Shooting Star (Star Wars zine edited by Jenni Hennig)
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Shooting Star |
| Publisher: | Galactic Winds Press |
| Editor(s): | Jeanine Hennig |
| Date(s): | 1982-1985 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Wars, Mark Hamill |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Shooting Star is a gen Mark Hamill and Star Wars zine. An ad in Southern Enclave calls it the "original Mark Hamill zine."
There were two issues; the first Mark Hamill-centric, the second with more Luke Skywalker fiction.
Issue 1
Shooting Star 1 was published in 1982 (January?) and contains 53 pages.
It has art by T.J. Burnside, Anne Davenport, Jenni Hennig, Carol McPherson, Kate Nuernberg, Carol Solemi, Karla Jarrett, Janice Liedl, and Mary Soderstrom. It was printed reduced offset.
From the editorial:
When I first started this project, in March of 1981, I had one fanzine under my belt and another on the way. Other than that vast(!?) experience, I had only an idea and a lot of bullheaded stubbornness that wouldn't let me back out. And every thing was telling me to back out. I mean, being the only Hamillfan in Texas, (or so I thought), was not the best encouragement. And I knew that no one had done a zine for Mark before. So - paradox. What do you do with a lot of hot air and initiative - but no fellow fen?
Answer - go to your first fan-centered con. In May of last year, I trekked it up to Michigan and MediaWest Con I, expecting to have a good time. I didn't. I had a great time. And it all started with a meeting. I spread word around, hoping to get together a small gathering of fen who were stuck on the blond bombshell. About nine or ten, right? Wrong. I ended up meeting about fifty.
GADS! THERE ARE OTHER HAMILLFEN OUT THERE!!!
So, 'SHOOTER', as it's become affectionately called, became a threat instead of a dream. And the main reason for this short history is to thank all the peeples who told me I wasn't crazy, that I wasn't THE ONLY ONE, and kicked my fanny into gear. Special thanks goes to my hubby, John. (I guess he figures if I can put up with his preoccupation with Lynda Carter...) Cuddles from the Kid to all of you.
Well, what else can I say? (Probably a lot ...) It's here, we've all waited a long time for something like this, and I think it's long overdue. I've gotten response from not only the U.S., but all over the world, and I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS! So, SHOOTER will see more issues, with help from you folks. I want to print twice a year, but #2 will be put off, 'cause I'll be a bit busy. You see, around August - September, John and I will be adding a new fan to the fold - our first! And it'll probably take a while for us all to get used to each other, so bear with me.
Ah, well - enough idle banter. I mean, the first doggone Mark Hamill fanzine is out and I sit here, expecting ya'll to listen to me jabber! Chee! Turn the
page, by all means, and tune me out.
- Shootin' Off, editorial by Jeanine Hennig (1)
- Starbolts (LoCs) (2)
- Something for the Editor, poem/vignette by Violet Nordstrom (3)
- Good Old Boys by Kate Nuernberg, art by Nuernberg ("Conrad reflects on his feelings for Amanda and where they could take him.") (The Nights the Lights Went Out in Georgia) (4)
- The Last Carrot, comic by Mary Soderstrom (4)
- The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, comic by Anne Davenport (9)
- Roommates by Kim Gianna, art by Janice Liedl ("Luke's parentage is the type laughed at in 'B' movies, as he soon finds out!") (Star Wars) (11)
- Yoda by Crazy Al (filk to the tune of "Lola," and "is to be played with a loud, obnoxious instrument, like the one Al uses... an accordion!") (15)
- Hamillquest by Mary Soderstrom ("Elfquest was never like this! Join "Cuter" as he rides through the zine, getting into trouble and trying to find a decent part. Heigh-Ho!") (16)
- Vicious Cycle, poem by Jenni (18)
- The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, comic by Anne Davenport (20)
- Pick a Star by Laurie Shanahan, art by Carol McPherson ("Vanessa's dumped Kenny for a truck driver, and he's on the road again - until one day he runs into a fellow loner named Ken Boyd. (Corvette Summer/Heroes) (22)
- Funnywalker, comic by Mary Soderstrom (34)
- Daisy, poem by Jenni (Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic) (36)
- Jedi!, poem by Lynne Terry (38)
- A Con Story by Karla Jarrett, art by Jarrett (A fan meets Luke Skywalker at a con via some time-dimension snafu, and she goes back with him to the Star Wars universe.) (40)
- I'll Wait, poem by Bev Lorenstein (Star Wars) (49)
- Innocence is Sexier Than You Think, poem by Jenni (Star Wars) (50)
- Oh Boy! Tights!, comic by Mary Soderstrom (52)
- Shooting Star, poem by Karen Fullerton (53)
- front cover by J.R. Dunster [though spelled "Dunsten" on title page], back cover by Mary Soderstrom: ("Rebel with a Nice... Foot!")
