The B7 Monthly

Title:	The B7 Monthly
Creator:
Date(s):	early 1980s-?
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Blake's 7
Language:	English
External Links:
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The B7 Monthly was a Blake's 7 for-profit magazine of photos and articles. It was originally created for a younger audience.

In late 1982, the editors of Horizon Newsletter asked fans their opinions about this magazine and printed the results in issue #8.

At the end of the printed results, Diane Gies (editor of Horizon Newsletter) had these comments:

we all loved!It’s clear that more interviews, pics, etc. from the earlier series would prove popular. Almost all of you said how much you liked the scrapbook and behind the scenes photos and all of you (bar about 6) said the zine was aimed too young or implied as much. Nobody seems to like Ask Orac, Vila’s Gags, the strip stories or the film/book review, but the most often quoted remark was ’Juvenile’. It is clear that you want a B7 magazine but not in its present form. Luckily, Marvel seem to agree as the mag. is now being reviewed and is under new editorship. I agree totally with the rest of you. I’d like to suggest to Marvel that they carry out a survey to lind the average age of their readership. If more than one person reads the same mag. then their age should also be considered. I know a family where the mag. is bought for the children but Mum reads it too! I’m sure that this is not uncommon. We have been asked to send the results of this section of the questionnaire to Bernie Jay as she has shown an unusual willingness to listen to fans opinions.

1982 Comments in "Horizon Newsletter" 8

Although it's mainly for children (I am 26) I love the photos, especially the ones that are taken during rehearsals.

It's childish in style but although this is irritating I’m still interested enough on the whole to continue to buy it.

I don’t like it very much, but it’s improving. In recent issues there have been some nice 1st series photos and the feature on Blake and interview with Gareth Thomas was interesting. I don’t think it’s worth 45p but it’s aimed at a lower age group. It’s not a patch on HORIZON.

It is nice to have pin-ups and information on the seven. They should have done it long ago, at the time of the first season preferably.

I think it’s great but I hope people don’t forget (with all these new characters around) the old crew members.

Some of the pictures are nice, the interviews can be interesting, the comic strip and the story are very borderline (who writes them? Why does Avon rumble so much? Is it the food on Xenon?) I wish it was aimed at the decrepit oldsters among us - I am over 10, all right 20... all right, all right - 30, but that may be unfair to the younger generation- I shouldn’t be reading their comics after all!

I am unconvinced of its accuracy - according to the first issue Soolin's parents were killed on Darlon V, not Gauda Prime. If the promised episode guide is any good then it’s worth buying.

The first few issues of the 37 monthly weren’t very good - all the ’Vila’s gags’ were terrible. The comic strips are OK but often, say, Avon gets Vila’s lines and Vila gets Avon’s lines, etc. I don’t like the film reviews bit - it seems pointless and I don’t see why it has to be directed toward the younger generation, as I would say most of us are over 16 years of age.

I don’t like the picture strips, nor the book reviews, also if it must have competitions why not make us work for them? The answers to the 37 questions are too obvious and the ones not relating to 37 are just as easy- The printers seem to be under the impression that 37 started last September, the only things I’ve seen on the early crews are four photos, and even then they’ve printed one twice. I think there is definitely a need for articles about the previous crews. Anyone bothering to buy the mag. must know something about 37 so isn’t it a bit stupid printing the cast each issue? They should also stop writing it on the level of 8 year olds, some of the readers do possess a little common sense. Having had a good go at it, the long stories are usually good and the photos themselves justify the price sixteen times over.

I think it has the right ideas carrying interviews with both cast and production people and behind the scenes snapshots, etc. I think it aims too much at the kids, why does nobody seem to cater for us 'older kids'? It would also be nice to see a few more colour pics, even if this involved an increase in price, after all, there are too few professional publications covering B7 at all.

I don't like the letters page (gushing testimonials to the magazine) and feel unable to comment on Ask Orac. I notice that Blake is blind eye can shift from side to side and Vila is ambidextrous.

A genuine attempt, I feel, to satisfy a demand and the editorial staff show a pleasing willingness to adapt to suit when it proved unpopular.

I don't believe they give the children that read this very much credit, they are a lot smarter than they are talked at in this magazine. The article Paul is doing for them is very entertaining, but could be longer I feel.

Brilliant idea getting Paul to write for it, not enough 1st series photos to go with it, what happened to the promised step-by-step review of the episodes? The printing is appalling - I wish there could be more colour pages. Starburst is about the same price with much better presentation.

What bugs me most is that the writers of the cartoons and the 'story’ don’t seem to have ever heard of the 1st three series - they just know the 4th series and have obviously noticed Avon’s receding sanity and have amplified it about 10 times - Avon ordering everyone around with no hint of the earlier morality or occasional ’good deed' - Vere Lorrimer strikes again... but if it is only aimed at the children, I suppose they wouldn’t notice the subtle characterisations that made B7 what we all loved.