From a Certain Point of View (Star Wars zine)
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | From a Certain Point of View |
| Publisher: | Shoestring Press/Whine Press |
| Editor(s): | Carolyn Cooper |
| Date(s): | 1985-1994 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Wars |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
From a Certain Point of View was a Star Wars zine, with an emphasis on Luke Skywalker stories. There were ten issues.
The title is a quote from Return of the Jedi; Obi-wan Kenobi justifies lying to Luke about Darth Vader by saying that what he said was true "from a certain point of view".
The flyer for the first issue says: "The zine that dares to answer the question: 'Is there SWars after ROTJ?'"
The Submission Guidelines
Printed in the first issue: "This is tough. How do I give you tips for meeting FACPOV's high standards without scaring you off."
from issue #1, page one
from issue #1, page two
About the Printing and Color
A fan in 2016 commented: "[This was a] zine that looked like no other zine in the fandom, with creative use of layout and color and solid contributions." [1]
In 1985, the editor explained:
How In the world could you afford all that color? Zine publishers always ask me about the color In the $7.00 Issue one of FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW. To be honest, I couldn't. At least not In the usual way. Here's an expurgated history of FACPOV 1.
By February the artists made missed deadline, the printers, a small press specialty printer In California that could give me a perfect-bound, 4-process color cover for only an extra 25 cents, had gone up 40 cents per zine base price and added an extra month load time to their schedule. Enter Shoestring Press and my education Into the world of printing.
Already friends with Katharine Scarritt and Mary Lowe, I had learned a little about printing and printers, now came the question of the color cover. I got lucky. Low cost color separations (I.e. $90 a set Instead of $200-400) were sprouting In the trade magazines and Mary was anxious to try her own 4-color process work, but she was wary of using FACPOV 1 as the guinea pig. Instead she negotiated a deal with a new firm to get my front AND BACK covers for the cost of one cover ($250) In return for using them for her color separation work. The color covers ended up costing fifty cents per zine.
Meanwhile, I agreed to do my own collating and binding. I also learned basic press operations well enough to assist. The power was intoxicating. I conned Mary Into letting me run the interior color for costs by having it ready to batch with her 4-color process run. I also ran much of my own black job and assisted during the color runs. The rainbow colors were weedled out of Mary by playing to her professionalism and by taking the dirty end of the job. (The rainbow effect takes 2 people, one of whom gets very messy.) Begging and pleading helped.
There Is no doubt that FACPOV 1 was an experimental Issue. Some of the experiments worked and some didn't. Some techniques I'll use In Issue two, others I won't. I learned. The color, however, was a hit. And by doing my own collating, binding, batching my colors with an already existing press run, and negotiating with my printers I got a downright gaudy zine for only $250 over a straight, one color job.[2]
Copyright Statement and Disclaimer
From issue #1:
All rights reserved. This publication may not be photocopied, mimeod, photoscanned, optical scanned, or duplicated in any way, shape, and or form without the publisher's permission until such time as it is out of print. The rights of the individual contributors revert to them for their own works upon publication.
This is a not-for-profit-but not-for-the-poverty amateur publication and is not intended to infringe on the rights of Lucasfilm Ltd., or any other legal entity.
Hey, guys, it's supposed to be fun! We just do it for the fame and glory!
Issue 1 ("The Art Nouveau Fantasy Edition")
From a Certain Point of View 1 was published in 1985 and contains 80 pages.
It contains art by Sherlock, Mary Lowe, Dani Lani, Cathye Faraci, Carolyn Cooper, Pat Easley, Wanda Lybarger, and Jenni Hennig.
Fans could request either Luke or Han on the front cover; the one they didn't pick went on the back cover. This was an example of turning lemons into lemonade! In the 1986 essay Walking the Tightrope: Experiments and Risk Taking in Zine Design, the editor commented on this stylistic "choice":
When I got the front and back FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW 1 covers from the printer I found the printer had offset the pictures of Han and Luke the same way so that both of them were technically for the front cover instead of Luke on the front and Han on the back. Mary Lowe came with the creative suggestion that I just alternate; half of the Luke's on the front and half of the Han's on the front and vice versa for the back. With the exception of one completest collector, the fans loved my comment that it all depended on whom they wanted to wake up seeing. I almost felt compelled to do it deliberately with issue 2. By working WITH the buyers and letting them feel they were participating in the zine, I turned an "oops" into a "thanks".
From a flyer:
Thrills, chills, romance, adventure and fun! Does everyone have the Force? Why does Leia have those Wedding Bell Blues? What passes between a Father and a Son? What "little" surprise does Han have for Luke? And what One Small Thing gets in Han's way? Seeing the amazing artists and cartoonists gallery and much more in the issue that started it all.
From the editorial:
To borrow from Bud, This Zine's For You! It's also for me so: WARNING! WARNING! DANGER! DANGER! DIABETICS ALERT! THIS ZINE CONTAINS MASSIVE DOSES OF HUMOR &UP-BEAT MATERIAL! You've been warned.
