Karen River

Fan
Name:	Karen River
Alias(es):
Type:	fanartist
Fandoms:	Blake's 7, Harrison Ford, Sentinel, Magnum P.I., Highlander, The Professionals, Starsky and Hutch, Quantum Leap
Communities:
Other:
URL:	; cartoon by Leah Rosenthal, for Gambit
	Click here for related articles on Fanlore.
	Contents 1 Zine Publications; 2 Fan Comments; 3 Sample Art 3.1 Unknown Date; 3.2 1980; 3.3 1981; 3.4 1982; 3.5 1983; 3.6 1984; 3.7 1985; 3.8 1986; 3.9 1987; 3.10 1988; 3.11 1989; 3.12 1990; 3.13 1991; 3.14 1992; 3.15 1993; 3.16 1994; 3.17 1995; 3.18 1996; 3.19 1997; 3.20 1998; 3.21 1999; 3.22 2000; 3.23 2001; 3.24 2002; 3.25 2003; 3.26 2007; 3.27 2014; ; 4 References;

Karen River is a fan artist who has done art for many fanzines and has won many awards.

From a fan in 1989: "Boy, can that woman draw!" ^[1]

In 1982, she was nominated for a FanQ award and submitted the following bio to The Annual Fan Q Awards Nominations Booklet:

"Karen River is probably one of the oldest neos around, having been initiated to fandom in general by artist Joni Wagner in 1980 when Joni dragged her to Mos Eastly Con in NY. Karen found the assorted flakes and nuts attending the con to be 'her kind of people' and she's been active in fandom (mostly Star Wars) ever since. After the apocalypse of 1981, in which Karen lost her camera, Datsun and life savings within one week's time, Karen moved to Chicago and found a job whipping circulation figures into shape...Karen's artwork has been published in such zines as SON OF SYNDIZINE, PEGASUS 5, FACETS 7/8 and WARPED SPACE 46, and will soon be seen in upcoming issues of GURADIAN, FACETS, WARPED SPACE, DRACULA, BENEATH THE REVENGE OF THE SYNDIZINE, and PEGASUS 6."

Zine Publications

Fan Comments

Some early fan comments about River's art in Pegasus #5 (1981), illustrating differing opinions:

Most of [the art in [ Pegasus #5 ] is done by Karen River, a talented newcomer with as style similar to Joni Wagner. Perhaps it is because between them, Karen and Joni managed to draw at least 50% of the zine that I am so under whelmed by their work, or perhaps it is because they, in company with a number of other artists in fandom, spend most of their time on a series of endless copies of published photographs…^[2]

Where did Karen River pop up from!!!... Why haven't we seen anything of hers before? She has a feel for cross-hatch that is incredible. It's a difficult technique to master and still get the character across. I can only compare her to one other person— oops, two, that I know that can handle that technique: Gee Moaven and Laura Virgil. Karen does wonderful things with the line. I happen to feel it's tougher than stipple (which is what I do). Bravo!! Her best two would have to be pages 22 and 197. Gorgeous! Not to say, of course, that the rest isn't great, but those two are outstanding! ^[3]

the "moppet"

Karen River is a Natural Wonder and a Fantastic Artist. Her likenesses are uniformly excellent, her style of high contrast shadows very appealing and her composition and proportions good with the exception of the front cover. The Pegasus on said cover is classically exquisite but poor Luke is missing a bit of lower extremities. I can't say as I blame her either because horseback figures are heck to draw in perspective.
Nothing wrong with the luscious Harrison faces on the bacover and inside front cover, though—they're the stuff of dreams! The subtlety of the humor on the bacover is nicely whimsical too. Karen's Baby Hamill is adorable and reminded me irresistibly of Carey Guffey in "Close Encounters' in his moppetness. A most apt dedication. ^[4]

Sample Art

Unknown Date

framed Star Trek art print, "Classics"
A Little Bit of Jungle in Him, The Professionals
Forever Night character - LaCroix. This drawing is titled After Midnight

1980

1981

from Storms #1, for New Year, Starsky (in a Halloween costume) consoles Hutch. Hutch's ex-girlfriend had told him that Halloween was the "Gay New Year." (Starsky & Hutch)
from Storms #1, for New Year (Starsky & Hutch)
Syndizine #2, American Gigolo
Syndizine #2, art for A Brother Helped is a Strong City
from Facets #7/8 (Indiana Jones)
Syndizine #2, Happy Days
Pegasus #5
Pegasus #5
Pegasus #5
from Warped Space #46 (Star Wars)

1985

from Timeframe, the photo reference used is a photo of Billy Dee Williams (not included in the illo), Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford taken by Annie Leibovitz
from Eclectic, portrays Lando Calrissian (Star Wars)
from Rerun #3 (Magnum P.I.)
from Robin's Nest #2 (Magnum P.I.)
from Warrior's Luck (Battlestar Galactica (1978)]]
from Warped Space #52, Rutger Hauer from Ladyhawke
from Shooting Star #2 (Star Wars)
from Nome #8 (Star Trek: TOS)
from Wookiee Commode #2, "Corellian Gothic" (Star Wars) - "As the saying goes, Karen River's art is not just getting older, it's also getting better! As an artist myself, I can only bow to her fantastic talent, and perhaps turn a bit green (was that the sound of gnashing teeth? You bet it was!) Believe me, it ain't easy being green! But the pleasure of her art is worth the inconvenience." ^[5]

1986

from On a Clear Day You Can See Dagobah #2 (Star Wars)
from A New Hope #1 (Star Wars)
from Rat Tales (The Professionals)
fromRerun #4
from Purple & Orange? #20, a Battlestar Galactica (1978) character as the "Mona Lisa," see Imitation
from Flip of a Coin #8 (Hanover Street)
from Robin's Nest #3 (Magnum P.I.)
from Robin's Nest #3
from Revenge of the Sith (Star Wars)
from Revenge of the Sith
from Revenge of the Sith
from Revenge of the Sith
from Straight Blake's #3 (Blake's 7)

