Avon Calling

Avon Calling is a slash and adult het Blake's 7 anthology.
From a flyer for the first issue: "A Blake's 7 fanzine truly dedicated to the concept of infinite diversity in infinite combinations."
==General Reactions and Reviews==
==Issue 1==
Avon Calling 1 was published in 1990 and contains 148 pages. It contains slash and het.
The cover art is by Phoenix. Other art is by Leah Rosenthal and Phoenix. 
 
It is online here.
* Triumvirate by La Belle Femme (B/Tr, with B/A) (4)
* An Anodyne to Dreams by Paula (A/V) (24)
* Bound by Trust by Christopher Montclair (B/A) (34)
* Mine Alone by Gene S. Delapenia (poem) (51)
* Sand in the Sheets by Lorna B. (A/D, So/V) (52)
* Nightwatch by Aida St. Dummont (A/V) (58)
* Untitled #30 by Gene S. Delapenia (poem) (67)
* None So Blind (B/A, with C/B) by Jennifer Hurley (68)
* A Fool and His Money by Aida St. Dummont (A/V) (84)
* A Bit of Humor by Lyndon Baines (99)
* Primal Male by Christopher Montclair (A/Se) (100)
* Cool Smooth Stone by La Belle Femme (poem) (106)
* Tea and Cynicism by Leah Rosenthal (art) (107)
* The Nature of the Beast by Winona Symonds (A/V) (108)
* Speak No Evil by Ailsa Craig (A/V) (120)
* Listen by Gene S. Delapenia (poem) (127)
* Discoveries by Aida St. Dummont (A/V/C, A/V) (128)
* Too Late by Gene S. Delapenia (148)
 
File:avoncalling1inside1.jpg| from issue #1, Adrian Morgan. Adrian was well known for detailed pencil work and a focus on portraits.
File:Avon calling 1 dya.jpg| from issue #1, Dya. This is an example of a somewhat rarely used fanart art technique which employs ink and block relief.
File:Avon calling 1 leah rosenthal.jpg| from issue #1. A cartoon by Leah Rosenthal is shown here illustrating one of her stories. While Leah is best known for her stand alone cartoons, she would also illo her own fan fiction.
File:Avon calling 1 phoenix.jpg| from issue #1, Phoenix. This drawing shows a startled Cally discovering a naked Avon and Vila. In fanon, Cally was often very accepting of the Avon/Vila pairing; however, in a few stories she would be jealous. The Avon/Cally pairing was one of the more popular het pairings in Blake's 7 fandom.
File:avoncalling1-1.jpg| from issue #1, Phoenix
File:avoncalling1-2.jpg| from issue #1, Leah Rosenthal
File:avoncalling1-3.jpg| from issue #1
File:avoncalling1-4.jpg| from issue #1
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1===
==Issue 2==
 
Avon Calling 2 is subtitled, "Avon Calling Again." It was published in 1991, has 154 pages and cover art by Phoenix. It is het and slash.
The art is by Laura Virgil, Suzan Lovett, Phoenix, Leah Rosenthal, Randym, Jessikah Rian and Phoenix.
The zine is online here.
* The Hand of Friendship, fiction by N.T. Casillas (A/V) (1)
* Mystery, poem by Gene S. Delapenia (19)
* Weight Watchers, fiction by Matilda Willard (B/A) (20)
* Change of Pace, fiction by Paula (A/T) (31)
* Stolen Momentsv by Khylara (39)
* Scattered Petals, fiction by Lorna B. (V/S) (41)
* For What It's Worth, poem by Judith Ellison (50)
* Festival, fiction fictionby Matilda Willard (B/A) (51)
* Only Mistaken, poem by Jane Mailander (64)
* Acceptance, poem by Gene S. Delapenia (66)
* For Play, fiction by E. Lapidae (A/V) (67)
* Deliverance, fiction by Pat Ellen (B/A) (79)
* Hermit Crab, poem by Jane Mailander (98)
* Fortune's Soldiers, fiction by Cami (T/Del Grant) (99)
* Hitting Bottom, fiction by Catocala (A/V) (107)
* Liars, fiction by R. Olivia Brown (A/V) (113)
* Here in This Room, poem by Khylara (128)
* It's a Small Ship, After All, fiction by Natasha Barry (u/c A/B) (129)
* Fire with Fire, poem by Khylara (142)
* Orac's Research, fiction by Ty Downs (A/V) (143)
 
