would guess that since bikinis became super-popular in the 50s that it's from fantasy literature or art made after that, but I honestly can't find any information.
Where did Red Sonja get her scalemail bikini for example?
>>48073189
im gana make a guess that it comes from Conan the Barbarian. and Xenia warrior princess. thats older stuff that is basically bikini armor.
my second guess would just be character art and general art.
>>48073189
>Red Sonja get her scalemail bikini
Not sure in the slightest about your question, but I'm pretty sure her bikini is silver coins oir something like that. Purely for show, not intended in any way to be protection - she would fight naked if she didn't have it.
>>48073189
The artwork of Franz Fazetta
>>48073189
Literary- probably Edgar Rice Burroughs and stuff like his Barsoom books where Dejah Thoris pretty much runs around in strategically placed jewellery
From art deriving from that as >>48073250 mentions Frank Fazetta did a lot of the early ERB covers and it definitely has some origins in the 1960's where pulp art was a bit more liberal. But I think it was the 1970's that really grabbed the trope by the strings and choked it for all it was worth, a lot of fantasy art came out of that era which is probably defining of the genre- not that the 1980s left it alone either (eg- Leia bikini in star wars)
>>48073307
>where Dejah Thoris pretty much runs around in strategically placed jewellery
In the books she's actually naked. Carter is too. Everyone's naked on barsoom by default.
Cover illustrations where it wasn't okay to show nudity but they still wanted sex appeal
I like them, despite how silly they are.
>>48073373
So fantasy has always been someone's magical realm?
>>48073189
>What is the actual origin of the "metal bikini" trope?
your testicles, typically
>>48075106
Correct. To be honest, you're playing fantasy and you're NOT playing magical realm, you're not being true to the genre and are by definition playing "wrong."
>>48075388
That's right. Which is hilarious when Puritanical gamers start running around complaining about magical realms here on /tg/.
Magical realm was always part of fantasy and RPGs.
>>48075106
>>48075388
Thus "fantasy".
>>48075912
It's not puritanical to not want to hear about people's wank fantasies in your goblin-killing simulator.
