The Shadow Knight
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Shadow Knight |
| Publisher: | Dapplewood Press |
| Editor(s): | Kay Simon and Sharon Wells |
| Date(s): | 1990-1991 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Beauty and the Beast (TV) |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Shadow Knight is a het Beauty and the Beast (TV) anthology edited by Kay Simon and Sharon Wells.
It is an zine of SND 3rd-season stories.
Issue 1
The Shadow Knight 1 was published in December 1990 and contains 212 pages.
This zine has a plastic sheet cover with the title written on it, gray heavy paper underneath with the artwork.
It contains much art by Star Cook, Mary Ellen Nicosia, Rita Terrell, J. Ley, Holly Riedel, Barbara Gipson, Sharon Wells (cover), and Alice Baltes.
From an ad: "HERE ARE THE STORIES YOU WISHED THEY WOULD HAVE SHOWN US IN THE THIRD SEASON!"
From the editorial by Sharon Wells:
We have gone through a trying time. It all began on Thursday. aka: Black Thursday May 18, 1989, and has come again, like a bad recurring nightmare, on Thursday January 4, 1990. So... CBS is once again guilty of "Beast Abuse", yet this time we are all the victims. But this is the "Beast that would not die", as Kathy Costello has said. Letters do change the tide, and it looks like we shall have our Beast, and his Beauty back, if we persevere. Do not give up hope. And please, remind the CBS sponsors that you no longer patronize that network. Who could could? They have proven themselves to be liars, promising us 12 hours and giving us a measly nine. They have lost their credibility. Who could trust their news shows after that?
On to nicer things. You may be getting flyers from me upon occasion, to notify you of new items. SASE's are appreciated, and I wholeheartedly thank all of you who send them.
"The Shadow Knight" was a fanzine I felt compelled to begin. Knowing that they wouldn't give us Catherine back, I was stuck with grieving about her loss (which made it totally impossible to write anything), or deciding in my own mind, that she was alive! So, she lives in the fanzines and hopefully in future movies or episodes of "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST".
The story doesn't end with this volume. There are already stories for "The Shadow Knight II" that continue 'The Rescue", and give us alternative ways in which Catherine and Vincent might be reunited.
A big thanks goes to all those Helpers who make Dapplewood Press fanzines possible.
In closing, I want to tell you about a little cartoon someone told me about. Rita Terrell drew a marvelous picture of 'Vincent in Training" for "Abode of the Beast". Someone took that picture, Vincent with claws raised, fangs bared and ready to fight, and added to it a secretary talking to a man at a desk. The caption reads: "Mr. Sagensky, there's someone here to see you." I think the last laugh will be on CBS, don't you? I wouldn't be surprised if they end up bring us future movies!
The Dreamers Will Endure Too.
From the editorial by Kay Simon:
CO-EDITOR's LETTER: IN THE WAKE OF THE THIRD SEASON
At press time, we have viewed the third season, although three episodes were called due to executive stupidity. The viewer reactions to the aired episodes have been wildly varied. CBS, of course, provided us with the most dramatic of its hot-cold support tactics: a brusque, politically-inspired cancellation.
However, it is the viewers' comments which are most disheartening, even disconcerting, including letters saying, "of course I will not buy any third-season materials...", or that the third season "is not real..". Does this imply that now only fan-written materials are now real? As the Skin Horse says in Velveteen Rabbit "only love can make you real". And admittedly, the love in the third-season is far different from that of the first two.
Indeed, the flyers which describe the direction which will be pursued in each 'zine may be the key, prior to reading or purchasing. I believe that Sharon and I both hold with the philosophy that the spirit of Catherine lives, no matter what we may have seen on television. She appears in a number of Sharon's stories here in Shadow Knight. And, I believe that Shadow Knight reflects some of Sharon's best writing. It contains a healthy mix of action and intrigue, and fills in some of the endless holes and loose ends which third season episodes were shot full of, and with which were left to die.
This is to say that at least one of the fan writers has risen to the challenge, to continue vintage B&B within the impossible framework provided by the "real" writers. And, I believe that Sharon's effort here succeeds wonderfully. I hope you will, too.
