Top 10 Cyber Girls for inspiration
The ‘Cyber-Girl’ is a popular theme in photo manipulation, and is a style championed by the insanely talented MichaelO, as well as hordes of imitators on DeviantArt. To celebrate this popular sub-genre (and to break off from the prior two ‘wordy’ posts) here is a round-up of the Top Ten Cyber Girls for creative inspiration!
10. Kei & Yuri – ‘The Dirty Pair’
Calamity prone Kei & Yuri aka ‘The Diry Pair’ are famous for leaving a trail of destruction in their wake throughout the course of their droid-related Misadventures. The Adam Warren adaptation is shown here and was one of the most fun, visually engaging cyberpunk comics I read as a teenager.
9. Barbarella
1968 brought us the batshit-insane ‘Barbarella’ – a softcore sci-fi jaunt based on the French Barbarella erotic comic books. Like the Dirty Pair, Barbarella is called upon for the good of mankind – finding herself in increasingly bizarre situations, mortal danger and skimpy outfits. Gotta love the surreal B-Movie quality of this character, and maximum props to the filmmakers for producing something truly unique.
8. ‘The Filthy Assistants’ – Transmetropolitan
Yelena Rossini & Channon Yarrow make up another double-act in this lineup, as the ‘Filthy Assistants’ from Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis – arguably the greatest cyberpunk comicbook series ever written. The girls are pictured here with their insufferable mentor, Spider Jerusalem – a Hunter S. Thompson inspired ‘Bastard’ journalist. This series plays out like an acid trip and comes highly recommended for those who like their story-telling imaginatively twisted with a cutting sense of humour.
Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street v.1 (New Edition)
7. Seven of Nine – Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek was injected with an unprecedented dose of sex appeal when Seven of Nine, played by Jeri Ryan made an appearance in Voyager. Now, Im not really a Trekkie per se – but I really did love the Borg. Nihilistic cyborgs of doom who will assimilate you without remorse, and look pretty badass whilst doing it? Yes please! Here is a picture of Seven of Nine in her more aesthetic guise however.
Star Trek Voyager – Season 1 (Slimline Edition) [DVD] [1995]
6. Motoko Kusanagi – Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell was an absolute game-changer, and it is well documented that it was high on the inspiration list for the Wachowski Brother’s in the creation of the Matrix. Motoko Kusanagi is a mechanised super-being employed as a squad leader tasked with dealing with techno-crimes. The cyborg construction sequences will remain one of the most enduring iconic scenes from the world of cyber punk fiction.
Ghost In The Shell [DVD] [1995]
5. Kate Libby – Hackers
Here is Angelina Jolie in an early role playing Kate Libby aka ‘Acid Burns’ in Hackers (1995). In this wildly innaccurate portrayal of being a hacker, Jolie portrays an idealistic cyber-vixen; and in hindsight, this fun little sci fi adventure was propably instrumental in her catapult to A-List stardom. Elfin chic. It’s a big look.
4. Bjork – All is full of Love
In my humble opinion Chris Cunningham is the greatest music video director of all time, and the Bjork music video All is full of Love is testament to his visionary skills. Considering the video is over 10 years old, it has aged remarkably well – the serene interlocking machinery both poetic and believable. Im sure this short has inspired many digital artists creating cyber-art.
Work of Director Chris Cunningham [DVD] [2003] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
3. Gem – Tron: Legacy
I havent caught Tron: Legacy (2010) yet, but I was definitely captivated by the sleek looking production stills. Im pretty much certain that the footage featuring the ‘Sirens’ was a big sell for the flick, and the makeup / costume design for Beau Garrett is a masterwork. As predicted, DeviantArt was flooded with Tron related art upon it’s release – so I wasn’t the only one inspired by the glossy eye candy.
2. Leeloo – The Fifth Element
Luc Besson’s Fifth Element (1997) forgoes the dirty, dystopian future and weaves a technicolour sci-fi world inhabited by zany characters. The standout of this feature was Leeloo, played by Milla Jovovich – a perfect sentient being with child-like innocence. It’s nice to see a different slant on a well worn theme, and the endearing Leeloo character continues to inspire in art and costume design. Multipass!
The Fifth Element [DVD] [1997]
1. Pris – Blade Runner
Ridley Scott’s noirish Blade Runner (1982) is often lauded as the definitive cyberpunk film – delivering a vision of the future so dirty and so real it resonated with audiences worldwide. Pris, played by Daryl Hannah is one of the films rogue replicants, and when in ‘doll-mode’ delivers a performance both terrifying and enchanting in equal measure. The Pris character was a major influence on my early cyber works, and continues to inspire across all mediums – as seen in the works of natural media artists, digital-artists and those involved in cosplay.
Blade Runner (The Director’s Cut) [DVD] [1982]
Did you like this list or have I got it all horribly wrong? Feel free to discuss below
Conzz
You got it all right! Wonderful list!