from issue #1, Anne Davenport
from issue #1, Anne Davenport
from issue #1, Kate Nuernberg
from issue #1, Anne Davenport
from issue #1, Kate Nuernberg
from issue #1, Kate Nuernberg
from issue #1, T.J. Burnside
from issue #1, Carol McPherson
from issue #1, Mary Soderstrom
from issue #1, Carol Solemi
from issue #1, Jenni Hennig
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
Well, a zine for our hero - finally! After all, not only has Mark given life to the principal character of our main reason for being here, (in a SWs zine), but he's also a fan. He's attended cons and we have proof that he reads zines. So, it's about time the navy brat got some fandom recognition.
What is his appeal? I've asked myself that question many times and I've finally hit upon the answer. He's someone you'd like to meet, talk to, and have some laughs with. Not that the not-so-crude matter isn't also appealing, but what I'm trying to describe here is the feeling that Mark is someone you can approach and talk to as if he's a longtime friend. There's no shield around him that says; 'big star who doesn't rub elbows with the common folk'. He's not Just some 8x10 glossy to stare at on the wall. He's one of us, in a way. A fellow fan who worked hard and got to where he is now.
Who can forget his appearance on the Dinah Shore Show, shortly after Star Wars had made its huge splash; when he, the first and featured guest, commented to Dinah, "Did you see all those movie stars backstage?" The gleam in his eyes and excited anticipation in his voice were genuine. He was the audience, waiting for the chance to see the 'big stars' in person. He didn't even catch on when the audience laughed. They had seen the irony in the statement.
This is one of the reasons Mark is so appealing. The very fact that I've referred to him as Mark and not Mr. Hamill is indicative of his image - he'd answer to Mark and not bat an eyelash. After all, he'd probably say, "that's my name."
He's not unattainable; a group of fan's, myself included, sent him flowers for his broadway opening night. He accepted the flowers and wrote a very nice note to all of us., thanking us for the gesture. So he's attainable, fun, and down-to-earth. Wonderful. But he's also a fine actor and that's what has been overlooked so far. I hope that this zine will help to remedy this oversight by featuring stories and articles dealing with his other characterizations.
I also want to congratulate whoever thought of the zine's name. SHOOTING STAR manages to convey the singularity and freshness that are so much a part of Mark's personality. Only special stars get to shoot through the sky, and even though Mark may not see himself as a 'star', his fans spotted the luminescence a long, long time before it shot across that galaxy far, far away. [1]
I'm very excited about SHOOTING STAR and I hope you'll be hearing from me as far as contributions are concerned.
I have one suggestion, but it may be hard to follow up. I would like an eyewitness account of The Elephant by someone who made it to New York! Not "I stood outside the stage door and got his autograph" - more like a review. Somebody who can be objective and not just gush about seeing Mark in the flesh. I searched the New York papers for about a month, wanting a review from somebody, but I guess none of the critics felt it was important to go and see the eighth man in the role. I feel it was important and I want to know how he did!!
From all indications, it looks as though Broadway is going to be his genre for a while, what with his moving there and auditioning for everything in town. It's an admirable and intelligent move on his part, (who wants to do 'mad slasher' movies?), but let's encourage him to stay visible. After all, not all of us can get to New York for a Hamill fix.
A few comments on Hamill's alter egos, which might bear some discussion. First, their availability: there ain't too many. We've got Kenny, Griff, Luke and Conrad. Who else? Unless you happen to have a videocassette of some of his TV work, it's kind of hard to remember it enough to write about it. At this time, I haven't seen Georgia yet, so I can't comment on that. For Corvette Summer, you've got three choices - pre-movie, interim pieces, and post movie. Well, it's been a long time since I was in high school, and I can't really identify with these two as kids. Maybe someone else can - if so, I hope they'll get behind a typewriter. The thought of 'what happens next?' is depressing. Will they stay together? Will they get married? Will Kenny get a job in a gas station? Will Elinor wait on tables? Will she stay on the pill? Will they get a two room apartment or live in a trailer park? Will they ever go to scenic Delmar? It reminds me of what my movie history professor said about Dustin Hoffman and Katherine Ross in The Graduate: they have to get off the bus and back into the real world sometime.
Griff is my personal favorite. I hope everyone read Sam Fuller's book. What you see in the movie is only the tip of the iceberg. After all, they filmed six hours and only showed us two. (That's why it took so long to release - they were editing for a year.) There's lots to write about. But again I have an identity crisis.
