Originally posted to the Fidonet Star Wars Echo in Decebmer, 1994.

============================================================================
IF GUTS & DETERMINATION AREN'T ENOUGH, YOU'VE GOT TO USE A LITTLE FORCE...   
============================================================================
 .     .      .    .  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  .  .
.   .    .     .  O  U  T   .    O  F       T  H  E       .     .    .     .   
	      .           .      .   .    .    .     .   .     .  .   .   .
 .   MMM  .        MMM   .   .  AAAAA          WW     WWW .   WW           .  
  .  MM MM   .   MM MM     .   AA.  AA  .   .  WW    WW.WW   .WW   .  .   .    
     MM  MM     MM .MM  .     AA  .  AA   .    WW   WW   WW   WW        .      
.  . MM . MM   MM   MM   .   A  .    . A    .  WW  WW  .  W . WW     .    .   
     MM  .  MM   .  MM      AAAAAAAAAAAAA      WWWW  .  .  W .WW      .        
  .  MM       .     MM   .  AA  .   .  AA   .  WW        .  W WW .  .     .    
 .   MM  .      .  .        AA    .    AA         .   .     W WW       .     
     MM     .           .    AA  .    AA   .  .  .     .     WWW    .     . 
.    MM        .   .        .      .         .       .    .   WW .     .     
   . MM .            .    #################.   .   .   .      WW    .     .   
 .   M     .  .  .           .  # . #   .     .     .   .    . W    .   .    
   .   .    .       .    .      #.  #  .     .    .    .   .  .  . .    .    .
      .    .     .              #   #            .    .        .  
.    .         .       .  #################   .       .   ..        .     .
==========================================================================

  "The thornlike form of the Sun Crusher streaked away from the cluster, 
  leaving a trail of hot gases.  A few moments later, three fully armed
  Imperial-class Star Destroyers charged out of the maw like banthas on
  fire."

       --- From Kevin Anderson's novel, JEDI SEARCH

==========================================================================

OUT*OF*THE*MAW - THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE FIDONET STAR WARS ECHO       

==========================================================================

VOLUME I, ISSUE #2         DECEMBER 1994          EDITOR - MIKE SCHWAB

==========================================================================

ECHO MODERATOR:              SKIP SHAYOTOVICH
ECHO CO-MODERATOR:           BRENT LYNCH
ECHO MEMBER/NODE LISTING:    MIKE FARNHAM
MAIN ECHO FAQ KEEPER:        KEVIN COX
RPG GAME MASTER:             DAVE THOMER
INFOFAQ ENGINEERS:           JAMES KING AND SKIP SHAYOTOVICH
RESIDENT ECHO CELEBS:        KEVIN ANDERSON, TOM VEITCH, L. NEIL SMITH

==========================================================================

C O N T E N T S

Monthly Features for December 1994:


I.     Echo Announcements             You may fire when ready...             
II.    Big News For The Echo          Star Wars Authors Come Aboard.
III.   Quote/Tagline Of The Month     A fitting clip from Keith Jakubowski. 
IV.    Echolites Of The Month         Chat w/ Mike Farnham & David Sentz.    
V.     Plug Of The Month              Editor's current favorite SW item.  
VI.    Echo Talk                      Common discussions during November.
VII.   Trivia Of The Month            Trivia master Rob Dennis strikes!
VIII.  Echo Book Store                Guest review of The Crystal Star.   
IX.    Echo Flashback                 Of Echolites long gone... 
X.     From a Certian Point of View   Pro vs Fan Fiction by Cheryl De Luca. 
XI.    Poll/Question Of The Month     Interrogation from the editor.    
XII.   Intercepted Transmissions      News items by Vincent Mcconnell.
XIII.  Echo Stats                     Never TELL me the odds!  :)          
XIV.   Blast From The Past            Star Wars history by Mike Farnham.   
XV.    Echo Game Room                 Some fun & games from Lisa Ragmalia.
XVI.   Submissions/Closing            Join us, and Clear Skies.

=============================================================================

A N N O U N C E M E N T S


Well, I know I said that the first issue was a "double," but it seems
most issues will be about this long.  That is, unless I get lazy, bored,
or disinterested in Star Wars...  :)    -The Editor

The node list of all BBSs carrying the Star Wars Echo is available
on Jabba's Palace BBS run by Richard Plenger.  The number to call
is (615) 538-8916.  This comprehensive list was put together by Mike
Farnham, and is very up-to-date.

If anyone knows of boards in their area that carry the Echo, and 
that are not on the nodelist, please forward it to Mike here on
the Echo.  Inlcude the BBS name, node number, phone number, and Sysop
name if possible.  

=======================================================================

B I G   N E W S   F O R   T H E   E C H O


Thanks to the hard work of Echolites David Sentz and Mike Farnham, we
have managed to lure another Star Wars author to the Echo!  A big pat
on the back for these guys!

A warm welcome goes out to L. Neil Smith, author of the Lando Calrissian
Trilogy.  Welcome aboard, Neil!  Greetings from the Echo and the OUT OF
THE MAW staff.

