Avon Calling
| Zine | ||
|---|---|---|
| Title: | Avon Calling | |
| Publisher: | Up the Rebels Press | |
| Editor(s): | Denetia Arellanes | |
| Date(s): | 1990-1994 | |
| Series?: | yes | |
| Medium: | print fanzine | |
| Size: | ||
| Genre: | slash and het | |
| Fandom: | Blake's 7 | |
| Language: | English | |
| External Links: | ||
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | ||
| ||
Avon Calling is a slash and adult het Blake's 7 anthology.
From a flyer for the first issue: "A Blake's 7 fanzine truly dedicated to the concept of infinite diversity in infinite combinations."
General Reactions and Reviews
Pretty, pretty zines, and sadly only three of them. I found the third issue to be the strongest, but then my tastes in fiction might be considered strange. [1]
Issue 1
Avon Calling 1 has cover art by Phoenix. Other art is by Leah Rosenthal and Phoenix. It was published in 1990 and is slash and het and contains 148 pages.
- Triumvirate by La Belle Femme 4
- An Anodyne to Dreams by Paula 24
- Bound by Trust by Christopher Montclair 34
- Mine Alone by Gene S. Delapenia 51 (poem)
- Sand in the Sheets by Lorna Breshears 52
- Nightwatch by Aida St. Dummont 58
- Untitled #30 by Gene S. Delapenia 67 (poem)
- None So Blind by Jennifer Hurley 68
- A Fool and His Money by Aida St. Dummont 84
- A Bit of Humor by Lyndon Baines 99
- Primal Male by Christopher Montclair 100
- Cool Smooth Stone by La Belle Femme 106 (poem)
- Tea and Cynicism by Leah Rosenthal 107 (art)
- The Nature of the Beast by Winona Symonds 108
- Speak No Evil by Ailsa Craig 120
- Listen by Gene S. Delapenia 127 (poem)
- Discoveries by Aida St. Dummont 128
- Too Late by Gene S. Delapenia 147 (poem)
- It Ain't Over... by Leah Rosenthal 148
Artwork:
- Phoenix (front and back covers)
first page of the flyer printed in Fire and Ice #1
second page of the flyer printed in Fire and Ice #1
inside art from issue #1, Adrian Morgan. Adrian was well known for her detailed pencil work and her focus on portraits.
inside art from issue #1, Dya. This is an example of a somewhat rarely used fanart art technique which employs ink and block relief.
inside art from issue #1. A cartoon by Leah Rosenthal is shown here illustrating one of her stories. While Leah is best known for her stand alone cartoons, she would also illo her own fan fiction.
inside art from issue #1, Phoenix. This drawing shows a startled Calle discovering a naked Avon and Villa. In fanon, Calle was often very accepting of the Avon/Villa pairing; however, in a few stories she would be jealous. The Calle/Avon pairing was one of the more popular het pairings in Blake's 7 fandom.
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
Excerpts from the following review are quoted in accordance with Fanlore's fair use principles.
An Avon-centred zine, containing eleven stories and assorted poems and illustrations, including work by Leah Rosenthal and Phoenix.'Triumvirate' by la belle femme. A pacy story with an original premise - Travis as the Deltan chief of security on the Aquatar Project, Blake as the lover who is attempting to radicalise Travis, Avon watching jealously from the sidelines. The twists and turns of the plot lead to a denouement where nobody wins and an evocative last paragraph': 'Roj Blake lay back on the bed in his quarters [on Liberator.] No one would ever know how much he remembered.'
'An Anodyne to Dreams' by Paula. Post-Maoldaar A/V. If you can believe in stories where Avon cries and then reveals that he only needed encouragement from Vila to indulge in full-blown sentiment, then this is a well-written example, creating convincing versions of the characters within a set of parameters that I, for one, can't believe,
'Bound by Trust' by Christopher Montclair. (With assistance and added vitriol from M. Fae Glasgow.) Another story that begins with Avon in tears, although this time he's weeping over the memory of his SM sessions with Anna, the only woman who ever understood him. Luckily, Blake turns out to have 'a secret desire to dominate the aloof and moody tech', although there's too much psychologising and too little psychological consistency for a no-holds-barred SM PWP and the point of view shifts too abruptly and too often....