How do I fit myself into a world I know nothing about. Okay, there are emotional ties we can all understand , and those are worth investigating. That's why we like books and movies - to live vicariously those things which we are familiar with.
Here's the problem: how does this all work? In an SF universe, you can make up background and envioronment, etc. No one will stop you. But you have to know a little more about something that actually happened. How do you know if your idea is feasible? How do you give it the ring of truth?
Okay, I talk too much. I don't mean to say that STAR can't be done. It can and it ought to be. It has to be. We Hamillfen need it. But it's going to be a real job. May the Force be with you. [2]
Issue 2
Shooting 2 is undated (the editorial mentions it being three years after issue #1, so 1985?) and contains 86 pages. The cover art is dated 1983.
The art is by Jeanine Hennig, Karen River, Pat Easley, Mark Fisher, Melea Fisher, Dani Lane, Jim Markle, Lynn Garcia, Cheree Cargill, Schall, Peggy Dixon, and Kate Nuernberg.
Two stories were advertised on a 1984 flyer but did not appear in the zine: "Dewback Drawback by Yonina Gordon, art by Carol McPherson - "When Luke and Windy get lost in the deserts of Tatooine, they encounter a strange old hermit." And "Birthright" by Jeanine Hennig, art by Jenni - "The one thing that no one could deny him."
From the editorial:
SHOOTER has a bad karma.
That's the only excuse I can come up with for all the absolute aggravation that I've had the past—is it really three years?!—in trying to get this issue out.
But, here it is, in all it s glory. The Luke Skywalker Memorial Issue. Yeah, I know he's not dead yet... but it is a tribute to a character that Mark will probably not play again upon the silver screen. *sniff*
One good thing about SHOOTER'S karma is the fact that I managed to get stories from every time period of Luke's life. A fitting tribute, I think.
It is also the Memorial issue because SHOOTER 2 will be the last one. Who am I to monkey with karma? ...
Seriously, I no longer have the time nor funds to continue SHOOTER. All the submissions I received could have easily gone into my SWarszine, FAR REALMS. And the subs I got were like pulling teeth. SHOOTER can't survive on buyers alone. Thusly...
I won't say I tried. I DID, folks. And this last ish of SHOOTER is not truly dying... because there's nice work herein, and because, as I said, the subs I have gotten will in the future go into FAR REALMS upon acceptance. So, think of it as a merger— and Luke SKywalker will remain alive and well!
And there are other Hamillzines coming into the ballpark. I wish them luck and many contributions!
Enjoy the read, and Walk the Skies!!
- Shootin' Off, editorial by Jeanine Hennig
- Credits, a listing and brief description of Mark Hamill's acting roles, by L.A. Carr
- Hamillites Unite, poem by D.C. Farnsworth (4)
- Little Boy Lost by L.A. Carr, art by Pat Easley (5)
- Mark Hamill Hunt, puzzle by Marci Erwin (9)
- Visions, poem by Beth M. Lentz, art by Mark Fisher (10)
- Song of Tatooine, filk to the tune of "Song of Wyoming," by Lynne Hicks, art by Melea Fisher (12)
- Rites of Passage by Carolyn Kinkead, art by Pat Easley (13)
- Pilgrimmage by Lee Vibber, art by Dani Lane ("The Force seems to have deserted Luke after his victory over the Death Star...or has it?") (16)
- Old Friends, New Enemies by L.A. Carr, art by Jim Markle (21)
- On a Darkling Plain by Lynn Garcia, art by Garcia (35)
- Luke, poem by Gail Small, art by Pat Easley (43)
- Ready are You? by Matthew Whitney (44)
- Like an Unfinished Symphony by Linda Knights, art by Cheree Cargill ("There is one Jedi left besides Luke, but the young Jedi's search leads to unusual circumstances.") (46)
- Only a Name by Susan Hall (69)
- The Only Time it Rained, poem by Susan Hall, art by Schall (70)
- The Solution, poem by Peggy Dixon, art by Dixon (72)
- Jedi Force Crossword Puzzle by Marci Erwin (74)
- Metamorphosis by Loraine Birch (76)
- two untitled poems by Mary Keever (77)
- Shooting Star, poem by Angela-Marie Varesano (78)
- word puzzle answers (81)
- ads (82)
- front cover by Karen River, back cover by Kate Nuernberg
from issue #2, Mark Fisher
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Dani Lane
from issue #2, Jim Markle
from issue #2, Jim Markle
from issue #2, Pat Easley
from issue #2, Cheree Cargill
from issue #2, Angela-Marie Varesano
from issue #2, Jenni Hennig
