Against the Sith

Against the Sith is one of the first Star Wars zines. It was created and edited by Nancy Duncan and Tracy Duncan, two sisters who lived in Eugene, Oregon.
The zine series contains fanfic, poetry, art, articles, reviews, and letters of comment. It ran for nine issues from April 1978 to October 1980.
From a 1979 ad in The Clipper Trade Ship #24: "A fanzine devoted to STAR WARS: stories, articles, art, serial, and always plenty of surprizes!."
The zine's two editors were adamant supporters of the character Luke Skywalker, and were open in their annoyance with the character Leia Organa, something that was reflected in many of the articles and fiction they contributed. Two of those articles were The AtS Virtue-Chart of Heroic Characters and A Royal Pain which were published in issue #9. 
In May 1980, the Duncans also wrote the Open Letter to Star Wars Fans by the Duncans which was distributed very shortly after the sisters saw the much-anticipated movie, The Empire Strikes Back, for the first time. In the letter, they asked fans to boycott the movie, and they demanded that George Lucas destroy all copies of the film. "The Duncans of 'Against the Sith' [were] a major subset of discussion after they circulated a long letter to fanzine editors, demanding a boycott of TESB and the destruction of the film by Lucas." Southern Enclave Issue #22 pdf, page 47 They also insisted that issue #7 would be the last issue of ATS, and that anyone who had already ordered #8 would get a refund. They did, however, produce two more issues. The Duncans' dissatisfaction with the movie was also the subject of the October 1980 essay, The Death of Star Wars, published in "Against the Sith" #9.
 
The two editorials in the last issue of "Against the Sith" give no hint that it was to be the last issue, but the cessation of publication was due to some readers' dissatisfaction with The Empire Strikes Back and to the main editor, Tracy, completing her university degree early and accepting an out-of-town job away from her sister. See talk page. 
In the spring of 1980, the editors proposed, via an ad in Pastaklan Vesla #6, a Star Wars information zine called "Alliance Intelligence" which was to be about the actors' activities, news clippings, ads, interview transcripts, and reviews. This zine was never published.
==Its Place in Star Wars Zine History==
The first Star Wars zines:
* Hyper Space (fiction and non-fiction) ties with The Force (non-fiction) as the first zines with a focus of Star Wars. Both zines were published in June 1977.
* Warped Space #26/27, a multimedia zine published in July 1977, had a Star Wars cover, the artist was Gordon Carleton. In August 1977, "Warped Space" #28 had the first Star Wars story in a multimedia zine. Moonbeam #1/2 also contains an early story that was published in November 1977.
* Come Wars, a 1977 (month unknown) 16-page sexually explicit gay/slash comic by Sean
* Timespan, a 1977 (month unknown) included "The Saga of Jharal" a story about two Jedi's, pre-ANH
* Moonbeam #3 (focus of Star Wars fiction and art) The editor of "Moonbeam" says: "I believed for almost 30 years that it was in fact the first primarily Star Wars fiction fanzine, but I recently learned that Skywalker, the exceptional Star Wars zine edited by Bev Clark, was in fact first by a couple of weeks. Ah well. I was still one of the first, and probably the first on the East Coast.."Actually, according to the dates on the zines themselves, "Moonbeam" was first; perhaps there was an understood wiggle-room with the distribution? and the letterzine, Alderaan, a letterzine with a Star Wars focus, were both published in February 1978.
