A New Hope (Star Wars zine)
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | A New Hope |
| Publisher: | Laura Bolling and Marion McChesney (issue #1), Laura Bolling (issue #2) |
| Editor(s): | |
| Date(s): | 1986-1989 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | print zine |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Wars |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
A New Hope is a gen Star Wars anthology published by Laura Bolling with two issues.
Issue 1
A New Hope 1 was published in April 1986 and has 144 pages. Artwork by Karen River, Carole Swoboda, TACS, Betsy Anthony, and Jean Kluge.
Editorial by Laura]:I'd like to thank all my contributors for enabling me to put out a Star Wars fanzine, as well as my friends for putting up with my 'insanity'. I'd been wanting to do a zine for some time, but really had no idea of how to go about it. So I went to my friend, Marion McChesney, and asked her if she would help me put one together. She did - and here we are.
A special thanks to Cindy Lewis, for my very first submission, and to Karen River for her beautiful color cover.
I'd also like to give a big round of applause to my mother for her proofreading efforts, and for putting up with a cluttered living room.
I'd like to hear from 'A New Hope's' readers as to what they liked and. did not like about this issue. There will definitely be a second issue and if it is to improve thenI need to have feedback.
[Editorial by Marion]:Actually, Laura did not have to do much to talk me into doing this. I'd been wanting to do a Star Wars' zine myself, but didn't feel that I knew the characters well enough. Laura did, so we worked well together. She even knew how to spell Wookiee (it's a private joke - ask her about
it sometime).
- Blood Money, story by Debra Doyle (1)
- Change of Life, story by Cindy Lewis (51)
- Double Take, story by Laura Bolling (53)
- In the Hangar, poem by Pat Nussman ("The character and background of Sheen used by permission of her creator, Wanda Lybarger.") (72)
- Facades, story by Cindy Lewis (74)
- Word Search by Lynda Vandiver (88)
- Configuration of Destiny, story by Cindy Lewis (89)
- Word Search by Lynda Vandiver (96)
- A New Beginning, story by Laura Bolling (97)
- Heart Call, poem by Ronda Henderson (118)
- A Princess, a Jedi, and a Smuggler, story by Kate Birkel (119)
inside page from issue #1, TACS
inside page from issue #1, TACS
inside page from issue #1, Betsy Anthony
inside page from issue #1, sample text
inside page from issue #1, Jean Kluge
inside page from issue #1, TACS
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
It's always exciting to pick up the first issue of a new zine, no matter what fandom is your particular thing, to look through, check out the art, the authors, looking for familiar names and curious about the unfamiliar ones. The new zine this reviewer picked up recently was A NEW HOPE, a new Star Wars zine edited by Laura Bolling and Marion McChesney.
The first most striking thing about A NEW HOPE is its wonderful color cover, an affectionate portrait of Luke, Han and Leia by Karen River that is just delightful. The second most striking thing is the first story in the zine, "Blood Money" by Debra Doyle. This story tells us about that bounty hunter that Han ran into on Ord Mantell between STAR WARS and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. His adventure is offset by Leia's experiences on this notorious asteroid, and between the intrigue and the whizz-bang ending, Ms. Doyle inserts some lovely exchanges between Han and Leia that round out Han's character and give the entire-story substance and reality. The other entry from this anthology that stands out is Cindy Lewis' "Configuration of Destiny", the story of an estranged daughter visiting her father with a special, secret burden. This is in fact a story of secrets, and the charm of the tale is how each secret is revealed.
Other stories in this collection include "A Princess, A Jedi and A Smuggler" by Kate Birkel, a story told in a universe where Han was never rescued from carbon freeze, but rather, unfrozen and bound into slavery by Jabba the Hutt, while Luke and Leia go on to establish the new Republic as husband and wife. Things begin to move when Luke discovers that Han isn't dead, as he and Leia were led to believe. My one reservation about the story was, while the alternate universe as certainly appealing and the characters were well-written, Luke was a little too good to be true. He is set up in a difficult situation that this reader felt demanded a little more inner conflict. This is, never-the-Iess, a nice entry from a different point of view. The editor, Laura Bolling,[1] was represented by two stories: "Double Take"and "A New Beginning". She has a spare, streamlined style of writing which, while it keeps the stories moving along, skips over important details. Of the two, "Double Take" is a more satisfying and complete piece, giving readers another alternate look at Han's escape from carbon freeze. "A New Beginning" is an epilogue to RETURN OF THE JEDI and is, sadly, a frustrating reading experience with little description and no character background. These deficiencies leave the story feeling superficial and this is unfortunate because "A New Beginning" could have been so much more.[2]
A NEW HOPE includes artwork by Carole Swoboda, Betsy Anthony and Jean Kluge. My vote for best illos goes to Jean Kluge's portrait of Luke on page 122. It has a warmth and depth that just jumps out of the page. In her introduction to the zine, the editor asked for feedback on A NEW HOPE and I'd like to offer this review as such. The production was nice and the text clear and easy to read. I'd like to see fewer stories that fill in holes, and more that examine character, that perhaps chronicle the rise of the new Republic and so forth. The zine shows promise, and this reviewer looks forward to A NEW HOPE 2.[3]
This is a neo-zine of 144 pages, graced with a spectacular cover by- Karen River. The art in this zine is particularly attractive, and both Carol
Swoboda and Jean Kluge should be commended. The two longest stories both re-unite Han and Leia after carbon freeze, but are totally different in plot. In "Double Take," by Laura Bolling, Han takes a job to collect the bounty on Luke Sky walker; and in Kate Birkel's "A Princess, a Jedi, and a Smuggler," Luke gives Leia a very special present when he finds Han's location after years of searching. There are two pre-"A NEW HOPE" stories by Cindy Lewis; one focuses on Han and the other on Luke's mother. And Han's attempts to pay off Jabba on Ord Mantell go awry in Debra Doyle's "Blood Money." [4]
Issue 2
A New Hope 2 was published in April 1989 and has 212 pages. The interior art is by Charles H. Stidham, Martynn, and Wanda Lybarger. The front cover art is by Jean Kluge.