It does give rise to the question of labeling. Will stories now be described as "first-second season", or "third-season"? What a conundrum for connoisseurs, which Gene Roddenberry will never have to face, since his rules of cast integrity and red-shirts have endured for twenty-four years, now. So we may ask, why us? Perhaps the answer is, as Howard Gordon says regarding the risk inherent in any form of passion, "Don't love the beast".
- Letter from the Beastess
- Shadows in the Fog by Gretchen A.K. Kopmanis (7)
- Illusions of Reality by Gretchen A.K. Kopmanis ("Catherine is Gabriel's prisoner, and though her body is locked up, her dreams are able to take her to Vincent.") (8)
- No Expectations by Bobbi (36)
- What If by Kay Simon ("Catherine is alone with her thoughts in Gabriel's tower. She begins to wonder how her life, her relationship with Vincent might have been.") (37)
- Perchance to Dream by Bobbi (46)
- Changed... Forever by Gretchen A.K. Kopmanis (47)
- "Snow" Storm by Gretchen A.K. Kopmanis (51)
- The Bitter Cold by Sharon Wells (Missing Scenes from 'Snow' - "These are all the moments we didn't get to see in "Snow"; Father's feelings, Vincent's regrets, and flashes from the past.") (52)
- Vincent's Silent Questions by Gretchen A.K. Kopmanis (80)
- Rebirth of the Sonnet 3 by Gretchen A.K. Kopmanis (81)
- Love's Dominion by Kathleen L. Hall (83)
- Loose Ends by Sharon Wells ("Vincent has his child back, but what about all those video tapes Gabriel made? And how did Diana talk her way out of a murder charge? And how do they explain all the mauled bodies? And what about Gabriel's organization? How many loose ends are there? Vincent sets out to see if his world, his child, is still threatened by them.") (84)
- Darkness by Bobbi (147)
- Diana's Secret by Sharon Wells (148)
- The Rescue, part one and two by Sharon Wells (Continued in the next issue, "Could Catherine really still be alive? Diana begins to believe it's true and sets out on a perilous quest to find her.") (149)
- A Fan's Lament by Alice Bates (211)
from issue #1, Rita Terrell
from issue #1, Sharon Wells
from issue #1, J. Ley, portrays Elliot Burch
from issue #1, Star Cook, portrays Vincent, Father and baby Jacob
from issue #1, Mary Ellen Nicosia, portrays Vincent swooning in bed
from issue #1, Alice Baltes
from issue #1, Mary Ellen Nicosia
from issue #1, Sharon Wells, portrays Jacob Wells (Father)
from issue #1, Sharon Wells
from issue #1, J. Ley, portrays Diana Bennett
from issue #1, Holly Riedel, portrays Diana Bennett
from issue #1, Sharon Wells
from issue #1, Star Cook
from issue #1, Rita Terrell
from issue #1, Barbara Gipson, portrays Mouse
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
Several stories in this anthology seek to fill in missing scenes and tie up the loose ends of the 3rd season. Diana appears throughout and while she is in love with Vincent, he is too grief-stricken to notice . Zine concludes with 'The Rescue' in which Elliot, Diana and Vincent save Catherine from Gabriel's organization. Nice imagery. [1]
Lots of stuff to read. SND 3rd season. One of the first & best “Catherine in the witness protection program, and "what the hell does the ring mean?” stories. [2]
I would like to say THANK YOU for your zine The Shadow Knight. In this zine you did something that the writers failed to do in the nine episodes that we viewed— you made Diana a real character. To say the least, I was not at all impressed with the character of Diana during the third season, I always felt there was something missing and after reading The Shadow Knight, I can say I might have enjoyed Diana better on the small screen if Jo Anderson could have played her the way you wrote her. Thank you for bringing to life a character that I had completely written-off. I may never enjoy seeing the character in the show, but your zine has made reading about the character a lot more bearable. THANKS! [3]
Issue 2
The Shadow Knight 2 was published in January 1991 and contains 194 pages.
The art is by Alice Baltes, Barbara Gudlauski, Jackie Kapke, Shirley Leonard, Paula Ollie, Star, Sharon Wells (cover), and Jacquelyn Zoost.