* Against the Sith (Star Wars fiction and non-fiction) and Skywalker (Star Wars fiction) were both published in April 1978. From Nancy Duncan in "Against the Sith's" editorial: "We know of two other SW zines so far, Hyperspace .... and Skywalker." This statement is contradicted in December 1985 by the editor of "Skywalker," Bev Clark, in comments to Southern Enclave #10: "AGAINST THE SITH came out a few weeks before SKYWALKER, no more than six. Neither was the first SW fanzine, exactly. The very first fanzine was a small, poorly produced effort out of Long Beach, called THE FORCE; it was more like a traditional SF fanzine in that it didn't have much fiction. It was also what is bluntly called in SF fandom, a crudzine. The first fanzine to print all SW fiction, though admittedly as a single issue of a fanzine that was not devoted to SW to the exclusion of all else, was MOONBEAM 3, which came out in the late fall of 1977 or the early spring of 1978 before either AGAINST THE SITH or SKYWALKER, at any rate. SKYWALKER was certainly in preparation by then, however, it began in September, 1977." It appears that either Bev Clark is mis-remembering the date of her own fanzine's publication, or there is a difference of opinion about what constitutes the "beginning" of a zine, and that perhaps Clark is referring to when she first started collecting material, rather to when the zine was available to fans.
==Description from an Ad==
"Against the Sith" -- "A fanzine devoted to Star Wars and focusing on the relationships between the three human characters as derived directly and solely from the evidence presented in the film."from Scuttlebutt #13
==Title==
Although most Star Wars fans today know what the Sith are, it was not a common term in 1978 when the zine debuted. Mention of the Sith did not occur in the movie, but in the film's novelization.
==Format and Production==
"Against the Sith" was professionally printed and bound at a Eugene-area print shop using an offset printer. The original page proofs were typed on an IBM Selectric typewriter. The magazine was saddle-stitched with staples.
==A 1981 Interview==
The "Eugene Register-Guard," a newspaper in Oregon, ran an article about the Duncans and "Against the Sith."
==Its End==
The zine folded after the release of The Empire Strikes Back and the subsequent displeasure of the Duncans upon seeing the movie.
They wrote a long open letter in May 1980 (see The Duncan Scandal) and published issue #9 of "Against the Sith" in October 1980.
There is nothing to indicate that issue #9 of Against the Sith was their last issue, and it appears that they fully intended to publish another issue as per a questionnaire they dispersed to fans, one with a note saying the results would be presented in issue #10.
Nearly a year later there were still no more issues of "Against the Sith." At that time, Nancy wrote a letter to Alderaan scolding fans, telling them that they shouldn't be afraid of controversy and of strong opinions, and that she considered her and her sister's zine to be a sort of fandom watchdog.from Alderaan #11
In January 1981, the Duncans sent another open letter to fans, explaining their decision to cease publication of Against the Sith. The letter noted at the bottom that the P.O. Box address for Against the Sith would no longer be valid after March 31, 1981. See ...it has become increasingly clear to us that we cannot continue publishing a fanzine for a movie in which we find so little to recommend.
==Issue 1==
Against the Sith 1 was published in April 1978 and is 24 pages. All of the art was by Tracy and Nancy Duncan.
"This ZINE is dedicated to: FICUS, our favorite vegeton.A reference to Quark.
The editors write that they know of only two other exclusively-Star Wars zines in existence: Hyperspace and Skywalker.
They also mentioned that they were going to "find out about Star Wars copyright policies for fanzines from Twentieth Century Fox and put the info in our next issue."
From one of the editorials: 
* Editorials by Tracy & Nancy (2)
* Parsecs, short comic strip (2)
* "Beyond 'Wars' Lacks Development" is a review by Tracy Duncan of Splinter of the Mind's Eye (3)
* Two Fans, an odd, short meta dialogue thing (3)
* Thee Contest, nominate your favorite lines, scenes (3)
* Escape from Vestarine by Tracy & Nancy Duncan (The Rebels strike against the Empire in more ways that one.) (4)
* Many Thanks, George Lucas by Tracy Duncan (14)
* Man's Best Friend by Nancy Duncan (Han got a lot more than he bargained for on a lawless planet.) (15)
* How to Purchase a Droid, short essay (20)
* Bibliography, mentions and interviews and such of Star Wars in mainstream press (21)
* Star Wars Lexicon (22)
* Change (poem] by Tracy Duncan (24)
File:ats1toc.jpg|from issue #1
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===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1===
==Issue 2==
Against the Sith 2 was published in July 1978 and is 36 pages long. The art is by Teanna Lee Byerts, Larie Murphy, Nancy Duncan, and Tracy Duncan.
