Leah Rosenthal

Leah Rosenthal was a fan writer and a prolific and popular cartoonist in many fandoms, winning multiple Fan Quality Awards for her fan art. 
Her work was usually displayed in the art show at MediaWest*Con. 
One of her cartoons was included in 1992 in Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture.
Rosenthal is known for her many collaborations with Ann Wortham, her partner. They wrote fiction together, as well as running Ashton Press. In 1987, Deb Walsh joked and referred to the pair as "Worthenthal." from comments in B7 Complex #11 
Rosenthal was one of the major players in the Blake's 7 Wars, as well as the 1990s piracy letters, see Zine Piracy Letter to Candace Pulleine by Leah Rosenthal.
Rosenthal passed away in April 2024.In Memoriam, MediaWest*Con, 20 April 2024.
==Awards==
* Fan Q Awards (1987, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
* Huggy Awards (2003)
* Major Oak Awards (1992, 1995)
* Stargate Fan Awards (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
* STIFfie Awards (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999)
==The Bizarro Universe==
Rosenthal and Wortham were the creators of the comedic Blake's 7 universe.
The characters became one of Rosenthal's specialties, and it was one way that she and Wortham interacted with the actors and showrunners of Blake's 7.
See more at Bizarro Universe.
 
In the editorial of the first issue of The Bizarro Zine (1988), Rosenthal wrote of how and why the Bizarro universe got started and of how TPTB were aware and involved in these fanwork: 
==Fanac==
===Zine Publisher===
Rosenthal's early press was Poncho Press.
Rosenthal and Ann Wortham ran Ashton Press which published an immense amount of print het, gen, and slash zines in many fandoms.
===Sample Fiction===
* Season of Lies (with Ann Wortham) a gen Avon/Tarrant Blake's 7 story (won a 1987 Fan Q)
===Sample Filks===
* "I Don't Need Another Fandom," filk to the tune of a Tina Turner song, printed in Rerun #4 (1986)
* Tie-Fighters in the Sky
===Fanart=== 
Rosenthal was a very prolific fanartist, specializing in cartoons and comic illustrations, as well as 'traditional' art and portraits.
==Sample Gallery==
 