I'm exhausted, broke, & in desperate need of a vacation. And all of this would not be possible without my contributors. Seriously, I'm excited about the zine and wish to personally thank every contributor for their fine work. Special thanks goes to Cathye Faraci for helping at the last minute when I needed her. The Above-the-Call-of-Duty Award goes to Dani Lane for the art nouveau style frames, SWars initials Sc end spots. I grovel humbly at your feet. The Coming-Through-in-a-Pinch Medal of Honor goes to Katharine Scarritt and Mary Lowe of Shoestring Press, printers par excellence and truly great friends. Without them, and their patience, you wouldn't be holding this zine right now! Thanks for tolerating my ignorance, educating me, & giving me interior color.
[snipped]
Now I want to ask a favor of you - RESPOND!! LoC!!Tell me what you like, what you hate, what improvements you'd like to see so that I and my contributors can learn & grow or bask in the glow of your praises. This is the coin of the realm, folks. I've made it very simple for you. In the back is a Self-Addressed LoC Form. For
the really busy (or lazy), there's even a checklist. So please. SPEAK TO ME! Until next year -- Take care and fly casual.
- Ben's Lament, a poem by Linda Vandiver, illustrated by Dani Lane ("Ben regrets his failure with Anakin.") (4)
- Nothing Ever Happens ("Running away from home solved six year old Luke Skywalker’s boredom — with a vengeance.") (5)
- Cartoonist’s Gallery (12)
- Wedding Bells ("Leia’s getting married — but to whom, or what?") by Susan Sizemore (18)
- Artist’s Gallery by Sherlock, Pat Easley, Jenni, Carolyn Cooper, Sherlock, and Wanda Lybarger (29)
- Echo by Katharine Scarritt ("Somehow Leia always knew Luke was her brother, but how and what past shadows came forth that night.") (38)
- Puzzles by Lynda Vandiver (41)
- Between a Father and a Son, poem by Mary Keever ("What passes between a father and a son when one is found and lost again.") (42)
- One Small Thing ("Han Solo was just minding his own business, enjoying some free time when a starving pickpocket made his day.") by Carolyn Cooper (43)
- Just a Little Something I Picked Up ("Luke Skywalker gets a little surprise. What do you do with a Jedi’s daughter—especially when she prefers Han.") by Carolyn Cooper (55)
- Not Everyone by Marcia Brin ("Does everyone have the Force? Han thinks not and with good reason.") (75)
- Just for Fun, word puzzle answers, some rebel graffiti and "some foolishness" by Cathye Faraci (77)
- Contributor Guidelines (78)
from issue #1, table of contents page
from issue #1, Dani Lane
from issue #1, Sherlock
from issue #1, Sherlock
from issue #1, Sherlock
from issue #1, Cathye Faraci
from issue #1, Dani Lane
from issue #1, Sherlock
from issue #1, Wanda Lybarger
from issue #1, Sherlock
from issue #1, Jenni Hennig
from issue #1, Carolyn Cooper
from issue #1, Mary Lowe
from issue #1, sample title page
from issue #1, Jenni Hennig
from issue #1, Sherlock (two page illo)
from issue #1, Sherlock
from issue #1, page detail, Sherlock
from issue #1, page detail, Sherlock
from issue #1, Sherlock
from issue #1, Sherlock
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
[from the zine's editor]:Two of the LoCs, along with a con discussion, presented a matter that needs clearing. A couple of people stated they felt the margins were too large and one suggested I reduce the type. If the comments were regarding the aesthetics of the zine's design, I would have no quibbles. However, I know from the con discussion that one of the comments was tied to the misconception that FACPOV cost more due to it's frills. My press budget for FACPOV 1 was $1200. This is the cheapest amount it would have cost me with straight B&W printing from a mass commercial printer. I was fortunate that when the cheapest printing route fizzled out. Shoestring Press came to my rescue. I exchanged labor for costs and bartered on friendship to bring FACPOV 1, color & all, in for $1200. This year I've done ALL my own printing, paid for press rental instead of labor, bought cases of paper on sale in January and did my own screening as well as my own collating and binding. I have even bought my own press for next year's production. (Heh, heh. Oh, Dani, wanna try something different?) If I sent the zine out for B&Wprinting and binding, it would have nearly doubled the costs. There is no inherent evil in glitzy zines. The cause for complaint is when the flash comes at the expense of the content or the sales price.
When evaluating a zine you should establish a standard based on actual worth to you. (End of sermon) [3]
[from the zine's editor]:As I mentioned in the editorial, there were many more LoCs sent in on the LoC Forms, but in my enthusiasm for Hopper Skytone Gold paper, I forgot it wasn't reproducible. And since I didn't want to turn my typist to the Darkside of the Force by asking her to retype all of the questions, as well as answers, over and over, I decided to only print the actual letters. My apologies to all of you who sent in the forms. Photocopies, albeit grey and fuzzy ones, were sent to all of the contributors and were greatly appreciated by us all.
