Snowfire (Star Wars zine)

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Zine
Title: Snowfire
Publisher: Sanctuary Moon Productions
Editor(s): Mary Jo Fox and Yvette Ghilan (#1-#2), Mary Jo Fox (#3-#6)
Date(s): 1995-2000
Series?:
Medium: print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Star Wars
Language: English
External Links:
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Snowfire is a gen Star Wars zine with an emphasis on Princess Leia stories. It contains stories, filks, art, and poems by multiple authors.

flyer, printed in Echo Three #1 (1994)

Issue #5 won the Star aWards "1999 SW ZINE UNDER 100 PAGES" award. Issue #6 won the Star aWards "2000 SW ZINE UNDER 100 PAGES" award.

The zine ran six issues in print. In the sixth issue's editorial, Fox said she was taking the zine to fanfix.com as an e-zine as the cost of creating a print zine had become too onerous, and she wanted to move along with the times and get online. Another possible reason for this format decision may have been the release of The Phantom Menace and differing opinions of whether "Snowfire" should branch out into carrying material about Leia's mother, Padmé Amidala.

Descriptions

From a flyer for issue #3: "More Leia action than you'll find anywhere!"

From another flyer for issue #3: "The reason why fanzines were made"

From a flyer for issue #5: "Viva la diva!"

From an ad in Southern Enclave: "The first zines of its kind in over a decade, Snowfire is totally dedicated to celebrating the feminine side of the Force. Join fellow SW fans from around the Galaxy in this loving tribute to everyone's favorite princess/senator/rebel leader/etc."

From an ad in Southern Enclave #38: "Yvette Ghilan and I will be producing a one-time only zine devoted to the hippest girl in the galaxy, Her Worshipfulness Princess Leia. We want art, poetry, stories, filks, cartoons, even essays all about Leia, from any time frame in the SW universe. We want only the best, most positive material you can create: no trashin', no bashin', and no sleaze. This is going to be a lovezine, a celebration of girlpower. The working title of the zine is Snowfire: A Celebration of Princess Leia, and we're shooting for a May 1995 release."

Some Extensive 2015 Comments by the Editor

See How I Ended Up Running A Fan Fiction Zine.

The Creators

Yvette Ghilan had the idea for this zine in 1993, passed this idea along to Mary Jo Fox, and the two of them decided to create "Snowfire."

Ghilan was very much involved in the first issue, and somewhat involved in the second one. After that, It was Fox's creation.

In the sixth issue, Fox wrote: "I can't thank enough Yvette Ghilan, the fan whose idea this was in the first place. It's been a long time since I've been in contact with her, but I haven't forgotten her inspiration brought this zine to life."

Controversy

While there wasn't a lot of controversy and heated discussions in this zine, at least two fans objected to some of the art in issue #4, that of a tasteful Leia nude, and of a portrait in a long-running series of portraying Leia as various historical figures, specifically Leia as the Madonna, the latter as "an attack on my faith." This was something that the editor addressed directly. Regarding the nude:

It was nicely done, and it conveyed Leia's innocence, vulnerability and femininity. Nudity has long since been a staple of sculpture and painting, going back to ancient times and has come to symbolize many things, often not anything having to do with pornography. While I think the nudity seen in most movies (and tv. shows) these are is purely gratuitous, the human body in its natural state isn't in itself a dirty thing. To be honest, I think Rhyddetch's portrait was more tasteful than the infamous Leia au naturel portrait in the "Shadows of the Empire" trading card set.

Regarding the Madonna art:

I'm sorry you were offended by some of the artwork in the last issue. Rest assured I did not put them in there with the purpose of mocking anyone's religious background. When I first got the artwork, I went back and forth on it, considering whether or not some readers might find it blasphemous. I perceived it not as an attempt to be blasphemous, but an imitation of that particular style of art (Renaissance-era religious art) with a SW twist. I've seen this type of thing before, where religious/sacred images are combined with the secular.

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson (the nude)

  • this MAY be the art the editor of the zine said was the less-tasteful "infamous Leia au naturel portrait in the "Shadows of the Empire" trading card set"

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson. Ironically, one of the fans who complained about the nude, said of this illo in the same zine: "I do have some good news for R.W., though liked your Leia-as-Jabba's-slave-resting-on-pillows art.")

  • from issue #2, "Mona Leia" by Rhydderch Wilson (Leia as Mona Lisa)

  • the original "Mona Leia" (not in this zine) was in color

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson (Leia as the Madonna and Child)

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson (Leia as a Renaissance woman)

Issue 1

cover of issue #1, by Rik Selby, portrait Maikel Das

Snowfire 1 was published in 1995 and contains 100 pages.

The art is by Kymm August, Matt Busch, John Fredericks, Amanda Palumbo, and Rhydderch Wilson.

It is dedicated to "The Princess' fans everywhere. Time to come out of the carbonate, y'all!"

From the first issue, a message require ownership and distribution:

Snowfire is published once a year or so by Sanctuary Moon Productions. We won't care if you make a copy of a story and send it to your Aunt Sue. We will care if you're making 500 copies of these to sell for a big profit. Anyone I catch doing this will revived one free kick to the rear with my steel-toed Doc Martens. Oh, did I mention that I just got out of law school? Anyway, this is an amateur non-profit fan publication. This zine is no way affiliated with Lucasfilm, Ltd. or its licensees -- we're just fans celebrating good old fashioned girl power.

The editorial by Mary Jo:

About 13 or 14 years ago, there was a zine called The Princess Tapes. In its "prologue" edition, there was an editorial that in many ways expresses wonderfully one of the main reasons why this zine, Snowfire, exists: "I wanted to know what made her tick, what her background was, what kind of person she was when she wasn't on."

Time warp ahead to the 1990s. SW fandom is getting bigger and badder as a new trilogy is on the horizon. The SW scene has a whole new attitude, as old fans join the fold and new fans bring vitality and new perspectives.

I joined up with SW fandom in 1992, and after reading many of the zines available, I unfortunately noticed that only two characters took most of the spotlight -- and no. Princess Leia's not one of them. But what really alarmed me was the treatment our beloved princess suffered at the hands of writers. It seems to me folks judge her much more harshly than do the boys. She's the traitor who didn't love Luke back, Han's nagging ball-n-chain, or this overly aggressive, cold-hearted, Machiavellian witch who only cares about her political power. Where was the brave, loyal, fierce adventurer and freedom fighter? Where was the charm and humor? Where was her warmth, her caring for her companions? Did these people see the same movies I saw?

I've always admired Princess Leia, ever since I was a little kid. She was the kind of gal I wanted for an older sister—or at least a babysitter—and ultimately, the kind of person I wanted to be. She's smart, funny, charismatic, and caring. She has a tough side and a sweet side. She's a fighter, and she stands up for what she believes in. She's a princess, but she generally treats everyone with respect, regardless of their social backgrounds. In the end, she even manages to get the boy!

There is no doubt that Leia kicked the door wide open for strong heroines in sci-fi t.v. and movies. Before 1977, you rarely saw such women in genre films or shows. For every Mrs Emma Peel or Wonder Woman, you got hundreds of shrieking, airheaded, ex-beauty pageant contestant bimbos whose only role was to get saved by the hero and fall swooning into his arms. You never saw women sass the villains or lug around weapons like an expert I remember when I first saw Star Wars, the female members of the audience actually cheered when Leia snatched away that blaster rifle and blasted a hole into the detention block wall. When SW became a success, strong women started popping up everywhere—look at movies likeAlien and Terminator, or tv shows like Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Battlestar Galactica, and Babylon 5. Leia may not have been the first, but she was definitely the most influential.

So, when Yvette Ghilan came up with the idea of doing Snowfire back in 1993, I jumped at the chance to put this zine together. It wasn't a case of wanting to do it, I HAD to do it I don't expect this one issue to totally change everyone's views of Her Worship. Rather, it's more like a warm day in February—a hint of better things to come.

Originally, this was going to be a one-time only extravaganza, but I've decided to publish future issues of Snowfire—see the last page for details. The next one is tenatively set for the latter half of 1996. Now that real life looms over me, I'll need more time to get the next one done. But hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

The editorial by Yvette:

Why a zine dedicated to celebrating Princess Leia?

Sometime last year, it had become necessary; meeting the neglect of Princess Leia by fan writers, their misunderstanding of her character, their downright dislike of her, their slander. We thought that there MUST be other opinions on the matter, even a majority opinion, that saw Princess Leia the way Star Wars has presented her, not the hard, quarreling character described by those fan writers who dislike her for some imfathomable reason.

Regal and imperious, yet sweetly affectionate, not suffering fools gladly, yet immensely loyal to her friends, able to inspire her people and her soldiers. And strong. Such is Princess Senator Leia Skywalker Organa Solo.

Her strength is her most striking quality. She warms our hearts at the thought that a woman can be strong, not a heroine but a hero in her own right She goes through terrible ordeals, suffers tremendous ill-treatment and losses, yet she is never a victim. She is the one who rescues Luke on Bespin, she is the one who kills Jabba the Hutt. And never mind her costume in senatorial white, in dancing-girl veils, in Ewok leathers, in Rebel uniform, she is in command, if only of herself.

Like the contradictions of her character are the jobs she takes on, the responsibilities she accepts a politician before the age of nineteen, an Intelligence agent by age twenty, a Rebel leader, then a guerrilla fighter. Lastly, a champion, stepping out of the ranks, to take center stage in the saving of the Galaxy, together with her brother.

She is that figure of fairy tales and legend, the beautiful Princess in distress. Only she saves her rescuers as many times as they save her. No swooning damsel, Leia Organa.

She is the stuff of dreams, for men to admire—and desire—for women to emulate. She inspires Luke to begin his quest to save the Galaxy and Han to step over from the desert of his mercenary life into her arms and her commitment to a cause.

Snow and fire, storm and depth, strength and sweet love, her soxJ has best been portrayed in that remarkable piece of music composed by John Williams for the first movie's soundtrack.

So, that's why a zine dedicated to celebrating Princess Leia exists* because we love you, Snowfire.

Comment from the editor in a letter to Southern Enclave:

I'm glad you iiked Snowfire #1. I'm happy to report that I completely sold out of my first printing. Granted, it had a fairly small run as compared with the bigger boys on the block, but I didn't think I'd unload them all so quickly. What's nice is that I think I got together a pretty decent mix of contributors—including male writers who disprove the stereotype that they're only interested in writing Rambo-esque fiction.[1]

  • Child's Play, fiction by Matt Kirkby (2)
  • Childhood's End, fiction by Pia Rasmussen (5)
  • Stream of Consciousness, poem by Mary Jo Fox (9)
  • To Be a Regular Little Girl, fiction by Mary Jo Fox (10)
  • The Captain's Son, fiction by Louise Turner (14)
  • The Hunter and the Hunted, fiction by Matt Kirkby (18)
  • A Few Short Words on Meeting Your Maker, fiction by Tim Blaes (reprinted from Grip #18) (24)
  • Nightmare, poem by Tim Blaes (originally in Hyperspace #5/6) (25)
  • Chosen Path, fiction by Mary Jo Fox (26)
  • Enmeshed, poem by Emma Gilbert (29)
  • Love's a Dance, fiction by Wendy Schwartz (30)
  • No Easy Resolution, fiction by Amanda Palumbo (34)
  • You, poem by Yvette Ghilan (44)
  • Keeva, fiction by Pia Rasmussen (46)
  • Vader's Daughter, poem by Yvette Ghilan (60)
  • My Guy, filk by Wendy Schwartz (61)
  • Innocence Lost, fiction by Brian Harris (62)
  • Insomnia, fiction by John Fredericks (66)
  • Her Royal Highness' Top 10 Disadvantages to Life in an All Male Universe (69)
  • Leia Take a Bow, filk to the tune of The Smiths' "Sheila Take a Bow" by Mary Jo Fox (70)
  • Take Me Out of This World, filk to the tune of "Don't Take the Girl" by Tim McGraw, by Debbie Kittle (71)
  • Ballad of a Princess, poem by Amanda Palumbo (72)
  • Leia's Mysterious Ways, filk to U2's "Mysterious Ways," by Amanda Palumbo (73)
  • Leia, Light of Alderaan, original music by Amanda Palumbo (76)
  • I Wonder If It's Me, fiction by John Fredericks (76)
  • Soul Sacrifice, fiction by Kymm August (87)
  • Reflections, fiction by Amanda Palumbo (92)
  • Thankful, poem by Yvette Ghilan (94)
  • The First Time, poem by Yvette Ghilan (94)
  • Haiku of a Princess, poem by Matt Kirkby (94)
  • Untitled, poem by Emma Gilbert (95)
  • Leia, poem by Matt Kirkby (96)

  • from issue #1, possible clip art with "Leia" added?

  • from issue #1, Matt Busch

  • from issue #1, Amanda Palumbo

  • from issue #1, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #1, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #1, John Fredericks

  • from issue #1, Amanda Palumbo

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

Oh, Mary Jo, no doubt! It looks fantastic, very clean, very sharp. I'm in excellent company, as well. Sheesh, I correspond regularly with half the writers, so I had no doubt that you would have some really good contributions. I don't have a favorite story, but in scope, I find a lot of parallels between my extrapolations and those of Amanda Palumbo. It's enlightening to realize how many of us hold Leia in the same light, respecting her as-is, while making logical speculations based on what we know.[2]

Thanks a lot for Snowfire! Alright, it doesn't look as slick as BH, but you did well. I still haven't read everything. Therefore I don't want to pick out anybody special. Like in every anthology there are parts you like more and parts you like less. But I think everybody did their best and it'll find its audience among all the guy/hero zines. Snowfire is a fanzine—literally.[2]

Just a quick note to tell you that Snowfire arrived safely this morning! It might be small, but it's perfectly-formed, as they say! I'm enjoying it so far-really loved your feisty introduction, and the way you've structured the stories chronologically is just right—the balance from the contributors has worked out really well, too.

Loved your "Top 10"—No. 2 had me collapsing in hysterics!