This issue is dedicated to "PIGS.... IN.... S-P-A-C-E.!.!.!"
The editors exclaim: "Only 17 more months to go until SW II!"
Nancy's editorial touches upon character bashing, something she derides. It is an ironic, and in hindsight, and ultimately hypocritical editorial, considering that this zine series evolved into one that was notoriously extremely Luke-centric, and for bashing Leia: 
Tracy's editorial looks at the long game: 
* Editorials by Nancy & Tracy (2)
* Documents of the Imperium (3)
* Parscecs, comic (3)
* Comlink, Letters of Comment (4)
* Dark Lord, Price of Evil, article about Darth Vader and his motivations and characterizations (includes a lot of quotes from the Bible and other sources), written by Nancy Duncan, researched by Tracy Duncan (6)
* The Noble Servant by Tracy Duncan (8)
* Marvel STAR WARS by Bob Buchtel, a "recap of the comics adaptation" issues #7-14 (12)
* The Truth About Yavin, fiction by Nikki White (13)
* Book Review by Tracy, The WARS Storybook (15)
* Crash on Zanderine, fiction by Nancy & Tracy Duncan (16)
* Bibliography of Star Wars mentions in pro printed articles and magazines (26)
* Lexicon (27)
* Thee Contest (21)
* Songs for the Exiled, vignette by Candace Wiggins, reprinted from Fanfare #1) (32)
File:Ats2toc.jpg|from issue #2
File:Againstthesith2-1.jpg| from issue #2
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File:Againstthesith2-3.jpg| from issue #2 art by Teanna Lee Byerts
File:Againstthesith2-4.jpg| from issue #2, Teanna Lee Byerts
File:Againstthesith2-5.jpg| from issue #2, The Duncan Sisters
File:Againstthesith2-6.jpg| from issue #2 artist unknown
File:Againstthesith2-7.jpg| from issue #2, Teanna Lee Byerts
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2===
==Issue 3==
Against the Sith 3 was published in January 1979 and contains 32 pages.
This "Zine is dedicated to: MORK from ORK -- "nana-nanu" "SHAZBAT."
The art is by L.A. Adolf, Robert Frazier, Angela-Marie Varesano (cover), Irene Loughlin (inside front and back covers), Nancy Duncan, Tracy Duncan and Becky Aulenbach.
This issue has a letter by Craig Miller, "Director of Fan Relations" at Lucasfilm, Ltd. which is an early attempt to control and monitor fan activities.
The editorial by Tracy Duncan illustrates the anguish of the wait for a new canon fix, as well as how to be a good fan: 
* editorials by Tracy and Nancy Duncan (Nancy's is actually a longish piece of untitled fiction) (2)
* Parsecs (2)
* Comlink, includes a letter by Craig Miller requesting four copies of all Star Wars zines to be sent to George Lucas, see image (4)
* Forum, fans expound on the rumor that in the next film, Darth Vader is revealed to be Luke's father: most fans hate and/or disbelieve the premise (5)
* The Corellian Factor, article by Nikki White (6)
* Star Wars Holiday Special - review by Nancy who found it wonderful (8)
* Wedding March, fiction by Susan Matthews (9)
* One Morning for E.V.L. 2, fiction by Gail Courtney (11)
* A Visit with the Cantina Aliens, article speculating on the characters in the cantina scene by Tracy (12)
* Painful Memories, Future Dreams by Melanie Dickson (14)
* Two Heroes, One Purpose, article about the Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve, by Tracy (16)
* Darth Vader's Christmas, poem or filk by Paula Nutter (19)
* John William's Discography by Bob Buchtel (19)
* Discovery on Seytan by Tracy (29)
* zines available (29)
* Star Wars Lexicon (30)
* Thee Contest (31)
* Seduction, vignette by Tracy (31)
* Kenobi's Calling, poem by Robert Frazier (32)
* Darth Vader, poem by M.R. Little (32)
File:ats3toc.jpg|from issue #3
File:Againstthesith3-4.jpg| from issue #3 (poor photocopy)
File:againstthesith3-5.jpg| from issue #3 (poor photocopy)
File:againstthesith3-6.jpg| from issue #3 (poor photocopy)
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File:againstthesith3-8.jpg| from issue #3 (poor photocopy)
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3===
==Issue 4==
Against the Sith 4 was published in April 1979 and is 44 pages. It is offset reduced.