Again my apologies and thanks. [4]
I really enjoyed From A Certain Point of View. The whole zine gets five stars, but I do have my favorites. Echo was a touching story of Leia being forced to remember a painful time only to take on an additional pain as she realizes she might also lose her new found brother, the one her mother hinted at. It was a good touch to have her mother ask her to be the strong point of the Rebellion. So many people assume Bail Organa turned his adopted daughter into a pawn; instead Katharine Scarritt shows a mother and daughter who share a common strength and purpose.
I also enjoyed Wedding Bell Blues. It was a good story with its humorous tint and its plot twists. I loved the way Chewie et all were switched for the wedding party, leaving Terbek to be found in his birthday suit. That's what he gets for flinging that 'it' around all the time.
As for Nothing Ever Happens, the portrayal of Owen Lars is the best I've ever read. His love for Luke, especially as a son, is never addressed as well as it was here. I always understood his gruffness, but this showed him in a much better light.
I liked the two stories of Luke's daughter being found; and the art of Han being hugged by Beru was really cute. At heart, though, I'm a Leia fan (as you probably figured out) and I'd like to think she'd handle the situation better.
By the way, I did see the following story in Dagobah and it is as good as these two stories. Luke naming the girl after his mother was as touching as the portrayal of Owen in the first story and for the same reason. The Lars seem to get a bum's rush at times.
The cartoon gallery was excellent as well as the rest of the artwork. My favorites were Chewie cringing from the razor and Vader first getting up in the morning.
As I said, the zine was great, and it was hard not to sit down and finish it as soon as I opened it. [5]
I bought a copy of From A Certain Point Of View at MediaWestCon last May. I do realize that this is very much a late arriving LOC. I liked the idea of the two covers. I cannot tell you how many times I've read and re-read "One Small Thing" and "Just A Little Something I Picked Up".
I hope you will write more stories in this SW universe. [6]
Congrats on a wonderful debut issue! Loved the covers! It's nice to have color covers. It adds spice, y'know?
To be honest, at first glance inside I thought all the borders were going to make the zine "too busy". But after I started reading, I really enjoyed them. It gives a nice comfortable feeling to the zine.
Love the color on the inside. It makes the zine really stand out.
Enjoyed Ben's Lament. I feel like Ben probably always felt guilty over what happened to Anakin. This piece conveyed those feelings.
Nothing Ever Happens was nice. I like reading about Luke's child. Jenni's illos were nice too!
Enjoyed the cartoonist gallery. Are you going to feature a different "toonist" each time? (Notice I'm assuming there will be more FACPOVs!)
Liked Wedding Bell Blues. The thought had never occurred to me that Leia may have relatives scattered across the galaxy. . .
Very much enjoyed Artist s Gallery. I hope this will continue, also?!! Enjoyed Echo. It filled in gaps from that wonderful, touching scene in Jedi.
I'm not much on puzzles, so I just skip over them.
I loved Jenni's illo to my poem!! One Small Thing was excellent! Han was very touching in this. HE'S HUMAN!! The follow—up; Just A Little something I Picked Up was great too!
The moments between Han and Luke were very moving. The only thing I didn t like was Leia seemed just a mite bit too bitchy for my liking. Jealous perhaps of the new intrusion in Han and Luke s lives?? Sherlock's art was/is fabulous. Is he/she a new artist? I don't believe I've seen any of his/her work before.
Not Everyone was okay. It just didn't grab me like the others.
Also enjoyed the graffiti page.
Once again, congrats on a fine debut. I hope to see many more[7]
[zine]: Stressing the upbeat and humorous, FACPOV offers an easy evening of light reading and some rather striking interior colors and cover art. The best of the long fiction is Susan Sizemore's "Wedding Bell Blues" and Carolyn Cooper's two connecting pieces, "One Small Thing," and "Just a Little Something I Picked Up." Sizemore's story is told in a deliciously sardonic tone. The main character has to be one of my favorite fan-created personalities--Leia's Aunt Aliin, a terribly officious and wry woman who decides that Leia must get married to a rather cumbrous, unattractive prince from a race that refers to women as "things". Much to Leia's rage, Aunt Aliin decides this is the best way to save her rebel niece's life from the Emperor's clutches. Having absolutely no pretensions about itself, this story was thoroughly enjoyable for its freshness and sense of humor.Cooper's two pieces introduce us to a child character [whose special relevance to the Big Three I Shall not divulge). Cooper grabs you immediately with a strong introduction and a fine ability to establish a setting. The idea is certainly not original, being a highly overused source of cutesy fan fiction: a lost, starving waif whose special lineage is suddenly discovered and complicates the lives of our main characters. Nothing here surprises. Nevertheless, it is an engaging alternative. (Han fans take note: he is the most prominent.) A complaint, however: I would hope that at the very least fan fiction set after ROTJ would take into account that film's "humanizing" of Leia. Leia in Cooper's stories is utterly bereft of any warmth or humanity- only Han has that. The old one-dimensional cliche about a single minded devotion to a cause is piled on ad infinitum. Would the same young woman who sensitively befriended Wicket not show any compassion whatsoever at the sight of a ragged, starving, frightened orphan? (And why would Leia be upset at the idea of Han having been previously married?) My own personal prejudices are operating here, admittedly, but it seems to me that many fans make fantastic leaps in speculation about Leia that have no basis on screen. In the wake of ROTJ, especially, Cooper's characterization seems particularly primitive. Yet another Marcia Brin vignette appears here called "Not Everyone," which closes out the the zine; This one offers a great little argument between Big Three about that nagging question, "Does everyone have the Force?" Han adamantly says no watch for that clever ending.