Congrats on your becoming a real-life fully-fledged lawyer (gulp, I'd better be real nice to you now) and thanks again for giving "The Captain's Son" a good home. After having seen Snowfire and read your intro, I am more convinced than ever that this was where it was meant to be![2]

On to Snowfire: in general, very tasteful, and well-done. I was quite happy with my copy.

Sanctuary Moon Productions is such a nice twist; these inside jokes are what make fandom so enjoyable. The cover was a neat design with the Alliance/Republic symbol and a crown. Perhaps (you should consider) putting the name "Snowfire" onto the cover in the future. My friends who saw it had no idea what the 'zine was about. A colour cover was a neat surprise.

The art was good throughout. I wish I was a good artist, but I'm an author. Some of it was fabulous. As we've previously said, Maikel Das is incredible—I can see him going professional. Matt Busch is pretty good. Amanda has a good style, as do John, Kymm, and Rhydderch.

All in all, the art was better than I could probably do. I might try something for #2.

The stories were all good and so varied. Child, adventurer, mother—she was it all and in style.

Childhood End was better than my attempt in some ways. Hints of things to come, a mother's love, and having to give up her daughter...! wonder if Leia could do the same for hers? To Be... Girl was funny. I can see her climbing the wall and wandering the town, beating off bullies. Captain's Son was almost sexy. She held the gathering well, and it was good foreshadowing to see her watching the guard and then telling herself she had to respect her station in life.

A Few...Maker was hilarious. Short, to-the-point, funny. I enjoyed it. Chosen Path-nice intro for ROJ. I liked the concrjt of her dressing as Boushh. Love's A Dance: the wearing of their romance—they'll never have a smooth life.

No...Resolution was a really good family story. I love any view into SW history, even if it isn't Lucas' reality. The early years of the Empire were entertaining. Vader's ghost haunting Leia was from Truce at Bakura, and still handled well-Leia might never fully recover from that. Keeva was a really neat twist. Han's daughter was a new approach—he has had so many girlfriends. One in every port, it seems; Leia probably gets jealous a lot. Innocence Lost was chilling-after all, any Jedi can fall to Darkness. A mother would fear that. Insomnia is in the form of diaries. I liked that approach. And his characters-Cighal, Terak-threads from other stories. They are the best. .Anything with Jedi dreams/visions is neat. Touches from other poems or stories were ok. Another crazed Jedi mom-I hope it's not a trend.

Soul was a good title-very odd, though funny, story. Talk about odd cross-overs. (I have a Leia/Alien story lying around somewhere). How many consorts did the Emperor have? Roganda, Ixenanett, Mara...well, maybe not Mara but still...Still more children for Her Highness; where does she find the time to fight evil? Is she trying to restore the entire Jedi Knighthood by herself? Reflections was neat. Her family life, her career, all wrapped up. I know she'll make a good Jedi.

All the poems were great. The same variation of the stories, each a good view, a glimpse into her past, present, and future. Romance, some action...I do love poetry. Stream was a nice rememberance of someone the Saga never showed. Nightmare was good. I wrote something like that once, but mine wasn't that good. Enmeshed was so romantic. Vader's Daughter was really good. It was so sweet, I could cry. My Guy was a nice look into her mind about Han. Take....World was good—it would help if I knew that song. Ballad was great. Her career summed into I page. Leia's...Ways—at least I know this song. I enjoyed it. Leia..,Alderaan is another good summary. Thankful and The...Time were both good. What to say? They captured Leia's voice really well. Her...Universe was hilarious. There were so few other female roles (Mon Mothma), at least in the movies. The books are a bit better—Mara Jade, Cilghal...

Pass my regards along to Her Highness.[2]

Thank you for sending me issue one of Snowfire, I enjoyed it immensely. I was proud to be a part of it. There was some great creativity on display and the whole thing was put together and presented really nicely which tends to be a very rare occurrence in the world of fanzines, especially here in Britain.[2]

...I have received Snowfire #1 and enjoyed it, especially Yvette's poem, You and the stories are good too—a wide range of interpretations and all positive to Leia. Child's Play was interesting because of Vader, Childhood's End was heartbreaking -what terrible pain Arcadia felt at having to be apart from her children. Hiked your Chosen Path. Love's A Dance was good. Keeva was interesting. I also like the poem Take Me Out of This World. The other stories and poems were good too. More, more!

Looking forward to Snowfire #2 (and hopefully #3, #4, #5...)!![2]

I've had Snowfire #1 for some time now and just haven't written to tell you how much I enjoyed it. FINALLY!!!!!!! LEIA STORIES!!!!! Here's my take on the stories:

Child's Play by Kirkby - Nice interaction between Vader and Leia. Seems like Leia is used to prissy droids alter AL-28. His The Hunter and the Hunted was great too. Leia gets to kick some Imperial tookus. More, more!!!!!!!

Childhood's End by Rasmussen-Write more stories, Pia. This one was well-written. Too well-written, makes me sad.

Chosen Path by Fox-Liked the scene of Chewie's capture in the marketplace.

Keeva by Rasmussen-Liked how Leia thought of over herself. Perhaps she had some misgivings about taking in someone else's child, but she was selfless to the end. Fiction should provide us with people who are examples. There are so few of them in real life today (especially in politics).

Soul Sacrifice by August Kymm, I'm sorry, but I just didn't get it. I couldn't getpast the rock star from England bit. Sorry.

Overall, it was a well done 'zine and I am looking forward to the next one. Liked all the art, and the little clip art from the comics and coloring books was cute. The next one is due late 1996???!!! I will go through Leia withdrawal until then. Oh well, I guess I just have to wait like all the other good fanboys and fangirls.[2]

...I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed Snowfire—what a treat to read nothing but Leia stories! I hope it becomes an annual event; it's long overdue.[2]

I've only read a couple of stories in Snowfire, Tm impressed so far. I read Childhood's End and To Be A Regular Little Girl. Imagine my surprise when I thumbed through the zine and found stories by TWO of my pen pals! Well, of course, I knew yours was in there. But Pia had not mentioned submitting anything. So I read hers and yours first (pen pals get special privileges), and then misplaced the book. I found your letter and the envelope on my desk last night, so I looked for the zine. Oh, I also read your poem Stream of Consciousness, since it was so strategically placed. And a couple of other poems, actually, most ol the short stuff. Too bad I'm not familiar with the songs-so I can't substitute the new lyrics.

Hey, what's with the action figure bit? I never wished for that! Never even thought about it...before the suggestion was made, anyway.[2]

I just finished Snowfire and wanted to let you know I really liked it. Ihe zine was nicely put together and the graphics were well-done. I especially liked the clip art. Rik Selby's cover was pretty.

I will make my obligator)' typo remark. Quite a few showed up, unfortunately. I hope to see less in the future.

I enjoyed the stories about Leia as a child. Child's Play by Matt Kirkby, Childhood's End ^ by Pia Rasmussen and To Be A Regular Little Girl by ye editor were all nicely done, showing some insight in the young Princess' life.

Louise Turner writes good stuff and her story The Captain's Son is a wonderful read. I liked the way she had Leia's thoughts, the possible foreshadowing of the way her love life will turn out.

A good pre-ROTJ filler story by Mary Jo Fox was Chosen Path and Matt Busch's illo was a great compliment.

I really liked the art portfolio by Rhydderch Wilson, the filks and the poetry. All nicely drawn and written.

Thanks for a really nice zine to read. Though I didn't mention everything, it was a lovely read. I look forward to the next issue.[2]

absolutely love it! Honestly, it contains some of the very best fanfic I've ever read, and I certainly don't mind the "rough" exterior, 'cause what's inside really takes your breath away with all its radiance, intensity, passion (just like our favourite princess herself). All of it is so well- written: Lucasfilm should definitely hire you guys - I mean it! I could probably write a rave review about almost every story, but I'll narrow that down to my favourites (so far I haven't finished reading yet!). Louise Turner did a great job with The Captain's Son, outlining Leia's internal struggle and the way she tries to come to terms with her own precarious position. (I sort of stumbled over the metaphor of "toppling over the precipice into womanhood," which seems to suggest that womanhood is some kind of abyss—well, maybe it is...). The story truly offers new insights into Leia's reluctance to get involved with someone, her resistance to Han later on, etc; (obviously the reason some people still resent her): occupying such a lofty, and lonely place, spontaneous emotional responses are simply denied her. It's very enjoyable to see a character enrich and deepened like that. As for Chosen Path—wel, that's a classic, Mary Jo. You certainly have a gift for capturing intense moments (and filling the gaps left by the movies), creating a rich atmosphere with just two pages. I'm looking forward to MORE OF THIS! Just grand! Next is Love's A Dance, which I particularly liked for its insistence on the tension between Han and Leia, and in that respect being very true to the spirit of the movies. I've often felt that the novels are rather quick to gloss over the fact that Leia and Han have a very different background and a contradictory outlook on life, too, so obviously they'll need a lot of time and energy to work out their relationship and make it work. The story really makes you feel that Love can be both a Duel and a Dance...About No Easy Resolution, I'd like to say (am I boring you already?) that it picks up another loose end, Leia's difficulties of accepting Anakin/Vader as her father, that is: another important issue sadly neglected by the novels (counting Bakura out). The way Luke's memory of his final confrontation with the Emperor ties in with Leia's recollection of the Jedi's death really got to me.

Well, to conclude this, let me just add that I find Yvette's poems absolutely moving.

[2]

Child's Play: This tale captures both a child's unbridled sense of adventure—if her spirit is such (and probably WAS)—and disconcerting knack for imiocently-intentioned probing questions. Vader's fortuitous appearance ties up the adventure in an interesting, yet wholly in-character manner. He adheres to the demonstrated peculiar sense of honour (in my POV) toward certain others in the Trilogy. Leia herself is solidly characterized in Matt's delightful story. Childhood's End: A poignant chapter in our favorite heroine's life, one that seems marked for several...found myself digging nails into palms as Lady Skywalker made the only possible choice to safeguard BOTH children.

To Be A Regular Little Girl: Yes, one can imagine the young Organa defying overwhelming odds to defeat another helpless, even at age nine. Having her fortune told was not only a nice touch, but it lead well into the next story in the zine... The Captain's Son: Louise Turner is a master at expressing others' frustrations, and deftly handles political/courtesan intricacies. As usual, her injection of a proverbial "dark horse" thickens the stew nicely- -ooooooo, is THIS the "tall, darkly handsome" man we'd just finished reading of in Mary Jo's preceding tale? AND equally riotous is the mention of our dear captain, then son...who naturally springs to the fore upon hearing "Antilles?" HA! Wrong—great job. Louise! Then the finish—heh, heh...don't worry, Leia- freedom and tall, darkly handsome DOES come yoin aggravating way.

The Hunter and the Hunted: Matt Kirkby handles tech equally well. Liked the Pack people. Good to see Leia's cinematically-demonstrated resourcefulness applied to the literary forum.

A Few Short Words...: Leave it to Blaes to first go for the throat, then follow up squeezing the diaphragm and bladder! Turn the page, and his poem waters the eyes! Tim, Tim...

Keeva: A possibility in the mysterious past of Solo, executed well in Pia's story. Yes, our Princess does have a big heart too!

mm Rhydderch Wilson's Art Portfolio: Captures our fearless Alliance member's essraice well. Liked the Trilogy montage as well.

Innocence Lost: Rife with unexplored possibilities, Brian's "midnight anecdote" captures those indefinite feelings springing from that time when the line blurs between perceived reality, and subconscious recognition of another Realm. When the mix focuses upon a Force-sensitive, nightmares cannot be dismissed out of hand. Luke had demonstrated precog, why not Leia?

Insomnia: While generally fond of Fredericks's works, this story read uncomfortably. I can't see Luke really divulging the subject of his passion for Leia with another; it would more than likely remain difficult for even himself to deal with. "That love which Leia had not chosen, that she'd developed an altogether different shade of, would probably stay off-limits as a topic of conversation...even with Luke's wife, out of protection for her brother. I see Leia as fiercely defensive of Luke over the years all across the board. I liked the illo, though.

I Wonder If It's Me: On the other hand, this stoiy read extremely well. Leia's fears with Vader's shadow forever taunting, explorations of Force-utilization, Ijike referring to the Dynamic Droid Duo as "friends"...terrific tech; a fine introspective piece. Tbanks, John. Liked the soundtrack too.

Sou! Sacrifice: Why should Luke have been the only soul terribly infatuated with Leia? And why Solo the only being to act upon these longings? Why and more why should the mily Force/Majik (either could be confiised with the other, depending upon both users and nonbelievers) game in town be Dark Sider and ^ Light Sider specifically, in the Jedi skirmishes? Hey, despite what "Rebel Yell" did and said, Tezzy DOES have great depth! When he's forced into it...my overactive imagination took delight in conjuring up deflection with PLATFORMS-ves. great outfitting, Kymm. Solo's evil sister...hmmmmm...great sublines to explore there. The written imagery created a richly-garbed setting too. As Obi-Wan was Sky's catalyst, 'tis logical that Leia might require one to trigger her dormant potential too.

Poetry: "Streams of Consciousness" and Yvette's "Thankful" really stood out poignantly for me amid the other &e pieces. Though I myself write some, it still frequently amazes me how much emotion and thought can be compressed into the seemingly limited, yet at the same time infinite space of these stanzas!

And Above All Dept.: Boundless gratitude to you, Mary Jo Fox (and to "spiritual partner" Yvette Ghilan) for conceiving, then publishing this celebration of all things Leia! The Princess could wish for and employ no better publicist! May the Force continue to be with you...always.[2]

I have (more than) a few words to say about the absolutely marvelous, beautifiil, perfect zine named Snowfire #1. I cannot speak glowingly enough about it, and as a dedicated Leia fan for 12 years, I devoured the zine a dozen times and was left wanting more, more, more. I want to be specific, but I do not know where to start. How about at the beginning.