He joins an elite crew here on Fido, and is in great company with
Kevin Anderson, Tom Veitch, and soon, Brian Daley.  I believe
Chris Gossett and Shane Johnson are hanging around here somewhere too.
We are certainly lucky to have all of these folks online.

Post a message to Neil and make him feel welcome.  I'm sure he'll be
happy to answer all questions and requests.

Now, this is good news, but we can do even better.  :)

Within the next few days, I will be posting a list of addresses on where to
contact the following Star Wars authors.  Take some time and drop them
a note.  Let them know that their expertise, opinions, and knowledge
would be highly valued here!

Alan Dean Foster        Star Wars:  A New Hope (novelization)
                        Splinter of the Mind's Eye
Donald F. Glut          The Empire Strikes Back (novelization)
James Kahn              Return Of The Jedi novelization
Timothy Zahn            Heir To The Empire
                        Dark Force Rising
                        The Last Command
Kathy Tyers             Truce At Bakura
Dave Wolverton          The Courtship Of Princess Leia
Vonda McIntyre          The Crystal Star

Stress to these authors that we value their works, and we would love
to hear what they have to say.  Give them a reason to join us.

Look for the post within the week.

Thanks to all,
The Editor

=========================================================================

Q U O T E / T A G L I N E   O F   T H E   M O N T H


This month's quote was supplied to us from Keith Jakubowski, and it is
rather fitting in view of recent news:

Winner:

"GALOOB - Greedy Arrogant Loathsome Opportunisitc Offensive Bastards."


You tell 'em, Keith.  That's how a lot of us feel.  Feed 'em to the 
Rancor.

==========================================================================

E C H O L I T E S   O F   T H E   M O N T H 


This month, we chat with Echolites David Sentz and Mike Farnham.


OOTM:  Give us a quick background on yourself - age, status, 
       occupation, etc.

Dave:  I'm a 28 yr. old computer sys. operator for a local company.  I've
       been a fan since I saw Star Wars in '77.  I lost interest in the
       hobby right after ROTJ (I was 17 and girls & cars were much more
       appealing).  I sort of rediscovered SW in '91 around the time of
       Dark Empire and Tim Zahn's first book.  I missed out on all of the
       10th anniv. hype but now I'm back full 'force'.  Right now is a
       pretty good time to be a fan.

Mike:  Well, I'm 25 - born in upstate New York. I have a sister and have
       lived in Florida for 18 years.  I moved to Tampa in August of this
       year and currently work for a cross-reference company - producing
       reference directories using PC's and scanners.

OOTM:  To what extent do you like to particpate in the Echo?

Dave:  I've been reading the echo for about a year now.  I got on right
       before the first BYOE BBQ and around the time Eric Nelson was trying
       to covince Skip that a mouse is better for X-Wing.  I was using the
       echo as a tool at first.  Just to get the best, most accurate info.
       on things such as new products,  old collectables, and of course,
       the new films.  I still primarily 'read' the echo and I help out when
       & where I can, either with information or trades.  

Mike:  Well, I think it would be an understatement to say that I participate
       on a fanatic level. I try to contribute anything I possibly can to 
       help everyone stay informed and heading in the right direction when 
       it comes to being informed and enlightened.  I created my Nodelist 
       to help everyone who wanted to keep track of other echolites and be 
       able to find them easily VIA Netmail or E-mail.  I maintain the list 
       daily and upload updates to various BBS around the U.S. on a bi-weekly 
       basis.  The Echo is very important to me and I want to make every 
       effort to do my part to make it a success.

OOTM:  Where do your main interests in the Star Wars Galaxy lie?

Dave:  I'd have to say collectables, especially the Kenner toys.  I can't
       really say why, I'm probably just trying to recapture some of my 
       misspent youth.(G) Also books, not just the novels but all books 
       (and magazines) that have good source information on the Star Wars 
       Universe.

Mike:  Well, it's kind of hard to narrow down my interest in the vast Star
       Wars universe.  My biggest "dream" would be to eventually work with
       LucasFilm in the production of a Star Wars film.  I have always dreamed
       of using the 'Steadicam' camera for some reason.  Ever since I saw an
       article about it I've been fascinated. I am currently getting enrolled 
       in some CAD computer classes and with enough experience hope to 
       eventually gain enough knowledge to actually try to work with 
       Lucasfilm, but that's down the road a ways yet!


OOTM:  Name your favorite character from any form of Star Wars literature.

Dave:  Probably Han Solo.  I liked him when I was younger, I thought he was
       extremely funny.  Now, I like him for different reasons but the only
       author who has handled him well in recent novels is Kevin Anderson.
       I thought Han's adventures on Kessel from Jedi Search was the best
       written stuff since Han Solo at Star's End.  Han is underdeveloped in
       most other stories.

Mike:  Well, I'd have to agree with a lot of readers and say Admiral Thrawn
       was a good character.  It was nice to see a villian that seemed to me,
       to be a cross between Tarkin and Palpatine, with a little Vader thrown
       in for fun! :)

OOTM:  You two seem to be busy locating authors for the Echo.  Any other
       big plans you have in mind that you can let us in on?