Dani Lane's powerful spree of images which company Lynda Vandiver's evocative poem "Ben's Lament" (about his failure with Anakin) is probably the most striking in the zine. Lane's work seems at once complex yet simple. Lane's intro illo to "Wedding Bell Blues" is not only lovely in its detail and breadth, but also captures the story's wry humor. It is Lane's ability to capture the mood and feel of the works she illustrates that strikes me the most. Also remarkable in its scope and detail is her intro piece to the "Artist's Gallery" section -an impressive effort of portraits of all the major characters, and a few extras thrown in. The color covers of Han and Luke are a visual delight, although a bit stiff in their rendering Carolyn tells me that half the copies have Han on the front, while the other half have Luke. you specify which one you want--that is, if you care. There are a few problems--typos. too little space between text and between columns (I think it is better to have no line between columns; not every space should be filled) and a little faded repro. Borders are overly thick and the columns are much too wide. FACPOV's interior colors are certainly pretty, but they are also far too random. It gives the zine a "messier" look. But it may be a worthy experiment on Carolyn's part. I hope she uses it in a more structured way next time. I do have mixed feelings on the merit of interior colors. On the one hand. I do enjoy looking at them. They provide an added spice to the content. But on the other hand, they can be a distraction, and a bit glaring. First issues are usually hard to recommend, but I can't un-recommend this one either. Up to you.[8]
Issue 2 ("The Fantasy Edition")
From a Certain Point of View 2 was published in 1986 and contains 187 pages.
The art is by Carolyn Cooper, Dani Lan3, Sherlock, Amy Watson, and Linda Richards.
From a flyer: "You wrote & we listened! So this year there's more! More pages, more color, more Hanna Beru, more art & more fun! How did Han lose his cookies? The real scoop behind the royal wedding? Is the honeymoon over? Will Beru make the worst dressed list? What secret ritual do Luke & Leia share? How's Admiral Piett stayin' alive? Is it all right to be afraid?"
From another flyer: "Does a Royal Wedding always end happily ever after? Did Princess Leia marry Prince Charming or a scruffy, nerf-herder? Or does kissing transform the groom? What secret rituals do Luke and Leia share? And what could the Princess and the Pauper possibly have in common? What does a hero do after the battles done and story ends? Can Luke solve the riddle of fashion quest? Or does Han stir up a witch's brew and lose his cookies? Plus cartoons, fabulous art galleries and more."
The editorial:
Somehow we made it to issue 2. I honestly don't know how. First, I must say thank you - to all of you who supported us with words, deeds or contributions, to Sherlock for pitching in with no time and no instructions, and to my husband who helps with every thing. My sincerest thanks must go to DANI LANE who faces my fancies unflinchingly. If it were not for the talents of Dani and the indulgences of Shoestring Press, you wouldnot have this zine. I wish to also thank all of you who sent LoCs.
I learned a valuable lesson with the pre-printed LoC sheets - do them on a non-reproducible color. You will notice this year they are white. For issue #3 I will simply photocopy them for inclusion.
Basically, you all agreed that you liked the color and the large type (bifocal time), Leia was too bitchy (see a Touch of Tenderness), too many typos (mea culpa) and don't run into the borders (oops!), but overall you wanted more (you got it I).
More comments by the author from the zine:
This year, you may notice that the art doesn't have a whole lot to do with the stories. This really was by design. The art this year is evocative, not illustrative, It is difficult to get first rate illustrations due to a shortage of good, illustrative artists (Dani can't do it all) and, most importantly time - time for the artist to get the story, read the story and do the illustrations within deadline as well as time for the editor to get the illustrations, get them reduced, enlarged, halftoned, and so forth plus laid out in time for the printing. Looking back on my favorite fan art, I realized I liked it, not because it was a good illustration, but because I liked the design, style, or technique (or it was a gorgeous portrait!). Let me know if you feel the same way, How do feel about really good portrait art vs illustrations? I hope you enjoy this issue and I look forward to your LoCs. For those who have asked, yes, the Hanna Beru stories are part of a connected series which, when completed, form the chapters for a novel. And no, it's not completed in this issue. I AM looking for more stories, gallery art, cartoons, filks, and so forth.