===1978===
File:Wide1.jpg|from Wide Open Spaces #1
File:Wideopen1-6.jpg|from Wide Open Spaces #1
===1979===
File:Wideopentwo.jpg|from Wide Open Spaces #2
File:Wideopen2-7.jpg|from Wide Open Spaces #2
File:Wideopenspacesart8.jpg|from Wide Open Spaces #3
===1981===
Image:warpedspace45-10.jpg|Star Wars illo from Warped Space #45 
File:Recroom2-2.jpg|portrays four media same-sex couples: Kirk/Spock, Starsky/Hutch, and Napoleon/Illya, illo for the filk by Roberta Rogow called Mucho, Macho?: A PROTEST SONG
===1982===
Image:springfling-9.jpg| from the Harry/Johnny zine, Spring Fling (1982)
Image:shrosenthal1982unknown.jpg|perhaps from a zine?, Starsky & Hutch, a photocopy from Ruth Kurz's private collection
===1983===
Image:southerncom7-5-6.jpg|"What I Did for Love" from Southern Comfort #7.5, a humorous story that includes some commentary on the controversial Nearly Beloved) -- "Alas, it was a passion doomed to die unflowered. Vila was adamantly against any relationship, no matter how Avon pleaded and begged. 'No slash," he cruelly sneered at Avon, savoring the sound of an Alpha heart breaking. "After London completely ignored me in 'Rogue', I've sworn off men forever.'" 
File:Lighterstrike-3.jpg|Star Wars, illo from Lighter Side Strikes Back (1983)
===1984===
Image:MPI RobinsNest1.jpg|cover of Robin's Nest #1 (1984)
Image:fesarius6rosenthal.jpg|from Fesarius #6 (1984)
===1985===
File:Wideopen9-4.jpg|from Wide Open Spaces #9 (Bad Company)
===1986===
File:BIZColor.JPG|The Bizarro Zine 
File:Fifthseason4-6.jpg| from 5th Season #4
Image:Southern1.jpg|cover of Southern Seven #1 
Image:B7 southern 7 interior by leah rosenthal.jpg|interior art for Southern Seven #1 
===1987===
Image:Southern seven 2 flyer by leah rosenthal.jpg|cartoon from flyer for Southern Seven #2 (1987)
File:B711.jpg|from B7 Complex #11 -- "Leah was better known for her cartoon style at the time, so it was nice to showcase her more traditional approach. And clearly, she nailed it." .
File:B711-6.jpg|from B7 Complex #11
File:B711-8.jpg|from B7 Complex #11
File:Laststand.jpg|from Last Stand at the Edge of the World
File:Last stand int leah rosenthal.jpg|from Last Stand at the Edge of the World
===1988===
File:Fifthseason5-4.jpg| from 5th Season #5
Image:DSV One front cover.JPG|DSV One (1988) 
Image:B7 flotsam.jpg|Blake's Doubles (1988)
Image:Dsvoneprogrambook.jpg|cover of DSV (Blake's 7 convention) program book (1988) 
Gambitus3-4.jpg| from Gamibt #3 - "I also enjoyed the artwork from Leah Rosenthal (the “Phil Collins bounty hunter” illo struck me as perversely funny)" from a letter of comment in Gamibt #4 
===1989===
File:Metamorphblakes.jpg|from Blakes Doubles #3
Image:Blakerabble1.jpg|from Blake, Rabble and Roll #1 -- "Um….okay, if I had to guess, Jenna is pissed that Avon stole Blake away from her. And Cally is either stoned or has gotten so used to this argument that she’s just tuning it all out. Obviously, I need to read this one when I have a moment. Since this picture also appears inside the ‘zine, I’m guessing it’s actually illustrating a scene.... #one of these days avon....pow!#don't think she won't deck you#she once teleported a dude into space#and laughed about it" 
File:Gambitartauction.jpg| in which one of the characters from Blake's 7 is auctioning off his drawing of fan artist Karen River (from Gambit progress report #2) 
File:Beforeandafter2.jpg |from Before & After -- "There's a nice Leah Rosenthal Avon+Blake+Tiger that's going on my jaguars pinboard." scroll down for comments by aralias at , June 9, 2016 
===1990===
Image:blakerabble2-7.jpg|from Blake, Rabble and Roll #2, - weirdly has "London Bates #93" on the bottom right corner - this illo was reprinted in color as the cover of Southern Lights #10.5 (1999)
Image:Avon calling 1 leah rosenthal.jpg|from Avon Calling #1, this illustrates one of her stories. While Leah is best known for her stand alone cartoons, she would also illo her own fan fiction. 
File:Avoncalling1-2.jpg|from Avon Calling #1 
File:Datazine58.jpg|from Datazine #58 
 
===1991===
Image:Liasons interior by leah rosenthal small.jpg|from Liaisons #1 
Image:destinytitlepage.jpg| from Destiny -- "Title page to Destiny 1... And the cartoon is, of course, by Leah Rosenthal. I have accepted that every third to fifth fanzine I read is going to contain something by her, which is AWESOME, because I love her stuff." bruinhilda.tumblr, April 14, 2016 
===1996===
Image:B7 southern comfort 9.5cover.jpg|cover of Southern Comfort (multimedia zine) #9.5 (1996)
===1998===
Image:Metamorphblakes.jpg|cover of Blake's Doubles #3 (1998)
===2005===
File:Sg1 redemption 6 int by leah rosenthal.jpg|cartoon from Redemption #6 (2005)
===2006===
Image:Startoons.jpg|Startoons (2006)
==Zine Contributions: As Artist or Writer==
The zines below are ones using Rosenthal's actual name. They do not include her many pseuds.
===The A-Team===
 