Dave:  Well, no big plans. Heck, I'm still trying to get Brian Daley connected
       up.  And that situation was just coincidence, I never knew he lived
       so close to me and I got lucky getting his phone number.  I do have
       addresses for Kathy Tyers and Vonda McIntyre, so I'll probably write
       them and ask.  I know Skip has tried to get Tyers before and got no
       response, but one more letter couldn't hurt.  Personally, I'd like to
       see Zahn on the Echo but I think he 'knows we're here' and could get
       on-line if he wanted to.

Mike:  Well, my big project that I have been working on for a few months now,
       has been advertising the echo to some big name companies and trying to
       get them to interview Skip and report on the echo and it's impact on
       Star Wars fandom.  I have contacted NBC's "Dateline", "Entertainment
       Weekly" magazine, and several other radio stations, television stations
       and such.  So I guess I have become the P.R. man for the echo, 
       so-to-speak!

OOTM:  How do you think this area (and others) will change as the new
       movies get closer?

Dave:  Oh man, I don't want to think about that.  I'm sure the number of users
       will increase as word gets out that this is the best place for SW 
       information and chat.  It's all I can do now, to keep up with the 
       number of posts that I read.  My only fear is that some real plot twist 
       from the new tril. will get out on the Echo before I get to see the 
       movie.  That would be dissappointing.

Mike:  Change is the obvious part.  What type of change is not so easy.
       As for the Echo, we can only get better (and bigger).  I have added
       approx. 7-9 new Echo connections *EVERY* day for the past month and
       the list just keeps growing.  As for Sci-fi fandom in general,
       hopefully Star Wars' rebirth will help to validate science fiction as
       a serious medium and not something that "geeks" enjoy and, though
       it's not fair to mention, hopefully rid Star Wars fans of the Star
       Trek label that all sci-fi fans get labeled with.  We all seem to get
       grouped together, but with the emergence of the new films, hopefully
       we can be taken more seriously and as an individual group.  People
       will be surprised to see how together we are and how "on top" of
       information we really are.  We are not geeks and should not be
       classified as such.

==============================================================================

P L U G   O F   T H E   M O N T H


DARK EMPIRE AUDIO VERSION, by Time Warner Audio Books
-----------------------------------------------------

If you're like me, you are anxiously awaiting the release of Dark Empire
II by Darkhorse.  What better way to gear up for it than to enjoy the
original!  But this time, try listening to it instead.  

You might think its a shame to miss Dave Dorman's cover art, or Cam 
Kennedy's wonderful sketches.  However, the audio version of this 
bestseller comic is beautifully done.  The cast picked for the tapes, 
although relatively unknown (at least by me!) does a phenomenal job at 
portraying our favorite heros.  As a whole, these tapes handle the 
characters more accurately than any of the other audio versions available.  
The dialogue is exceptional, and the actors are very believable.  At
some points, you'll find yourself checking the credits to make sure the
original cast didn't participate.  But don't be fooled by Lando - his
part is actually played by the one & only Billy Dee Williams.  Fantastic.

Not to mention that the audio version contains a much richer and more 
in-depth story than the one presented in the comics.  The details are 
substantially expanded, with the total running time of the entire saga 
clocking in at about two and a half hours.  Now, throw in original Star 
Wars music and sound effects, and you've got a gratifying and enjoyable 
listen.  It brings a whole new light to one of the best alternative Star 
Wars stories out there.  

The Dark Empire audio version is widely available, and can be found at 
most book stores.  Released a few months back, it runs about $17.00 for 
two tapes - a steal for what you get.  The only complaint that I have 
about this version is that I haven't found it on compact disc yet.  
Very highly recommended, especially for your car's tape deck on long 
road trips.  :)

==========================================================================

E C H O   T A L K   -   N O V E M B E R 


One of the most fascinating threads this month dealt with a Lucasfilm 
project being filmed close to Skywalker Ranch in Mill Valley, 
California.  It should begin sometime in January 1995.  Seems they're 
filming under the moniker of "The Kerner Company."  Prequel cover-up?  
We'll have to wait 'til more details come in.

Another big item this month concerned Star Wars authors coming 
online with us.  I'm happy to say that L. Neil Smith has officially 
joined us, and Brian Daley seems to be next in line.  For more on 
this, see this month's "Big New For The Echo" segment.

Well, a lot of people seem to be interested in T-shirts for The Echo, and
several mottos were created.  With all apologies to the moderator,
I have to say that "Skip on over to the Echo" has to be one of my least
favorites.  :)

Somewhat quietly, I think the most often discussed topic dealt with 
Star Wars on home video, with topics ranging from home THX systems to 
laser discs to Super VHS technology.  Also, the wide screen versions
were brought up, probably cued by the fact that the Sci-Fi channel 
aired all three movies in that format around Thanksgiving time.

Super Return of the Jedi was released this month for Super Nintendo,
and the initial reviews seem to be favorable.  For more on this, 
contact Jeff Godemann - our resident Nintendo expert.  On a related
note, LucasArt's Dark Forces was apparently delayed til January 1995.
Whoa, big surprise.

Unfortunatley, the infamous Star Wars vs. Star Trek thread somehow 
creeped back onto the Echo.  Remember, this is forbidden talk on Fido,
and is a sore spot with our moderator.  Live long and prosper elsewhere,
if you please.  :)

Big product releases are close-at-hand - Galoob's new and ridiculously
packaged micromachines should hit stores soon, as well as the forthcoming
widescreen trading cards.  The list of promos for this series is even
more complex and hard to keep up with than Star Wars Galaxy II.  
Dark Empire II, whose author Tom Veitch is always nearby, should be 
released sometime in December. 

Opinions on the latest Star Wars book, The Crystal Star, started
appearing near the end of the month.  Do yourself a favor and read
the book - others opinions might not necessarily reflect yours.  In
other words, initial reviews are not so hot, but of course, use your
own judgement.

It appears that a scheudled Star Wars author has abandoned her plans
to write a new book.  Margaret Weiss didn't enjoy the Energizer bunny
commercial as much as some of us did, and she thought that Uncle George
was selling out, or "compromising the integrity" of Star Wars.  Well,
I guess we won't see her name around here much in the near future.  C'ya.

The InfoFAQ development is coming along slowly, but surely.  Several
InfoFAQ authors posted their creations this month, and right on
schedule.  More should arrive this month, completing the first two 
month cycle.  Speaking of the InfoFAQs, where the hell is James King?

Also...

Boba Fett - male or female?
The Death Star's gravitational pull
ANH/TESB Metal Cards/Promos/Stands
Something about a newsletter...
Dark Lords Of The Sith #2
SW/Animaniacs Crossover
The (brief) return of Sandra Childress
SW Tagline files

=========================================================================

T R I V I A   O F   T H E   M O N T H 


Congratulations to Rob Dennis, who was the only Echolite to come up 
with the correct answer to last month's trivia question.

Q:  From Brian Daley's Han Solo series, name the ship that allegedly
    contained the treasures of Xim the Despot.
 
To which Rob responded with:

A:  The book's title was "Han Solo and the Lost Legacy"
    The ship was "THE QUEEN of RANROON," rumoured to have been long
    lost. Xim was to have used the QUEEN to transport "valuable
    treasure" to his treasure vaults.
 
Appropiatley so, Rob has come up with this month's question.  See if
you can handle this one.  Be the first to post me the answer, and get
a mention in next month's trivia section.  In addition, if you want to 
supply the trivia for the following issue, you are perfectly welcome 
to do so.

December Trivia:

Q:  What is the ONE type of person Han absolutely HATES with a passion?
    (and he has a REAL good reason to).

===========================================================================

E C H O    B O O K    S T O R E


THE CRYSTAL STAR, by Vonda McIntyre
-------------------------------------------------
A guest review by Chris Kuist, live from London


It's such a great feeling.  There it is, in your hands, the latest chapter
in a story which has fascinated and enraptured so many of us for such a 
long time.  There is always this sensation of being reunited with old, 
familiar friends when embarking on a new Star Wars story, and I couldn't 
wait to be at it again.  So there I was, book in hand, ready to get up 
to date on the lives and adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Artoo, 
Threepio, and company.  OK, so Luke looks rather like an aging Macalley 
Culkin on the cover.  No big deal, I'm sure that on the inside these pages 
is the same old Luke (and in some ways, these pages contain TOO MUCH of 
the same old Luke, but more on that later).  So I open the book. Chapter 1.  
Oh, so THAT'S where they got the teaser part from.  Fine, I'd better read 
it again.  

That's when the trouble started.  "Her wyrwulf loped behind her...".  
Wyrwulf?  OK, it's cheesy, but that can be over looked.  Still, I've got 
a bad feeling about this...

I didn't hate this book.  Really.  It's just that it suffers from two 
rather infuriating problems that provide a huge distraction from what is
otherwise a well written and interesting story.  One, the characters seem
disturbingly shallow.  It's as though she was handed a character bio, and
based on that she tells the story.  She has the basic attributes of 
everyone down, but she fails to communicate their soul.  I do have to give 
her credit for her treatment of the kids, they seem genuine and they have 
a sense of depth that is lacking for the adults in the book.  But I never 
felt as though it was Leia or Luke or Han I was reading about, something 
was always missing. One of the things that makes the Star Wars Universe so 
amazing is the sense of familiarity and "realness" of the characters in it.  
It is this "realness" that makes Kevin Anderson's books, for example, feel 
like such a genuine and consistent part of the Star Wars Universe.  While 
the subject of elements of style, it seems appropriate to mention another 
stylistic component of the Star Wars Universe missing from this book, the 
visuality of the story.  With Tim Zahn's or Kevin Anderson's stories, I 
could almost see the action unfolding in my mind's eye (I mean my 
imagination, not to the other famous Force influencing crystal in the 
Star Wars Universe =)!).  It's like, well, watching a movie. This sense 
of the visual is missing in "The Crystal Star," and for these two reasons 
I found myself wondering whether or not she has actually seen the Trilogy 
and read the rest of the books (it does seem as though she's read Dave 
Wolverton's book.  Sorry, I couldn't resist =)!).  I'm sure she has, but 
she did miss out on these two important components of the Star Wars 
Universe.

The other huge distraction is the checklist factor.  It's as though when
writing this Ms. McIntyre had a checklist in front of her of things she 
must include in the story (she's not the only SW author to fall prey to 
this, BTW).  Mysterious former Imperial official returning from hiding 
with plans to become the new Emperor?  Check!  Weird Force influencing 
phenomena that screws up Luke's Jedi abilities so he either gets his 
butt kicked or almost dies AGAIN?  Check!  (note: for once, just for once,
I'd like to see Luke be able to hold his own against somebody without 
being pummeled into bits first.  There is no way the Jedi lasted a 
thousand generations if each of them always had to go through what Luke 
does every time he goes into battle). Leia and Han's kids being kidnapped, 
threatened with kidnapping or otherwise in danger from the remnants of 
the Empire?  Check!  If this trend continues somebody's going to have to 
write a book called "Therapy of the Jedi:  Childhood Trauma and the New 
Republic".  "Truce at Bakura" demonstrated that it is possible to have a 
good Star Wars story that avoids most of the checklist factor.  Sadly, 
"The Crystal Star" does not.  The other thing that bugged me was the 
acid-tripping ending with Waru.  Like the Wyrwulf thing at the beginning, 
it was a bit too cheesy for my taste, as was naming Threepio "Purple-Three".  
The whole assumed name thing with Leia and Chewie posing as bounty hunters, 
while not in and of itself a bad idea, really, was done in such a way that 
the word "lame" came to mind when reading it, rather then it flowing 
naturally as an interesting sub-plot of the story.

I really didn't hate this book as much as it sounds like I did.  In many 
ways, it's a testament to how GOOD the vast majority of the post-Jedi 
books are that a book like "The Crystal Star" could pale so when set 
against them.  And there are strong points.  The kids are much better 
defined characters than the adults, perhaps this is because this is the 
first time they're presented as central, active characters, whereas Luke, 
Leia, Han, Chewie, and the Droids seem more like old friends to those of 
us who frequent the Star Wars Universe, and we know their characters 
quite well.  All in all, "The Crystal Star", while not a shinning gem in 
the Star Wars crown, is worth reading.  I'm not exactly worried that 
I'm going to wear out my copy of it with readings and re-readings of it, 
but it is worth having (or at least borrowing).

Chris Kuist
Guest columnist from the U.K.

==========================================================================

E C H O    F L A S H B A C K


A man by the name of Mark Hills was one of the most frequent posters
here about a year to a year and a half ago.  He was very popular here 
on the Echo, and he even made our buddy Mike Farnham look like a
casual fan. :)  Mark seemed to be heavily into the RPG's (if I remember
correctly), and I believe he had a connection to West End Games, or
something related to that.

Mark's departure from the Echo was rather unexplained - he seemed to
drop off the face of the earth all at once.  He returned for a short 
duration within the last year or so, but since has not been heard from
again.  Anyone know what happened to him?

=========================================================================

F R O M   A   C E R T A I N   P O I N T   V I E W


Pro Fiction versus Fan Fiction
------------------------------
By Cheryl De Luca


In the past few years several profiction SW novels have entered
the market and have been snapped up almost instantlyby a failtful drove
of SW fans. Nove;s such as the "Zahn" and "Anderson" series, and stand
alone books like "The Truce at Bakura", "The Courtship of Leia", and
"The Crystal Star" have awaken the SW junkie in some of us and in
others has perpetuated an ongoing romance with the saga, that has lasted
almost 20 years.

Before these new novels and the flood of marketing that has
folloedm SW fans in the late eighties went through a withdrawal of sorts
after Lucasfilm failed to produce new and varying SW products.

At this point all but a few of the more strident fans packed
away their keepsakes and moved on to more active hobbies. One group of
fans that didn't move on in the absence of ongoing new releases , worked
at keepin fandom alive by creating their own additions to the SW galaxy.
These are the zine editors, and those who read and submitted to them.

Right now in fandom, there are approximately 20 SW zines on the
market, each of them varying in size and price, and all of them
areunique and different. For anyone who is unaware of just exactly a
zine is, just picture an 8 1/2 x 12, non proffessional looking
magazine, chock full of short stories, poems, filks, art, and crazy
cartoons.

The material thay handle is mostly speculative, always
interesting, and ocassionally a little naughty. And one thing is for
certain, they are much more creative and on target character wise than
the proffessioanl novels. Ideas such as 3PO as a biker dude in an
alternate universe, Han Solo in his younger days, Luke's marriages and
love interests (yes he does have a sex life in fandom), and Leia's not
so regal past, have all been represented in fanzines.

Most zines cost anywhere between, $7 (the smallest at around
50 pgs) ans $38 (the largest at 300), with the average running $15-$20.

Now with prices like these, one would probably expect a small
readership, after all who would pay close to the price of a novel, for
something that isn't even proffessional? Well the fact is there are a
lot of people who would, and the list is growing by leaps and bounds
almost daily. The surprising thing is that unlike pro fiction novels, it
is very rare that an editor hears a complaint about any of their
material. To listen to the convesations burning up the net just after
a new novel has been released, one knows this isn't true of pro fiction.
There is always some one saying that they didn't like "so and so's"
characterization, and hated "blanks" story line. Many of the tried and
true zine readers will also tell you that "SW is alive and well and
living in zinedom ONLY". They say they prefer fan fiction to pro fiction
hands down, and when asked why, they reply that fanfic writers have a
better grasp of the characters we all know and love. And why shouldn't
they? the most seasoned writers who've been doing this for years, crank
out anywhere from 2-20 stories annually. With numbers like these, it's
no wonder they can write a character dead on. Since for them writing
Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewie is just like putting on a pair of well
worn, and comfortable shoes. The professional writers for all their
degrees, cannot match this experience in any way, hence we end up
getting a mediocre look at the SW galaxy. Proof of this is the fact that
their own characters, the ones they have created themselves always seem
to stand out, next to the generic plastiform characters we know as Luke
Leia, and Han.

Another factor to consider is the reason behind the author's
writing. For profic writers - though many have said that they are BIG SW
fans - MONEY is a BIG push. For a fanzine write it is a passion, no one
is paid, and occassionally they even have to buy the zine their story is
in. So they MUSt love whay they do, otherwise why torture themselves?
(and YES when you hit a solid wall of writer's block, it is torture!)
Fanfic writers put their heart and soul into a story and are usually
unbending when it comes to doing a story the way they want to.

Since Lucasfilm decides what can be printed and pays the
author's salary (in a filtered sort of way) these writer's can be easily
stifled. And it's usually hard to be passionate under these conditions.
Let's face it, if you were a preffessional writer, and Lucas said no to
most of what you had come up with, told you what he wanted you to write,
and then dangled a HUG payoff under your nose you'd probably do what HE
wanted you to as well. After all this is your job, right? It's what
you've been hired to do!

Well that's not so with fanfic writers -- it's what they enjoy
doing, and not a task, but a labour of love. No wonder fans can see the
difference and enjoy the stories so much more!!

Cheryl Deluca alias OH's crazy Ed.

==========================================================================

Q U E S T I O N  /  P O L L   O F   T H E   M O N T H 


You find yourself in a small metallic room.  You have been shoved here
by a squad of stormtroopers after your recon ship was captured off of
third moon of Dantooine.  The sweat rolls quickly down your brow, as 
you hear thundering footsteps approach

A large masked being, dressed entirely in black enters the room.  He
is both man and machine, and although you can't see his eyes, his stare
burns into your soul.  You want to scream, since you know what is about
to happen, but you can do nothing.  He raises his hand in your direction
and says:


Q:  Not including Wedge, who is your favorite background or secondary 
    character in the Star Wars Galaxy?


You have no choice.  You know you must answer.  And when you do, post
your response to the editor of OUT OF THE MAW, Mike Schwab, on the
Fidonet Star Wars Echo.  This is the only way out, the only way to save 
your suddenly meaningless life.  It is the only way to sustain the 
Rebellion.

*In other words, NO ONE answered last month's question!  So get me
*those responses.  Your life may depend on it.    :)

=========================================================================

I N T E R C E P T E D   T R A N S M I S S I O N S

By Vincent McConnell


 * _ *                       * _ *
**(_)** News on the Horizon **(_)**
 *   *                       *   *


FRESNO, CA
(AP):        Galoob, Inc., manufacturers of the popular "Micro Machines," 
             have thrown both toy and sci-fi afficionados into an uproar
             with their latest decision to manufacture a "Best of 1995"
             Micro Machines Gift Pak.   The pack will include 10 unique
             motorized Micro Machine toys from the popular Star Wars
             trilogy of movies, and 45 older toys which have already been
             printed in three-packs.  According to Galoob representative
             Travis Sawyer, collectors will not mind the $105.95 price tag.
             "We plan a targeted marketing campaign.  I mean, even though
             you _are_ getting a few old toys, the new ones included
             are well worth it!  What child or fan can resist this
             deal for _under_ $106?"

MILWAUKEE,
WI (AP):     Kenner Toys (KT) has officially announced their intentions
             to do a complete line of "Star Wars", "The Empire Strikes
             Back", "Return of the Jedi", and "The Ewok Adventure"
             action figures.  In a bold new decision by the new CEO,
             Greg Scalu, the figures will be 8" and made from non-
             flexible plastic.  Star Wars fans are not to fret, though,
             says Scalu.  "Due to the overwhelming success of JusToys'
             Bendems line, we have decided to make the new Kenner
             figures flexible.  Their torsos and heads will be made of
             hard vinyl-plastic, but the limbs will be vulcanized
             "Bendie" rubber.  We expect them to sell tremendously."
             Spaceships for this new line will be scaled to hold
             approximately 20 figures comfortably in the larger ones,
             and 10 in the smaller ones.  The largest of the entire
             series, the "Super Star Destroyer Executor" will be able
             to hold 30-35 of the figures.
             The Statler Midgets will be modeling for the famous
             movie characters on the fronts of the boxes.

SAN RAFAEL, 
CA (AP):     In a computer-conducted interview on the commercial
             service "America On-Line", George Lucas, famed movie
             director, gave some information about his up-and-coming
             movies.
             Topping the list of most-asked-about was his newly
             titled CLONE WARS: THE BATTLE FOR ENDOR.
               
               Lucas: CLONE WARS: THE BATTLE FOR ENDOR will focus on
                      the Empire's struggle to rid the galaxy of
                      the Endorian W.O. Killing Squad of Jedi, and
                      their cloning of Shocktroopers to accomplish
                      this.
               Rep:   So, the whole movie takes place on Endor?
               Lucas: Well, sort of.  I haven't decided whether to
                      locate it on Endor, or it's third moon.
               Rep:   Tell us more about these Jedi.
               Lucas: They're Ewoks.
               Rep:   ...
               Lucas: I scrapped the idea to render all backgrounds in
                      CGI.  I'm going to animate the backgrounds,
                      ala Toontown in _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_.
               Rep:   ...could you tell us about some of your other
                      hot new movies?
               Lucas: I'm filming Howard the Duck II and III back to
                      back now, and TVLand Slayings will be next on
                      the agenda.  SWI has been moved back a bit.
               Rep:   To when, exactly?
               Lucas: Around 2002, or whenever TVLand Slayings is
                      finished.
               Rep:   Any other movie news?
               Lucas: I'm doing some work in the area of muppet and
                      clay pornography.  Expect _Ride My Rancor_ to
                      be out in 1999, and _Tauntauns of the Night_
                      to follow.
               Rep:   Thank you for your time.

==========================================================================

E C H O   S T A T S


The following was derived from the records at the Exec-PC BBS in 
Milwaukee, WI.  All posts are counted, including duplicates and 
errors.


Top posters in the Fidonet Star Wars Echo for November
============================================================
Total Messages - 2032       Average messages per day:  67.73


1.   Mike Farnham               271
2.   Skip Shayotovich           105
3.   Connie Crisp               94
4.   Jason Leblanc              88
5.   Matt Schulz                79
6.   Brent Lynch                55
7.   Mike Schwab                54
8.   Eric Nelson                47
9.   Mark Halverson             39
10.  Benoit Verreault           38
     Kevin Cox                  38


Percent of total messages from top 10:    45%
Average messages per day from top 10:     2.75


11.  Josh Forschen              37
     Rob Huston                 37
12.  Brian Newman               35
     David Sentz                35
13.  Gord Cavanaugh             34
14.  Jennie Jivan               28
15.  Mike Freeman               25
16.  Cheryl De Luca             23
     Neil Singh                 23
     Jeremy Gaggins             23
17.  Rich Mason                 21
18.  Paul G. Sabol              20
19.  Brandon Wolgast            18
20.  Larry Baum                 16


Percent of total messages from 11-20:     18%
Average messages per day for 11-20:       0.89

Percent of total messages from top 20:    63%
Average messages per day for top 20:      1.72

=========================================================================

B L A S T   F R O M   T H E   P A S T


Filming in Yuma, Arizona.
-------------------------
By Mike Farnham

(paraphrasing an article)

...it took 5 months to build the set (of Jabba's barge and the Sarlacc
pit), and it took approx. 5000 "man" hours in local hotel rooms.

Their first shipment of lumber cost over $100,000 - consisting of
sheets of plywood, 10'X10'X30 beams, and over 14,000 pounds of
nails.  A big problem was not only the size of the set, but how
easily accessable the area was to dune buggies.

Over Thanksgiving they had erected a fence to keep people out
of the area, but there were approx. 35,000 people watching while
they were putting up the fence! - from Howard Kazanjian

...the production crew had to hide the fact thay were shooting
Revenge (Return) of the Jedi, so they called themselves
"Blue Harvest", and put out a "rumor" that they were making a
horror movie.  They felt secure with their 24-hour security and
chain link fence that had been installed...but this was to no
avail...Someone cut the chains at night , got in a stole some
photos.  Pictures of Star Wars models surfaced soon after and
the crew had to maintain the cover of BLUE HARVEST and avoid
any exposure of what was actually going on.

"This is BLUE HARVEST" they would tell people.."It's about
horror beyond imagination" (as all the crew shirts/caps read.)
They managed to convice the majority of onlookers except for
a few 60 die-hard Star Wars fans...they wouldn't leave till they
got pictures..so the crew obliged... - from Howard Kazanjian

========================================================================

E C H O   G A M E   R O O M 

Star Wars Word Search
By Lisa Ragmalia


Greetings! Here is this months puzzle. The topic for this month
is DROIDS. I could not use numbers, so the numbers are spelled 
phoenetically, for the most part, like See-threepio. These are 
droid's names, and types. Remember, no CHEATING!  