1). Great idea for the royal crest as the front cover. Colorful and to the point. 2). Good thoughts from the "Holographic Message" section, especially Yvette's poignant tribute editorial. 3). There was not a single story I disliked, so with so much good stuff to choose from, I'll single out my absolute favorites:

Childhood's End by Pia Rasmussen. Loved it. Realistic, likely, and incredibly sad. It also fills in a lot of the storyline revolving around the one line Leia spoke in ROTJ: "She died when I was very young." It makes me wish Leia could reunite with her mother sometime after ROTJ to make up for the heartbreak of that moment as a child. I also liked Keeva by Pia Rasmussen. Good, original idea for a story, although the ending was slightly weak. I was a little surprised that everyone was so passive towards and accepting of such a life-changing turn of events. In real life, I've known hell to break loose over stepchildren, lost loves, children from, past relationships, etc.. Other than that ending, Pia Rasmussen is someone I would like to see more of as she has 2 good stories.

The Captain's Son by Louise Turner. Excellent story. Great writing and great glimpse of the human woman Leia Organa. And lastly (and no, I'm sucking up, because I didn't have to pick an editor's story with so much to choose from) I liked Chosen Path by you, Mary Jo Fox. It nicely fills in all of the details surrounding pre-ROTJ events.

As for poems, I enjoyed most: the Mary Jo Fox poem "Stream of Consciousness," and two of Yvette Ghilan's poems, "You" and "Thankful." The last one was wonderful.

Also, liked the artwork by Matt Busch.

But I have absolutely I favorite piece out of the entire zine, and that is "Take Me Out of This World," the filk by Deborah Kittle. I am a country music fan to begin with, so I am familiar with the song. Actually, the song is one of my recent favorites. The filk captures just as much of the impossibly heartbreaking feelings Leia has in the situations she has to endure, and overall, the filk is a real gutwroicher to me every time I read it. Loved it...excellent filk...already I am planning on voting that the #1 filk when Star Awards ballots come out. I want to see more Deborah Kittle filks in the future. Please!!! Hurry!!! The layout was very professional-looking, also; especially the various looks of script and types titles, bylines, and content. I like how each page looked different from the previous page, yet it all fit together by the zine's end.

All in all, a great zine. I only caught a handful of typewritten-errors, and I cannot think of anything I did not like, so I guess you came about as close to p^ection with Snowfire as is possible. Congratulations to you and Yvette for providing a top-notch piece of work celebrating the incredible woman that has been like a role model, sister, and friend to me for half of my life, Leia Organa. I hope there are another 20 issues of Snowfire to look forward to in my future. I'll try to submit to every one too!!!

P.S.—Before I forget, I greatly enjoyed how you put the stories in chronological order. It would have been mind-boggling to read a post-Jedi story, then a pre-SW story, then a "Leia at 50" story, etc. out of order.[2]

Congratulations on putting out one GREAT zine!!! While I do love the boys, Leia has always been my favorite character, and I do agree that she has gotten too much of a bum rap by some writers.

Leia's background provides a wealth of interesting stories that can be told whether it be in the realm of politics, intrigue, love, or adventure, and Snowfire has touched on every one of these areas. I loved the stories of Leia's childhood and the mischief she got into in "Child's Play" and "To Be a Regular Little Girl." In the latter I particularly liked how she stood up to the two bullies, and I found myself smiling when she bought three pastries and "wolfed them down in an unprincess-like way."

"Childhood's End" was a beautiful story, moving and quite feasible. I was barely able to get through it between the lump in my throat and the fact that it had me on the verge of tears throughout. I enjoyed the drama provided in stories such as "The Hunter and the Hunted," "Innocence Lost," "Reflections," "Insomnia," and the potential they left open for follow-up stories. (Please let there be follow-up stories!!!)

I think Tim Blaes should write a real ending to "A Few Short Words on Meeting Your Maker!" It was too good to have turned out just to be a teaser.

"Soul Sacrifice" and "Keeva" were both interesting and a little different from the norm. In "Keeva" though I would have preferred if Keeva hadn't turned into an Force-sensitive at the end. To me it took a little bit away from what was otherwise a nice, touching story and ending. It is, though, the writer's prerogative.

"I Wonder if It's Me" provided an interesting twist by making Leia's true test not on whether she would turn to the dark but on whether she could overcome her own fears and self-doubt. "Love's A Dance" and "No Easy Resolution" were good stories tackling some of the problems that Leia would likely have to work out with Han and Luke. That was a nice touch in "No Easy Resolution" having Leia recount the story about the Emperor and Atl-Var-Liss on the floor of the Senate. Very moving. Leia's early involvement in the Alliance should provide many interesting stories, and it was great having it touched upon here.

"Chosen Path" was a very good story on what Leia faced before the infiltration of Jabba's palace.

Smart of them to stage Chewie's capture in public like that. I very much enjoyed "The Captain's Son." Leia was presented as being a regular young lady with normal desires and needs. You could feel her frustration at being a captive to her duty. It's tragic that while Leia fought for the galaxy's freedom, it was that very oppression she fought which destroyed Alderaan which ultimately allowed Leia to gain that personal freedom that she longed for.[3]

Issue 2

Snowfire 2 was published in 1996 and contains 150 pages. The art is by Matt Busch, Donna Frayser, John Fredericks, Sarah E. Glasgow, Adam Hughes, Kyla, Bert-Olof Lundin, Amanda Palumbo, and Rhydderch Wilson.

front cover of issue #2, Matt Busch. The zine's editor wrote in 2015: " I went for a color cover by an illustrator I knew who was building up his portfolio, so he gladly volunteered. Now he’s pretty well-known but back then he was trying to get Dark Horse just to look at his stuff at Comic Con. I’d asked him for a romance novel-esque cover with Han and Leia, and he delivered. It’s still one of my favorite pieces of fan art and once this guy hit the big time, Lucasfilm bought the original version. So it’s either on somebody’s wall or in a vault somewhere." [4]
flyer for issue #2

From a flyer in 1996:

The Star Wars zine they said couldn't be done is striking back with a vengeance! Snowfire #2, still celebrating princess leia. Small but determined (like Leia herself) Snowfire #1 completely sold out its first run. Snowfire #2 promises even more action, adventure, lovey-doveyness, and humor. It's a zine fit for, well, a princess... Color cover by Matt Busch! Mushy Han-n-Leia stuff! The Snowfire Songbook! Her Highness' Top 10 Advantages to Life In An All-Male Universe! Readers' comments! .... One righteous babe. One righteous zine.

From a 1995 LoC in Southern Enclave #42 from the editor of "Snowfire":

Now that Snowfire #1 is all done, I'll start plugging for a second issue! This time, I want to do a zine-within-a-zine highlighting Leia's relationship with Han, but with a twist: I would like stories told from her viewpoint. This is a Leia zine, after all. Nearly every story I've come across about our favorite galactic lovebirds focuses almost exclusively on what Han's feeling, thinking, etc. Well, what about Leia? And can she feel anything besides apprehension? This is my challenge for #2. Of course, material on any and all other facets of Leia's life are wanted as well. I have finished one about events during her adolescence.

From the zine:

Snowfire is published once a year by Sanctuary Moon Productions. If you like a story and want to share it with someone else or if you want to photocopy some art to put on your wall or stationery, we won't care. If you pirate the whole zine and sell multiple copies to people, we will send Boba Fett after you. This is the product of a crew of demented, I mean devoted. Star Wars fans, published for fun, not for profit. We are in no way affiliated with Lucasfilm Ltd., its licensees, or anyone else with a piece of the action. The copyright on this zine protects only the selection and arrangement of the material within; we are in no way asserting rights in anything that is the exclusive property of Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Editorial by Mary Jo:

"Do you think a princess and a guy like me?"

Everyone remembers this classic line from ANH. But back in the Summer of Lore (1977, that is), most folks would've answered this question with a resounding "no." After all, the hero is supposed to get the girl, and Han, being an older wisecracking outlaw, was all wrong for a young princess. Well, imagine everyone's surprise when the TESB style-A poster depicted Han and Leia in a passionate embrace! This was going to be interesting! When I finally saw the movie way back in Hay 1980, I got caught up in the bittersweet blooming of this offbeat romance. Sure, about half of the banter went over my 10-year-old head (it took a while before I figured out what Han meant by 'we haven't got time for anything else"), but I was enthralled nonetheless. I also remember the hoots, whistles, and cheers that came from the audience when Han and Leia kissed for the first time. But just as they were beginning to do something about their long-buried feelings, ttw bad of Empire had to bust things up. Believe me, I was almost as upset as Leia when Han got popped into the carbon freeze. Over the next three years, I hoped and prayed Leia would get her man back in the next movie, and fortunately, that is what happened in ROTJ.

Every film has to have a love story, and the SW saga is no exception. But what is ft about Han and Leia's relationship that has beguiled fans for so long? Obviously, some fans are interested out of their own attraction to Han. TESB albwed him to show a sexy, romantic side to his personality. This would probably explain why a great deal of fanfic about this relationship is told from his point of view. For me personally, and I'm not alone, the relationship is fascinating not just because fir. Solo's a babe (or not just because you guys think Leia's a babe), but because of the two personalities involved. Let's face ft, they have chemistry. It is a classic case of people from literally two different worlds, who are yet all too alike. Both are strong-willed, stubborn, passionate, quick-tempered, sharp-witted people. Each had met their match in the other. The combination of wit, intelligence, fighting ability, bravery, dedication, and subtle sexual tension made for a couple more fun and exciting to watch than the explicit affairs favored in modem film. Yes, I think films from the 1930s and 1940s had the right idea.

Anyway, that's why there's a tine within a zine, called "Princess and Scoundrel," this issue. This time, though, there will be more emphasis on Leia's thoughts, feelings, and yes, desires, than you might have come across before. Of course, there's more of the same great stuff from all aspects of Leia's life for your entertainment. I'm glad you enjoyed the first issue (now christened "The Student Budget Issue"), and I'm sure you'll find this one bigger and better than the first. I'm glad to set there are people who love and admire Princess Leia as much as we do~and of course, there will be a third issue!

Until then, enjoy Snowfire #2 Be Fabulous, darlings!

NOTE: titles in bold are part of the "zine within the zine" called "The Princess and the Scoundrel" that "features stories and poems that celebrate the galaxy's cutest couple."

  • Letters of Comment
  • Foreshadows, fiction by Amanda Palumbo (1)
  • Age of Consent, fiction by Mary Jo Fox ("The 13-year-old princess finds adventure and romance while working as a senatorial apprentice on Coruscant.") (9)
  • From a Certain Point of View, fiction by Pia Rasmussen (16)
  • Voices of the Dead, poem by Sarah E. Glasgow (27)
  • Pieces of Home, fiction by John Fredericks (29)
  • Lifeline, part one, fiction by John Greenhalgh ("Part one of an all-original comics series! A diplomatic mission goes awry as Leia finds herself caught up in planetary intrigue and Imperial treachery.") (32)
  • Reflections, fiction by Debbie Kittle ("Leia wakes up on an unfamiliar ship...and hey, what's with the Imperial uniform she's wearing?!!") (44)
  • Soul Mate, poem by Yvette Ghilan (55)
  • Princess and the Scoundrel, poem by Emma Gilbert (57)
  • The Princess and the Pirate, fiction by Mary Jo Fox (58)
  • Carbonite, poem by Sarah E. Glasgow (60)
  • Reunited, poem by Wendy Schwartz (60)
  • First Times, poem by Anne Marie Gazzolo (63)
  • War's Blessing, poem by Sarah E. Glasgow (63)
  • Hold Me, poem by Yvette Ghilan (72)
  • Where It All Started , fiction by Wendy Schwartz (61)
  • Scenes from a Love Affair, fiction by Anne Marie Gazzolo (64)
  • Thoughts on a Princess, fiction by Barbara Fuchs (73)
  • Ship of Dreams, fiction by Matt Kirkby ("In this "prequel" to the bestselling novel The Crystal Star, Leia's fears and inner strengths are tested as she journeys alone on her new ship.")
  • Lifeline, fiction by John Gallagher ("Part one of an all-original comics series! A diplomatic mission goes awry as Leia finds herself caught up in planetary intrigue and Imperial treachery.")
  • Leiapunzel, fiction by Amanda Palumbo ("Han Solo's galactic take on a familiar fairy tale...will anyone believe it??") (75)
  • Han and Leia's Theme, filk by Wendy Schwartz (78)
  • Love to Shake the Stars, poem by Matt Kirkby (79)
  • Web of Force, filk by Linda Budinger (81)
  • Tell Me I Was Dreaming, filk to the tune of "Tell Me I Was Dreaming" by Travis Tritt, by Debbie Kittle (82)
  • Alderaani Dreaming, filk to the tune of "California Dreaming", by Mary Jo Fox (83)
  • At All, filk to the tune of "Anymore" by Travis Tritt, by Debbie Kittle (84)
  • Everytime You Walk in the Room, filk to the tune of "Everytime That You Walk in the Room" by Pam Tillis, by Debbie Kittle (85)
  • Ice Princess, filk by Amanda Palumbo (87)
  • Opportunity Knocking, fiction by Paul Michael Kane (90)
  • Sister Moon, poem by Judith Klinger (93)
  • Blood Bond, poem by Sarah E. Glasgow (103)
  • Bitter Memory, poem by Matt Kirkby (103)
  • Darth's Daughter, poem by Matt Kirkby (105)
  • Compensation, fiction by Matt Kirkby (107)
  • Reunited, poem by Anne Marie Gazzolo (112)
  • Family , poem by Anne Marie Gazzolo (112)
  • Run Away!, poem by Amanda Palumbo (113)
  • Hole in the Sky, fiction by Kyla (115)
  • Her Royal Highness' Top 10 Advantages to Life in An All-Male Universe (130)
  • An Empty Cradle, fiction by Brian Harris ("In this sequel to "Innocence Lost," Leia finds the source behind her frightening visions on a far, exotic planet.") (131)
  • A Day Long Remembered, fiction by Bianca Gallegly (140)
  • Leia is All Right, poem by Matt Kirkby (145)
  • Princess Remote by Amanda Palumbo and Brian Harris (146)

  • from issue #2, "Mona Leia" by Rhydderch Wilson, the original was in color, see Controversy

  • from issue #2, Amanda Palumbo

  • from issue #2, Sarah E. Glasgow

  • from issue #2, Bert-Olof Lundin

  • from issue #2, John Greenhalgh

  • from issue #2, Amanda Palumbo

  • from issue #2, John Fredericks

  • from issue #2, Adam Hughes

  • from issue #2, Donna Frayser

  • from issue #2, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #2, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #2, Bert-Olof Lundin

  • from issue #2, Amanda Palumbo

  • from issue #2, Rhydderch Wilson

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

One of the real highlights of the zine was John Greenhalgh's "Lifeline." Brought me back to the old Marvel Comics days. I can see a bit of Walt Simonson's influence in his art (and that is a compliment). Also really liked Brian Harris's "An Empty Cradle" because it referred back to the Marvel Comic which featured the Teezl. This story not only showcased Leia as a Jedi, but as a mother, wife, sister, friend. Liked it a lot, Brian.