The art is by Beckey Aulenbach, Lisa Adolf, Wendy Banks, Laurel Beckley, Tracy Duncan, Hope, Paula Nutter, Dave Smith, and Nancy Duncan.
A flyer notes that "Copies of Against the Sith were ordered by George Lucas and Gary Kurtz for their collections and the Lucasfilm archives." This is a response to the letter the editors, and other zineds, had received from Craig Miller a few months previously. Their compliance was likely equally fueled by some fear at not behaving as George Lucas wanted them to, but also due to flattery. See this letter in the previous issue above.
From the editorial by Tracy:
The editorial by Nancy:
* Editorials by Tracy & Nancy (2)
* Parsecs by Nancy, comic/cartoon (2)
* more zine ads (3)
* Comlink, letters of comment (4)
* Forum, readers speculate on "who Leia will end up with"—four say Luke, two say Han, one says Chewbacca (5)
* by L.A. Adolf (Luke and Han must share a bed for the night when no double accommodation is available.) (6)
* Porkburger Flies Again, report on an April 5, 1979 presentation by Robert Blalack (talk, slide show, dailies...) by Tracy (8)
* More Marvel STAR WARS, a look at issues #15-23 by Bob Buchtel (9)
* STARNUTS by Dave Smith (9)
* The Chosen One (poem) by Tracy Duncan ("An epic style poem using the above theme." ["Princess Leia -- Should She Ever Have Been Liberated"]) (10)
* The Parting, vignette by Roberta Rogow (12)
* Marisa, Lady of the Sith by Doris Telford (12)
* Old Ben, fiction by Ross Johnson (13)
* The Brothers, fiction by Tracy Duncan (15)
* My Enemy, fiction by Wendy Banks (15)
* Thee Second Contest Winner, Paula Nutter (16)
* Warsawards, Star Wars Oscar winners, originally printed in an issue of Grip (17)
* Thee Contest (17)
* "Princess Leia: Should She Ever Have Been Liberated," article by Tracy Duncan ("An in-depth look at a less than admirable heroine. Speculates on why she is what she is.") (18)
* Pirate & Princess, vignette by Lisa Adolf (22)
* Mission to Ashderaan, fiction by Nancy Duncan (Leia and a female acquaintance of Han's find themselves in the midst of a confusing triangle of emotions on the eve of a great battle for freedom from the Empire's oppression on Chewbacca's home plane, where Luke and Han have been enslaved. Continued in the next issue.) (24)
* From the Journal of the Whills by Ross Johnson (43)
* The Seas of Tatooine, poem by M.R. Little (44)
* The Lady and the Knight, poem by Wendy Banks (44)
* I, Assassin of Vader, poem by Robert Frazier (44)
File:againstthesith4-1.jpg|inside page from issue #4
File:bunkies.jpg| from issue #4, first page of Bunkies, art by L.A. Adolf
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===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4===
==Issue 5==
Against the Sith 5 was published in July 1979 and is 48 pages long.