[snipped]
The entire review can be read here. [2]
Issue 2
Avon Calling 2 is subtitled, "Avon Calling Again." It was published in 1991, has 154 pages and cover art by Phoenix. It is het and slash.
- The Hand of Friendship by N.T. Casillas 1
- Mystery by Gene S. Delapenia 19
- Weight Watchers by Matilda Willard 20
- Change of Pace by Paula 31
- Stolen Moments by Khylara 39
- A Bit of Humor by Leah Rosenthal 40
- For What It's Worth by Judith Ellison 50
- Festival by Matilda Willard 51
- Only Mistaken by Jane Mailander 64
- Acceptance by Gene S. Delapenia 66
- For Play by E. Lapidae 67
- Deliverance by Pat Ellen 79
- Hermit Crab by Jane Mailander 98
- Fortune's Soldiers by Cami 99
- Hitting Bottom by Catocala 107
- Liars by R. Olivia Brown 113
- Here in This Room by Khylara 128
- It's a Small Ship, After All by Natasha Barry 129
- Fire with Fire by Khylara 142
- Orac's Research by Ty Downs 143
- art by Laura Virgil, Suzan Lovett, Leah Rosenthal, Randym, Jessikah Rian and Phoenix.
inside art from issue #2, Phoenix. Another feature of Phoenix's art is her focus on hurt/comfort themes. In this image, Avon appears injured and the hand holding his face is positioned so it an be seen as either threatening or comforting.
inside art from issue #2. The drawing, by Suzan Lovett, shows Blake and Avon in an embrace. The close-up focus on the male upper bodies with faces partially obscured departs from the artist's typical style of full body drawings or head portraits. By limiting the viewer's gaze to only a small piece of canvas, the artist conveys a sense of intimacy tinged with claustrophobia, hinting at the dysfunctional nature of the Blake/Avon relationship. Suzan later sold this as an art print at the Escapade 1993 art show.
inside art from issue #2, Phoenix. A rare comedic drawing, showing a startled Avon screaming and holding a kitten. In fan fiction, Avon is portrayed as dark, brooding and serious character. This image shows that some fans valued the lighter side of the character and loved to poke gentle fun at the fanon.
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2
Excerpts from the following review are quoted in accordance with Fanlore's fair use principles.
[zine]:Artwork Cover by Phoenix. Nude. Doesn't really look like Avon as far as I can see (too soppy expression & too over-muscled). There are some more Phoenix's in this 'zine which I don't like, I think she can do him as too Soppy & Quivery.
A nice A/T by Randym. I'm always amazed by her pictures because the characters are more recognisable than some in more naturalistic artwork despite being incredibly stylised.
A rather good soft-pencil thing of Blake's face by Laura Virgil. Nicely sensual. Slightly wary or pensive expression - I think he's looking at Avon & thinking What's He Up To Now...
A couple of fun cartoons by Leah Rosenthal.
Some line drawings by Jessikah Rian which I really don't like at all.
My absolute favourite in this 'zine is the full-colour Lovett illustrating "Weight Watchers": lovely sensual golden picture of Avon & Blake cuddling up in the afterglow.
Poetry: Well, you know what I'm likely to think of fan poetry by now...
Stories: The Hand of Friendship (A/V) by N.T. Casillas: Avon decides not only to kill Tynus for betraying their friendship but to make his life a misery first. He & Vila stage a slightly d/s sex scene (Vila as Top) in order to show Tynus (via the surveillance cameras) that Avon will permit Vila intimacies he never permitted Tynus.