Debbie Kittle's "Reflections" was engaging, though I was a little surprised how easily (from my point of view) Leia gave Vader Luke's name. Also, wasn't this same plot used recently on Deep Space Nine? Not that I'm complaining, I enjoyed your tale. I just wondered which came first.

Paul Michael Kane's "Opportunity's Knocking" was a great little piece. Knock ole Boushh in the head once more for me, Paul. What I liked about Barbara Fuchs's "Thoughts of a Princess" was her dream conversation with Bail, and her guilt over Alderaan, something never dealt with in the films. Ditto for Matt Kirkby's "Compensation." His "Ship of Dreams" tied nicely into the novels and suggested some more stoiy possibilites. Your "Age of Consent" was an interesting, and plausible, look at how Leia might have become involved with the Rebellion. Plausibility is one of my main gauges for non-humor pieces: if it fits nicely, and seems like something that could have been a real part of the movies (or future movies), it scores pretty high on my chart.

Art-wise this issue was excellent, from Matt Busch's cover, through Rhydderch Wilson's, Bert-Olof Lundin's, and Amanda Palumbo's multiple pieces. Donna Frayser's Leia on page 95 was just perfect for the story it accompanied, and damn near perfect period.

Looking forward to issue three. Thanks to all the writers and artists for a few hours of fun.[5]

Well, another success! Thanks for letting me be part of it! It impressed my mom, a nonfan, enough to make her think of watching the films again. That is quite a feat! Now if I can get my sister convinced my stories are worth while... who knows, it might still happen.

It was great to see more of Yvette's poetry, especially "Soul Mate" which mirrors my own thoughts. Way to go, Yvette! More, more!

Your poem to "California Dreaming" was cute (and the only song I knew).

My mom and I liked Sarah Glasgow's artwork on page 76. "Pieces of Home" was good.

"Lifeline" was interesting.

"Reflections" was neat, especially Vader's reaction to the name of Skywalker and it was nice to see Luke and Leia's love.

"Where It All Started" was cute.

"Sister Moon" another good poem. See, guys, I'm not the only person who feels this way.

The illustration following my story, "Memories," was good. My mom liked that one too. You're on a roll!

The horrifying possibilities of "Ship of Dreams"...! hope they don't come true.

"Run Away" was, of course, good. The pain of that moment, to have regained one love and lose another.

"A Day Long Remembered" was a great story, probably much like it will be when Jacen and Anakin become fathers and Jaina becomes a mother. The oneness of Kass and Karra, the closeness of the whole family.

I am certainly looking forward to Snowfire 3! [5]

I received Snowfire 2. From start to finish, it was great. I really enjoyed reading every story/poem in it, and once I got started, I couldn't put it down. Another good arrangement-any order other than chronological would be distracting. It was nice to see so many familiar names involved with this issue (repeat contributors from last time).

I enjoyed the filksongs. Weird A1 makes a career at altering popular songs, and I know my own efforts failed miserable (the Darksaber worked better than my filksongs) so I applaud those who wrote Leia ones for this zine. Will you be releasing a cassette of these songs by their authors? [Ed: Amanda Palumbo does have a cassette of her filks, called SkyTwin Songs.]

The art overall was very well-done. Special congratulations on having so much art actually fit the stories/poems they faced. Best pieces: cover, Mona Leia, 8, 80, 86, 94, 102, 144.

The cover...what a cover. Excellent likenesses, bright colours, instantly proclaims itself. Matt is just excellent at his work.

The dedication page is most amusing. Many glorious inside references. I've had requests to share this zine around - I'll warn my friends to watch out for Boba Fett.

"Mona Leia?" This must become a trading card in some future set. Good copy, and those little extra background details make it so much better.

Letters' Pages...everything has letters' pages these days. It's always nice to read over other people's views on stories (especially when they say nice things about your own stuff).

"Foreshadows" was really good...must be something about the unknown age which lures us in. Yoda, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Palpatine-each of them acting to set the stage for the Princess.

"Age of Consent" (is) a coming of age story without getting really mushy. I like Leia's aunts so I enjoyed this story. We all wonder how Leia came to be involved in the Rebellion...this story makes good sense.

"From A Certain Point of View" was well-done. The events of ANH as seen through her eyes. Great title too.

"Voices" captures her feelings. Definitely a pivotal event in her life.

"Pieces of Home" made sense. She had to make a tribute to her home, though I think she would have taken a piece of Alderaan with her. Her comments about the suit's smell was in character.

"Lifeline": a comic! And we have to wait a year at least before the next part. An interesting looking ship-and a great name.

"Reflections" was one of my faves. I really wondered if she was actually Leia or Fiana. I was convinced she was the Major, but would reject the Imps to return to the Alliance to continue playing her role as Leia and never tell anyone the truth. (When does a lie become truth? Does it matter?) Lord Vader makes an appearance...! can see him playing along with Garska's plan to gather information. Leia's escape was well within reason, and Vader would have been distracted enough by the revelation to ignore her escape.

"Soul Mate" is cry. Is she calling to Luke or Han...I don't think it's clear, nor does it matter. She's calling to a good friend, and I doubt she knows who at the time (around ESB).

"Princess and Scoundrel" was enjoyable.

"Princess and the Pirate" was a good review. ESB did see a major shift in their feelings. Leia might regret (in a gentle way) some of her earlier comments, but I doubt they'd prey on her mind. "Carbonite" and "Reunited" were poignant moments of regret.

"Where It All Started" was a great storj' and quite different. The style really set it apart. The first meeting really isn't the most romantic event, but it did set the tone for their relationship.

"First Times": I have to argue with that line "the first time you made love"...I really think Solo had done it before (he keeps stumbling into enough ex-girlfriends), and Her Highness may very well have met other men before Solo. [Ed: I think Anne's point was that it was the first time the experience meant something more to Han than just another conquest or just another good time. As for Leia...who really knows for certain. We don't even know if the wedding night was really their "first time" together either! That's the "don't ask, don't tell" way of things in the SW universe...]

"War's Blessing" shows how much Fate played a role. Without the war, I do doubt they would have met.

"Scenes From a Love Affair": the endless remarks-sometimes it's a surprise they did stay together after their discussions. I enjoyed mention of the pregnancy et cetera as they are new and not outtakes from old films or novels.

"Hold Me" is ok, but by now I'm getting tired of this theme-having read the zine in one sitting, some things are blurring together. On another day, it's got some great lines-"I can be just a woman in tears."

"Thoughts" is another recurring theme-those bitter memories will haunt her forever. No matter what she knows, some part of her will believe the Empire's lies about her responsibility.

"Leiapunzel" was gloriously silly. I can see Han telling the story his way. I don't know if George would agree, but this idea would certainly reshape the saga.

"Theme" is no better when one can remember the original music.

"Web of Force" has some excellent lines~"cloak of darkness," "struck them back with valiance"- (they) make this an excellent song. When do we see the video?

"Tell Me": I don't care for country music, but this is a rare song I know of. It's so sad and sorrowful.

"Alderaani Dreaming": I like it. The first stanza really captured the feel of Hoth.

"At All" is what Leia was probably thinking while on Bespin.

"Everytime""Was Her Highness ever so shy?

"Ice Princess" (is) a glowing tribute indeed.

"Opportunity Kniocking" (is) another view of how she became Boushh. This makes 3 that I know of. I think I prefer this to SOTE...it seems just believable enough to be truth. "Sister Moon" sounds good.

"Memories" is very well-done. Leia and Luke would share memories. That childhood suits the princess.

"Blood" describes her link to Luke, and nice foreshadowing.

"Bitter": that centering looks good. How clever to put it like that-resembles the secondary subject.

That picture (from "Ship of Dreams") is creepy...even better than what I imagined. I know, I broke the unwritten rule and brought back Palpatine, but that was an illusion only and then I put him away. The Aunts though...

"Reunited" and "Family" were both enjoyable.

"Run Away" is definitely what she was thinking in the Ewok village.

"Hole" was very unusual. The God of Death was the very last person I'd ever expect to see in a story-but it worked. He was well-cast and it was nice that he wasn't actually evil. Can't complain about ghosts-the Jedi are always dropping by~and it was interesting to see Bail show up. I like supernatural things and really enjoyed this little story.

"Top 10's"-these things multiply like Affytechans. They're everywhere. This one was humorous. #2 was the best.

"Empty" had some really interesting non-humans. Revwien are an interesting group. The Teezl was tragic...so like the Empire to simply exterminate a-to them-useless race.

"A Day Long Remembered": great title to start with. More children, and another big happy

family. No sign of Wedge's wife? (Of course, we know it was Qwi). In closing, this was another great zine.[5]

Snowfire 2 looks great! I was glad to see that all of the art was good, and most of it was great. Even if some of the artists aren't as skilled as pros, I am always more interested in seeing work done by fans that have a passion for it, than pros who just did it for whatever reason. There is more life in the art of Snowfire 2 than the last SW Galaxy set.[5]

Late last week I received issue two of Snowfire. What could I say but...VERY IMPRESSIVE! What first struck me was the bulk of the fanzine (in contrast to a fanzine I received a month ago which is about 20 pages long and A5 size (pocket book scale). Secondly, the excellent cover by Matt Busch, that really conveys the spirit of the fanzine. How did you get Matt to draw up the cover; and was it a voluntary effort (e.g. a freebie) on his part? Overall, Snowfire warmed me with the obvious enthusiasm its contributors (and administration) have shown towards the Star Wars saga. It is the first time that I have experienced such a gathering of thoughts and fiction with SW in mind and the experience being involved in this global collaboration has banished the thoughts that have long lingered inside me that the fans have nothing to say creatively. I was thrilled to receive issue two. Thanks![5]

Wow~l really love Snowfire #2! It's so much better than the first edition, and this one already was good. The cover is fantastic with that ironic "ripping bodice" touch-but it also reminded me of a cover of a disco version by Boris Midney of the TESB soundtrack-does anybody remember?

After feasting my eyes on the cover I had to read the whole mag immediately. "Foreshadows" was a nice starter to begin with, but I never really could get into the Jedi-stories-I guess I am not spiritual enough for it. "Age of Consent" was a story about Leia's childhood and it was really in-character. The idea of how Leia got into touch with the rebellion very appealing. And then came "From A Certain Point of View"-which is fantastic. I always loved Pia's style of writing but sometimes her stories dealt just with family matters; something I never preferred to real about. Somehow the stories of Han and Leia having kids and being just a happy family was never very appealing to me. But the idea of how Leia's feelings toward Han might have developed is great-way to go, Pia! "Pieces of Home" was also exceptional and again I was surprised how many good writers who are capable of really describing Leia. In my opinion these stories are much better than some of the commercially-printed books.

The comic was a nice change and a great idea-I wonder how it will go on. "Reflections" was another masterpiece as was "The Princess and the Pirate." And "Where It All Started" was hilarious! "Scenes From A Love Affair" is so tender, so sweet - I guess I love this story as well. And as I go on my letter might get boring because I'm just full of praise again and again. But so were all the poems and songs—the only poem I don't like is "First Times." I think that Leia is a modern liberated woman who lived completely for her cause, that was why she was fighting her feelings towards Han. To imply that she was also a virgin is so bourgeois and this is something Leia is not. But on the other hand there was this story of a chick named Barbara in it, well...

"Leiapunzel"-what a great idea, so much fun to read! And "Opportunity Knocking" is great, too.

Well, I could go on, raving how great all the stories, poems and artwork is but I simply tell you this- Snowfire #2 is one of the best storyzines I ever had my hands on. Congratulations for giving us the chance to read something so well-written and lovingly-done![5]

I loved it! Again! It's this Leia stuff - I just can't get enough! I loved Snowfire #2 again; it was well set up, varied, colorful, showed plenty of sides to Leia's complex person...great, great, great zine-as good or better than the first. There was only one problem with the zine. Oddly enough, though it contained some pieces that are immediately going into my top-ten all-time favorites, Snowfire #2 also contained what I thought was the worst SW story I have ever read, in terms of subject matter. For obvious reasons, I am not going to name the story, but suffice it to say I thought this particular story was the hokiest piece of mumbo-jumbo I've ever read. Others may have loved it; to me, it's the #1 all-time worst SW story.

However, I didn't let that dampen the rest of the zine, which is filled with wonderful material. Here are the highlights for me:

1) The COVER! I! That glorious, gorgeous, moody, sexy-oh-sexy cover by Matt Busch. The best thing about the zine; left me needing some ice water, and wishing it was me. Harlequin Romance and Fabio have nothing over Leia and Han on that cover! Matt Busch~go professional. The art world needs you desperately. Perfect!!!

2) "Pieces of Home" by John Fredericks. A haunting, captivating and sad story. Really original. Nice touch to show an uncommonly sensitive Solo in a sensitive situation. I've read this story several times and like it more each time.