* editorial by Nancy and Tracy (2)
* Parsecs by Nancy (2)
* more zines (3)
* Comlink (4-6)
* Forum (7)
* The Prometheus Pattern by Winston A. Howlett (8) (a new look at an old story)
* A Review by Bob Buchtel (10)
* zine businesss (10)
* Reflections from a Maintenance Workshop by M.H. Loughlin (10)
* Map of Tatooine by Ross Johnson (11) (graphic)
* Stars End, Good Solo, Fair Plot by Nancy (12)
* The Stars in Our Hearts, a Critical Commentary on George Lucas by Denis Wood (14) (article)
* Thee Contest (18)
* After the Battle by Anne Davenport (19) (contest winner)
* Payoff by Curtis Cole (21) (contest winner)
* Something Nasty This Way Comes by Bob Buchtel (23) (Mork meets Vader.)
* Han and Chewie Centerspread by Beckey Aulenback (24)
* Battle on Wooka by Nancy and Tracy (26) (The last installment of the serial, "Mission to Ashderaan." Luke, Leia, Han and company battle the evil foe on the Wookiee's home planet in an effort to liberate the region for the Rebel Alliance and the forces of Good)
* Many Mourned Moff, Services Held Today by Empire Times (47)
* The Attack, Twin Suns by Scot Noel (48)
* art by Beckey Aulenbach (centerfold of Han and Chewie), Anne Davenport (inside back cover), Nancy Duncan, Tracy Duncan, Jon Heilman, Ross Johnson, Dave Smith and Angela-Marie Varesano (front cover)
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5===
==Issue 6==
Against the Sith 6 was published in November 1979 and is 48 pages long.
The art is by Laurel Beckley, Nancy Duncan, Tracy Duncan, Paula Nutter, Jon Heilman, Dave Smith, Sue Surls, Gene Trumbo, Angela-Marie Varesano, Robert G. Yeaman.
"This zine is really dedicated to Mr. Bill - oooooooooooooo!!"
Tracy's editorial: 
* Editorials by Nancy & Tracy (2)
* Parsecs, cartoon (2)
* Starnuts, cartoon (3)
* Comlink, letters of comment (4)
* Maybe George Will Kill Us, an Odyssy [sic] into an Impossible World by Nancy and Tracy (6)
* The Rebel Force Sings, a review by Tracy of the 1977 LP "Living in These Star Wars," a relatively unknown pop album by "The Rebel Force Band" parodying subjects from A New Hope and using certain well-known themes from John Williams' original soundtrack. (8)
* Del-Ac Model II Freedom Fire (article and illustrations) by SSGT Gene Trumbo (9)
* Tolerance, poem by Angela-Marie Varesano (10)
* zine ads (13)
* We So Love Our Dolls, article about action figure toys, includes photo tableau by Nancy (14)
* The Empire Strikes Back Special Section
** Seacon Report by Delores McAllister and Sheryl Adsit (listed in the table of contents, but included as a single page supplement due to it being received too late) (17)
** Slide Show by Sue Suris, a report of the July 7 slide show (first one for "The Empire Strikes Back") presented at Westercon 32 by Craig Miller, Director of Fan Relations for Black Falcon, LTD. (18)
** Daniel Speaks, a description of Anthony Daniels' appearance on "Captain Cosmic and Hist Wonder Robot 2T2," a children's show a Oregon's cable channel, by Nancy (18)
** Preview Trailer, a frame by frame description of the trailer for "The Empire Strikes Back" by Nancy and Tracy (19)
** Behind the Baron - It's Billy Dee, article by Tracy (20)
** Bibliography of for-profit "The Empire Strikes Back" articles (20)
** George Lucas Meets The Force or Not Only The Empire Strikes Back, RPF meta-fic about George Lucas encountering (through mysterious, unexplained means) the characters from the movie, by Paula Nutter (21)
* Kendo - the Jedi Way, fiction by Tracy (23)
* Who Shall Stand Against the Sith?, poem by Angela-Marie Varesano (centerfold)
* At the Rebel Base, The Force of Luke Skywalker or Han Solo Strikes Out, fiction by Tracy & Nancy (26)
* Rebel Base Bulletin Board by Rebels, related to a graffiti board (48)
File:Ats6-8.jpg|from issue #6
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===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6===
==Issue 7==
Against the Sith 7 was published in March 1980 and is 40 pages long.
