Alliance (Star Wars zine published in Australia)
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Alliance |
| Publisher: | Star Walking, Inc. |
| Editor(s): | Cavell Gleeson & Jeremy Sadler |
| Date(s): | 1994-1997 |
| Series?: | yes |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Wars |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Alliance was a Star Wars anthology fanzine published in Australia by Cavell Gleeson & Jeremy Sadler. It ran for 4 issues and averaged 75 pages per issue.
In 1997, it was recognized by the Australian Science Fiction Media Awards (ASFMAs) as the "Best Australian Fan Fiction zine".[1]
Issue 1
Alliance 1 was published in January 1995 and contains 72 pages. The zine contains some fanart, but mostly film clips. The front cover is by Steve Scholz, the back cover by Phil Wlodarczyk, and the interior by Darren Reid.
The editorial:
Greetings, and welcome to the First issue of Alliance. I first came up with the idea for Alliance more than a year ago. so I'm pleased that idea is now a reality! It was suprising to learn there was no current Australian Star Wars fanzine. The last one produced had been released nearly 10 years ago (the excellent Auzwars Chronicles;, so I thought it was high time for the void to be filled.
Originally. Alliance was to be fiction-based only, but I decided to broaden the scope of the production. So along with the impressive Star Wars-based fiction in Alliance, you'll also find other articles, reviews and profiles, all of which I'm sure will catch your fancy.
I was only six when Star Wars was released, and I can still remember seeing it back in '77. When Empire was released three years later, I was totally hooked and I've been a big fan ever since. That's why I'm pleased that Star Wars is going through a resurgence now. After a very lean period, the whole Star Wars phenomenon is hot property again. Novels, comics, posters and other merchandise are proving immensely popular. Old and new fans alike are beginning to come out of the woodwork again, as excitement about George Lucas' plans for filming the new trilogy grow. Indeed, these are very exciting times for Star Wars fans.
I hope a measure of that excitement comes across in Alliance...
- Rebellion (part one), fiction by Jeremy Sadler (1)
- Anakin's Legacy, fiction by Jason Lewis (15)
- At Destiny's Separation, fiction by Francis Mayson Smith (19)
- A Corellian's Honour, fiction by Matthew Lim (34)
- Cockpit Conversation, fiction by Carolyn Golldege (also in Auzwars Chronicles (1985), Southern Comfort #1 (August 1985), Rogue's Gallery #21 (December 1985)) (40)
- Star Wars Tunes, humourous (filks) by Lisa Cowan and Jim Vibber (42)
- Celebration, fiction by Cavell Gleeson (43)
- Boba's Prize, fiction by Brian Curtis (46)
- Star Wars Invades Chevron, report by Gil Poznanski (48)
- Forever Wanderer, fiction by Adrian Tullberg (49)
- Obiwan, Anakin, and Mrs. Skywalker, fiction by Stewart Lowe (53)
- Lando's Luck, fiction by Cavell Gleeson (57)
- History of Australian Star Wars Fandom, report by Shane Morrissey (62)
- Dead of a Jedi, fiction by Cavell Gleeson (63)
- Do No Harm, fiction by J.P. Treleavan (66)
- Widescreen Trilogy, review by Cavell Gleeson (68)
- Tie Fighter, review of the 1994 computer game, by Scott Cleary (69)
- Tie-in Book Reviews (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command all by Timothy Zahn) by Matthew Lim and Cavell Gleeson
Issue 2
Alliance 2 was published in 1995 and contains 70 pages. In some collections, it is listed as "Alliance Wars" due to the layout on the cover.
The front cover is by Steve Scholz. There are many film clips and small uncredited images (from official sources?) inside.
From the zine:
MUSIC THAT KEPT US SANE: The Cure, Urge Overkill, Jellyfish, Metallica, Green Day, The Smiths, Vangelis (Blade Runner) John Williams (Star Wars).