3) "Lifeline, Part One" by John Greenhalgh. Very interesting, original addition. He must've put a lot of work into that, and it shows. You held my attention with the serial; looking forward to part 2 (and I caught the name of Leia's starship.)

4) "Compensation" by Matt Kiikby. Great title. Perfect last line. Good story.

5) Loved just about everything in the "Princess & Scoundrel" section, including Mary Jo Fox's heart-tugging vignette 'The Princess and the Pirate," two Sarah E. Glasgow poems "Carbonite" and "War's Blessing," and "Leiapunzel," Amanda Palumbo's hilariously funny, sexy, great-married-love story (a perfect fit for the characters!!)

6) Besides the cover, my favorite peice of the zine was "Hold Me," Yvette Ghilan's wonderful, romantic, beautiful poem. Yvette is amazing with her poetry.

There was a bunch of other stuff I enjoyed by Amanda Palumbo and Anne Marie Gazzolo, but if I name any more, I might as well just name everything in the zine. And one more thing...to Pia Rasmussen, if you're reading this-sorry, I blew it on my response to your ending of "Keeva" in #1. It was only when X recently started writing a story that deals with Han's past (in a different way), that I realized that, yeah, that is the reason the story ends why it does, because of the lack of selfishness on Leia's part. She just dealt with it. Your ending was fine, Pia!

Can't wait for Snowfire #3. Keep it going, Mary Jo and Yvette![5]

Issue 3

Snowfire 3 was published in April 1997 and contains 120 pages. The sparse art is by Matt Busch (cover), Rhydderch Wilson, Kyla, and Amanda Palumbo.

cover of issue #3, Matt Busch
flyer for issue #3
illo from issue #3, Rhydderch Wilson

From the zine: "Pirate this zine and you will be fed to the almighty Sarlacc, where you will learn a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested for a thousand years."

The editorial:

Exactly 20 years ago, a little movie called Star Wars blasted into our lives, forever altering the way we view entertainment, and perhaps, the way we view our own lives. It's hard to believe two decades have passed since we were first introduced to this marvelous universe that continues to fascinate us.

Mainstream society finally realized the extent of our devotion to the trilogy with the astounding success of the Star Wars Special Edition. What is this weird hold Star Wars has over us? Just what about it inspires people old enough to drink and vote to dress up in Leia buns and camp out al night in line? (Not me.I already did the Leia bun thing for Halloween ages ago.) Why do I spend inordinate amounts of money and time slaving away on this zine, in addition to ANOTHER SW zine I publish three times a year? Why do you guys spend inordinate amounts of time drawing/writing new adventures for our favorite princess?

Well whatever it is, I don't mind! I do this zine because I think Star Wars is worth the trouble. Leia is worth the trouble! It's my way of a great big Wookiee hug for the people who brought the saga to life and for the fans out there who love it too.

While we're celebrating the past 20 years, I'm also looking toward what's to come, I've been doing some thinking as to the future direction of this zine. Actually, I'd been thinking about it since 1994 while working on the first issue. I'd been toying with the idea of publishing Snow fire #4 in 1998, #5 in 1999, and opening #6 (due in 2000) to include material about the yet-to-be-named Young Queen (Leia's mom...and I don't mean Debbie Reynolds) as well as any other prominent women characters in the new film. Of course this zine will ALWAYS feature material about Princess Leia. I do, however, want to include fan fiction based on the new trilogy.

It's too darned expensive to start up another zine for another character, and I'd like to avoid the kind of Classic vs. Next Gen divisions you find in Trek zines. As far as I'm concerned, it's all the same story'! Let me know what you think...

In the meantime, check out this amazing Leia web site: http://www.tiac.net/users/weric/leia.html, otherwise known as Princess Leia's Page Fiesta. It contains sound clips, film clips, and well over 100 pictures of Leia/Carrie in action (yes boys, there are lots of slave girl shots). A must-see for all Leia Worshippers!

  • Editorial
  • Letters of Comment ("Snowdrifts")
  • Vision Quest Memorium [sic], poem by Amanda Palumbo (1)
  • Catalyst, fiction by Amanda Palumbo (2)
  • Tortured Solitude, fiction by Paul Michael Kane. With Alderaan gone and with no hope of escaping from the Death Star, Leia loses the will to live. Little does she know about a plan to rescue her. (6)
  • Rings of Gold, poem by Mary Jo Fox (9)
  • Turnabout, fiction by Richard Pfeiffer. A pirate band is about to learn the hard way not to mess with the Rebel Alliance. (10)
  • Maternal Instincts, fiction by Mary Jo Fox. An infant girl miraculously survives an Imperial massacre and captures the battle-hardened heart of a princess. (16)
  • You might be a Leia fan iff... (20)
  • Confusion, poem by Mary Jo Fox (21)
  • Fate and Favors, fiction by Gina Goad. Fate has stalled Han Solo's departure from Hoth; it's up to Leia to keep him around a little longer. (22)
  • For Friends and Lovers, fiction by Wendy Schwartz (27)
  • Healing, fiction by Anne Marie Gazzolo (33)
  • Thoughts/Letting Go, poem by Anne Marie Gazzolo (35)
  • Silence of the Stars, filk by Deborah Kittle (36)
  • Rebel Spirit, filk by by Linda Budinger (37)
  • If Only I Had Known, filk by by Deborah Kittle (38)
  • Leia, filk by by Linda Budinger (39)
  • If Tomorrow Never Comes, filk by by Wendy Schwartz (40)
  • A Little R and R, fiction by K. Willis Sterling (41)
  • Betrayal, fiction by Linda Budinger, translated by Pia Rasmussen (66)
  • First/Endings and Beginnings, poem by Anne Marie Gazzolo (70)
  • Supernatural Birth Machine, fiction by Kyla and Amanda Palumbo (71)
  • Father, fiction by Anne Marie Gazzolo. Anakin Skywalker's ghost attempts to patch things up with his daughter, but she's not quite ready to forgive him. (89)
  • Leiapunzel, fiction , part 2
  • Revenge of a Jedi, fiction by Amanada Palumbo (97)
  • The Rescue, poem by Monique Robertson (100)
  • Vacation Time, fiction by Amy S. Farmer (101)
  • All a Matter of Time, fiction by Matt Kirkby. Leia goes into hyperspace through a wormhole, sending her back 800 years to a showdown between clones and Jedi Knights. (104)
  • Golden Years, fiction by Emma Gilbert (113)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

I don't know where to start on Snowfire #3. First off, the cover art was brilliant and simply intriguing. The size of the zine was impressive, too. Amanda Palumbo's work really caught my eye, and I liked the end of Kane's "Tortured Solitude." I loved your "Rings of Gold," and "Maternal Instincts" was (m

really great, showing that motherly side of Leia. (And Han and Luke making funny faces! Hah!) "For Friends and Lovers" was good, too. But my absolute favorites were "Healing" and "Father" by Anne Marie Gazzolo. The intensity, the depth of the true Luke-Leia character interaction is SUPERB! I read them again as soon as I finished the first time. And by the way, nice work with my story-it's just the way I intended it to be.[6]

I LOVE that cover! Obviously Matt has read An Illustrated Guide To The SW Universe. I wouldn't mind seeing tales of Mommy Skywalker, or other major females. I don't know if I'd write anything, but then I haven't seen the new films or characters in action yet. (Except as dreams.) Not much artwork—as you yourself complained. What there was, was nice. Toni DiMaria raised an interesting point in noting that most of the stories have potential for "follow-up stories." Seeing as I have no idea what to write for the next issue, I think I'll accept the challenge and summon up Gimdt for another mission. "Vision Quest": a good view of Leia, noting her duty and still showing her own personality ("an Organa always holds her head high," calling to her mother). "Catalyst": another view of the Saga through Leia's POV...I look fcawaid to the rest of it. I liked how she tried to make a dignified plea and then simply concluding "helpless, tearstung." 'Tortured Solitude": Paul writes another great story. Tarkin was a nice cameo -- I can easily see Leia trying to kill him in a moment of desperation. "Rings of Gold": obviously inspired by the enhanced explosions of the SWSEs. (Guilty as charged! I thought those were cool!) I especially like the lines "Billions of lives silenced/in a ring of gold...Billions of lives avenged/in a ring of gold." 'Turnabout": one of my fave stories. Leia in her full glory as she outwits a pirate crew and shows that she's not a storybook princess waiting to be rescued. (Not that she ever has been.) "Maternal Instincts": you really captured the Princess in this one. Outrage at the Empire, cautious but still going to investigate the cry, and protective of the helpless. "You Might Be": was hilarious! My faves were "you've said...to your boss" and "Just being held..."

"Confusion": yep, that's Her Highness throughout ESB as she fights her growing feelings. "Fate and Favors": same as above comments...their relationship was always one based around a minor (?) verbal war. "For Friends and Lovers": the immediate aftermath of Bespin is an often ignored plot...a lot of emotions were running high, and so much had to be cleared up among Luke, Leia, and Lando. "Healing": touching (Luke and Leia's) bond was another ignored plot point. It was a good preview hint at Leia's Jedi heritage (on Lucas's part). Another Songbook...overdl I enjoyed them, though none are songs which I am originally familiar with. "A Little R&R": Yeah, it sounds typical that something as simple as vacationing would go wrong. Another Imp with another superweapon, though certainly an interesting idea...the Emperor would no doubt enjoy the irony of using a Jedi weapon to his own advantage. Nice reference to Truce at Bakura (the pillows in the hold), and so many of the nicknames get used. "Betrayal": shades of Callista in the Jedi woman, but a very enjoyable story. It hints at the past, which is certainly a fun area to work in (until Lucas solidifies details for us). "Endings and Beginnings": I like how the twins are both given suitable lines and then each ends on the same thought (you are...you.) "Supernatural Birth Machine": certainly an eye-catching title. I guess I liked this sequel to "Hole in the Sky," though I'm not crazy about those gods/spirits interacting with the Saga. Maybe it's just too far-fetched, even for space opera.

"Father": it will take a long time for Leia to ever accept her father as being Anakin and Vader in one body. Luke's need for a father probably allowed him to see "the good in him," a feat which so far eludes Her Highness. "Leiapunzel 2": we feared it would come, like the new Death Star...but she had to tell the other side of the story. This was as funny as the original twisted tale... "Vacation Time": Leia's explosion at her comm screen reminds me of her similar loss of temper in KJA's Dark Apprentice (or was it Jedi Search?). We never do see Leia taking much time to pursue her Jedi studies. Brakiss was a nice cameo. "Golden Years": must be the story farthest in the future that I've ever read. I just can't see Leia knitting anything...she just isn't the type.

Looking forward to next year.[6]

I like the cover art a lot, it was better than the last cover. Maybe another issue can have her with her twin? Rhydderch Wilson's art was good too-very interesting. I didn't like that Leia would seriously consider suicide as she did in "Tortured Solitude " -- yes, the loss of Alderaan was devastating, yes, she wanted to die, but she's too strong to really think of suicide. I really liked your poem "Rings of Gold." Your "Maternal Instincts" was good, cute. "Fate and Favors" was good. I liked "For Friends and Lovers" a lot, it's realistic for what Luke would have been feeling then and that they would be committed to each other forever but not be lovers. "Supernatural Birth Machine" has good elements in it though I refuse to believe that Leia's pregnancy was because her birth control failed.

I don't need stuff like that. I thought it was logical and so cute that Luke experienced Leia's morning sickness and labor. I liked his and Han's joy over her pregnancy and that Luke was there for the birth. I am mm waiting for "Leiapunzel #3"-Luke's version. "All a Matter of Time" was interesting. "Golden Years" was kind of cute. I was sorry not to see any poems from Yvette or Judith Klinger or Sarah Glasgow that were in Snowfire #2 (I hope I am remembering their names right). I loved their poems from 2 and hope they submit more. I wholeheartedly endorse your idea of including stuff about L & L's mom. I've been wondering where I could submit those things I've written. You'll be seeing some stuff, I may go overboard again in submissions.

I hope you'll be pleased. I was so excited when you said you wanted stuff about her mother. Cool, cool, cool. I loved "Blood Bond" (from #2) and I don't at all care for the hint, if I'm reading it correctly, from "Supernatural Birth Machine," that their mother committed suicide ("flash of something metal in her hand"). Though we haven't met her yet, I am sure that though grief stricken she wouldn't consider suicide a way out. She is an example of tremendous suffering but still going on despite it. Her children have to get their strength to endure pain from somewhere. "Supernatural" also had some of the best stuff in the zine, I'm just not agreeing with all of that.[6]

I'm quite happy about Matt Kirkby's opinion about "Web of Force." It is so encouraging to hear that somebody liked it. And I really loved the #3 cover art. Maybe because it is dominated by green and blue colors, which I just like more than the last cover's pink and purple. But both motives were obviously fine. And a big smack to Pia for her great translation (for "Betrayal")' It is completely what I wished to say.[6]

I got the second copy of "Snowfire" in the mail on Saturday. WOW, what a cover! (Ok, so I was predictable on that one:).) My roomie (also a SW fan) grabbed it from me and started reading it before I even got to crack to cover. Really liked the "zine within a zine." The illustrations were great. I could tell that you really put a lot of quality work into your publication.

I like the way that you characterize Leia. Strong with a bit of an edge, yet still very feminine. It's how I like to read her. I (personally) don't write her with enough of tin edge. My only defense is that I've read too many of Anne Elizabeth Zeek's stories and I'm still retaliating![6]

I really enjoyed Snowfire #3. again. It didn't have as many of my favorite pieces or as much variety (in terms of Leia's childhood) as the other two Snowfires. but hey--it's SW, it's Leia, so it has me already before word one. (The only thing I hated was my totally clueless comment in my LOC that Matt Busch should go professional. I learned right after I sent that letter that, of course, he is very much a professional. Just call me an idiot.) [Ed: Don't be so hard on yourself. Matt's work recently appeared on the cover of Bantam's Tales of the Empire and he made his comics debut last year with No Mercy's Coven 13 series.]