The art is by Anne Davenport, Paula Nutter (cover), Angela-Marie Varesano (inside front cover), Nancy and Tracy (back cover).
From the editorial by Tracy: 
* editorials by Nancy and Tracy (2)
* contributor info (3)
* Parsecs, comic strip (3)
* Comlink, letters of comment (4)
* Forum, will Darth Vader die at the end of "The Empire Strikes Back"? (6)
* Little Boy Lost by Laura M. Campbell (Luke, at age 8, is quite determined to find adventure.) (7)
* more zines (10)
* The Star Wars Official Poster Monthly by Tim Blaes (11)
* More Marvel Star Was and The Long Hunt - a review by Bob Buchtel (13)
* A Revelation According to Han, fiction by Lee Kottner, art by Angela-Marie Varesano (Han learns that there is a power beyond the blaster, as he and Luke confront Darth Vader in a terrifying duel.) (14)
* Revenge, fiction by Gene Trumbo, art by P. Nutter (Vader and his fellow Dark Lords hatch evil plans with Emperor Palpatine to destroy the rebels once and for all.) (18)
* STOP the Action! by Nancy ("Let's say you're sitting home, it's cold outside, STAR WARS has long left the theatres, EMPIRE won't appear 'til late Spring—star WARS withdrawal sets in— BUT, you just get out your handy-dandy STAR WARS Movie Viewer, pop in a cassette, turn the crank and watch pieces of the actual film you love so much. Silent, of course, but you know the sounds by heart now, and can mentally add them in. The Movie Viewer comes with one movie cassette, with four more available that you can send for. The viewer Nancy sent us came with the cassette "May the Force Be with You," which runs barely a minute long if you're a fast cranker, but goes in general chronological order showing action scenes of STAR WARS. The imperial Cruiser chases the rebel ship, the fight in the corridor of the rebel ship, Luke and Owen buying the droids, the Falcon's escape from Tatooine, Luke pulling off his helmet, etc. All these are but snatches and snippets of the fun—but they are the real thing, and it's worth every penny!") (17)
* Darth Vader by Paula Nutter (centerspread)
* At the Rebel Base, part 2 by Tracy, art by Nancy (22) (The continued goings on of Luke, Han, Leia, Wedge, and the rest of the personnel on the snowy planet Hoth before the Empire strikes back.)
* What Every Woman Should Have by Nancy, art by Tracy (22)
* Son of Something Nasty or Mr. Bill Meets Darth Vader by Bob Buchtel (38)
* Thee Contest (38)
* Alliance Intelligence (39)
File:againstthesith7-6.jpg| from issue #7, credits, table of contents
File:againstthesith7-4.jpg| from issue #7
File:againstthesith7-5.jpg| from issue #7
File:againstthesith7-7.jpg| from issue #7
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File:againstthesith7-10.jpg| from issue #7
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 7===
==Issue 8==
Against the Sith 8 was published in July 1980 and is 45 pages long. The content is mostly non-fiction in the form or reviews, bios, and articles.
The art is by Nancy Duncan, Sue Surls, Chris Johnson, Anne Davenport, and Jon Heilman.
Tracy wrote: "Seriously, folks, the new film is out and the STAR WARS SAGA is twice as long as before. Meaning, we'll have twice as much to talk about and ponder until REVENGE OF THE JEDI comes to us. (ROTJ—But isn't "Revenge" part of the dark side? Why a negative title? Anyone for RETURN OF THE JEDI? As in "Return of the King".)"
