Joan G. Stark, also known by her pseudonym Spunk or her initials jgs, is a prolific ASCII artist.
Stark was first exposed to the art of ASCII in the summer of 1995 and by July 1996 had taken to the creation of ASCII art. From 1996-2003 she created several hundred works of art, most of which were posted to the Usenet newsgroup alt.ascii.art. Between 1996 and 1998 her "well-organized" website, which she updated at least once a month, received over 250,000 unique visitors. Stark's involvement in ASCII art has been taken as an example of increased online participation by women, and her imagery as an example of ASCII art becoming "softer, more stereotypically feminine."
Stark works primarily in white-on-black, but creates in color as well. Many of her works have a folk art quality. She works free-hand, with an average of 15–20 minutes at the keyboard apiece.
Her website reports that it has not been updated since June 2001.
Famous quotes containing the words joan and/or stark:
“And that good Joan whom Englishmen
At Rouen doomed and burned her there,—
Mother of God, where are they then? . . .”
—Francois Villon (1431–1465)
“Over the stark plain
The stilted mill-chimneys once again spread
Their sackcloth and ashes a flowing mane
Of repentance for the false day that’s fled.”
—William Robert Rodgers (1909–1969)