File:avoncalling1inside2.jpg|inside art from issue #2. The drawing, by Suzan Lovett for "Weight Watchers," shows Blake and Avon in an embrace. The close-up focus on the male upper bodies with faces partially obscured departs from the artist's typical style of full body drawings or head portraits. By limiting the viewer's gaze to only a small piece of canvas, the artist conveys a sense of intimacy tinged with claustrophobia, hinting at the dysfunctional nature of the Blake/Avon relationship. This illo won a 1994 STIFfie Award. Suzan later sold this as an art print at the Escapade 1993 art show.
File:avoncalling2inside1.jpg|inside art from issue #2, by Phoenix for "For Play". Another feature of Phoenix's art is her focus on hurt/comfort themes. In this image, Avon appears injured and the hand holding his face is positioned so it an be seen as either threatening or comforting.
File:avoncalling2inside2.jpg|inside art from issue #2, Phoenix for "For Play." A rare comedic drawing, showing a startled Avon screaming and holding a kitten. In fan fiction, Avon is portrayed as dark, brooding and serious character. This image shows that some fans valued the lighter side of the character and loved to poke gentle fun at the fanon. "Have you read "For Play" in AVON CALLING II? It's a "kitten adopts Avon" story with a really amazing centerfold by Phoenix. In the story, Avon is not a kitten person, though he might be a cat person." -- Lysator, Beth F, dated October 1, 1994.
Image:avoncalling-4.jpg| from issue #2, two-page centerfold by Phoenix for "For Play"
Image:avoncalling-5.jpg| from issue #2, Phoenix for "Festival"
Image:avoncalling-6.jpg| from issue #2, Laura Virgil for "Festival"
Image:avoncalling-7.jpg| from issue #2, Leah Rosenthal
Image:avoncalling-8.jpg| from issue #2, Avon/Tarrant illo by Randym for "Change of Pace"
Image:avoncalling-9.jpg| from issue #2, Avon/Vila illo by Jessikah Rian for "The Hand of Friendship"
Image:avoncalling-10.jpg| from issue #2, Kerr Avon and Vila Restal by Jessikah Rian for "The Hand of Friendship"
File:Avoncalling-11.jpg| from issue #2, sample text for "The Hand of Friendship"
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2===
==Issue 3==
Avon Calling 3 is all slash. Is is subtitled, "Avon Calls Once More." It was published in January 1994, contains 140 pages and has a front cover by Phoenix and a back cover by Suzan Lovett.
The zine is online here.
The last part of the zine is a mini-zine which contains four short stories and a poem, all based on the art by Suzan Lovett. This part of the zine is bound upside-down.
This issue was the winner of a 1995 STIFfie Award.
The Main Zine:
* Call of the Wild by Jane Mailander (winner of a 1995 STIFfie Award) (1)
* No Fury by Jane Mailander (7)
* Welcome to My Dungeon by Caroline Dare (8)
* Retention of Title by Gloria Lancaster (18 )
* The Observed by Pat Terra (28)
* LD50 by E. Lapidae (29)
* The Romance of the Written Word by R. Olivia Brown (34)
* Felis Avonis by Jane Mailander (42)
* Companions by Randym & Cami (Sequel to "Strange Interlude." Avon wants to resume the relationship that he and Tarrant began while ill on a distant planet, but Tarrant is angry because Avon pretended at first that their earlier liaison was a hallucination.) (43)
* Sweet Revenge by Lynne Franklin (49)
* Words Never Spoken, Words Never Heard by Brendan O'Cullane (52)
* Just One Year of Love by Catherine Kendall (53)
* Cytherea by Christopher Montclair (61)
* A Thief's Punishment by Brendan O'Cullane (reprinted in Double Vision) (71)
* Brilliance by Pat Terra (80)
* Afterplay by Jane Mailander (92)
* Stranded by Matilda Willard (95)
* Kerr Avon's Top Ten Excuses for Shooting Roj Blake by Jane Mailander (116)
 