People with long stories, yes, you can submit. We might end up doing it as a Supplement, but I'm always looking to pub good stories. Until next year —
May the Force be with you and fly casual.
- Editorial (6)
- Letters of Comment (8)
- Sustenance, poem by CarolMel Ambassador ("How can Ben Kenobi sustain his home?) (11)
- Home for the Holidays by Scotty Perkins ("The holidays should be spent at home with loved ones. But what if you have no home?) (12)
- Crystal Visions by Ronda Henderson ("The visions of a Tatooine farm boy are vastly different from those of a Jedi Knight - or are they?") (20)
- Cartoonist's Gallery, art by Sherlock and Linda Richards (21)
- I Understand, poem by CarolMel Ambassador ("Does Luke leave Dagobah with more wisdom than Yoda things?") (29)
- The Wedding Trip by Joyce Devine and Lynda Vandiver ("An insider's account of the Royal honeymoon.") (30)
- It's All Right to Be Afraid by Mary St. Cry ("A deadly epidemic has struck the rebel forces and threatens everything and everyone.") (35)
- Filk Gallery (71)
- Han and Leia, to the tune of "Leather and Lace" sung by Stevie Nicks, by Kathryn Agel
- Even Droids Get the Blues, to the tune of "Baby's in Black" by the Beatles, by Marguerite P. O'Rourke
- My Sweet Lovely Leia, to the tune of "My First Taste of Texas" sung by Ed Bruce, by Kathryn Agel
- Life in the Service, to the tune of "The Ballad of John and Yoko" by John Lennon, by Marguerite P. O'Rourke
- Rebel Drinking Song, to the tune of "It's A Fine Life" from the musical Oliver, by Elaine Arnold
- The Turning, to the tune of "Memories" from "Cats," by Marguerite P. O'Rourke
- I Wonder What Solo Is Doing Tonight, to the tune of "I Wonder What the King Is Doing To night" from the musical Camelot, by Elaine Arnold
- The Corridor, to the tune of "The Rose," [9] by Catherine V. Woldow
- Home to Leia By Mornin', to the tune of "Amarillo by Mornin' sung by George Straight, by Kathryn Agel
- Piett's Theme, to the tune of "Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees, by by Ronda Henderson
- A Higher Call by Ronda Henderson ("Must Leia make a choice between her love and her duty?") (88)
- Unfinished Business by Katharine Scarritt ("After the war there's not much for a former pirate to do - or is there?") (89)
- Art Gallery, art by Sherlock and Carolyn Cooper (120)
- A Small Talent by Carolyn Cooper ("Han loses his cookies and more while babysitting.") (126)
- A Little Matter of Taste by Carolyn Cooper ("The terrors of the night bring a new understand for Leia and Beru.") (171)
- A Chip Off the Old Block by Carolyn Cooper ("An innocent question sets Han up for a taste of his own medicine") (182)
- Last Words (the FACPOV guidelines)
- FACPOV's Handy-Dandy LoC Form
a flyer for issue #2, printed in the 1988 MediaWest*Con program book; the art is from the zine's table of contents page
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Carolyn Cooper
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Sherlock
from issue #2, Sherlock
from issue #2, Sherlock
from issue #2, Linda Richards
from issue #2, Sherlock
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Sherlock
from issue #2, Carolyn Cooper
from issue #2, Sherlock
from issue #2, Sherlock
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2
From a Certain Point of View 2 has a unique design, a full-color fold-out cover and some very different art by Carolyn Cooper, Dani Lane and Sherlock. The stories tend to be short, and include Threepio's version of the honeymoon, "The Wedding Trip," by Joyce Devine and Lynda Vandiver; a Maari Corell story, "It's All Right To Be Afraid," by Mary St. Cyr; a short story by Scotty Perkins, "Home for the Holidays," in which Luke and Leia console each other over the double loss of home and family immediately after the first Death Star's destruction; and "Unfinished Business," by Katherine Scarritt, wherein Han finds life after the Empire more difficult than he could ever imagine.
The heart of this zine are the stories starring Luke's newfound daughter, Beru. Although a trifle sentimental, they have great charm and a delightful sense of humor that appeals to me. In this issue, Luke has to cope with Beru's unexpected, but genetic talent at sabacc in "A Small Talent." Bern's chance meeting with a runaway almost has tragic results in "A Little Matter of Taste." And Leia and Beru jointly come to terms with their animosities and fears in "A Touch of Tenderness." Leia finally gets her revenge when Beru's curious questions on how you get to be a princess reminds her that Han Solo is royalty now, in "A Chip Off the Old Block." [10]
Issue 3 ("The GQ Edition")
From a Certain Point of View 3 was published in 1987 and contains 146 pages (five stories).
The art is by Jean Kluge, Dani Lane, and Carolyn Cooper.