                                     
                                     DROIDS

               U Q F V U N V C M W D F S H J W G B L O U G W G Q 
               Z H S R U O F E D E V I F R A V R B U L L U X N E 
               W X E T I Q E G M G D I O R D E B O R P D P A K Y 
               K W R H Z J I V U F F I R A A N P O U G O H M D Y 
               F O H G X L A V L W E Q C R X Y W M U W N C E H M 
               Z O D I O R D R O T A I D A L G F Q E T U E U J Y 
               E T A E E R H T E E G E E B L R L R O E O M L X V 
               E E L Y N B H J I C X D A U L D D Y R V A O B D C 
               Z D L T D O I R D R O T A G O R R E T N I R R E P 
               E O C H I P R N A E G T L A O V N O R N T T G R A 
               E O Y G O B I D A H A C O I T O Y E I O Q S P D E 
               F T O I R J X V R R H S D B I E P K B D Q A C N H 
               O R E E D D Y T C O Y J S T O L D O U S K V I U T 
               U A X Y T I J Q C K T L U A I R R E E J W N J H A 
               R B K A H O N O F F D C O C S P L E A A Y D U E E 
               Z O A J G R E E C D E E A A R S T L R T L P N N R 
               E C E E I D P A E X K D T E D H I D E Z E E F O G 
               E Z S E E K C E E T R A L A R L R N N W T E A E E 
               A E Q D R L N N J O N L Y E I O I F D E D F S E H 
               B R B T F A E A I T I E E T I N W F E R V A A S T 
               E B T R T T O D T K X P V D E H M T T J O E E H P 
               A N X O K A T E R T I I I E X E Y E K E X I S R G 
               L J I R B W R E E O N O B M S A E O N R R L D X T 
               Z Z A N S O T E O B R E R S K L X I M T A M Y G F 
               G M E V E N I N E D E N I N E J E H G Y D M S K U 
               N D M M U D V R T S G N B T W H H E Q H M R O M B 
               J Z G H Q Z E U G I M L O Q N S T S B Y T R O W K 
               M B W A C C L N L A T E C O L E B V Z P J E D I A 
               U M I L M H E C I A Q Y U G O H S V E Y I I E X D 
               E H X N P R R G C N M A M M O T O B O R P K X N H 



AGRIOBOT ASSASSINDROID ASTROMECH ATEDEATE BEEGEETHREEATE

BINARYLOADLIFTER BIX BEELSEVENTEEN BLUEMAX BULLUX SEERATT

SEETHREEPIO SEEBEENINETYNINE CHIP CHOCO DETAINMENTDROID

DEEJAYEIGHTYEIGHT EVENINEDENINE FREIGHTDROID FRIJA FXSEVEN

GLADIATORDROID THEGREATHEAP HSEEONEHUNDRED

HUMANREPLICADROID HUNTERKILLERPROBOT PHLUTDROID

INTERROGATORDRIOD KAYTEETEN KAYTEEEIGHTEEN

MARKTWOREACTORDRONE MARKTENEXECUTIONER MEDICALDROID

NINEDENINE POWERDROID PROBEDROID PROBOT ARTOODETOO

ARFIVEDEFOUR SENTIENTTANK TALKDROID TOOONEBEE

TREADWELLROBOT VUFFIRAA WARDROID ZEEZEEFOURZEE


----------------------------------------------------------

Editor's suggestion - the best way to do this is to simply save it,
print it out, and circle the answers.  Then, in two weeks, I will 
post the finished puzzle with all the answers.  Thanks to Lisa for 
this puzzle - looks like it took a lot of time to put together.  

Happy searching!

========================================================================

S U B M I S S I O N S  /  C L O S I N G 


Join the friendly and talented staff of OUT OF THE MAW, and achieve 
instant fame, glory, and fortune!

Cheryl De Luca          Rob Dennis              Mike Farnham            
Keith Jakubowski        James King              Chris Kuist             
Vincent McConnell       Eric Nelson             Lisa Ragmalia           
David Sentz


Or, apply for a Echolite Of The Month Inteview, and join these 
proud and prestigious folks...

Skip Shayotovich        Brent Lynch
Mike Farnham            David Sentz

OR, simply read OUT OF THE MAW, and enjoy yourself to no end.  

For anyone interested in submitting articles for future issues, please 
E-mail me at schwbnhs@earth.execpc.com, or post a message to the Echo.

My apologies for a lack of attention to previous requests on submitting
articles.  I will try to get in touch with ya, but if you are still 
interested, let me know, as I may have lost your message.  This would 
include (at least) the following people:

Matt Schulz             Benoit Verreault        Gord Cavanaugh
Oliver J. Hanau         Jeff Godemann           Jennie Jivan
Jason Leblanc           Rob Kenny               

I hope you enjoyed this edition of OUT OF THE MAW.  As always, mail me
with any suggestions, ideas, modifications, enhancements, revelations, 
or, just to talk.  :)

May The Force Be With You, and...

Clear Skies
The Editor

=====================================================================

                       THE WARS BEGIN 1998

=====================================================================