I have individual words to say about several pieces and writers. Of the poems, "The Rescue" by Monique Robertson and "Confusion" by Mary Jo Fox were so good. (And did you get the idea for "Rings of Gold" from the new shock wave rings added for the SW SpED?) See my response to Matt Kirkby. Of the stories, Gina Goad's "Fate and Favors" was good and a nice tie-in with TESB. Richard Pfeiffer's 'Tumabout" had a perfect hold on technical writing, and I liked his very in-command Leia.

'Tortured Solitude" (Paul Michael Kane) had a nicely-done interweaving of the stories of Leia and the Falcon's crew; also, a perfect last line capturing the spirit of SW. Besides that, I had always thought Leia just cried herself to sleep in her Death Star cell, but he offered another plausible explanation for that scene after Alderaan's destruction... "You Might Be A Leia Fan If..." was hilarious!

Of the entire zine, Amanda Palumbo's work impressed me most. Versatile to say the least. "Vision Quest Memorium" is deep and stirring. "Catalyst" is high-quality writing so out of my reach and league—excellent writing, with good intertwining of the early SW radio episodes and the movie, for continuity. Lastly, her "Leiapunzel Part 2" was laugh-out-loud funny, again, and even though the "gods and immortals" thing in "Supernatural Birth Machine" is not for me, I'm convinced Amanda writes the best Leia/Han love scenes in all of fandom. Her work in Snowfire #3 was the real standout for me.

Before I close this LOC, I noticed the lack of artwork that was mentioned, but it wasn't a problem. In the future, if you are short on art, perhaps you can use little clip art or symbols to fill in some white space. Maybe even lower border designs. Or maybe you could reprint stills of Leia from the trilogy as is done with BH (although I realize that only works with a computer; a photocopied movie still is pretty poor-looking)...And about your question to contributors on future Snowfires including material about Leia's real mother-that's great! Would I be willing to write material about her? I probably wouldn't, because other than Leia's "beautiful, kind, sad" line in ROTJ and some lines of motivation in the ROTJ novelization (and a little in one of the novels), I don't feel I have enough canon material to write the character. I'd feel as if I was "doing it wrong." Maybe after the first prequel comes out I'd write her, but not before. I think though, that you should keep Snowfire at least 50% pure Leia. After all, Snowfire was created because of the dearth of good Leia material and now Snowfire is going strong as the only current all-Leia zine (as far I know). I'm sure many multi-character zines for SW will pick up the prequel characters, whereas (in my opinion only) Snowfire should stay the source for Leia material that it uniquely is. A little prequel stuff- yes, but Leia should dominate. [Ed: Concerning prequel stories, I don't intend to start running them in Snowfire until the new movie comes out. I want stories about Leia's mom BASED on the new films, not just speculative stuff. And while this will remain first and foremost a Lela line, I think a lol of what will happen lo the Young Queen and who she Is as a person will directly afTect the Leia we all know and love already. This would be a great forum to piece together the puzzle by writing about both time periods. Besides, If the current zlnes out there aren't doing right by Lela now, can you expect anything to be different for the Young Queen, or Shmi (Grandma) Skywalker for that matter? [6]

I really loved it and the covers are always a treat. And my thanks to all who commented on my stories. Good or bad. For what is an author without reviews, right? The poems, the stories, the art. All great. I can't say that there was anything in it I didn't like. Keep up the good work. That goes to you. Mary Jo, as well as all the other talented authors who contribute to this great zine. Looking forward to number 4.[6]

Issue 4

cover of issue #4, Matt Busch
flyer printed in Bright Center of the Universe #8

Snowfire 4 was published in 1998 and contains 77 pages. The interior art is by Rhydderch Wilson, Bert-Olof Lundin, Linda Buldinger, and Gina Goad. It has a cover by Matt Busch.

The editorial:

On October 29, 1997 I had the great fortune to be present at a tribute to George Lucas put on by the Smithsonian Institute in honor of the Star Wars exhibit at Washington D.C.'s National Air and Space Museum. There I was, sitting just five rows away from the man himself. That unto itself was indescribably exciting—and a tad surreal, I must admit. Here I was, less than 100 feet from the person who created the Star Wars universe, who had just completed principal photography on the new movie less than a month beforehand. It was almost like having the pope sitting nearby. In a word, wow.

George did answer a few questions from the audience, and one of the things asked pj, of him by an 8-year-old girl was, "How come there are hardly any girls in Star Wars?" In his response, George had said something that was pretty interesting...he considered Leia the central figure of the trilogy because most of what happens revolves around her. He also said the young queen destined to be Luke and Leia's mother in the new trilogy fills a similar role.

Hmm, I guess the litde secret we've known all along here at "Snowfire" is out! If you really think about it. Her Worship really is the one who is the catalyst for just about everything that occurs. Who sent the droids to look for Obi Wan? Who helped encourage Luke to leave Tatooine? Who got Han and Chewie to quit smuggling? Who killed Jabba? Who first came across the Ewoks? I could go on—these were all crucial events in the trilogy. It'll be interesting to see how this pattem will be played out again in the new trilogy, which kicks off in just one year! I! (Everyone cheer and scream!)

Speaking of which, I asked readers and contributors last issue how they'd feel about including stories about the young queen in future issues of "Snowfire." The responses were unaminously in favor of including such stories, so "Snowfire #6" will be the first "mother-daughter" issue! (I want you guys to at least see the new movie first...)

In the meantime, keep sending in those cards and letters, and if you write stuff or draw but haven't contributed to "Snowfire" yet, what are you waiting for?! Now go on and enjoy the zine!

  • "Wither Thou Goest". Archived from the original on 2002-01-11., fiction by Michele Slaughter (After spending only one horrible night on the Death Star, Leia may spend the rest of her life as Vader's prisoner unless she can break his hold on her psyche, as well.) (1)
  • Tears of Fire, fiction by Mary Jo Fox ("Anger and grief can be powaful catalysts tar action.") (18)
  • Rematch, fiction by Kirkby ("Leia and her old enemy Grand Admiral Gimdt match wits once more.") (23)
  • First Contact, fiction by Anne Marie Gazzolo ("The first inklings that there's something more between Luke and Leia than friendship.") (31)
  • Two of Hearts, poem by Anne Marie Gazzolo (36)
  • Wonderings, poem by Anne Marie Gazzolo (37)
  • I Love You, poem by Anne Marie Gazzolo (37)
  • Every Breath You Take, filk by Linda Budinger (39)
  • The Princess of Alderaan Blues, filk by Mary Jo Fox (40)
  • Ten Thousand Jedi, filk by Debbie Kittle (41)
  • Star Trails, filk by Pia Rasmussen (42)
  • Crazy for You, filk by Wendy Schwarz (43)
  • Filk #236, filk by Mary Jo Fox (45)
  • Shadows of Night, fiction by Linda Budinger, translated by Alexander Lohmann ("Luke and Leia discuss the Dark Side.") (reprinted from Star Wars Vision) (47)
  • Absence Doesn't Always Make the Heart Grow Fonder, fiction by Wendy Schwartz ("Han and Leia have some serious relationship issues.") (51)
  • Expectations, fiction by Mary Jo Fox ("For once, a story where Han and Leia are happy about being pregnant.") (57)
  • A Jedi, Finally, poem by Gina Goad (65)
  • A Mother's Heartache, poem by Karen Sorrell (67)
  • A Brother Lost, fiction by Anne Marie Gazzolo ("Leia must use her Jedi skills to save a disembodied Luke from death's icy grip.") (68)
  • Sisterly Concerns, fiction by Gina Goad ("It's only natural for a sister to be curious about her brother's new love.") (73)
  • Dear Mom, poem by Gina Goad (76)
  • Surfin' the Net With Leia... ("Last issue I told you about a very cool Leia web site only to discover shortly thereafter that our favorite princess has even more sites dedicated to her. There's even a Princess Leia Web Ring (it's like a connected series of related web sites) established last year. The sites run the gamut from containing fan fiction to containing film/audio clips. There are pictures galore of course, a treasure trove for still/photo collectors. I must issue one warning though—given the mercurial nature of servers and webmasters I cannot guarantee ALL of these sites are still up or at these URLs. All I know is that these were up and running as of press time. I also realize there may be dozens more Leia-related web sites I don't know about. The following information was culled from the Organa-zation web site:") (77)

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson (one of the illos to which some fans objected, see comments in the next issue, also see Controversy)

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson (one of the illos to which some fans objected, see comments in the next issue)

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #4, Linda Budinger

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #4, illo by Linda Budinger, poem by Pia Rasmussen

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #4, Linda Budinger

  • from issue #4, Bert-Olof Lundin

  • from issue #4, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #4, sample text

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

Enjoyed the issue, and both Schwartz's and Debbie's filk (the one that I do know; don't listen to country fried musick if I've a choice <g>) set me caterwauling-scared the cat! :0)

BTW, that interpretation/juxtaposition of that SWG#3 Leia card and Madonna/Jesus artwork piece of Rhydd's next to Karen' poem was terrific!

Oh. Forgot to mention -- great idea providing web urls for the Leia-deprived.[7]

Just before sealing this leter, I remembered your inquiry to your readers asking how they would feel if you were to include stories in future issues that would feature Leia's mother. In al honesty, the idea wouldn't thrill me at this point. Right now we don't even know if we will like her. I don't know why we seem to react to certain characters in certain ways. I don't know that her character would hold the same appeal as Leia. I suppose if you kept it to a bare minimum, it would be all right, but I would miss my all-Leia. Well, you have my vote. In any case, I'm sure the stories would continue to be of the same fine quality. So good luck in making your decision. Use the Force, Mary Jo. Use the Force! [7]

Snowfire #4 arrived and it took me less than a day to devour! There was not one story in #4 that was not appealing to me. Among my faves were 'Tears of Fire," "Absence Doesn't Always Make the Heart Grow Foirder," "A Brother Lost," and "Rematch." "First Contact" by Anne Marie Gazzolo was absolutely outstanding-once again, she managed to show real character interaction without overdoing it or being too "fluffy." I also appreciated Michele Slaughter's "Whither Thou Goest," which was a good read and also a nice tie-in with ANH.

The artwork this issue just got better...and Matt Busch's cover was phenomenal! The filks were good, and I found 'Ten Thousand Jedi" very clever. Of the poems, I especially liked "A Mother's Heartache" (I thought it conveyed much the same message as my "Dear Mom," and I also liked the facing artwork).

"Female Advice" was funny, and I think we all appreciated the added feature "Surfin' the Net With Leia." I was really impressed with the entire issue, and I look forward to #5. Also, I was surprised with the nice reviews of my "Fate and Favors" from Snowfire #3. All I can say is, wow. (Do these people realize that story was the result of one bored high school senior in a study hall full of froshies?!) Everybody keep up the great work!![7]

Regarding Snowfire 4, I was really offended by some of the art, especially in the beginning and then further in, with Leia and son? Their mother and Luke? (I don't know which) masquerading as Mary, the Mother of God and Jesus. I didn't expect an attack on my faith in your zine. I felt better after I've threw away the offending pieces.

The stuff I did like especially was the song from "Whither Thou Goest," I even read it out loud to my mom. It is so cool. It could fit the twins, though I know it wasn't meant for that (or fit Han and Leia as well). I also loved the art Linda Budinger did for the twins. Your 'Expectations" was good and I liked your "Princess of Alderaan Blues." I was singing it in my head, though I don't belong to the school of thought of Luke and Leia regreting their past feeligs - they were 99% past those feelings even before they knew anyways. I liked the detail of Rhyddetch Wilson's Renaissance Leia. He must have an interest in history like I do to do that. Matt Kirby's "Rematch" was good. I am going to order his poetry. "Sisterly Concerns" was good - it reflects my feelings regarding them. "Dear Mom" was good and A Jedi.

Finally, though I wasn't sure what she meant by two strangers. "Shadows of Nighf was interesting.[7]

If if's not too late, then there are a few things I wanted to comment on about "Snowfire #4." Out of the entire zine, your "Princess of Alderaan Blues" was my favorite. It really was excellent, and it looked like it took a loooong time to come up with all those original verses. Linda Budingef s "Every Breath You Take" was cute. (Believe it or not, I was about to do one on that song, but she beat me to it!) last filk I liked was 'Ten Thousand Jedi" by Deborah Kittle. I like the original song and her using "Jedi" in its place (why I didn't I think of that??). Furthermore, she writes an enormous amount of filks based mostly on country songs I enjoy, with her work saturating SW fandom—and I love it! She has the best filks.

Of the poetry, the companion poems "Wonderings" and "I Love You" were realy nice, and perfect together. Honorable mention to "A Mother's Heartache." For the vignettes/stories, "Sisterly Concerns" was wonderfully sweet and gentle, and Michele Slaughter's "Wither Thou Goest" was such a great story with a perfectly original second half (and song). Also liked the tie-in with the novelization.

I hate to be the wet blanket, but I wasn't too thrilled with the side view nude of Leia (by Rydderch Wilson). I thought it was a touch too revealing. (But I'll probably be regarded as a prude for saying that.) And also, I disliked the Leia-as-Virgin-Mary-with-Child artwork (again, by Rhydderch Wilson). Before I'm regarded as out-of-the-loop, or fanatical, let me say that I know it was just one in a series of well-known portraits, with Leia inserted, such as Leia-as-Victorian-Queen, or Leia-as-Mona-Lisa. I know, and I get it. But to me, I just thought it was definitely crossing the line to associate Leia with the Virgin Mary and Child, even just in artwork. My opinion only. I do have some good news for R.W., though—liked your Leia-as-Jabba's-slave-resting-on-pillows art. Nicely matches the still photo we're so used to seeing.

Lastly, the "Female Advice" on page 35 was hilarious! (I'm sure Han would be thrilled with the "Female Advice.") But, to add something to Question #1, in which Leia says the two crucial things you need are hairspray and the inability to perspire, I'd put lip gloss on that list. Did you ever notice that no matter what Leia goes through—Imperial torture, blaster fights, falling off a speeder bike, love scenes, capture, etc., that she always—always— has perfectly glossed lips? Sometimes I begin to wonder if she's got a little tube of the stuff stuck in her boot that she pulls out to touch up the ole lips from time to time!!

Thank you for another great zine.

Ye Editor replies: I'm sorry you were offended by some of the artwork in the last issue. Rest assured I did not put them in there with the purpose of mocking anyone's religious background. When I first got the artwork, I went back and forth on it, considering whether or not some readers might find it blasphemous. I perceived it not as an attempt to be blasphemous, but an imitation of that particular style of art (Renaissance-era religious art) with a SW twist. I've seen this type of thing before, where religious/sacred images are combined with the secular. One recent example I can think of is a cover for "George" magazine featuring Madonna dressed as well, the real Madonna, holding a baby. I thought, "Let's just see what folks think," because even though I was a little uncomfortable with it, I figured not everyone would be. Maybe I should have remembered the wise advice not to mess with religion or politics! As for the artwork with the Table of Contents, I included it because I thought it was tastefully done. Any potentially offensive anatomical parts were covered, otherwise it wouldn't have been there.
Another zine editor gave me this piece after she absolutely flipped for it, and I could see why. It was nicely done, and it conveyed Leia's innocence, vulnerability and femininity. Nudity has long since been a staple of sculpture and painting, going back to ancient times and has come to symbolize many things, often not anything having to do with pornography. While I think the nudity seen in most movies (and tv. shows) these are is purely gratuitous, the human body in its natural state isn't in itself a dirty thing.
To be honest, I think Rhyddetch's portrait was more tasteful than the infamous Leia au naturel portrait in the "Shadows of the Empire" trading card set. Men seeing the picture might get "additional" enjoyment from it, but so what? Luke and Han fans have been drooling over portraits of their faves for years, I've seen some fan art that makes Rhydderch's look TAME. Finally consider the paradox...in many pictures I've seen of Leia, she's aiming a gun at you and looking tough. Yet if s a picture of the very same heroine in the buff, but not in a particularly seductive pose, thars upsetting. That's my side of the story. We al have diferent sensibilities, and I try hard not to trample on too many of them with this zine. But I guess you can't win every time.[7]

As usual, it was a great read. Very interesting in detail and variations. Looking forward to #5.

Simply awesome cover. Didn't we see this picture on a SOTE card?

"Whither": It was dark, it was ominous...it was enjoyable, but I've always been a sucker for anything with Tarkin. Having all the Alderaanians show their support for her at the end was a believable touch. So was the Vision of her single greatest speech ever—"do it for the trees."

"Tears": They were all in character...the Leia/Han bits especially. I could see them trading verbal shots like that. "Rematch": Cool, you kept my Canadian spellings; most of my U.S. editors change to American spellings. Page 27, paragraph 5 should read "lead" not "load."

"Contact": I liked it. Linda's pic looks good.

"Advice" was hilarious! More of this for next year!

"Hearts": If s got something I can't quite put my finger on, but I like it.

"Wonderings"/"Love" were both enjoyable. Two sides of the same question...

What is it with shots of Leia in less than a full uniform? That's two for this issue!

Another songbook...! enjoyed this last one, even if most of the original songs were ones I don't care for.

"Breath": I love this song-in both forms-and the best line is "Every Boushh you play." "Princess": I'm not a blues fan. "Jedi": I don't know the original, but I'll assume that the lyrics fit in. They read well anyway. "Startrails": and the title's in SW lettering! Cooltouch. "Crazy": I absolutely love this song and would love to hear Madonna sing this version sometime. Why don't you ask her. Mart? Ha ha... "236": another original I don't know. Whaaat?

You're not familiar with Sarah Mclachlan, fellow Canadian and the gal who started Lilith Fair??? I guess not. I highly recommend her to all and not just because her songs are ripe pickin's for filks.

"Shadows": An interesting philosophical question raised...to say nothing of "where could an armed princess in her nightgown be found in the darkness?"

"Absence": Both were in character...this scene was definitely one played out many times during their courtship, we're sure.

"Expectations": How many soon-to-be parents went through the same thoughts. A good touch making Han take the news less well than Leia...twins having twins is not something most people expect, but it is statistically correct.

Bert's art is good...I'd love to know what story the Vader is from-and who is sitting next to him?

Rhydderch's art is also impressive—especially that regal-looking portrait; I can just see something like it hanging in the halls of Aldera. And Leia as the Madonna...I like it, though I'm sure there'll be some who'll be offended by its audacity; but I don't find it offensive in the least.

"Heartache": raised excellent points.

"Brother Lost": I didn't care for it, but I have no firm, explainable reasons, just personal feelings.

"Sisterly Concerns": Yep, everyone takes interest in Luke's love life-or lack thereof-and his sister is no exception.[7]

Issue 5

Snowfire 5 was published in April 1999 and contains 100 pages. It won a 1999 Star aWard.

The art is by Jason Brown, Matt Busch (cover), Z.P. Florian, Josh Howard, Bert-Olof Lundin, Amanda Palumbo, and Rhydderch Wilson.

cover of issue #5, Matt Busch
flyer for issue #5

From the flyer:

The Emperor tries Stealing Candy from a certain royal toddler. The Smiles of War hide a darker agenda in an alternate tale. The Alliance holds a Stardance. Luke reveals the true story (from a certain p.o.v.) of the Death Star rescue in Leiapunzel Part III: Dianogas Do. Leia adjusts to life on Coruscant one Alderaan Morning. Han may be Good as Gone, but Leia can still feel his presence. The gang celebrates victory at Endor in Legacy. Leia suffers Sleepless Nights while Han is away (and who can blame her). Corellians Make Great Lovers???—read this story before you answer that question. The Subjugation of a Twi'lek slave dancer elicits Leia's sympathy and help. Han's been a bad boy and Leia gives him what he deserves in What A Coincedence II. Tragedy strikes the Solo family in For Omega. A Late Delivery From Alderaan brings a long-delayed message of love. WITH: More stories, Snowfire Songbook, poems, artwork, and other surprises. Also featuring THE coolest color cover art to date! Due out Spring/Summer 1999. SASE or e-mail Alderaan69 ©aol.com for prices and postage.

The editorial:

By the time most of you receive this zine, you probably already have gone through your tenth viewing of "Episode I: The Phantom Menace." This is perhaps the most exciting time there has ever been in the entire history of SW fandom—with the birth of a new trilogy, it is the birth of a new age in our long and rich history.

It is in that spirit that Snowfire will be undergoing some changes. This issue contains a little bit here and there relating to TTM.. .next issue, with any luck, will contain a lot more. Snowfire #6 will be open to stories, filks, poems, and artwork about Queen Amidala; see guidelines at the end of the zine for more details. Some fans may think I'm nuts for doing this. But trust me, this has been the plan al along, ever since I first started working on Snowfire in 1993. I wanted to tie into the prequels without having to start another zine. Besides, my philosophy was and still is, if people weren't writing Leia fan fiction now, what makes fans think things will be any diferent with new characters?

Another concern has been "What if we don't like this queen chick?" Well, not having seen the movie as of writing but having seen both trailers, I think we have nothing to worry about. My reaction to seeing Amidala in action was, "I love her already!" Aside from her exotic yet impeccable fashion sense, she seems to have the makings of a true leader and a fighter. Look at her addressing the senate or telling Palpatine we're not signing no stinkin' treaty.. .that's no shrinking violet. She also seems to be pretty handy with a blaster. Not bad for a 14-year-old monarch. I think many young girls around the world will be as inspired by the queen as I was by the princess two decades ago.

Amidala is so key to this whole story, yet up until now we've known nothing about her. It'll be interesting to see her ultimately tragic tale unfold in its juiciest details.. .her romance and il-fated marriage to Anakin Skywalker, her pregnancy with the "wonder twins", the birth of Luke and Leia, her escape to Alderaan with the infant princess, and her as-of-yet unknown fate, not to mention how her political role figures into the Republic's collapse. Sounds like perfect fodder for fan fiction to me!

Snowfire isn't abandoning Leia, though. Not at all. This will always be the home for Leia fan fiction, and stories set in the classic trilogy era will always be welcomed. I will still call the zine "Snowfire." After all, Aimdala is every bit as pale as her daughter! Maybe even more so with that kabuki makeup. I'm stil calling my editorial page Holographic Message. The stories will still be arranged in "chronological" order. There will still be Leia cover art.

I'm not interested in the "Kirk vs. Picard" or "Classic vs. New" nonsense. It's all SW to me.

  • Editorial (1)
  • Letters of Comment (2)
  • Stealing Candy, fiction by Mary Jo Fox (4)
  • The Smiles of War, fiction by Selinthia Avenchesca (Ed: "Editor's Note: This is an alternate universe story. Normally I don't publish a.u. material but since the author didn't know that and I forgot to tell her, I made an exception this one time.") (6)
  • Stardance, fiction by Diana Lee (9)
  • An Internal Dialogue, fiction by Mary Jo Fox (12)
  • Snowfire, poem by Amanda Palumbo (13)
  • Dreamscape, poem by Gina S. Goad (13)
  • Corellians Make Great Lovers????, fiction by Wendy Schwartz (24)
  • Legacy, fiction by Amanda Palumbo (26)
  • Run to You, filk to the tune of Whitney Houston's "Run to You", by Wendy Schwartz (29)
  • Alderaan, filk to the tune of "Adia" by Sarah McLachlan, by Mary Jo Fox (31)
  • Must've Been Love, filk to the tune of "Must've Been Love" by Roxette, by Wendy Schwartz (32)
  • Saying Goodbyes (Leia's Song), filk to the tune of "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye" by Patty Loveless, by Wendy Schwartz (33)
  • Just to See You Smile (Hans's Song), filk to the tune by Tim McGraw, by by Wendy Schwartz (34)
  • Leiapunzel Part 3: Dianogas Do!, fiction by Amanda Palumbo (35)
  • His Hands, fiction by Michelle Slaughter (43)
  • Waiting, fiction by Michelle Slaughter (45)
  • Alderaan Morning, fiction by Nicole Medina (47)
  • The Subjugation of a Twi'lek, fiction by Amanda Palumbo (49)
  • The Tapestry , fiction by Mary Jo Fox (73)
  • What a Coincidence, part 2, fiction by Michelle Slaughter (74)
  • Anniversary Letter, poem by Gina S. Goad (80)
  • Sleepless Nights, fiction by Gina S. Goad (81)
  • For Omega, fiction by Karen Sorrell (82)
  • Ghosts, fiction by Matt Kirkby (90)
  • A Late Delivery from Alderaan, fiction by Matt Kirkby (94)

  • from issue #5, Josh Howard

  • from issue #5, Amanda Palumbo

  • from issue #5, Z.P. Florian

  • from issue #5, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #5, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #5, Jason Brown

  • from issue #5, Amanda Palumbo

  • from issue #5, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #5, Rhydderch Wilson

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

What a triumph you have in Snowfire #5! The cover blew me away. "The Smiles of War" was interesting -- no wonder Luke & Leia didn't get along if they were living on the dark side all the time. "Good as Gone" was good -- it was interesting that Leia was flattered by Luke's crush. "Legacy" was good. The art was much better in this issue than the last, that being Rhydderch Wilson's and the uncredlted as far as I can tell one at the end of "Leiapunzel".

I am glad [Wendy S] agreed with my objection to the [religious imagery] stuff in the last issue.

I really liked "Saying Goodbyes (Leia's Song)." I was surprised and flattered that Amanda Palumbo dedicated "Leiapunzel Part III" to me -- I enjoyed reading the story and was glad Luke enjoyed myself - it's neat having my name assodated with him in that small way. "

Alderaan Moming" was good. "Subjugation" was good- the parts with the twins and their help of the Tw'ilek dancer were my favorite parts. I liked your "The Tapestry." That was neat -- I am glad that you are weaving Amidala into the stories. "Sleepless Nights" was good. "For Omega" was my favorite --very pro-life as far as recognizing the humanity and reality of the unbom and mourning the loss of daughter and niece and that last, a glimpse into heaven? It was a well done, moving story.

"A Late Delivery from Alderaan" was good too and the illustration that preceded it. The only thing that was a little too wild was toward the end of "What a Coincidence, Part II." I stopped reading that after a while. "Ghosts in the Garden" was good.

Congratulations on a great issue! [8]

Just read Snowire #5 and I am speechless! The cover art was breathtaking... great work Matt, and good luck in your future career! While I pounded out less for issue #5 myself (2nd year college blues being the culprit) I was amazed by the quality of everyone else's work. My favorite pieces this issue included "The Smiles of War," "Good As Gone," and especially "An Internal Dialogue." The art this issue was great, too! Props to Josh Howard for his talents! And Rhydderch Wilson was impressive as well.

I look forward to #6! [8]

Another perfect cover by Matt (Busch)...SF has been lucky to have been able to utilize his talents. But it's also nice that he's gone to bigger and possibly better things. I don't mind seeing some Amidala stories in future issues; now that we've seen her in action, she's certainly got the family resemblance to her daughter. I knew those pictures from the last issue (#4) would generate some discussion and controversy. I didn't find either offensive...the nude was drawn quite tastefully really, and the religious-styled portrait is commonly used by secular sources as well. Josh's art reminds me of the manga-styie. But Obi-Wan and Amidala were recognizable.

"Stealing Candy": I started laughing aloud even before I began reading the story. "She didn't," I thought, and then I read "Emperor Palpatine" and thought "Yep, she did." Then I had a brief flashback of that "Simpsons" episode when Mr. Bums tries to steal candy from Maggie... I digress. This story was hilarious.