From the editorial:
Some time ago we released Issue One of Alliance. We had collected together a variety of Star Wars fiction from all around Australia and overseas, and it was a big success. With that at the forefront of our minds, and with a reputation already built with just one issue, we knew we had a challenge on our hands with Issue Two.However before we move on to this issue, we must take time to reflect on what has happened in the Star Wars world recently; George Lucas has announced he will finally make the three parts of the saga preceding A New Hope, which itself will be re-released in a special edition, with restored footage left out of the original and remastered special effects. The original films themselves will be released on video, digitally remastered in THX sound in both pan-scan and widescreen versions, later this year. This is the final opportunity for fans to own the trilogy in its original format. With all this happening, Star Wars is literally exploding in popularity. With Alliance being the only Star Wars fanzine of its type in Australia, we hope to provide a creative outlet for the many talented fans.
[snipped]
It is interesting to note the many facets of the Star Wars universe that people take time to explore. We have stories in this issue that are set one thousand years before the Clone Wars, right through to post-Return of the Jedi. The authors have created many new and interesting characters as well as focusing on our old favourites, giving them new challenges to overcome. We hope you enjoy the selection we have to offer.
- Rebellion (part two), fiction by Jeremy Sadler (2)
- Full Circle, fiction by J. Bos (9)
- Where Do Thunder Run?, fiction by Matthew Lim (13)
- Fanzines & Collectors, article by Ming Wathne (17)
- Do Farmboys Dream of Moisture Vapourators?, fiction by Z.P. Florian (reprinted in Renaissance) (18)
- Journey Though the Force, fiction by Ravi Singh (21)
- a review of Dark Forces, a LucasArts computer game, by Matthew Holcomb (23)
- The Girl and the Old Man, fiction by Matthew Lim (24)a
- "Bounty Trail, an "independently made film that is causing all sorts of commotion in Star Wars fandom," created by Justin Dix, interview/review by Jeremy Sadler (29)
- Marks of Honour, fiction by Carolyn Golledge (32)
- a review of "Alliance #1" by Darren Maxwell (35)
- Imperial Retreat, fiction by Scott Cleary (36)
- Blood and Thunder, fiction by Adrian Tullberg (38)
- a review of "Rebel Assault II," computer game (48)
- ATAT Commander (part one), fiction by Jeremy Sadler (49)
- review of "Crystal Star," tie-in novel by Vonda N. McIntyre (54)
- Legacy of the Republic, fiction by Cavell Gleeson (55)
- "At Destiny's Separation (tie-in book), review by Darren Maxwell (62)
- Escape, fiction by Alan Holmes (63)
- Embryo, poem by J. Callard (inside back cover)
- Darth's On His Way, filk to the tune of Offspring's "Come Out and Play," by Rebecca Stanfield (inside back cover)
from issue #2
from issue #2
from issue #2
from issue #2
Issue 3
Alliance 3 was published in 1996 (August?).
- Rebellion (part three), fiction by Jeremy Sadler
- Crossed Lines (part one), fiction by Kathryn Hore and Matthew Lim
- Journals of Red 3, fiction
- Lost and Found,fiction
- Visionary, fiction
- Hijack, fiction
- ATAT Commander (part two), fiction by Jeremy Sadler
- Zec: Primary, fiction
- The Dermedies Hunt (part one), fiction by Matt Armstrong
- The Good, The Bad, the Dermedies (part two), fiction by Matt Armstrong
- Anakin Seeks the Force, fiction
- Despair (part one), fiction
- Bespin Pledge, fiction by Carolyn Golledge (also in I Have a Bad Feeling About This #1, Never Say Die #1, and Flip of a Coin #9)
- other nonfiction?
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3
...issue 3 was one top piece of work, which was very well received upon its release (selling out at both Sydney and Melbourne SKYFORCE meetings). Listed below is a review of all the stories that featured in issue 3. This time around I have not reviewed stories that are in multiple parts unless they are the final part. The exception to this is "Crossed Lines" because I didn't realise it was a multi-parter until I got to the last page.
Rebellion (Part Three) - Interesting conclusion to what has been a very fine story. I'm curious to know whether Needa was really a spy or just someone who was very loyal to Entares. Ironically despite the huge effort, all of Entares' work was for naught as the Rebels got to destroy the Death Star anyway without his help. Also considering Entares is now in fact a traitor, and has had a dose of being a Rebel agent, it will be interesting to see how that affects his psyche in any future story, because he is no longer the loyal Imperial Captain he once was.
Crossed Lines (Part One) - One thing I picked up quickly about this story is that it is very well written. It also looks like it's going to get really involving. I was impressed with the use of technical data and specifications which crop up from time to time. I predict that something will develop between Daxyn and Sheal; we'll have to see in part two.
