January
      28,
      1997
      @-
      The
      Panther
      Prints
      bY
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      J
      Jones
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      goes
      with
      the
      theme
      of
      this
      supplement,
      I’d
     
     
      like
      to
      share
      with
      you
      my
      most
      personal,
      private
      thoughts
     
     
      and
      recollections
      of
      Star
      Wars.
      Ready?
      I,
      in
      my
      twenty
     
     
      years
      on
      this
      planet,
      have
      not
      seen
      more
      than
      5
      minutes
      of
     
     
      any
      Star
      Wars
      movie
      ever
      made.
      Yes,
      its
      true.
      Of
      course,
     
     
      there
      were
      exceptions
      to
      this
      general
      rule,
      like
      the
      time
      I
     
     
      went
      to
      my
      class
      bully’s
      10th
      birthday
      party
      and
      watched
     
     
      “Return
      of
      the
      Jedi,’
      but
      I
      was
      too
      cautious
      and
      concerned
     
     
      that
      I
      might
      break
      one
      of
      his
      toys
      and
      invoke
      his
      wrath
     
     
      than
      I
      was
      engrossed
      with
      the
      movie.
      Besides,
      I
      had
     
     
      already
      missed
      the
      first
      two
      movies,
      and
      what
      would
      be
     
     
      the
      harm
      of
      missing
      the
      next?
     
    

    
     
      Well,
      in
      total
      honesty,
      I
      didn’t
      miss
      the
      first
      two
     
     
      movies
      altogether.
      I
      think
      I
      was
      about
      three
      or
      four
      when
     
     
      the
      original
      movie
      came
      out,
      and
      my
      parents
      thought
      that
     
     
      I
      ought
      to
      see
      such
      a
      ground-breaking
      movie
      event.
      (This,
     
     
      of
      course,
      was
      a
      time
      in
      the
      late
      1970’s
      when
      VCR’s
      were
     
    
   
   
    
     
      as
      distant
      as
      routine
      civilian
      trips
      to
      the
      moon.)
      I
      don’t
     
     
      remember
      much
      of
      it,
      except
      that
      I
      was
      horribly
      afraid
      of
     
     
      Darth
      Vader.
      The
      only
      clear,
      long-standing
      memory
      of
     
     
      the
      entire
      movie
      was
      during
      those
      close-ups
      where
      his
     
     
      face
      covered
      the
      screen,
      and
      proceeded
      to
      walk
     
     
      seemingly
      into
      the
      camera.
      In
      the
      mind
      of
      three
      year
      old
     
     
      who
      is
      at
      his
      first
      movie
      ever,
      and
      is
      just
      barely
      getting
     
     
      used
      to
      watching
      a
      very
      big
      TV
      in
      a
      very
      dark
      room,
      and
     
     
      was
      probably
      so
      hyper
      on
      those
      giant-sized
      candy
      bars
     
     
      that
      my
      head
      was
      spinning,
      this
      was
      twice
      as
      scary
      as
      any
     
     
      toddler’s
      nightmare.
     
    

    
     
      I
      remember
      wailing
      every
      time
      he
      was
      on-screen,
     
     
      to
      the
      point
      where
      my
      parents
      had
      to
      take
      me
      home
      since
     
     
      I
      was
      disturbing
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      absorbed
      theatre.
      In
     
     
      perhaps
      a
      method
      of
      parental
      control,
      my
      room
      was
     
     
      redecorated
      in
      a
      Star
      Wars
      theme,
      complete
      with
      god-
     
     
      awful
      blue
      curtains
      and
      a
      Chewie
      doll.
      (Chewie
      is
      another
     
     
      fearful
      memory.
      To
      a
      three
      year
      old,
      he
      looks
      a
      lot
      like
      a
     
     
      teddy
      bear
      gone
      bezerk,
      which
      probably
      explains
      the
      fact
     
     
      that
      I
      preferred
      my
      “security
      penguin”
      instead
      of
      a
      teddy
     
     
      bear.)
      When
      I
      was
      bad,
      I
      was
      never
      threatened
      with
      the
     
     
      ‘boogeyman
      in
      the
      closet’
      routine,
      but
      rather
      “Darth
     
     
      Vader
      on
      the
      curtains
      will
      come
      alive
      and
      get
      you.’
      I
     
     
      rarely
      disobeyed
      my
      parents
      until
      I
      was
      twelve.
     
    

    
     
      So,
      to
      this
      day,
      whenever
      someone
      brings
      up
      the
     
     
      subject
      of
      Star
      Wars-dom,
      or
      related
      subjects,
      or
      science
     
     
      fiction
      in
      general,
      I
      feel
      the
      overwhelming
      need
      to
      smile
     
     
      and
      nod,
      since
      I
      have
      no
      idea
      what
      they
      might
      be
      talking
     
     
      about.
      And
      to
      tell
      the
      truth,
      that
      frightens
      me
      more
      than
     
     
      -
      Darth
      on
      a
      Wookie
      rampage.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Chris
      McNeil
     
     
      (chmcneil@upei.ca)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Well,
      it’s
      a
      new
     
     
      year,
      and
      a
      new
      swing
      on
     
     
      this
      column.
      Seeing
      as
     
     
      how
      I
      wasn’t
      sure
      what
     
     
      else
      to
      talk
      about
      after
      my
     
     
      last
      couple
      of
      columns,
     
     
      I’ve
      decided
      that
      instead
     
     
      of
      just
      being
      a
      helpful
     
     
      guide,
      I’d
      turn
      this
      into
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      little
      column
      where
      I
      can
     
    
   
   
    
     
      talk
      about
      the
      wild,
      crazy
     
     
      and
      just
      plain
      weird
      things
     
     
      one
      find
      while
      surfing.
     
     
      Now,
      this
      is
      our
      Star
      Wars
     
     
      issue,
      and
      I
      came
      across
     
     
      something
      the
      other
      day
     
     
      which
      fits
      the
      bill.
     
    

    
     
      When
      looking
      at
     
     
      the
      alt.fan.sf.starwars
     
     
      newsgroup,
      I
      noticed
      that
     
     
      the
      Wedge
      Antilles
      cult
     
     
      are
      at
      it
      again.
      Wedge
     
     
      Antilles?
      Who
      the
      heck
      is
     
     
      he?
      Well,
      I’m
      not
      a
      big
     
     
      Star
      Wars
      fan
      myself,
      but
     
     
      luckily
      (?)
      a
      friend
      of
     
     
      mine
      is,
      so
      I
      can
      get
     
     
      information
      on
      this
      kind
     
     
      of
      thing.
      It
      seems
      that
     
     
      Wedge
      is
      that
      guy
      in
      the
     
     
      first
      movie
      that
      has
      engine
     
     
      trouble
      or
      something
      and
     
     
      bails
      out,
      letting
      Luke
      take
     
     
      his
      shot
      at
      the
      Dath
      Star.
     
     
      That’s
      it.
      Oh
      yeah,
      I
      think
     
     
      he
      makes
      a
      brief
     
     
      appearence
      in
      the
      other
     
     
      two
      movies
      too,
      for
      a
     
     
      grand
      total
      of
      maybe
      one
     
     
      full
      minute
      on
      screen,
      and
     
     
      half
      a
      dozen
      lines.
      Wow.
     
     
      Truly
      the
      stuff
      of
      which
     
     
      legends
      are
      made.
     
    

    
     
      Well,
      normally
     
     
      you'd
      be
      surprised
      if
      this
     
     
      guy
      even
      made
      character
     
     
      guides,
      but
      in
      fact,
      he
      has
     
     
      his
      own
      fan
      club.
      He’s
     
     
      arly
      voted
      as
      one
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Internet
      Tips
      For
      Students
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      most
      popular
      charac-
     
     
      ters,
      there
      web
      pages
     
     
      devoted
      exclusively
      to
     
     
      him,
      he
      even
      has
      his
      own
     
     
      newsgroup,
      alt.fan.wedge.
     