* Editorials by Nancy and Tracy (2)
* Forum, letters of comment (6)
* Reflections On The Empire Strikes Back, article by David L. Gordon (10)
* The Mythmakers: George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Gary Kurtz and Lawrence Kasdan, short bios (11)
* Galactic Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Daniels, short bios (13)
* More Zines, short ads (12)
* Luke Skywalker Visits The Forbidden Planet, a first hand description of a fan at the SF bookshop ("The Forbidden Planet") in London, Mark Hamill's visit there, and her interview with Hamill, by Doris Telford (14)
* What The Critics Think: Rona Barrett and Gene Shalit (15)
* Mark & Harry Visit TODAY, a transcript of the NBC Today Show from May 12, 1980 (16)
* John Williams, short bio (16)
* Production of a Saga, article about the production of the movie (may be a reprint of something commercial, but it is not attributed) (17)
* Meet The Magicians (short professional bios): Norman Reynolds (Production Designer), Peter Suschitzsky (Cinematographer), Paul Hirsch (Film Editor), Brian Johnson (Special Visual Effects), Richard Edlund (Special Visual Effects), Robert Watts (Associate Producer), Ralph McQuarrie (Design Consultant & Conceptual Artist), Stuart Freeborn (Make-Up Supervisor), John Mollo (Costume Designer), Ben Burtt (Sound Effects Editor), Dennis Murren (Effects Director Of Photography) and Harrison Ellenshaw (Matte Painting Supervisor)
* An Excerpt From "Once Upon a Galaxy"—A Journal On the Making Of The Empire Strikes Back by Alan Arnold (18)
* Frank Oz on The Today Show (June 16, 1980) (20)
* An Excerpt from "Once Upon a Galaxy" by Alan Arnold (20)
* Our Heroes Return: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, C-3PO and R2-D2 by Tracy Duncan (short recaps and photos) (21)
* Most Wanted: Dead Or Alive—Luke Skywalker (poster and short blurb) (24)
* That’s Impossible, essay by Tracy Duncan ("Is Vader Luke's father? Is there anyway we can know? Here's a look at the question everyone is talking about.") (25)
* Classified Ads (29)
* A Fannish Adventure or Who Did You Say Was Striking Back?, short humorous parody of the movie WRITTEN BEFORE THE FILM WAS RELEASED by Terri Black (Vader is a good guy, and is revealed to be Luke's father.) (30)
* Subject: Giant Space Slug by Gene Trumbo, humorous vignette (31)
* The 6th Thee Contest Final Nominees ("WAAAAY back in issue #1 of AGAINST THE SITH, we started 'Thee Contest.' The idea was to have as many people as possible nominate their favorites in different categories from STAR WARS. Last issue, we ran the nominees for the same contest for TESB. Here are our reader's responses. From this list, choose your final nominees, and send them to us. The winning entries will get nothing (as usual), but we appreciate your interest!!") (32)
* Novel Review: Star Wars Lives! (Or Does It?) by Lee Kottner (33)
* Preview Trailer 2 by Elyse Dickenson (35)
* Comics: A Review Of The Marvel Super Special Magazine by Bob Buchetl (35)
* A Shocking Expose, article about Star Wars bubble gum cards, by Nancy Duncan (36)
* Bibliography (37)
* Album Notes: Sounds Of The Empires, review of the LP by Tracy Duncan (38)
* Empire Jazz, review of the LP by Nancy Duncan (41)
* Secrets of the Force, article by Nancy Duncan (41)
* The Tao That Can Be Spoken, article by Jani Hicks ("FORWARD: Tracy asked me, in one of her letters, to write an article on Taoism and how its philosophy (and that of its philosophy that crept into later Zen and samurai practices) was expressed in both STAR WARS and EMPIRE.") (43)
* Whispers in Space, poem by Laurie Campbell (44)
* The Miraculous Birth Of Luke Skywalker, short fic by Omer Bon (45)
File:Againstsith8-1.jpg|from issue #8, Anne Davenport
File:Againstsith8-2.jpg|from issue #8, Tracy Duncan, comic strip with some RPF commentary: George Lucas and Marcia Lucas
File:Againstsith8-3.jpg|from issue #8, the editors and some movie thoughts
File:Againstsith8-4.jpg|from issue #8, comic strip by Anne Davenport
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 8===
==Issue 9==
Against the Sith 9 was published in October 1980 and is 48 pages long.