1987

"Corellian Centerfold," from The Wookiee Commode #4 (Star Wars)
from Southern Seven #2 (Blake's 7) - "I have to confess that Karen River's back cover is the most 'perfect' Avon I've ever seen. Neither overworked nor inappropriate, I adored it. It's getting my vote for a ZEN award this coming year, fer sure, as my favorite illo." ^[6]
portrays Vincent Wells (Beauty and the Beast (TV)
from Sonic Screwdriver #3 (Robin of Sherwood)
from Rerun #5, v.1
from Rerun #5, v.2
from Last Stand at the Edge of the World (Blake's 7)
from Blake's 7 Calendar (Blake's 7)
from The World Turned Upside Down (Blake's 7)

1988

from Straight Blake's #1 (Blake's 7)
from Southern Seven #4, Servalan as Cleopatra (Blake's 7)
from The Hooded Man (Robin of Sherwood)
from The Osiris Files #2 (Indiana Jones)
from Shadowplay (Blake's 7)
from Shadowplay (Blake's 7)
from Powerplay #3 (Blake's 7)
from Sanctuary (Star Wars)

1989

"Legend" from Southern Seven v.5 pt. 1 (Blake's 7)
from Powerplay #6 (Blake's 7)
from Above & Below #2 (Beauty and the Beast (TV))
from Avon: A Terrible Aspect, the widely-panned Blake's 7 pro novel

1990

from Shaman (Blake's 7)
from 5th Season #6 (Blake's 7)
from 5th Season #6 (Blake's 7)
from 5th Season #6 (Blake's 7)
from 5th Season #6, premiered at Gambit art show where a fan wrote: "Karen River's, whose portraits were as fantastic as usual and whose big showpiece, "Shattered Illusions,"... showed a broken window in a frame, with "Orbit" scenes of Vila cowering in closet (on the remains of the glass) and Avon threatening (behind the glass). Juxtaposition and execution were both remarkable." -- from a con report quoted anonymously (Blake's 7)
from Above & Below's Dreamscapes (Beauty and the Beast (TV)
from Close Doubles (The Professionals)
from Close Doubles (The Professionals)
from Close Doubles (The Professionals)

1991

1992

Leaping to Conclusions

1993

from Hell is for Children (Miami Vice)
from Serrated Seven (Blake's 7)

1994

from A Killing Frost (1994) (Robin of Sherwood)
from The Portrait Gallery (Highlander)

1995

from Straight Blake's #2 (Blake's 7)

1996

from Indigo Boys #3, portrays Walker, Texas Ranger

1997

"Night Vision" from Motet #3 (The Professionals)
"Let's Hear It For the Boy!" from The Secret Sharer (Star Wars)
from Indigo Boys #4 (Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
from Indigo Boys #4 (Starsky & Hutch)

1998

from The Indigo Stories of Starsky and Hutch
from 852 Prospect #1 (Starsky & Hutch)
from Come to Your Senses #9 (The Sentinel)
from So Speaks the Hero #1 (Highlander)
from So Speaks the Hero #1 (Highlander)

1999

from Ace in the Hole (The Sentinel)
from Revelations #2 (Highlander)
from Sentry Post #5 (The Sentinel)
from Chalk and Cheese #19 (The Professionals)

2000

Sentry Duty #4
Sentry Duty #5

2001

from Albion Special #4 (Robin of Sherwood)
from Like Puppets on a String (The Sentinel)
from So Speaks the Hero #2 (Highlander)

2002

from Make It Go Away (The Sentinel)
from The Less Than Legendary Journeys #3 (Hercules: the Legendary Journeys)

2003

Come to Your Senses #23
from Folie A Deux & Parts Unknown (Highlander)
from Folie A Deux & Parts Unknown (Highlander)

2007

"The Young Duck Affair" (2007)

2014

"He Blinded Me With Science" - Neil deGrasse Tyson

References

^ from an LoC in Banzine #2
^ from a review of Pegasus #5]] in Jundland Wastes #7
^ from a review of Pegasus #5]] in Jundland Wastes #7
^ from a review of Pegasus #5]] in Jundland Wastes #7
^ from a letter of comment in The Wookiee Commode #3
^ from a letter of comment in Southern Seven #3

[1] rom an LoC in Banzine #2

[2] rom a review of Pegasus #5]] in Jundland Wastes #7

[3] rom a review of Pegasus #5]] in Jundland Wastes #7

[4] rom a review of Pegasus #5]] in Jundland Wastes #7

[5] rom a letter of comment in The Wookiee Commode #3

[6] rom a letter of comment in Southern Seven #3

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

Fan
Name:	Karen River
Alias(es):
Type:	fanartist
Fandoms:	Blake's 7, Harrison Ford, Sentinel, Magnum P.I., Highlander, The Professionals, Starsky and Hutch, Quantum Leap
Communities:
Other:
URL:	cartoon by Leah Rosenthal, for Gambit
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.
Contents 1 Zine Publications 2 Fan Comments 3 Sample Art 3.1 Unknown Date 3.2 1980 3.3 1981 3.4 1982 3.5 1983 3.6 1984 3.7 1985 3.8 1986 3.9 1987 3.10 1988 3.11 1989 3.12 1990 3.13 1991 3.14 1992 3.15 1993 3.16 1994 3.17 1995 3.18 1996 3.19 1997 3.20 1998 3.21 1999 3.22 2000 3.23 2001 3.24 2002 3.25 2003 3.26 2007 3.27 2014 4 References