Description from an ad in Southern Enclave:
What monumental battle are the Rebels losing the day after the Death Star? What's General Solo's son up to with a heavy blaster and a bottle of Upland Reserves? Han and Chewie with a steady, legal job? What Naughty Bits of trouble is Hanna Beru in now?
Description from a flyer:
This is an issue with style! A Jedi craves not these things - well, not often. Hanna Beru gets an "educational" lesson in social proprieties that puts Han and Luke in a tight spot. The Death Star has already gone bang, so what battle are the Rebels losing on Endor? General Solo gave his son two gifts for his return to Nammerin ~ a heavy blaster and a bottle of Upland Reserves. Both are very dangerous. And there comes a time when even Jedi Masters must admit the truth about their lives - and their limits. Han Solo and Chewie have found a nice steady, honest and legal job. What could go wrong? Plus plenty of beautiful art.
- Editor's Voice, which includes Somehow, somewhere, some way, a hefty contingent of fans became "consumers." (4)
- Centerfield by Scotty Perkins ("A monumental battle of a different kind is waged on Endor the day AFTER the Death Star was destroyed -- and this time the Imperials are winning!"0 (9)
- The Nammerin Connection by Debra Doyle ("General Solo gave his son, Obi Organa-Solo, two gifts for the return to Nammerin, a Corellian heavy blaster and a bottle of Upland Reserves -- both are very dangerous.") (37)
- Admittance by CarolMel Ambassador ("there comes a time when even Jedi Masters must admit the truth about their lives -- and their limitations.") (79)
- Imperial Entanglements by Laura Michaels ("It's the job Han Solo and Chewbacca had always been looking for, steady, legal and honest. What could go wrong") (83)
- Naughty Bits by Carolyn Cooper ("A Jedi craves not these things; well, not often [as] Hanna Beru discovers when an educational lesson in social proprieties puts Han and Luke in a tight spot.") ("NOTE: This story is set in the Hanna Beru series in which Luke Skywalker discovers, while on a post-ROTJ mission with Princess Leia and Han Solo, that he has an illegitimate daughter from a previous visit to Ord Mantell. In previous stories, Luke and Han not only find out that the child, Hanna Beru, is an accomplished pickpocket and cardsharp, but that something's not right on Ord Manell; there are kidnappings, slave trading, and more, plus a prissy Viceroy who's driving the over-stressed Leia mad. Hopefully, references to previous events in other stories will be self-explanatory.") (97)
from issue #3, Carolyn Cooper
from issue #3, Carolyn Cooper
from issue #3, Dani Lane
from issue #3, Carolyn Cooper
from issue #3, Carolyn Cooper
from issue #3, Dani Lane
from issue #3, Dani Lane
from issue #3, Jean Kluge
from issue #3, Jean Kluge
from issue #3, sample text
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3
One of the special pleasures of From a Certain Point of View is its artwork, and the latest issue catches the eye with its color cover of Luke by Carolyn Cooper. Humor runs through most of the fiction offerings, from "Centerfield," by Scotty Perkins, to "Naughty Bits," by Carolyn Cooper.
Even "The Nammerin Connection," by Debra Doyle, a serious story of ancient enemies resurrected, has its funny aspects. Han and Leia's son. Obi-wan Organa-Solo, starts his second hitch on Nammeria with two gifts from his father, a blaster and vintage brandy. What should be a boring tour of duty is anything but, when Obi-wan gets involved with smugglers, an epidemic, poison, and a Sith.
In "Admittance," by CarolMel Ambassador, Kenobi agonizes over his inability to help Luke on Bespin, while Yoda warns him that both must have patience and await Luke's return. Nothing is ever simple for Han Solo, as Laura Michaels shows in "Imperial Entanglements," when an easy job for the Imps turns into a slave revolt.
Scotty Perkins has a wicked sense of humor, as demonstrated by "Center- field." The day after the victory on Endor, Han takes offense when an Imperial POW insults the Ice Princess, and the man stupid enough to marry her. retaliates with a challenge of the Corellian game of hitandrun, unaware that the POWs are the galaxy champions. Leia joins the team, pn Luke is dragooned into being pitcher, and various other hung-over Rebels are persuaded to defend the honor of the Alliance. And what a game it is!
Carolyn Cooper has been writing a series of stories about Luke's six year old daughter, Beru. Although Luke is unaware of her existence for most of her six years, they have a loving but tenuous relationship. Living on the Falcon with Han, Leia and Chewie has had its problems as well. In "Naughty Bits," Leia takes offense at Bern's lack of education, and Luke's collection of erotica. After slavers attempt to kidnap Beru, Luke is faced with an even bigger problem when he discovers Beru has found him a very special escort for the viceroy's reception.[11]
Issue 4 ("The Enquirer Edition")
From a Certain Point of View 4 was published in 1989 and has 138 pages.
This issue contains no interior illustrations.