From a flyer:
This is a BEAUTY AND THE BEAST fiction fanzine, rated PG-13.
In volume 2 of "The Shadow Knight" series, Catherine and Vincent continue their search for unity. This is a "She's not really dead" zine, but there is still plenty for Diana to do!
From the editorial:
This will be the last in 'The Shadow Knight" series. I feel there's only so many ways to bring Catherine back, and I truly hope that the writer(s) of the movie find one we all like!
- Letter from the Editor
- The Rescue, part three by Sharon Wells (Part one is is TSK-1. "Catherine is back in the tunnels, but life is not picture perfect. She and Vincent both have emotional secrets which need to see the light of day. Diana is miserable. She is afraid to go Above, because the Illuminati will probably kill her, but living Below with Vincent so close is almost as impossible. How can they have a 'happily every after?'") (1)
- Her Aloneness -- Diana's Lament, poem by Sharon Wells (49)
- Conversations in the Night, poem by Marilyn (50)
- A Place of Twilight, poem by Sharon Wells (49)
- A Letter to Catherine from Vincent by Deborah C. Shanks (52)
- Early One Morning, poem by Sharon Wells (55)
- I. Prologue, poem by Linda Mooney (56)
- Gates of Entry by Linda Mooney ("The entrance to Catherine"s apartment building has been bricked up. It is almost as if Vincent has closed away a part of his own heart, yet he has dreams that deny Catherine's death and which will eventually lead him on a quest for the woman he loves.") (57)
- II. Epilogue, poem by Linda Mooney (69)
- Have I Not Told You?, poem by Sharon Wells (71)
- Love and Memories, poem by Alice Baltes (72)
- Beyond the Threshold, poem by Marilyn (83)
- Letters of Love and Hope by Alice A. Baltes (84)
- The Spirit of Love, poem by Sharon Wells (88)
- Walk Slowly, Love Softly by Alice Baltes ("Catherine's ghost clings to Vincent, watching all he must endure to rescue their child, but once little Jacob is back, Vincent is still grieving for her. Narcissa claims to know a way of bringing Catherine back. Dare Vincent hope?") (89)
- Who Taught Whom?, poem by Sharon Wells (122)
- A Year in the Life by Terri Lebrande ("Vincent is a single father trying to raise his son, yet his heart is still with Catherine, and there are times when he can feel her there beside him... when even baby Jacob seems to sense her presence.") (123)
- A Happier Life by Sharon Wells (also possibly "The Happiest Life of All." "This is a companion piece to Terri's story. Catherine has been in a coma, yet an insubstantial part of her has been with Vincent and Jacob all along. She finally awakens to find that she has lost an entire year of her life. She must get back to Vincent, and she must do it in secret, so that she doesn't expose the tunnel's existence.") (139)
from issue #2, Shirley Leonard
from issue #2, Jackie Kapke
from issue #2, Sharon Wells
from issue #2, Star
from issue #2, Jackie Kapke
from issue #2, Barbara Gudlauski: "Lena and Elliott Burch"
from issue #2, Alice Baltes
from issue #2, Barbara Gudlauski: "Mary"
from issue #2, artist unknown
from issue #2, Sharon Wells: "Yet something within her tightened, constricted when she looked back at Diana, and the first green twinges of jealousy's embers began to grow to life."
from issue #2, Barbara Gudlauski: "Rebecca"
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2
This second and last volume of the series offers up more possible scenarios for Catherine's return. In 'Walk Slowly: Love Softly,' Vincent travels to the Afterworld to find Catherine. This zine also contains the conclusion to 'The Rescue' found in Volume 1. Diana appears as a friend. [4]
References
- ^ from The Beauty and the Beast Buyer's Guide to Fanzines
- ^ from Helpers' Network Quality Fanzine Review -- 1997, Archived version
- ^ from a fan in the June 1990 Tunnel Talk
- ^ from The Beauty and the Beast Buyer's Guide to Fanzines
- ^ from Helpers' Network Quality Fanzine Review -- 1997, Archived version