Journals of Red 3 - This story had a very good opening, I was impressed with the analogy that the New Republic warriors had become soft in their fighting tactics since their Rebel Alliance days. One of the hardest things to write about is space battles, I find the text makes them very difficult to visualise what is actually going on. It was good to see that the New Republic offensive failed, as too many stories are unbalanced with regards to who wins battles, more often that not the Empire comes a cropper.
Lost and Found - A very well written and thought-out story, set in what would appear very soon after ANH. This story makes a lot of subtle references to what was still yet to come in the Star Wars universe's future. The story seems to suggest that Barnath could easily pop up again when you would least expect it; perhaps he was a Jedi who had fallen from grace, because he obviously knew a lot about the history of the Knights. Also, if he knows that Leia is Luke's sister, then he would have to know about Darth Vader too, making him a character who is definitely more attuned to the Force than what he admits - and whose test had deeper meaning than what he let on. I liked the concept of the Barterbar, if a planet has no money, then bartering would be the only way to do business. Also banning humans from entering an establishment is a refreshing reversal on the traditional racist doctrine. Visionary - Interesting concept to see a scene from a.Star Wars movie from someone else's point of view. This story has tried to show just how much Motti disliked the Rebellion and Princess Leia. Good to see what happened on the Death Star after Alderaan was destroyed.
Hijack - Excellent story which was very well written. The description of the pirates was very good and despite/Ji/'acJ: only being three pages long, it was long enough to produce a very entertaining and descriptive story. It was clear that Jaxis was Force sensitive, however I didn't expect the carnage that would follow when they came across the other ship. I suspect that this tale was inspired by DarA; Empire, as the Emperor's Hand made a reference to a rendezvous after the Emperor's death, and since DE saw the Emperor reborn, I suspect there is a link. I really liked the fact that the Hand was given no name nor a history of who he was, it was also good to see that he too required new supplies to sustain him on his journey. I really didn't expect Jaxis to be killed off; unlike the other pirates who were obviously cannon fodder, I thought that both he and Kildare would be able to get out in time - there's nothing better than unpredicability. In fact the writing of Jaxis' death and especially the demise of Kildare was very well handled. My pick for best story of the issue.
Zec; Primary - Obviously the whole concept of this story was to provide a history as to why the TIE Fighter was out in space in the first place when the Millennium Falcon first came out of hyperspace in Star Wars. The biggest error would have to be the concept of a moon being able to be destroyed by a ship the size of a small fighter, I think a mistake of scale came into play here and is possibly the largest flaw In the story's concept. This tale also tried to say that not all Imperials are evil, this one was in the service of the Empire just doing his job (akin to the PC game TIE Fighter). It's also clear that Caras Zee will most likely pop up again, possibly in a future story, as his new assignment would mean that he wouldn't be on the Death Star when it was destroyed.
The Dermedies Hunt - Good to finally see a bounty hunter who is not necessarily big and frightening. Surely Boba Fett would have a more direct way of getting his point across to Dermedies without the stage show, and how did he get the Mayor to play in this game anyway? I liked the idea though, it had a nice twist to the more common bounty hunter story routine. I didn't think Scum City was an appropriate name for the setting; cities are not created for scum, they just turn out that way.
The Good, The Bad and The Dermedies - a sequel story that wasn't, this half page story really didn't prove or gain anything. If Dermedies was to be taken aboard the Millennium Falcon, then the story should have continued on to explain why, or the third chapter should have been included with the other two. Obviously this "quickie" is the stepping stone for something more detailed, however to leave it as a standalone story didn't work. I turned the page to see the next installment and was disappointed to find it wasn't there. On the plus side though it's good to see a bit of character history come into it. I get the feeling that Dermedies will somehow see Solo in a new light, and give up the bounty hunting game.
Anakin Seeks The Force - This story started off very well with the lightsabre training sequence and I found the writing of the conversation between Ben, Anakin and Tash to be rather good. I naturally expected the story to have continued on with this concept and was rather surprised when it led off on a totally different tangent. I must admit I found it difficult to follow what was going on and have come to the conclusion that I believe the writer knew exactly what he was trying to say and the story he was trying to tell, however I don't think came across too well on paper and as such it left me a little confused about what was going on and why. I think a bit more time to create the reasoning of what was happening would have helped - it may have made the story a little longer but also easier to digest and enjoy.