From an ad in Southern Enclave:
The secrets of the Rebel stars exposed! Will a certain former smuggler complete his mission or end up in the slammer? Was the Bespin incident really a happy ending? Were those Kessel runs as peaceful as Han remembers? Plus, the exciting 76-page conclusion to Hanna Beru on Ord Mantell.
From a flyer:
The secrets of the Rebels exposed! Will a certain former smuggler complete his Alliance mercy mission - or end up in jail thanks to his Imperial buddy? Did the Bespin incident really have a happy ending? And those Kessel Runs, were they as peaceful as General Solo remembers? And don't forget our exciting 76-page conclusion to Hanna Beru's life on Ord Mantell (Does Han Solo "cheat" at sabaac? You decide!) And will somebody please get the Wookie out of jail?
The editorial:
It's Tuesday, May 23, 1989, 3:00 PM as I write this directly into the system. My flight to MediaWest*Con 9 leaves Thursday at 8:30 AM. Does this give you some idea of how dose I'm cutting it? If s not my fault! Clients, Pro Bono Good Guy Stuff for a local writer's group and life, the universe and everything ran overtime. Frankly, if it weren't for the power and the Force of desktop publishing, this issue wouldn't exist. I LOVE DTP! Because of the amount of text for this zine, I focused on text readability.
This isn't the last issue of FACPOV (okay, cut the groaning), but only because I couldn't get Scotty Perkin's novel. Past Shadows, Future Voices, entered and laid out in time. I won't say there will NEVER be another issue of FACPOV, because never is a very long time, however, I'm not soliciting any more material or budgeting for another issue.
This has nothing to do with a waning interest in SWars (actually, I fell in love with our rebels all over again while watching my tapes as I worked on the layout). Of course, SWars fandom has shrunk, but I've made many a good friend in fandom and its still fun.
For those interested, issues of From A Certain Point of View 1-3 are available and Scotty's novel will be out by September, 1989.
For all of you who have written encouragement over the years, my sincerest thanks. For those who have written lovely letters about Hannah Beru, thanks and I hope you like my conclusion to the series on Ord Mantell. I had a lot of fun writing it. I won't be at as many cons from now on, but should our paths cross, let's get together and party!
Until then. May the Force Be With You and Fly Casual.
- Editor's Point of View (2)
- Contact In Issquay by Debra Doyle and J.D. MacDonald ("How come Han Solo pirate, smuggler and Rebel is so friendly with an Imperial officer? Will it jeopardize the mission? Can Luke handle negotiations in this wretched hive of scum and villainy? And will somebody please get Chewie out of jail?") (reprinted in Alliance & Empire #2) (3)
- Always in Motion is the Future by Ruth Rdecki ("Is this the future Yoda saw in his dark vision? lbs the best Dark Side piece we've ever seen! A thoroughly and frighteningly believable alternative to the escape from Bespin! Sorry, no hints. We don't want to spoil it for you!") (37)
- An Average Day on a Kessel Spice Run by Laura Michaels ("To borrow from Judith Viorst [sic], it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for Han Solo and Chewbacca on what should have been a simple pickup! Some days are like that — especially for our favorite Corellian!") (49)
- A Fine Time Was Had by All by Carolyn Cooper ("The 76-page conclusion to the on-going tale of Luke Skywalker, surprised Jedi father, and Hannah Beru, the Empire's revenge on our heroes. It's time to party for the Republic! Can Luke survive another of Leia's blind dates for him? Does Leia get a trick — or her treaty? Is Han as good at sabaac as he says —or is it just dumb luck? And after tonight, does Beru stand a chance of ever borrowing the ship when she's sixteen?") (61)
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4
After a brief hiatus, Carolyn Cooper returned with her latest installment of From A Certain Point Of View. Past years have been distinguished by ornate artistic designs, but Number Four takes a simpler point of view with just stories and no art.
The bulk of the zine is the concluding story in Cooper's series focusing on Luke's six-year-old daughter, Beru. In "A Fine Time Was Had By All," a reception at Viceroy Freidlin's mansion on Ord Mantell has unexpected results when Beru is kidnapped, Han has to play sabacc for the Death Star plans, and Luke must take on slavers to rescue his daughter. Packed with action, arid a tree-top flight for the Falcon, this latest entry ties together all the loose ends of Coooper's series in a first-rate denouement.
In two other stories, Han's deals go somewhat askew, "Contact in Issquay," by Debra Doyle and J. D. MacDonald, involves a black market deal for medical supplies that is complicated by the appearance of an old Imperial acquaintance. And if Laura Michaels's "An Average Day On A Kessel Spice Run" represents Han and Chewie's usual experiences, no wonder they stayed with the Alliance.
"Always In Motion Is The Future," by Ruth Radecki, is an all-too-plausible alternate ending to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. In this chilling story, Vader captures the Falcon as it tries to escape from Bespin, and then decides the fate of its crew. [12]
Issue 5 ("The Romance Edition")
From a Certain Point of View 5 was published in 1990 and is 198 pages long. It is the "Romance Edition."