[snipped]
The entire review can be read here.[3]
Issue 3
Avon Calling 3 is all slash. Is is subtitled, "Avon Calls Once More/Perchance to Dream." It was published in January 1994, contains 140 pages and has a front cover by Phoenix and a back cover by Suzan Lovett. The part of this zine called "Perchance to Dream" was based on this cover.
This issue was the winner of a 1995 STIFfie Award.
- Call of the Wild by Jane Mailander 1 (winner of a 1995 STIFfie Award)
- No Fury by Jane Mailander 7
- Welcome to My Dungeon by Caroline Dare 8
- Retention of Title by Gloria Lancaster 18
- The Observed by Pat Terra 28
- LD50 by E. Lapidae 29
- The Romance of the Written Word by R. Olivia Brown 34
- Felis Avonis by Jane Mailander 42
- Companions by Randym & Cami 43 (Sequel to "Strange Interlude." Avon wants to resume the relationship that he and Tarrant began while ill on a distant planet, but Tarrant is angry because Avon pretended at first that their earlier liaison was a hallucination.)
- Sweet Revenge by Lynne Franklin 49
- Words Never Spoken, Words Never Heard by Brendan O'Cullane 52
- Just One Year of Love by Catherine Kendall 53
- Cytherea by Christopher Montclair 61
- A Thief's Punishment by Brendan O'Cullane 71
- Brilliance by Pat Terra 80
- Afterplay by Jane Mailander 92
- Stranded by Matilda Willard 95
- Kerr Avon's Top Ten Excuses for Shooting Roj Blake by Jane Mailander 116
- Entropy by Pat Terra 130
- A Bit of Humor by Jane Mailander 131
- To Sleep, Perchance to Dream by Gene Delapenia 132
- It's the Thought That Counts by S. Lewis 133
- The Quality of Mercy by Matilda Willard 137
Artwork:
- Suzan Lovett (back cover)
- Phoenix (front cover)
inside art from issue #3, Suzan Lovett. Like the earlier drawing by Lovett above, this art piece experiments with perspective - both the viewer's as well as the characters. In the drawing, Avon peers at himself in the mirror which is angled to reveal Blake watching Avon. The positioning of Avon's eyes seem to indicate that Avon is aware of Blake's scrutiny and is perhaps returning it. In canon, Avon spends years alternating between being suspicious of Blake's motive and pursuing him.
inside art from issue #3. This last example of Suzan Lovett's art from issue #3 shows a return to one of her more traditional styles, namely the tableau tapestry. These tableaus were often tied to fan fiction (this one illustrates Jane Mailander's Felis Avonis. In this tableau, we see Blake holding what appears to be a leash and collar with Avon being transformed into a snarling black panther. On a meta level, the image may illustrate fanon that Avon is 'chained' to Blake by ties of love and obsession. The drawing was later sold as an art print under the title "Here Kitty Kitty" and the visuals persuaded one fan to buy her first piece of fan art.[5]
inside art from issue #3, Phoenix. This last image helps demonstrate the wide thematic range of Phoenix's artwork. This sensual depiction of Avon/Villa also features a somewhat unusual composition by offering two different perspectives of Avon/Vila - the lower image uses a longer 'lens' to create a romantic feeling. The upper image, with a narrower focus, showcases the passionate urgency of the pairing.
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3
Excerpts from the following review are quoted in accordance with Fanlore's fair use principles.
Good cover art. The front cover (Phoenix) has the three chaps naked (Tarrant? Who's he?) and holding the title on a banner strategically covering their naughty bits. This is all great fun, but I think it'll be the back cover which people buy the 'zine for, or even buy as a print. A superb silver-grey Lovett called "Perchance to Dream" (Judith: the picture is actually called 'Sleeping Beauty' it's the back half of the zine that is called 'Perchance to Dream'), it has naked Avon bent over naked Blake to kiss him, but it isn't erotica, just very "sweet" love. Could either fit tragedy or sweet romance, and I suppose that's why part of the 'zine is on upside down and themed to fit the Lovett as the cover.Call of the Wild (A/B) -- Jane Mailander: Jane's only A/B story, a gorgeously optimistic one where Avon is dreaming about B as a satyr, and this changes the course of events on *Liberator*. The humour and "sweet" tone are lovely, though it's a bit innocent for me (contains a fade-out sex scene--aaaargh. Well she puts in the dream-sequence sex scene, but as they are about to get down to it in reality she fades it out. Lovely POV, particularly A trying to deny his attraction.
