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[Vattic]

Actually, the Heavy Metal film came out quite a few years (1981) before Bisley broke into the comics business.

Had been looking at Heavy Metal 2000 which is based on Melting Pot.

[Reelya]

Yeah I just found out that existed while looking up Bisley.

[kaijyuu]

Are all the dashing muscle bound male heroes fanservice for the female/gay fans?

Depends. Yes, there are a lot of musclebound men that are sexualized. There's also super musclebound men who are such to look intimidating. And there's some overlap between the two.

If you see a gratuitous shirtless scene, then it's fanservice for the straight women/gay men/bi people.

[Sensei]

We have reached an unholy trifecta of The Internet, opinions, and sex. I weep.

[Vattic]

Depends. Yes, there are a lot of musclebound men that are sexualized. There's also super musclebound men who are such to look intimidating. And there's some overlap between the two.

Focusing more on general good looks than specifically muscles I have to doubt whether Superman is hansom to be sexually appealing to the fans. The doubt comes from the demographics I understand they were aiming at and the age he was invented in. On the whole I do agree with you but think there can be other reasons besides those mentioned for attractive characters.

We have reached an unholy trifecta of The Internet, opinions, and sex. I weep.

I can only assume tears of joy.

[Neonivek]

Chainmail bikinis on the girls whilst all the guys are in sensible armor is one of the giveaways. e.g. it's in how a character is used rather than them just being "attractive".

Whilst it's almost impossible to define a "line", there are clear examples where everyone can agree that it's about teh sex.

What I do is simply apply the "service" point of Fanservice. Something in addition to what is there beyond the norm.

Fanservice near the invisable line becomes failed fanservice by its very nature (afterall a scene meant to be sex you up where people cannot tell it is sexing you up is not doing its job).

Where fanservice however becomes huge negatives are when the Fanservice is at the expense of the character or the scene. Also when the desire to make a character "hot" puts them through a cookie cutter that severely limits the design choices.

If you see a gratuitous shirtless scene, then it's fanservice for the straight women/gay men/bi people

This isn't nessisarily true but it is a very common mistake.

You see Straight Men want to see sexy male heros because even straight people are "attracted" to the same sex. Now this may not be a sexual attractiveness but it could be because of projection or ordinary magnitism.

To put it another way, to quote Dave Chippelle "Even Women like Women with large breasts" (Not vibratum).

Oddly enough I've seen a tv show (By Disney no less) actually break this down quite maturely.

Mind you I guess it depends on how we are defining Fanservice.

[Leafsnail]

You can have a beautiful female character without it being fanservice. Isn't fanservice at least partly down to intent? Are all the dashing muscle bound male heroes fanservice for the female/gay fans?

No.  There's a good comic showing this off that I'll find later, but generally the muscular men tend to appeal to male power fantasies more than female aesthetic desires.

[scriver]

Yes, fan service comes down to intent (which, Neonivek, is what I said above, and why your posts were strawmen). In comics, muscular, idealized men exist for the reader to identify with (in devaluation and/or power fantasies); the sexualised women exist to be looked at. Both are fanservice, but only the latter is fanservice of the sexual kind that was discussed here.

[King DZA]

You know, it may just be me, but it's sort of starting to seem like any comic/show/movie/whatever in its entirety could be considered fanservice, as it is technically serving the fans by providing them with various forms of entertainment.

[kaijyuu]

You know, it may just be me, but it's sort of starting to seem like any comic/show/movie/whatever in its entirety could be considered fanservice, as it is technically serving the fans by providing them with various forms of entertainment.

Right, but we're talking specifically about sex appeal. I'll be the very first person to say there's nothing inherently wrong with that, but it still exists as a thing and not everyone likes it.

I'm cool with sex appeal fanservice so long as it doesn't stretch my suspension of disbelief. I don't like high heels for that reason.

[Aklyon]

We have reached an unholy trifecta of The Internet, opinions, and sex. I weep.

Its better than the trifectta of Internet, opinions, and porn though. This has less pictures.

[Neonivek]

Yes, fan service comes down to intent (which, Neonivek, is what I said above, and why your posts were strawmen). In comics, muscular, idealized men exist for the reader to identify with (in devaluation and/or power fantasies); the sexualised women exist to be looked at. Both are fanservice, but only the latter is fanservice of the sexual kind that was discussed here.

My posts are hardly strawmen you just don't see the larger picture. The key is that you have forced all men and women through the machine to a simple answer that you don't have to think about.

Just because a woman is attractive it doesn't mean she is being fanservice. The intent could very well be just to create an attractive woman. Attractive Woman is not synominous to Fanservice. ESPECIALLY because of how these types of costumes have long since become common place eliminating their fanservice value.

In the SAME way you just mentioned how attractive men are NOT sexual fanservice.

Not every comic book artist takes lessons from Frank Miller

[Reelya]

Well I still hold that most women in Marvel comics seem to be walking examples of soft-porn (and to a lesser extent the classic examples i mentioned).

A more relevant example would be Red Sonja

here's tvtropes early Red Sonja cover art. Later cover art for this series is increasingly realistic / pornographic.

Just because a woman is attractive it doesn't mean she is being fanservice. The intent could very well be just to create an attractive woman.

With the clear intent to ogle said attractive woman. What we're talking about is the amount of skin shown.

[Neonivek]

Well I still hold that most women in Marvel comics seem to be walking examples of soft-porn

I am not sure "Most Women" may be accurate.

The "Soft-Porn" characters are certainly quite a bit more rare. Emma Frost certainly being one of them.

[scriver]

You know, Neon, it's going to be impossible to keep up any kind of dialogue with you if you insist on putting words in my mouth. If you're trying to "win" by making me too tired to repeat "that's not what I said", it's certainly working, though.

And this;

Just because a woman is attractive it doesn't mean she is being fanservice. The intent could very well be just to create an attractive woman

...Is really just adorably naive. Too bad it'as completely irrelevant and the idea completely falls apart when you view trends in media as a whole.

Oh, and lastly. Please do explain how fanservice being common would make it any less fanservice.