The Mini-Zine:
 
* Entropy by Pat Terra (1)
	 
* Suzan Lovett (back cover)
 
* A Bit of Humor by Jane Mailander (14)
 
* Phoenix (front cover)
 
* To Sleep, Perchance to Dream by Gene Delapenia (15)
* It's the Thought That Counts by S. Lewis (19)
* The Quality of Mercy by Matilda Willard (20)
 
File:avoncalling3inside1.jpg|from issue #3, Suzan Lovett: Like the earlier drawing by Lovett above, this art piece experiments with perspective - both the viewer's as well as the characters. In the drawing, Avon peers at himself in the mirror which is angled to reveal Blake watching Avon. The positioning of Avon's eyes seem to indicate that Avon is aware of Blake's scrutiny and is perhaps returning it. In canon, Avon spends years alternating between being suspicious of Blake's motive and pursuing him.
File:avoncalling3inside2.jpg|inside art from issue #3, Suzan Lovett: "...the turning into a jaguar one looks AMAZING in real life. God, it's so awful. And amazing. So 3D and beautifully coloured. I just - can't respond to it in a sensible way. Anyway, so there's that." This example of Suzan Lovett's art from issue #3 shows a return to one of her more traditional styles, namely the tableau tapestry. These tableaus were often tied to fan fiction (this one illustrates Jane Mailander's Felis Avonis. In this tableau, we see Blake holding what appears to be a leash and collar with Avon being transformed into a snarling black panther. On a meta level, the image may illustrate fanon that Avon is 'chained' to Blake by ties of love and obsession. The drawing was later sold as an art print under the title "Here Kitty Kitty" from Partnersrmore and the visuals persuaded one fan to buy her first piece of fan art.Sandy Herrold posting about Escapade 1993 to the Virgule-L mailing list: "I also bought my *first fannish art* at the con. (12+ years a fan, and never bought art.)"
File:avoncalling3inside3.jpg|inside art from issue #3, Phoenix. This last image helps demonstrate the wide thematic range of Phoenix's artwork. This sensual depiction of Avon/Villa also features a somewhat unusual composition by offering two different perspectives of Avon/Vila - the lower image uses a longer 'lens' to create a romantic feeling. The upper image, with a narrower focus, showcases the passionate urgency of the pairing.
File:avonsatyr.jpg|from issue #3, Suzan Lovett -- "Brace yourself. This is another one I almost can't look at, it's so good/awful: Now what we have here, my friends, is the only objectified Blake solo portrait that I have seen. I have hundreds and hundreds of photos of drawings of just Avon lounging around naked, even some of Vila alone, but this is in the only solo one of Blake (that I can recall). Why don't we objectify Blake more, old fandom? Please put on 'Horizon', skip that scene where he has no shirt because I agree it's not his best look, and try again. Oh yer, and it's also a picture of Blake as a satyr... It accompanies the first story in the zine where that's a thing.
Image:Avoncalling3inside4.jpg|from issue #3, Randym (not credited)
Image:Avoncalling3inside5.jpg|from issue #3, not credited
Image:Avoncalling3inside6.jpg|from issue #3, Phoenix
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3===
==References==
Category:Blake's 7 Slash Zines
Category:Blake's 7 Het Zines
Category:1990s