     
      His
      fans
      don’t
      call
      them-
     
     
      selves
      “Wedgies”,
      though,
     
     
      more’s
      the
      pity.
     
    

    
     
      What’s
      so
      great
     
     
      about
      this
      guy,
      that
      would
     
     
      make
      people
      prefer
      him
     
     
      over
      Han
      Solo
      or
      Princess
     
     
      Leia,
      Boba
      Fett
      or
      Darth
     
     
      Vader?
      I’m
      not
      sure.
     
     
      Maybe
      it’s
      the
      air
      of
     
     
      mystery:
      a
      guy
      who
      is
      on
     
     
      screen
      for
      about
      fifteen
     
     
      seconds
      a
      film
      is
      pretty
     
     
      darn
      mysterious.
      Or-and
     
     
      this
      one
      I’ve
      heard
      batted
     
     
      around
      a
      lot-it’s
      because
     
     
      he
      actually
      managed
      to
     
     
      live
      through
      all
      three
     
     
      films.
      Maybe
      it’s
      those
     
     
      rugged
      good
      looks,
      though
     
     
      you'd
      have
      to
      see
      the
      actor
     
     
      in
      person
      because
      I
      think
     
     
      he’s
      always
      wearing
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      y
     
     
      Chris
     
     
      McNeil
     
    
   
   
    
     
      flight
      helmet
      on
      screen.
     
     
      Or
      maybe
      it’s
      the
      cool
     
     
      name:
      Wedge.
      Yeah.
     
    

    
     
      It’s
      interesting
      to
     
     
      note
      that
      Wedge
      fans
      all
     
     
      seem
      to
      hate
      Luke
     
     
      Skywalker.
      They
      call
      him
     
     
      “farm-boy”,
      and
      say
      he’s
      a
     
     
      lucky
      hick
      who
      managed
     
     
      to
      be
      in
      the
      right
      place
      at
     
     
      the
      right
      time.
      He’s
      also
     
     
      not
      as
      good
      a
      pilot
      as
     
     
      Wedge,
      because
      using
      the
     
     
      Force
      is
      cheating.
      I
     
     
      wasn’t
      aware
      that
      war
      had
     
     
      any
      rules,
      but
      maybe
      it’s
      a
     
     
      Star
      Wars
      code
      or
      some-
     
     
      thing.
     
    

    
     
      Ah,
      well.
      If
      you’ll
     
     
      excuse
      me,
      I’m
      going
      to
     
     
      wrap
      this
      up
      and
      go
      start
      a
     
     
      fanclub
      for
      that
      pilot
     
     
      waiting
      for
      Indy
      at
      the
     
     
      start
      of
      Raiders
      of
      The
     
     
      Lost
      Ark.
      He’s
      the
      real
     
     
      hero,
      and
      he
      wasn’t
      scared
     
     
      of
      snakes
      either.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SS,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      8
      198
      Kent
      Street
     
     
      Charlottetown,
      P.E.IL.
     
     
      CLA
      1P2
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ESN
      SN,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MOET
      AL
      OAL
      AOS
      AD
      CADE
      SAD
      DAP
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WAY
      COOL
      TATTOOS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Phone
      (902)
      892-8282
     
     
      Fax
      (902)
      892-8283
     
     
      Open
      Mon-Fri
      4
      to
      Midnight
     
     
      Sat
      ‘Noon-Midnigh¢
      o
     
     
      *10%
      discount
      with
      valid
      UPE]
      Student
      I1D*
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ENO
      LI
      ELON
      LSP
      LR
      SPO
      LE
      EE!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ee
      |