This furry webcomic, created and written by Michael Russell and drawn by various artists, began in 2001. The strip can be read here
, and an index of cast biographies (mostly written in Vicki's voice, and the source of the Word of God quotes on this page) is here.
It's a wholesome Slice of Life comic about Vicki, a likable young fox woman who lives in a small town in Georgia (U.S.A.), and her interactions with her friends and family. Vicki shares a house with Ceri Bobcat, hangs out with Meredith Skunk, works as a science reporter at the local paper, and puts up with occasional visits by Zephy Fox, her annoying mooch of a fraternal twin sister.
In December 2013, Russell announced that the strip would be ceasing production, and that it would be replaced with a continuation called Dixie Wildlife which would focus on the bluegrass band that Vicki and her friends had formed. On the comic's message board, he added that the strip was going on hiatus due to Schedule Slip, and "will return when these production issues are resolved".
In January 2017, Vicki Fox returned with a redesigned website and some semi-new strips; the unfinished "Summer Work" arc was restarted with redrawn versions of existing strips, which eventually led into totally new material.
The Tropes of Vicki Fox:
- All for Nothing: Zig-Zagged in the Dixie Wildlife arc. Vicki and her friends form the titular band just for a fundraising concert to save an old bandstand that's scheduled to be torn down. Due to bureaucratic snafus, the bandstand is demolished before the concert can happen, but Vicki and company enjoy playing music so much that they keep Dixie Wildlife together anyway.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Vicki is on both sides of this trope.
- Michael Russell states that "Craig dreams of someday being Vicki's boyfriend; but Vicki only likes him as a friend."
- And then there's Vicki's relationship with Pastor Steve, who who may or may not realize that Vicki is attracted to him.
- The Atoner: After a near-fatal car accident, Steve Reynard made up for a life of Hookers and Blow by becoming a youth pastor.
- Author Avatar: Mike Flafox and Laura Anne Hare are based on Michael Russell and the strip's original artist, Laura Howell.
- Awesome Aussie: Meredith's boyfriend dresses and acts like one, and he's even named Aussienote ,
but he's really an American. - "Bang!" Flag Gun: Vicki has one in this fan pic by RebelSqurl, which has her wearing a variation of James West's outfit from The Wild Wild West.
- Barefoot Cartoon Animal: About half the furry cast in the pre-hiatus strips wear full outfits except for shoes (most notably Vicki and Meredith), with the other half being Fully Dressed Cartoon Animals. After the strip returned in 2017, some characters who had worn shoes occasionally (Zephy) or frequently (Ceri) began going barefoot on a regular basis, although Ceri eventually went back to wearing shoes again.
- Lampshaded in one strip which simultaneously invokes both this trope and All Women Love Shoes. Aussie complains when Meredith and Vicki rope him into a shopping trip:Aussie: You'll drag me in every shoe shop in the mall... to buy shoes you don't even wear!
- Lampshaded again here. Vicki and Meredith are about to go on a camping trip together, and Vicki suggests they wear boots.Meredith: I, like, don't wear shoes, 'cept for heels.
- Lampshaded in one strip
- Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: Bigfoot has a cameo in this strip from the "Camp Maple" arc.
- Black-and-White Morality: Vicki and her friends are all good characters with little to no flaws while Zephy is a complete Jerkass with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Meridith, Ceri & Vicki respectively
- Burger Fool: The "Summer Work" arc starts with Zephy (reluctantly) taking a job at a sub sandwich shop called Sub-Your-Way.
- Camping Episode: The "Camp Maple" arc has Vicki taking Meredith camping for the first time. Vicki enjoys it, but since Meredith prefers her creature comforts, for her it's a Horrible Camping Trip until they leave the site and start staying at the lodge.
- Cats Are Snarkers: Ceri will occasionally tease her friends. For example:Vicki: Hey Ceri, I've been thinkin'.
Ceri: Does it hurt?
Vicki: What? Oh, behave. - Celebrity Resemblance: The character design for Geoff Hanson, Vicki's seldom-seen boss, is based on Drew Carey — but the resemblance ends there. Since Geoff is a Bad Boss with No Sense of Humor, his personality is the exact opposite of Carey's.
- Cheerful Child: Vicki's cousin Debbie Flafox and her friends Cody Raccoon and Aimee Neko.
