Need references for 1970s based idea

So, I’ve been toying around with this idea in my head for a couple of months now, and I thought a 1970s themed VN about dating BBW would be a neat concept. But after doing a little research online, it’s very difficult to find any good BBW from the 1970s to use as an example when designing the characters and environment.
What I’d like to do is your standard VN plot with all the expected scenes (interesting encounter, fun date, obligatory beach scene, and the characters confessing to each other), but have it set in the atmosphere of 1970s America.

It’s just a random idea I’ve had but maybe I’ll do something with it one day when I’ve got a lot of free time to spare

(On mobile so I apologize if this post is a bit rough)

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is a VN that takes place in 1979. It doesn’t have much in the way of romance, since it’s more of a mystery plot, but it could be a good reference for the general atmosphere.

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That’s going to be a tough ask. Top end home computers at the very end of the 70’s typically had 16k RAM and no bit-mapped display. Dial up was mostly still at 300 baud (call it 240 bits per second). The jpg format wouldn’t be invented for another 12 years, and affordable home scanners not available until later than that. So what you are seeking basically means someone had to save porno mags for 15 years without much degrading, and then bother to scan and share them, or VHS tapes without them becoming unwatchable until it became practical to digitise video.

You may have better luck with artwork, like Duane Bryer’s Hilda.

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Huh, I remeber that game from back in the early 2000s, this might be a good excuse to finally play it :smiley:

Yeah, that’s very true, and I guess it wouldn’t make sense to invest in models and clothing that didn’t conform to the absolute mainstream, given that niche groups like ours didn’t really have a way of organzing. But the art work is pretty cool actually, thanks for sharing :grin:. To bad they didn’t have plus-size magazines like today for me to use haha

One option might be to look for the thing’s you’re after seperately. So you look up fashion and such from the 1970s (idk how period-accurate these pictures are, but I think they look pretty neat), then look at some more modern BBW pictures. I found a few outfits that kind of fit the 70s look without really trying, likethis one (granted, the search term I used was plus-sized clothing, so she might be a bit smaller than you had in mind).

Also, since it would be equally hard for everyone else to find references for this kind of thing, you can probably take quite a few creative liberties.

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Thanks for the suggestions! Plus-Size fashion is pretty much exactly what I’m looking for!
I probably will take a few liberty’s, because I have a distinct feeling that they didn’t exactly make daisy dukes for a size 16 :upside_down_face:

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Also, this is mainly a note to myself, but I figured I should post it to keep whoever’s interested informed. I really hope I can actually get this concept off the ground! I really dig the whole 70s atmosphere, and I believe this concept is much easier to script out then my last idea (if anyone actually remembers that lol). Once I get some spare cash and free time from work, I’ll be able to commission some artwork if my friend/artist isn’t interested (he’s mainly a normal artist). In the meanwhile, I’ll get the plot and characters in order

The 70s really aren’t the best place to look for BBW material, overall. There’s a lot more interesting stuff from the 50s-60s and while I suspect the issue is less technology and more culture+media at the time, it’s noticeable. There’s definitely ads and comics from the periods before then, but I don’t know enough about FA lore to help out with seeing what did exist around then. It might mean asking people for old polariod shots and such.

If the Dimensions forum still exists, I’d suggest asking there for help in research, failing that there’s some old hats in places like Curvage that might be able to tip you off to things. The folks on this site aren’t likely to be in the right demographic lol

I personally prefer a dieselpunk or Raygun Gothic aesthetic and am totally biased :stuck_out_tongue:

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Yeah, I’m super into the whole 1970s atmosphere! Which is why I’m planning this potential VN out haha. And you’re right about the 1950s (although I’m not 100% sure about the 1960s), as soldiers had just come home and settled down after World War 2, and these men wanted softer woman to reflect the better, more domestic times, and it was also seen as a return to femininity for the woman as they had been working and “acting like men” back in the States whilst the men were away fighting (it’s been a little while since I brushed up on this particular period in history, so I may be a bit off with a few things).
And after considering all the statements people have made, I think I’ll aim for an alternative 1970s where BBW are seen as much desirable as the “traditional” 1970s woman, if not more so. And I’ll just take the fashion of the day and try and design plus-size variants (or more likely work with an artist).

That sounds pretty neat actually! I tend to enjoy realism, but I can appreciate other genres :+1: