Standard by Seven
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| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Standard by Seven |
| Publisher: | The Avon Club |
| Editor(s): | Ann O'Neill & Viv Callaway |
| Date(s): | 1980-1983 |
| Series?: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Blake's 7 |
| External Links: | The Avon Club |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Standard by Seven is a gen Blake's 7 anthology published in the UK. "England's leading amateur Blake's Seven magazine" is on the cover of issue #11.
It has been described as a "multifacted magazine, designed to meet the tastes of the more discerning Blake's Seven reader" [1].
In the late 80s, some of this content was republished in a sister zine called Standard by Seven: The Early Years.
A complete list of zines published by The Avon Club can be found here and here
Issue 1
Standard by Seven 1 was published in 1980.
The art is by Ann O'Neill (front cover) and John Dell.
- editorial by Ann O'Neill
- In the End, fiction by Carla Percival and Ann O'Neill
- A Brief Respite, fiction by Barbara Wakely
- It Takes a Thief, fiction by Brenda Callagher (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #4)
- To What Green Altar, fiction by Marilyn White (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #1)
Issue 2
Standard by Seven 2 was published in 1980.
The art is by Ann O'Neill (front cover), and John Dell (Liberator Cut-Away Diagram) (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #1).
- From Out of the Night, fiction by Ann O'Neill
- Atala, fiction by G.A. Wheatley
- Intergalactic Top Ten Record Breakers, by Carla Percival
- Liberator Cut-Away Diagram, devised by John Dell (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #1)
Issue 3
Standard by Seven 3 was published in 1980.
It contains no interior art. The cover is by John Dell.
- Mission of Mercy, fiction by Linda Webb-Taylor (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #2)
- Timeslip, fiction by Yvette Clark
- Space Wave, fiction by Peter Hall (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #1)
- Intergalactic Top Ten Record Breakers
- Ads for clubs and zines
Issue 4
Standard by Seven 4 was published in 1980 and contains 62 pages.
- Alliance, fiction by Linda Webb-Taylor (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #1)
- Nightmare, fiction by Brenda Callgher
- A Fifth Grade Ignorant?-- We Think Not!", essay by Yvette Clark
Issue 5
Standard by Seven 5 was published in 1980.
- Bloodlust, fiction by Barbara Wakely
- Posession, fiction by Yvette Clark (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #3)
- The Making of 'Blake's Seven'", article by Judith Cross
- Terracon '79", con report by Viv Callaway
Issue 6
Standard by Seven 6 was published in 1980.
There is no interior art. The cover is by John Dell.
- The Gemini Connection, fiction by Brenda Callagher (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #3)
- Midnight of the Mind, fiction by Ann O'Neill (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #3)
- Personal Communication, editorial by Ann O'Neill
- "Alien", review by Ann O'Neill
- Alien Quiz by Amanda Cable (multimedia)
Issue 7
Standard by Seven 7 was published in 1980.
There is no interior art. The cover is by John Dell.
- To Drink from the Styx, fiction by Ann O'Neill
- To the Brink of Eternity, fiction by Barbara Wakely
- The Real Reason, fiction by Kathleen Glancy
- An Exchange of Views, fiction by Yvette Clark
- Zen's Mission, fiction by Keith Sumner
- A Day in the Life, fiction by Keith Sumner
- Crossed Lines, fiction by Kathleen Glancy (multiple crossovers)
- Personal Communication, editorial by Viv Callaway
- Interview: David Maloney
- Readers' Letters by Keith Sumner
- Is Zen Dead?, essay by Peter Hall
- City Class Cargo Ship by Peter Hall
- Jumbo Word Search by Barbara Wakely
- Information on back issues
- Ads for zines, clubs, conventions
Issue 8
Standard by Seven 8 was published in 1980.
The art is by Anne Marie (front cover), John Dell, John Peel, and Simon Lake.
- Vice Versa, fiction by Barbara Wakely
- Servalan, the Scot, fiction by Kathleen Glancy
- Personal Communication, editorial by Ann O'Neill
- Letter Page by Keith Sumner
- History of Paragun Mark 14 by Peter Hall
- Interview: Paul Darrow, Actor (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #5)
- Avon... On Reflection
- Avon-- A Personal View, essay by Chris Reay
- Cally-- A Personal View, essay by Chris Reay
- Can We Take Vila Seriously?, essay by Chris Reay
- Build It Yourself-- Liberator Handgun by Anthony King
- Heroes, non-fiction by Keith Sumner
- Sarcophagus, a Double Soliloquy, poem by Kathleen Glancy
- Information on back issues
- Ads for zines, clubs, conventions
Issue 9
Standard by Seven 9 was published in March 1981.
There is no interior art. The cover is by John Dell.
Regarding the story "Between Black and White": This story was written in 1978, and first published in "Spacefall" #4 in 1980. The story was later rewritten by Ann O'Neill and published in this issue of "Standard by Seven." In 1985, the author of Mascarada, Susan R. Matthews, acknowledges Ann O'Neill and "Between the Black and White" in her own story "The Portage," saying that the original "plot device" of having Avon's allergic reaction to interrogation drugs was in O'Neill's story. In 1986, the story was bootlegged and sold as a novel "written by Keith Black."
A fan in 1991 wrote: "How about Avon's infamous allergies? Where the heck did they come from? Well, I'll tell you -- one old British story was so angsty that all the fans love the idea for some reason. [2]
- There's Something Wrong on Strawberry Hollow, fiction by Peter Hall
- Verily I Say Unto You, fiction by Kathleen Glancy
- Between Black and White, fiction by Ann O'Neill ("Originally written in 1978. Rewritten by original author." Reputed to be the source of the fannish concept of Avon's allergies. (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #4))
- The Glorious Day, fiction by Anthony Murray (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #2)
- Welcome, editorial by Viv Callaway
- Readers' Letters Page by Keith Sumner
- Quote Time
- Review Time-- 'The Empire Strikes Back'
- Ads for zines and clubs
- Build It Yourself-- Teleport Bracelet by Anthony King
Issue 10
Standard by Seven 10 was published in August 1981 and contains 44 pages.
It has art by David Bowden (first edition) and John Dell (later edition).
From the editorial:
By now, the fourth series of 'Blake's Seven' is well under way, and whereas the series seems to have found direction, its lead characters have lost 'depth', and become poor two dimensional things. There is some essential ingredient missing from 'Blake’s Seven' and at the writing of this editorial, it is too early to say what, perhaps it will be clearer later on - I hope it remedies itself, but I suspect that the BBC have neither noticed nor care - they know that science-fiction is a good proposition at the moment (what with the success of 'Star Wars' etc.) but they certainly do not know why, and will eventually ruin 'Blake's Seven' - 'tis a pity , it had the makings of a great series.
Note: D.I.Y.-- Avon-style Repair and Maintenance Kit by Anthony King may be in the original edition; it is not in the revised edition.
- Personal Communication, editorial by Ann O'Neill and Viv Callaway
- Letters Page by Keith Sumner (1)
- The Mediators of Ellion, fiction by Linda Webb-Taylor (2)
- There's Something Wrong on Strawberry Hollow, sequel, fiction by Kathleen Glancy (22)
- Normal Service Will Be Resumed Shortly, sequel to "The Glorious Day," fiction by Anthony Murray (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #3) (24)
- Where Is Thy Victory?, fiction by Viv Callaway (reprinted in Standard by Seven: The Early Years #4) (29)
- The Merry Rebels of Terminal, fiction (fusion with Shakespeare) by Peter Anghelides (42)
- Jan's Page by Janet Connolly (advice column; humor) (44)
from issue #10, David Bowden
from issue #10, David Bowden
from issue #10, David Bowden
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 10
I picked this one up second-hand last year, so yes, it is still possible to buy original copies of the old zines if you hit the right second-hand stall. This is one from the early days, 1981. Nicely printed, with a gloss card cover to show off the B&W photo of Blake on the back cover.
The interior ink drawings are somewhat variable in quality, a mix of very nice indeed and ones where the likeness to the character is rather dubious, or the body proportions are wrong. Most of the internal illos are for specific scenes rather than generic, something I like to see.
Letters page: A couple of letters from readers, allegedly. The one complaining about the quality of the "tantalising time tour" holiday booked from an ad in a previous issue offers an interesting view of the fourth Doctor:-)
The Mediators of Ellion: The Liberator goes to the aid of a crashed spaceship, and picks up the ship's mercy mission to a colony planet. Some standard SF themes, nicely written. I had a couple of minor quibbles, most notably that it took the crew so long to work out what was going on. It could also have done with a little more attention to detail - Avon certainly doesn't look heavier than Blake to my eye, and the doorway to the flight deck does not have a door in it. However, I enjoyed the story.
A sequel to 'There's something wrong on Strawberry Hill': One page humorous sequel to something in a previous issue, which presumably had the Federation putting out a propaganda series depicting the crew as cripples and rapists. I'd probably have found it more amusing if I'd read the original work, but not bad.
"Normal service will be resumed shortly": Another sequel to an earlier piece. Longer, has a minor cross-over with Hitchhiker and is not my sense of humour.
Where is thy victory?: Interesting aliens, nice characterisation, plot hole large enough to fly the Liberator through.
The Merry Rebels of Terminal: Short Shakespeare pastiche set on Terminal, with the characters aware that they are characters, and speculating on the likelihood of renewal. Very much dependent on personal taste. [3]
Issue 11
Standard by Seven 11 was published in April 1982 and is 62 pages long.
The art front cover is by David Bowden. The interior illustrations for "The Fight for Survival", "The Human Factor", and "What?", cartoon strip: "Planet Hibiscus III" are by Dan Bowden (idea by Keith Sumner). Other interior art is by David Bowden.
From the zine:
Journey into the Third Century of the Second Calendar with Standard by Seven, a multifaceted magazine designed to meet the tastes of the more discerning Blake's Seven reader.
Standard By Seven is Englands [sic] leading amateur magazine based on the BBC TV series, Blake's Seven, and is produced by Miss. V.E. Callaway, SRN, SCM and Miss A. O'Neill, SRN. Letters to: [redacted address] Berkshire, England. Please enclose a SAE to ensure a speedy reply.
From the editorial:
Blake is dead. Long Live Blake!
What a tremendous ending to the fourth series of Blake's Seven - Blake is murdered by Avon (which just goes to show how unstable he was. This guy had enough psychological problems to keep a psychiatrist happy for years.), then Dayna, Vila, Tarrant, Soolin and finally Avon are killed.
It would be naive to have expected a 'happy ending', after all, they are all either criminals/terrorists/murderers/mercenaries etc. and very few would have died of old age - a violent early death is virtually inevitable.
[...]
Personally I would not like to see a fifth series of Blake's Seven, as it would give the BBC too much of an opportunity to insult my intelligence. It was bad enough that Gan died of a broken leg (!), and Servalan was snatched from the jaws of death by a highly improbable power surge through the teleport system, but bringing Dayna, Vila, Tarrant, Soolin and Avon back from the dead - blood or no blood (in many previous episodes, people died bloodless deaths) would be asking too much, and would completely destroy what little credibility Blake's Seven has left. Better to go with a bang than a whimper.
[...]
What is going to happen to Blake's Seven fandom? I'm afraid I don't know - one hopes that like Star Trek fandom it will outlive the series, but it's up to you.
Apathy breeds apathy, only your involvement in Blake's Seven fandom will ensure its survival. Ask yourself, do you want Blake's Seven fandom to continue? If you answer yes, then you will find advertised in this issue the best Blake's Seven clubs and groups to support. If you answer
no, then why are you reading SBS? Answers to me: Miss Ann O'Neill, c/o the above address, on 22 carat gold bars/ivory tusks/diamond encrusted notepaper - nothing ostentatious please.
- editorial by Ann O'Neill and Viv Callaway
- The Fight for Survival, fiction by Rosalyn Paterson (1)
- Planet Hibiscus, cartoon by Dan Bowden, idea by Keith Sumner (4)
- What Will Vila Say?, fiction by Sue S. ("All we can do is wait, and hope they'll find us before it is too late.") (5)
- The Human Factor, fiction by Freda Hyatt (reprinted in Avon #11) ("With every moment that passed, the link seemed to pulse with growing desperation. It was as if a mind was reaching out into infinity, calling on all powers to help, but this wasn't just any mind.") (6)
- What?, fiction by Moira Dahlberg (RPF crossover (According to Jackie Ophir in a comment in Horizon Letterzine #3, Paul Darrow gave his permission for this story to be printed.) (57)
- Obligatory Bits of Shirt by Kathleen Glancy (62)
- Limericks by Pat Cash (62)
- Jan's Page by Janet Connolly (the same as Dear Jan, penned by Kathleen Glancy?) (advice column; humor) (62)
- Ads for zines and clubs
from issue #11, David Bowden
from issue #11, David Bowden
from issue #11, Dan Bowden
from issue #11, Dan Bowden
from issue #11, Dan Bowden
from issue #11, Dan Bowden
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 11
[The Human Factor]: Avon is paralysed while on a planet. Vila has to care for him until Liberator returns, then the rest of the crew are drawn into his care. It's a long story with a lot of Avon angst. It appears to take place during second season after Pressure Point. [4]
Special Issue: Deadly Night Shades
Standard by Seven Special: Deadly Night Shades was published in 1983 and contains 24 pages.
It is a story by Gillian Marsden.
References
- ^ Ann O'Neill's obituary
- ^ from The Neutral Arbiter #3
- ^ review by Julia Jones at Lysator on January 12, 2000. Jones added the note, "Yes, Judith, you can have it for the website." Most of the reviews from Lysator were posted to Proctor's Hermit Site, however this one, for some reason was not.
- ^ comments at Lysator blakes7-d Digest V97 #92 (January 1, 1997)