It has art by Melea Fisher, Nora Mayers, and Carolyn Cooper.
[From a flyer]:Lightsabers of Love Proudly Presents: From a Certain Point of View No. 5.
Han Solo — Handsome, dashing smuggler. . . until that fateful day in a cantina on Tatooine.
Princess Leia Organa — She fought for the Rebel lion... and she fought her passion for him. Luke Skywalker — He was a heroic and hot-blooded warrior. . . but haunted by his past and afraid to embrace his desires.
Chewbacca — Tall dark, and hairy ... his insatiable appetites were nearly the death of them all. ... A teeming zine of men, women, and Wookiees caught in a whirlwind of unexpected love, intrigue, and sudden passions...
The Galaxy's Publisher of the Hot Side of the Force.
Our hottest issue ever! With ail the quality and fun you've come to expect from FACPOV. (Do you have any idea, how many romance covers I had to read to come up with those blurbs?) Over 200 tightly-packed pages of action, adventure, romance, passion, humor, heartache, and fun with a fuii-coior cover sure to tickle your fantasies. ARTWORK: Melea Fisher, Nora Mayers, and Carolyn Cooper. Ail for only $17.00 (U.S.), including first-class postage. Due to the costs, FACPOV #5 is a limited-edition publication. From A Certain Point Of View is available from Whine Press (It's not my fault!).
- And They Call It Puppy Love (short story) by Carolyn E. Cooper (He drew women like a magnet. And Hanna Beru could not resist him. How could her father forbid it? What dark forces plotted against them?)
- Empire and Foundation (short short story) Anne-Virginie Dutech (The dashing pirate captain wanted Princess Leia at any price. Even if it meant dealing with the Emperor himself. Can Leia survive the desires of two men?)
- And For the Republic (novella) Nora Mayers (What dark destiny struggles to keep Princess Leia Organa from the arms of the handsome, heroic Han Solo? What tragic secret is Han Solo hiding? Will Luke Skyrwalker die a traitor's death? Must they seek sanctuary in another galaxy?) (Four years later, this story was later revised and published as the first part of Pursuit of the Nashtah.)
- Past Shadows, Future Voices (novel) Scotty Perkins (Luke Skywalker is the last of Jedi Knights — unless, he can find the lost Jedi secrets. And his only link is a mysterious and desireable woman. But is her destiny along the Dark path? Must the Princess Leia Organa choose between love and conscience? Can Han Solo find his missing friends in time?)
from issue #5, Nora Mayers
from issue #5, Carolyn Cooper
from issue #5, Nora Mayers
from issue #5, Nora Mayers
from issue #5, Nora Mayers
from issue #5, Melea Fisher
from issue #5, Melea Fisher
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Issue 6 ("The Family Values Edition") (planned but not published)
From a Certain Point of View 6 was planned for 1994. It was the "Family Values Edition."
From an ad in Southern Enclave: "I'm looking for some good stories and art with our heroes and their childhoods, children, family relationships (maybe Han and Leia's wedding?), etc. As always, FACPOV prefers upbeat, positive pieces with our heroes as a prominent part, but I'll look at well-written dark drama."
References
- ^ comment by kslangley at What was your first fandom?, August 28, 2016
- ^ from Blue Pencil #1
- ^ from the editor of the zine, as printed in the second issue
- ^ from the editor of the zine, as printed in the second issue
- ^ from a letter of comment in "A Certain Point of View" #2
- ^ from a letter of comment in "A Certain Point of View" #2
- ^ from a letter of comment in "A Certain Point of View" #2
- ^ from Southern Enclave #11
- ^ For well-known use of this song, see The Rose, a very early Starsky & Hutch vid
- ^ from "The Wookiee Commode Guide to Star Wars Zines -- 1986", from The Wookiee Commode #6
- ^ from "The Wookiee Commode Consumer Guide to 1987 SW Fanzines," in The Wookiee Commode #5
- ^ from "A Consumer Guide to 1989 SW Zines, or The Year of the Disappearing Fanzine," in The Wookiee Commode #7
- ^ "The “clinch” became the standard and remained so throughout the 1980s—the industry term for those covers featuring the protagonists locked in a passionate embrace, their clothes frequently on the verge of melting away, seemingly caught in flagrante delicto. It might be more or less torrid. For instance, writer Johanna Lindsey had a string of truly outrageous covers that peaked with 1985’s Tender Is the Storm; illustrated by Robert McGinnis, it features a frankly shocking amount of naked, manly haunch and appears to depict a man outright thrusting his penis between a woman’s abundant breasts. Carson probably couldn’t have shown it without FCC complaints. In the book The Romance Revolution, Carol Thurston suggests that in at least one city, Minneapolis, romance novels got caught up in the anti-pornography ordinances that tore the feminist movement apart in the mid-1980s—specifically, the ones with “lurid” covers." -- The Steamy, Throbbing History of Romance Novel Covers