"Smiles of War": I like a.u. stories and would like to see more of these Sith Knights. "Stardance": Good story...Leia is very much a tomboy, but she still tries to be ladylike. "Internal Dialogue": Sounds like something Han would have been thinking. "Good As Gone": A moumful story... I felt her pain. "Corellians Make Good Lovers?": It was hilarious... I really laughed at this endless litany of disaster. Reminds me of personal experiences. "Legacy": Ah, so close and yet she still had to wait three years to get that offer once again. "Leiapunzel": Not another one! It wasn't as funny as the previous entries in the series, but it was still amusing to read over. "His Hands Awaiting": Two views of the same event...and well- written. "Alderaan Morning": I would imagine that Coruscant is a major difference to someone who grew up on Alderaan. I know that I get tired of big cities (when I'm in Ottawa on vacation) after a few weeks and am ready to come home to a small town. "Subjugation": A good story... Leia is all set to change the galaxy and it must miff her that she is still bound by rules and planetary laws which she can't just change because she disagrees with them. "Tapestry": We all know who the mystery woman is. "What A Coincedence II": What a story. I need a cold shower. This is one story which wiil spark off some comments. Good "Anniversary Letter"...very apt. "Sleepless Nights": I imagine their relationship will have many fights and skirmishes. "For Omega": I didn't like it... I'm not sure why, but I just didn't. An intriguing story, but the characters just didn't seem right to me.

The poems: Lots of good stuff. Many things I liked. The art: You have some talented artists... Bert-Olof drew great pix, but so did Amanda and Rhydderch. Heck, everyone drew good pictures... .except me (which is why I didn't submit any).

The filks: Most of them are country songs and I detest country music, especialy stuff which tries to sneak onto the pop charts. So I don't know any of the original songs used in these filks. Well, I've heard Sarah McLachlan before, but it doesn't stick in my memory. Except for "It Must Have Been Love," which is by Roxette, one of my fave bands in the world. (I have all of their CDs, including their premiere and even their Spanish versions.) So it was a good zine. I look forward to seeing the next issue, next year.[8]

I have to tell you I really enjoyed it. For me it was a nice mix of familiar and brand-new faces as far as writers are concerned. Snowfire just keeps getting better and better. I realy like the idea of adding Queen Amidala. Her daughter is very much like her. I thought the front cover of #5 was terrific. Showcasing Leia and Amidala like that was a great idea.

Lots of good stuff between the covers too. I had to laugh at "Leiapunzel." We now have , three separate versions of the infamous garbage masher escape. When do we get to hear it from Chewie's point of view? Loved Leia's line in "What a Coincidence II" where she says if she'd wanted to be lied to she would have married a politician. I thought that was great, and probably all too true. As for the mental images that story brought up—well, my imagination got a pretty good workout. I thought "Anniversary Letter" captured Han's feelings perfectly. "Good as Gone" gives some insight into Leia's thoughts and feelings leading up to Han's rescue, and perhaps reveals a little more of her burgeoning Jedi powers.

The Snowfire Songbook was realy good and I liked Amanda Palumbo's take on Shakespeare. Actualy, all the material was great, and your "Stealing Candy" was very funny, but the really interesting one was "The Smiles of War." I've read stories where Luke has turned to the Dark Side, but never one where the twins were raised together as Sith. Selinthia gives us a very real idea of what may have happened had Luke and Leia never been separated from each other or their parents.

I'm really looking forward to Snowfire #6. Hopefully we wil see more of Queen Amidala without slighting our favorite Princess of Alderaan. I'm really looking forward to it.[8]

First, I'd like to comment on Matt Busch's gorgeous cover. There aren't enough adjectives to describe his work. It's out of this world. Rhydderch Wilson is another fantastic artist and I've always adored Bert-Olof's. He seems to catch the essence of the story with a few strokes. One of my favorites was "An Internal Dialogue" by Mary Jo Fox. I can just imagine Han with those thoughts. I thought Wendy Schwartz did an excelent job writing a story to one of Z.P. Florian's excellent illos. Quite like Michele Slaughter's matching pieces—"His Hands" and "Waiting." Very well done. There were many other stories that I liked—the two by Matt Kirkby spring to mind. They were very poignant.

An excellent issue and I look forward to the next issue.[8]

As always a great zine. If it's Leia, that's automatic, but there was a bunch of stuff specificaly that I enjoyed the most. Here goes: Matt Kirkby's "A Late Delivery From Alderaan" was a good vignette; very original. From brief glimpses we've seen of the relationship between Leia and her father Bail in the radio dramatization, novelizations, etc., it appears she had a very strong bond with him, also following in his footsteps politically, etc.. He seems to have been the most important person in her life by far, and I wish there had been more to show or tell among SW media. Neither do the fans seem to cover that fact of Leia's life much; so I'm glad to see this vignette.

Karen Sorrell also had a good story with "For Omega" and her original idea of someone trying to sterlize the Jedi. Liked Gina Goad's "Anniversary Letter"—didn't know Solo was such a poet. Cute!!!

Rhydderch Wilson (by the way, how is that pronounced?) had some nice L/H artwork on page 79, and beautiful art with perfect likenesses on the table of contents. (How about taking over for Matt Busch vwith the covers if Snowfire continues, eh Rhydderch???)

Speaking of Matt Busch...outstanding color cover as usual. Congrats on your extra boost from Lucasfilm for your pro career.

Why didn't they take you on long ago is beyond me. I loved, loved Michelle Slaughter's twin vignettes of "Waiting" and "His Hands." Both were wonderfuly romantic and in character for what they would be thinking about each other down the road. There were a couple of missing credits in this issue. Jason Brown did the sexy Leia portrait on page 25, not on page 8 as was written. And you forgot to credit yourself entirely for the filk "Alderaan" on page 31. [Ed: Actually, Jason's work is on page 42. On page 25 was Z.P. Florian's cover for Hibernation Sickness, which inspired Wendy's story. Apologies to all!]

I also enjoyed Amanda Palumbo's "Legacy," especially the excellent idea of the "group holo." As for Han proposing that night, well I think he would've had to be drunk to ask that soon. Oh, and Amanda's Shakespearean-toned poem "Snowfire" was wonderfully cute and sexy I To finish up this part, you did a great job with "An Intemal Dialogue," capturing Han Solo dead-on perfect in his "thoughts of a scoundrel."

I saved my comments on my favorite piece of "Snowfire #5" for last. Okay, it's Michelle Slaughter's "What a Coincedence, Part II." Wow! Was that story inaedlbly sensual! Loved the very real dialogue between them. Loved the issues of trust, sneaking around, telling the truth, and being completely open to each other. It was very nice to read the rare erotic married love scene for two people together awhile and after three kids. I admit this story is a "guilty pleasure" for me, especially since I just got done saying we should stick fairly close to George's family standards. Having said that, I frankly don't see where Han was being punished. Though I understand how not being able to hold her would be a problem, he was pretty much in every guy's dream position. He had it way too easy. What Leia should have done was to get him as aroused as possible and then just leave him there saying, "Sorry sweetheart, I have some business to attend to," and exit without finishing. Now THAT would've been a torturous punishment! I loved to see that sensual Leia take control in the bedroom, though. So, loved the story.[8]

First of all I'd like to thank you for Snowfire #5 -- I received the zine some time ago and loved the stories, poems, and the magnificent art. The zine looks so elegant, the layout is so clear and nobly simple and in fact I wish it contained 25% MORE fat than other zines, not less as you describe it. I've by now become acquainted with some other printed SW fanzines but this one's quite exceptional.[8]

My compliments on another terrific issue of Snowfire. No. 4 had good stories, beautiful poetry, interesting artwork, and it was put together in a fine professional manner. While I enjoyed all the stories, poems, etc., I must give particular mention to "Whither Thou Goest." It followed Leia's emotional crisis in a powerful manner from the torture right through the period after the destruction of the Death Star. It was a believable scenario and in cdiaracter with how I think Leia would react. My compliments to Michelle Slaughter. Congratulations to you and to all the fine authors and artists who made Snowfire #4 possible.[8]

I just wanted to say that I got my Snowfire 4 today and loved it. I also enjoyed Snowfire 5 very much. You have done a great job. I've just discovered fanzines this year and I have to say I love them. I just regret I didn't know about them sooner.[8]

Issue 6

Snowfire 6 was published in July 2000 and contains 65 pages.

The art is by Rhydderch Wilson, Linda Budinger, and Amanda Palumbo.

It won a 2000 Star aWard.

cover of issue #6, Amanda Palumbo

The editorial:

Welcome to the final print edition of Snowfire.

After six issues, I have decided that I will no longer publish the zine in this format. Why? Two major factors were time and money. It's getting more and more expensive to publish fanzines, even a small one such as this. This time I had to go with a black and white cover Just to cut costs. The costs get passed on to you all who pay for the zine and it's ridiculous that the average price of a 200-page zine is around $30! And let's not get into postage...

Then there's the time factor. After six years, it gets to be a real drag going to and from the copy store, to the post office, and so on. When I first started Snowfire, I was in school. My time was my own. Now I work full-time. On top of that, I work on another zine. It just got to be too much.

But Snowfire isn't going away completely. The great folks at fanfix.com have offered to host an online edition of Snowfire for free and to help maintain it until I can leam to do it myself. This means Snowfire will reach a wider audience at little to no cost for me. It's hard to tum that down, huh?

Snowfire will maintain the same standards as before. It will be an e-zine, not just a fan fiction archive. I will still edit, not just slap on whatever is sent to me. The format will be the same, and I will feature stories, filks, poems, and artwork. The guidelines will still be the same.

I know some of you aren't going to be happy nonetheless. I started out in fanzines and I know the convenience of having a copy with you to read wherever you go. I know how it's a pain to stare at a monitor for hours trying to read online fan fiction or to print up someone's epic. Yes, I know It Won't Be The Same. But it was either this or to stop publishing entirely and with more and more people having web access these days, it would be silly of me to not even try an online format.

Sometime late in 2000, I hope to have some sample stories from past issues up at fanfix.com/snowfire so fans will have an idea of what to expect. Then in 2001, I hope to have an all-new issue up. I hope all of you who have faithfully contributed over the past six issues will contribute this time and to have some new contributors aboard as well. So send me your stuff just as you always have! Send in your readers' comments too... I will put those up on the site as well.

Before I go, I have a whole mess of people to thank for making the six-issue run a success. First of all, everyone who has contributed over the years. Some folks only contributed once, others contributed many times, but everyone's work has been greatly appreciated. I'd especially like to thank Anne Marie Gazzolo, Gina Goad, Amanda Palumbo, Matt Kirkby, Wendy Schwartz, Rhydderch Wilson, and the great Matt Busch for all that they've done. The zine wouldn't have lasted as long as it has virithout you guys. Thanks!

Next, I'd like to thank Debbie Kittle for taking several issues and flyers up to MediaWest for me. I'd like to thank Judy Yuenger for selling the issues for me at MediaWest as well as for her general support.

Thanks also go to Erin Blackwell and Susan Gater for helping to ease Snowfire into the wild and woolly world of the internet.

Of course, I can't forget those of you who have read and enjoyed this zine. It's been wonderful to discover I'm not the only one who loves Princess Leia and wanted to see more fan fic focused on her. I hope that you'll continue to support Snowfire online.

I can't thank enough Yvette Ghilan, the fan whose idea this was in the first place. It's been a long time since I've been in contact with her, but I haven't forgotten her inspiration brought this zine to life. Finally, I want to thank the people who brought us the Star Wars saga, particularly George Lucas for creating these wonderful women, and the ladies who portrayed them, Natalie Portman and Carrie Fisher.

I hope we've all done them justice.

  • Amidaia's Upcoming Talk Show Appearances by Mary Jo Fox (1)
  • Musings on a Handmaiden, poem or filk by Mary Jo Fox (1)
  • Childhood Sweethearts, fiction by Mary Jo Fox (2)
  • Icky, Icky Goo, fiction by Mary Jo Fox (3)
  • Naboo Queen, filk to the tune of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, by Mary Jo Fox (4)
  • Naboo Moon, fiction by Diana Lee (6)
  • Final Visit, fiction by Matt Kirkby (8)
  • Leia & Amidaia: World and Family Gone, poem by Jennifer Moore (9)
  • Leia & Amidala: Children, poem by Jennifer Moore (9)
  • An Ember of Resolve, fiction by Selinthia Avenchesca (10)
  • The Garden, poem by Anne Marie Gazzoio (14)
  • Tapestries and Intersections, fiction by Amanda Paiumbo (reprinted in Millennium #1) (15)
  • Leia's Upcoming Talk Show Appearances by Wendy Schwartz (30)
  • Aideraani Clipper, fiction by Diana Lee (32)
  • One Fine Day on Hoth, poem by Amanda Palumbo (34)
  • You Love Him, Don't You?, fiction by Anne Marie Gazzoio (35)
  • A Poem From Han, to Leia poem by Tim Rogers (38)
  • Of Vice and Virtue and a Princess, fiction by Wendy Schwartz (40)
  • For Leia, fiction by Gina Goad (41)
  • Celebration of a Private Kind, fiction by Wendy Schwartz (47)
  • Bacheiorette Party, fiction by Amy S. Farmer (52)
  • Home, poem by Anne Marie Gazzoio (55)
  • Acceptance, poem by Anne Marie Gazzoio (55)
  • Trial & Temptation, fiction by Amy S. Farmer (57)
  • Daughter, poem by Anne Marie Gzczoio (58)
  • Passing the Torch, fiction by Mary Jo Fox (59)

  • from issue #6, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #6, Linda Budinger

  • from issue #6, Amanda Palumbo, (reprinted in Millennium #1)

  • from issue #6, Amanda Palumbo, (reprinted in Millennium #1)

  • from issue #6, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #6, Rhydderch Wilson

  • from issue #6, Amanda Palumbo

  • from issue #6, Linda Budinger

References

  1. ^ from Southern Enclave #43
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m an LoC in "Snowfire" #2
  3. ^ an LoC in "Snowfire" #3
  4. ^ How I Ended Up Running A Fan Fiction Zine
  5. ^ a b c d e f g an LoC from "Snowfire" #3
  6. ^ a b c d e f g an LoC in "Snowfire" #4
  7. ^ a b c d e f an LoC in "Snowfire' #5
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i an LoC in "Snowfire" #6
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