Bespin Pledge - Another one of those great stories that takes the images of Star Wars films and gives them more depth and detail by exploring them further. This time it continues the sequence on Cloud City after Lando has walked out of the prison leaving Han, Chewie and Leia behind. It was clear from the outset that a fair bit of thought had gone into the preparation of this story, considering it made a lot;'* of sense to have Han and Leia discuss what was happening" to them on Cloud City, why it was happening and who was going to gain from it all. I especially liked the explanation of the Ord Mantell sequence that took place before The Empire Strikes Back which was never explained in a lot of detail in the film. One concern I did have is that I doubt Luke would have been strong enough in the Force to provide a Healers Link for Han at this stage, considering in Empire it took him ages just to get his lightsabre to come to him in the Wampa cave, and Ben said he couldn't control it even after some training.
So there you have it. Aside from all of the criticisms (some of which were probably a little too picky), it was great to read Star Wars stories produced by fans like ourselves, and it was also good to see how many original characters were being used as opposed to the Star Wars 'regulars'. With all this creative talent in abundance, I think Alliance is destined to live a very long and successful life. Roll on issue 4. [1]
Issue 4
Alliance 4 was published in June 1997 and contains 68 pages.
From the editorial:
Issue four is finally here! It certainly has been a long time between drinks, nearly 11 months! With both myself and Jeremy busy with work and other commitments, time has just flown by, but here we are, back again, and hopefully with an issue you will enjoy. I would like to thank all contributors for their continued support of Alliance and we promise Issue 5 won't be as long in coming!
Since Alliance 3, much has happened in the world of Star Wars, culminating in the release of the Special Edition several months ago - as if you wouldn't have noticed! Now, I have to admit to being something of Star Wars purist. And as such I found a lot of the new CGI effects in the Special Edition to be distracting and ultimately creating an unbalanced feel for the film. Though several of the new sequences were cleverly done, the blend of the old and new didn't quite gel together. Anyway, that's the impression I got. But despite this, it was good to see the film on the big screen again after so many years - now all we have to do is wait patiently for Episode 1!
In contrast to our last issue, we have fewer stories - but what good stories these are! Most of them are much longer than usually featured in our pages. Some favourite authors are with us once again, some tying up stories which began as far back as Issue ! Still there is always space for new authors, and they are most welcome!
- Accidental Hero, fiction by Carolyn Golledge (2)
- The Dermedies Hunt (parts three and four), fiction by Matt Armstrong (16)
- Crossed Lines (part two), fiction by Kathryn Hore and Matthew Lim (18)
- Zec: Secondary, fiction by Adrian Tulberg (40)
- Neil Young and Star Wars, An Unlikely Combination, article by Cavell Gleeson (51)
- Issue #3 of "Alliance" Reviewed, by Darren Maxwell (52)
- The Courtship of Princess Leia, fiction by Jessica Ferroni and Laura Tarzia (An "alternate" version of Dave Wolverton's tie-in novel The Courtship of Princess Leia.) (From the zine: "This story is an "alternate" version of Dave Wolverton's novel "The Courtship of Princess Leia". For those that haven't read the book, it is the story of how Han and Leia got married (even though about 80% of the story is about Luke). In the novel, holder, a handsome prince from the mysterious and wealthy planet Hapes, appears to challenge Han for Leia's affections. She is seriously considering his offer, but Han kidnaps her and takes her to Dathomir, an isolated planet which he won in a Sabacc game, holder of course, gives chase. They all have a nice little adventure on Dathomir, and holder falls in love with a girl he meets there, leaving Leia to Han. All in all, we think it's a pretty silly sort of novel. The characterisations are shockingly bad and Wolverton has apparently no idea what the word romance means. So, we decided to write our own version and this is what we came up with. Our story picks up halfway through the novel's third chapter. Leia and Han are in the Falcon arguing about Isolder, who has just arrived and asked Leia to marry him, as well as offering her priceless gifts and the opportunity for Hapes to join the New Republic. Enjoy...") (54)
- Ambush at Mantooine, fiction by Matthew Ho (67)
from issue #4
from issue #4
from issue #4
from issue #4
References
- ^ printed in Alliance #3