* Closed for Remodeling
* Leapin' Jeeps 
 
===Blake's 7=== 
 
* Fifth Season 
* Avon Calling
* B7 Complex
* Before & After
* Bizarro Coloring Book 
* The Bizarro Zine 
* Blake, Rabble and Roll
* Blakes Doubles 
* Blake's 7 Calendar
* Blakesindex
* The Chronicles
* Destiny 
* Different Destinies 
* Down and Out 
* Fear
* From the Log of the Hellhound 
 
* Gambit
 
* IMHO* 
* Interface
* Last Stand at the Edge of the World 
* The Laughing Mutoid
* Magnificent Seven
* The Other Side
* Pattern of Infinity 
* Powerplay
* Prime Time
* Probability Square 
* Raising Hell
* Rebel Desires
* Roads Not Taken
 
* Serrated Seven 
* Shadow at the Edge
 
* Southern Comfort
* Southern Seven
* Star
* Straight Blake's
* Threads Through Infinity
* "touched"
* The Unique Touch
* Who's Blake
===Filk Songbooks===
 
* Hip Deep in Heroes
* Rec-Room Rhymes
 
* Scaring the Sheep
* Sing a Song of Trekkin'
===Harry & Johnny===
 
* More Fun with Harry & Johnny
* A Portfolio of Poetry and Portraits 
* Spring Fling 
===Highlander===
 
* Cry Wolf
* Highlander Bizarro Style 
* Highland Fling
* A Kind of Magic 
* The Lightning's Hand 
* Off With His Head
* Reflections 
* Revelations 
* Rules of the Game
* Shadow at the Edge 
* So Speaks the Hero 
* Then the Night Comes 
* Touched by Magic
 
===Misc===
Single fandom zines:
 
* Above & Below's Dreamscapes (Beauty and the Beast (TV)
* Albion (Robin of Sherwood)
* Green Eggs and Ham (Quantum Leap)
* Hope Dies Last (The X-Files)
* It Couldn't Happen Then, It Couldn't Happen Now (Sandbaggers)
* Just a Couple of Jokers (Simon and Simon)
* Knight Fantasies (Forever Knight)
 
* The Palantir (Tolkien)
* Robin's Nest (Magnum PI)
* Tell Me Something I Don't Know! (Starsky & Hutch)
===Multimedia===
 
* Adult Situations 
* Almost Anything Goes
* Banzine
* British Multimedia Cartoons 
* The Clipper Trade Ship
* The Comfort Zone
* Compadres
* Datazine
* Everything But the Kitchen Sink
* Fantazy
* Gateway to Time
* Grimmoire 
* Grip
* Guardian
* Happy Tails 
* Liaisons
* Lions and Tigers and Zines, Oh My!
* Mélange
* Moonbeam
* The Naughty Bits
* Of Dreams and Schemes
* Outlands
* Pot-Pourri
* Prime Time 
* Propulsion Emissions
* Rerun
 
* Scenario
* Shadowstar
* Southern Comfort 
* Sweet Justice
* Timeframe
* War of the Words 
* Whatever Works 
* Wide Open Spaces
* Zine Scene
 
===Star Trek===
 
* The Compleat Dirtie Nellie
* Enterprise Reprise
* Fesarius
* Kirk
* Masiform D
 
* Star Trek America -- 1977 -- A Retrospective
* TREKisM at Length 
* Warped Space
* Well That's Just Typical
===Star Wars===
 
* Echo
* Echo Seven
* Furball Express
* Galactic Falcon
* Imperium
* Kessel Run
* The Lighter Side Strikes Back
* The Motley Archives
* The Princess Tapes
* The Sith Yearbook
* Southern Knights
* ThousandWorlds Collected
 
===Stargate ===
 
* Critias 
* Destinations 
* Gateway to Eternity 
* Hope Dies Last 
* Iris Code
* The Key to Infinity
* Off the Record 
* Our Stargate Fanzine
* Pretense 
* Redemption 
* Startoons 
 
===Supernatural===
 
* Fallen 
* Route 666 
* Supernatural Calendar
 
===Westerns (US)===
 
* Ghost Riders
* Happy Tails
* Wide Open Spaces
==References==
Category:Fanwriters
Category:Fanartists
Category:Filkers
Category:Deceased
Category:2024 Deaths