The art is by Anne Davenport, Steven Fox, Jon Heilman, Irene Loughlin, Carol McPherson, Kathy Moore, Angela-Marie Varesano, Nancy Duncan, and Tracy Duncan.
While this was the last issue, there is no hint in either editorial of this zine's demise.
Most of Tracy's editorial is all about how much she dislikes Leia, tolerates Han, and adores Luke: 
From Nancy's editorial: 
Some fan reactions about "The Empire Strikes Back" in this issue:
* editorials by Nancy and Tracy (2)
* Parsecs, cartoon comic strip (3)
* Comlink, letters of comment (4)
* Forum, who is The Other? (7)
* The TESB Run-Off by Jon Heilman (8)
* Thee Sixth and Seventh Contests (9)
* classified ads (9)
* The Death of Star Wars by Tracy Duncan (10) (This is an long, impassioned article explains this fan's relative disinterest with George Lucas' plans regarding further movies. It cites her total alliance with Luke Skywalker, and how any other movie or topic is not, in her opinion, what Star Wars is really about.)
* More Marvel Star Wars by Bob Buchtel (13)
* He and Another by M.C. Loughlin (15)
* The Westercon Survey, taken at Westercon, compilation of the answers posed to fans: Is Darth Vader really Luke's father? by Anne Davenport (16)
* What Price, Friendship?, fiction by Laura M. Campbell (18)
* I am Jedi by Jacque Fashcing, The Other by M.H. Loughlin (21)
* The Chart Explained by Tracy (23)
* The AtS Virtue-Chart of Heroic Characters by Tracy Duncan (24)
* A Brighter Future, fiction by V.J. Nelson (30)
* TESB Premium Products (34)
* A Royal Pain, article by Nancy Duncan about how nasty, petulant, self-centers, unpleasant, selfish, dishonest, immature, and generally terrible Leia Organa is; the article winds up with "Leia just isn't rewarding to watch. Is Leia popular? In the store the other day, I ran across a rack of SW/EMPIRE mimi-action figures. There were two Luke dolls left, four Han dolls, and twenty Leia dolls. I rest my case." (35)
* A Look at Leia and a Look at Luke by Rhonda Fasching (40)
* The Dark Path by Tracy (42)
* TESB Goes Digital by Jon Heilman (44)
* Book Review by Tim Blaes (45)
* more zines, including a flyer for the proposed zine "A Ray of Hope" by Tracy Duncan, likely abandoned when she became disillusioned with the fandom after the release of the second movie in the trilogy. (46)
* The Cosmic Destiny of Luke Skywalker, article, author not credited, likely Tracy Duncan (47)
* art by Anne Davenport (inside front cover), Steven Fox (front and back covers), Jon Heilman (inside back cover), Irene Loughlin, Carol McPherson, Kathy Moore, Angela-Marie Varesano, Nancy Duncan, Tracy Duncan
File:againstsith9-3.jpg| from issue #9
File:againstsith9-4.jpg| from issue #9
File:againstsith9-5.jpg| from issue #9
File:againstsith9-6.jpg| from issue #9
File:againstsith9-7.jpg| from issue #9
File:againstsith9-8.jpg| from issue #9, The AtS Virtue-Chart of Heroic Characters
File:againstsith9-10.jpg| from issue #9
File:againstsith9-11.jpg| from issue #9
File:againstsith9-12.jpg| from issue #9
File:againstsith9-13.jpg| from issue #9
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 9===
==Notes==
==References==
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