- Conflict Ball/Villain Ball: Zephy seems to be the only character whose intentions are less than good. However, even though she frequently causes trouble for Vicki (and almost anyone else she deals with), it's due more to thoughtlessness than malice.
- A Day in the Limelight: The "Summer Work" arc focuses on Zephy looking for a job.
- Drop-In Character: Zephy, who heads for Vicki's place whenever her latest boyfriend kicks her out.
- Evil Twin: Zephy isn't exactly evil, but she's everything Vicki is not: an inconsiderate, self-centered, freeloading wastrel who smokesnote , drinks and Really Gets Around. In one arc, she has to crash at Vicki's house because she'd cheated on her most recent boyfriend. Russell says that "[Zephy] represents the opposite of Vicki. Where Vicki is good and does what is moral, Zephy represents a girl who has wandered away. A sort of prodigal daughter."
- Fake Band: Dixie Wildlife, a bluegrass group that Vicki and several of her friends belong to.
- Female Feline, Male Mutt: The two most recurring characters who wear glasses, Ceri Bobcat & Craig Wolfe
- The Fashionista/Valley Girl: Two major aspects of Meredith's personality.
- Geek Physiques: "Craig lives up to the skinny, nerdy, computer geek stereotype."
- Girls Love Chocolate: It's Vicki's Trademark Favorite Food.
- Jerkass: Zephy, who has a habit of showing up at Vicki's door unannounced, asking for money, and generally imposing on everyone. And when Vicki and Ceri politely suggest that she look for a job if she's going to stick around, she doesn't take it well. Russell has stated that "Zephy is like The Great and Powerful Trixie, bragging, selfish, and a master of getting gullible guys to do her work."
- Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My!: A very mild case. Humans exist in Vicki's world, but they don't show up often and have almost no bearing on the plot, leading to No Focus on Humans. So far, none of the post-hiatus strips have included any human characters.
- Lovable Nerd: Craig Wolfe, "a big sci-fi and SCA fan. He is a little socially awkward, but very likeable."
- Never Filled Out Official Paperwork: Vicki and her friends spend two months organizing a bluegrass band for a fundraiser to save an outdoor stage from getting torn down, but the stage gets demolished before they even have the chance to play because they never filled out the paperwork.
- Never My Fault: Zephy's "hobby": "Complaining that life has dealt her bad luck."
- Nice Girl/Nice Guy: Most of the cast, especially Vicki herself — which is why Zephy stands out so much.
- No Social Skills: Zephy is inconsiderate with people in general, not just Vicki. Especially evident in the "Summer Work" arc; the very concept of "customer service" eludes her, as she's rude and dismissive to everyone she encounters.
- Not a Morning Person: Ceri, judging from her introduction.
- Oblivious to Love: Pastor Steve doesn't seem to realize that he's Vicki's Love Interest. Vicki speculates that he might have difficulty getting close to people because of his Dark and Troubled Past.
- Shout-Out:
- The strip has had a couple of references to My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic; Debbie asks Dixie Wildlife to play the title song from "Winter Wrap-Up", and Zephy (of all people) is also a fan.
- Dixie Wildlife's repertoire also includes a Cover Version of Alison Krauss' "Choctaw Hayride".
- Snowed-In: The "Spring Broke" arc has Vicki, Pastor Steve, and several students trapped at day camp during a blizzard.
- Species Surname: The characters have names like Vicki Fox, Ceri Bobcat, Meredith Skunk, etc.
- Stealth Pun: Laura comes from Cardiff, Wales, making her a literal Welsh rabbit.
- Straw Loser: Zephy pretty much exists solely to look bad in comparison to her "good" (read: Christian) sister.
- Sweet Home Alabama: The strip is set in the fictional "Apopka, Georgia; a small town near the Tennessee border". It's based on the real town of Dahlonega, Georgia, and named after a real Apopka which is in Florida. The town and its residents are portrayed positively.
- Through a Face Full of Fur: Vicki shows a Crush Blush on the sides of her muzzle when first discussing Pastor Steve.
- Very Special Episode: The strip from September 16, 2001 shows the characters reacting to the September 11 attacks.
- Yellow/Purple Contrast: Vicki's default outfit combines a purple shirt and skirt with a yellow vest.