[snipped]
The entire review can be read here.[6]
Short Description: This particular issue is all-slash. Avon Calling (#1) was a mix of het and slash (although more slash than het). All stories with one exception have Avon as one of the slashees (er, that's not really a word, but then the dictionary doesn't have a definition for our sort of slash, so I'm free to make up words). The zine is around 140 pages.The Art: If nice art is important to you, then you'll really like this zine. Yes, there's lots of stuff by Lovett and Phoenix, plus an odd picture here and there, that isn't mentioned in the credits (there's an A/T by Randym, I think).
And I finally got to see the much mentioned "Sleeping Beauty", an absolutely gorgeous, nude study of Blake and Avon, with Blake sleeping with his head in Avon's lap, and Avon bending down to kiss him. It's not really erotic, but unbelievably sweet (I don't usually like sweet, but I'll make an exception here). It's more than that though. This drawing is more than what you'll usually find in zines, which is normerly portrait art. This drawing manages to convey real emotion. Also notable, there's a Blake-as-satyr drawing by Lovett, that's way cool and a must see for Blake fans. I like the cover by Phoenix quite a bit, esp. Vila.
The Poetry: Well, I don't really care for poetry, because half the time I don't understand it. Some people are tone-deaf, I think I'm poetry-challenged. But I think I did grasp "Felis avonis" by Jane Mailander, which does a nice comparison between Avon and felines. And there's a neat full color Lovett to go with it, esp. loved the Avon-transforming-into-panther in the upperleft, which is very sensual.
The Stories: "Call of the Wild" by Jane Mailander - A/B: Avon has a really wild, erotic dream in which Blake figures significantly, only it's Blake as he would look if he were a satyr. Needless to say, that's the catalyst for the start a sexual relationship. This is a pretty humorous (as well as pretty hot) story. And the little graphics that separate the sections of the story are hilarious. Very enjoyable.
[snipped]
The rest of the zine is called "Perchance to Dream", which are three stories all centering around that stunning Blake-Avon picture by Lovett (so natuarlly these four stories are A/B). It's separated from the rest of the zine by being bound in opposite direction (upside down?).
"Entropy" by Pat Terra - A/B: A mystical PGP story with a paganistic bent. If you like that sort of thing and upbeat endings, then this is the story for you.
"It's the Thought That Counts" by S. Lewis - A/B: Entertaining, lightweight, post-"Careless Whispers" story. A nice bit of sweetness and light before the next tale.
"The Quality of Mercy" by Matilda Willard - A/B: Probably my favorite story in the zine, and an excellent portrayal of Servalan. It's actually a very short story, so I don't really want to say more about it, other than if you don't like depressing stories, don't read it!"
The entire review can be read here. [7]
References
- ↑ comment by Lynn W.
- ↑ a review by Nova in 2000 at Judith Proctor's BLake's 7 site; WebCite.
- ↑ review by Predatrix at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 site; WebCite.
- ↑ Charlotte Hill's discussion of Explicit Slash Art on the Virgule-L mailing list in May 1994, quoted with permission.
- ↑ Sandy Herrold posting about Escapade 1993 to the Virgule-L mailing list: "I also bought my *first fannish art* at the con. (12+ years a fan, and never bought art.)"
- ↑ review by Predatrix at Judith Proctor's Blake' s7 site; WebCite.
- ↑ review by Sonja at Judith Proctor's Blake' s7 site;WebCite.
