Hero's Heart

Fan Art
Title:	Hero's Heart
Artist:	Suzan Lovett
Date(s):	1990
First Published:
Medium:	print
Genre/Style:	well...
Fandom:	Starsky & Hutch
External Links:
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Hero's Heart is a Starsky & Hutch art by Suzan Lovett.

frontispiece: What makes you special, a breed apart? You're my friend, and you have a hero's heart. -- the words on the illo. The artist is Suzan Lovett.

The art had "What makes you special a breed apart? You're my friend, and you have a hero's heart." printed around the illustration.

It was first published in the zine, Bonaventure, in summer 1990. The zine was billed as a gen zine, but at least one fan, Nanci Casad, thought Lovett's art was slash. Casad was very outspoken in her aversion to slash fanworks and same sex relationships in general , tore out this photo when she saw it in "Bonaventure":

She has evidently proudly proclaimed that when she received a copy of a Suzi Lovett picture called something like "The Hero's Heart" -- Hutch has his arm around Starsky and both are fully clothed -- she destroyed it immediately, just like any other piece of "filth" people try to send her.

Very shortly after the zine was published, the "Bonaventure's" editor, Tabby Davis, wrote:

As editor, I'm reluctant here to single out individual contributions [to Bonaventure). Obviously, readers will make their own choices and the zine has to speak for and stand for itself without additional words from me personally. But I'd like to make one break from that principle by referring to the 'Bonaventure' frontispiece - 'Hero's Heart', because Suzan Lovett's drawing reflects so exactly the starting-point - the ground - the basis - of this zine : the constancy of the friendship, the relationship, which is at the heart of the series. This is what (I hope) 'Bonaventure' is about, and that drawing is so close to it.

This art was used later as the cover of Frienz #27 -- November 1994.

Fan Comments

I recently heard a comment on an illo in a zine 'Bonaventure') which I published in 1990. Remember Suzi's frontispiece, 'Hero's Heart'?—which I've always thought of as a beautiful example of SH artwork. This comment called it 'disgusting' ... 'it reeks of S/H.' I can find no rational response, is there one??

I also think Suzan Lovett's "Hero's Heart" is beautiful, but I can understand how it might upset someone who is violently anti-slash.

'Hero's Heart' -- was good to learn how many people love that lovely drawing. Any question about '/' or non'/' is immaterial. It's just beautiful artwork. Either is fine.

I was dismayed when Tabby recounted her experience with a fan who wrote to tell her that she considered "Hero's Heart" ~ the frontispiece to Tabby's zine, Bonaventure - "disgusting." The illo, for anyone who hasn't seen it, is in an oval format and shows S and H from the shoulders up, fully clothed. H is behind and to the left of S, and has his arms around S's shoulders. S's arm, in turn, is reaching back to rest beside/behind H's head. Both are looking "at the camera." Around the piece is the quote," What makes you special, a breed apart? You're my friend, and you have a hero's heart." While I don't dispute anyone's Constitutional right to like and dislike whatever she chooses, or even to be as homophobic as she likes, I do question the courtesy of writing an editor of a zine to tell her she found an illo to be "disgusting," especially an innocuous piece such as this one. Come on, now, it's not a Gayle F! If this fan thinks the idea of S and H hugging one another "reeks of slash" and is "disgusting," I find myself asking why she's in this fandom? Perhaps she might be more comfortable with "Dragnet." While I never really watched the show, I feel fairly confident that Joe Friday and Bill Gannon didn't touch much!

After having read the comments about the fan who did not like the picture in Bonaventure, I also took a look at it again. (Thanks so much to Tabby for sending a copy to me!) I thought it was beautiful and fit right in with the series. I'm really surprised that someone didn't like it. Maybe they were joking??

I have to agree with you on the question of why the fan who objected to "Hero's Heart" is in S&H. I wasn't aware of slash in SH fandom when I made my first SH contacts in 1990, but quickly discovered its existence. And while I was uneasy with it for a long time, it didn't make me run for the hills. There's room for everyone.

Although I'm not into slash, I never denied anyone their right to read/write/print slash & I am bewildered as to why anyone would find the "Hero's Heart" illo or quote offensive. It's a beautiful drawing. S&H did show their love/concern for each other by touching/hugging & even a casual observer would know that. It's a great illo & quote.