Thursday 29 July 2010

WELCOME TO 'STAR WARS AFICIONADO'!



THE LOWDOWN ON STAR WARS AFICIONADO


Launched back in 2003, STAR WARS AFICIONADO is the brainchild of British fan SCOTT WELLER. Sad at seeing the death of many STAR WARS fanzines with the astonishing growth of the internet, and fed up with the continuing lack of interesting material presented within the pages of official STAR WARS related magazines, Scott decided to take the bold step of creating a new, non-profit making fanzine, covering the kind of wide ranging features that he had always wanted to see in the monthly magazines since his childhood-articles that would include rare behind the scene information and interview quotes, great on set rare colour and black and white photography from the movies, and detailed archives on STAR WARS related stories (whether they be comics, books, storybook records, etc.), as well as features on the various people who, over the years, have helped shape the making and destiny of the Saga alongside it's creator George Lucas. 

The result was STAR WARS AFICIONADO. As Anakin Skywalker would say: "Yippee!"

Professionally printed in full colour, with high printing costs that, five years on, have still not been recouped, AFICIONADO's printed life, on a once quarterly basis, would happily go from strength to strength after it's premiere issue, with a core group of writers and photo researchers (including intrepid INDIANA JONES meets STAR WARS explorer Ian Trussler and the extensive powerhouse of photos and information that is Chris Baker-my continuing thanks to you both) working together on the magazine who have provided a constant stream of appealing articles and images for publication within the magazine's pages (of which we have also revealed many pieces of rare behind the scenes filming information on the movies to readers several years before they would be made officially available through official LUCASFILM approved magazines and web-sites!!). STAR WARS AFICIONADO, though very small in circulation, has been a consistent cult success, acquiring a very loyal fan readership over ten years (of which we are very grateful for your continuing support). With it's continued popularity, the magazine's printed editions are now no longer available and have since sold out as the publication marches on into new frontiers.

No longer able to afford the cost of printing, and, to this day still trying to recoup previous production costs, AFICIONADO, realizing that it had to join the technological race, decided to carry on in a PDF file format release. The first issue to undergo this change was our revised MAKING OF STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE issue, followed by our THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE. In early 2008 we celebrated the Thirtieth Anniversary of RETURN OF THE JEDI with our most exhaustively researched MAKING OF issue yet, whilst 2009 saw our celebrations for the Tenth Anniversary of STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE and 2010 for the Thirtieth Anniversary of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, with our new Behind the Scenes Companion. Additionally, we would also decidd to start making available selected back issues of STAR WARS AFICIONADO on PDF, such as seven (the Vader issue), eight and nine (our popular EPISODE III related double issue), ten (our STAR WARS television issue), an issues 1-4 compilation, and our earlier special, equally exhaustive issue from 2005 on the making of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

Complimenting this site and the now ceased magazine is the blog site you’re looking at now, launched in July 2010, and full of additional rare photos, quality info and nostalgia you've come to expect from AFICIONADO.

To our ever loyal, continuing readers worldwide, we would like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement. To our new readers, we hope you like what you see here and that we've tickled your interest fancy enough for you to continue reading the site or wanting to get hold of an issue of the magazine.

And if you like it, tell more people about us-we want everyone to enjoy every aspect of the STAR WARS saga. We hope AFICIONADO manages to be a little part of that enjoyment!!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU... ALWAYS!

ENJOY STAR WARS!

ENJOY STAR WARS AFICIONADO!

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