[From the editorial]:First off, I'd like to thank all of my contributors. It has been two years, but the second issue is finally complete. Unlike its predecessor, the layout was done by computer this time which made things a lot easier. Corrections Were a bit more timely because of the length of the data files, but then again it was faster and less painful than using white out and copy on.
A very special thanks to Mark White and John Reynolds. These two computer wizards enabled me to get the finished product completed.
And last but definitely not the least, thanks to my mom and my sister for their time consuming proofreading efforts.
Any and all feedback is welcome on "A New Hope I" and "A New Hope II". A third issue is in the works and is in need of submissions, covers, and artists! Guidlines [sic] are relatively non-constrictive. Stories or poems can be placed in any time period from pre- 'A New Hope', during the second trilogy to post 'Return of the Jedi'. Usually I don't accept cross-universe stories, but I will make an exception if I find the story to be very enjoyable as I did with "Star-Crossed" in this issue.
A tentative deadline for submissions on "A New Hope III" is December 15, 1989. Only subject to change, if I don't have enough submission at that time.
- Destiny's Choice, story by Mary St. Cyr (1)
- Lucky Dice, story by Laura Michaels (21)
- In the Name of Love, poem by Ellen Morris (29)
- Sand, poem by Ronda Henderson (30)
- Down and Out, story by Lisa M. Papp (32)
- Jedi Training, story by Laura Bolling, a sequel to "A New Beginning" in the first issue (37)
- In the Fire's Light, story by Marcia Brin (118)
- The Joining, story by Cindy Payne (121)
- Half-Second Thoughts, story by Lucy A. Carr (132)
- Words of My Father, poem by Ellen Morris (134)
- Master Luke, story by Chuck Coates (135)
- The Princess and the Pirate, poem by Laura Bolling (142)
- Termination, story by Barbara Drake (143)
- Star-Crossed, story by Su Fine (crossover with Star Trek: TOS) (163)
inside page from issue #2, Wanda Lybarger
inside page from issue #2, Martynn
inside page from issue #2, Martynn
inside page from issue #2, Charles H. Stidham
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2
A second issue is always a positive sign, and Laura Bolling's promise of A New Hope 111 is an even better indication that Star Wars fanzines have a future.
A New Hope 11 boasts a colorfully fanciful cover by Jean Kluge; but despite occasional art by Wanda Lybarger, Martynn, and Charles H. Stidham, it marks a new trend toward Star Wars zines with little or no art. But the fiction is plentiful, including stories about the fall of the Jedi, Han's acquisition of the Falcon, and even a cross-over starring Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.
Two stories deal with Han before he acquires the Falcon. In "Lucky Dice," by Laura Michaels, Lando is in big trouble and needs to unload the Falcon and its debts, when Han and Chewie's appearance provides him with just the right duo to con. In "Down and Out," by Lisa M. Papp, Han is working as a bouncer when he instinctively helps a down-on-his-luck gambler named Lando Calrissian.
Two vignettes deal with Han and Leia's feelings at crucial moments. In "Half-second Thoughts," by Lucy Carr, Han feels guilt over how he has betrayed Luke's love for Leia; and in Marcia Brin's "In the Fire's Light," Leia realizes how much she has changed due to one scruffy nerf-herder. Relatives turn out to be varying degrees of trouble in much of the rest of the zine. Leia's wedding hardly goes according to plan when unexpected visitors arrive, determined to retrieve Han Solo, in Cindy Bayne's "The Joining." And "Termination" is not the fate for Leanna Skywalker at the direct order of her brother, in this story about the destruction of the Jedi by Barbara Drake.
"Destiny's Choice," by Mary St. Cyr, finds Luke and Maari's children stranded in the void between life and death when they fall over a cliff.
For some reason, writers seem to think Han and Leia's offspring will be trouble. In Laura Bolling's "Jedi Training," Luke must cope with problems from his son, his niece, and a long-lost and unwanted sister-in-law. And Han and Leia's daughter worries "Master Luke" because of her anger and impatience, in the story by Chuck Coates.
Concluding the zine is a rare cross-over story by Su Fine, entitled "Star-Crossed." When a spatial anomaly spills an injured young Jedi into the Federation, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock's rescue throws them back into Han Solo's unwelcoming arms. [5]
References
- ^ At the time of this writing, the author was still in high school.
- ^ This is a set-up story and a sequel is in issue two, called "Jedi Training."
- ^ from Datazine #43
- ^ from "The Wookiee Commode Guide to Star Wars Zines -- 1986", from The Wookiee Commode #6
- ^ from "A Consumer Guide to 1989 SW Zines, or The Year of the Disappearing Fanzine," in The Wookiee Commode #7