The Blake's 7 Wars

The Blake's 7 Wars were a series of events taking place in the late 1980s in the Blake's 7 fandom community. They go by many names, including "The Fannish Controversies," "The Controversy," "The Feud," and "The Blake's 7 Slash Wars." 
The events disrupted and divided the fandom community, leading to what some believe was the mass migration of fans away from Blake's 7 fandom. They also created ripple effects of fear and uncertainty in other fandoms.
A fan in 1996 said: "Everyone lost in this Gauda Prime of B7 fandom." from a fan in Rallying Call #16 (1996) 
See Timeline of the Blake's 7 Wars.
 
==What Happened?==
The Blake's 7 Wars were fueled by misunderstandings, bruised egos, power plays, changes in fandom size and demographics, cliques, jealousy, differing access of fans' to celebrities, and poor communication among all parties, as well as some of the PTB's powerful desire to monetize conventions. The creation and distribution of slash fanworks was used by both fans and the actors as a strawman excuse for conflict.
Paul Darrow, who portrayed Kerr Avon was the most prominent actor in this conflict, and to a lesser extent, Michael Keating who portrayed Vila Restal.
The events began in 1988 when fans learned that some of the actors and writers of the Blake's 7 show were planning for profit conventions in the US. Paul Darrow and Terry Nation wished to use B7 fandom for fun and profit, something that Darrow had been talking about as early as 1987. Objections were raised by these fans, first in an anonymous letter, then in more public forums such as newsletters and letterzines. This was later confirmed by the 1990 article Dalek Man, London. Having scrambled British SF TV expectations, Terry Nation considers reshaping fan conventions. 
 
In the midst of the discussions about the role of profit in fandom and the involvement of TPTB, slash fanfiction was drawn into the fray by a fan who, in retaliation, revealed to the Darrows the pseuds of three well-known slash fic writers, Annie Wortham, Leah Rosenthal, and Linda Terrell. Two of these fans had felt they were friends with Paul Darrow and had often socialized at cons and elsewhere. Bringing slash into the fray forced the actors and producer to take a public stand of their own regarding these fanworks, something that had been a live-and-let-live topic until then. 
In 1988, Darrow got a solicitor to send a formal letter to Wortham, Rosenthal, and Terrell, ordering them to stop publishing, drawing, and writing, anything involving "his" character or his likeness, plus those of two other actors. "This formal letter was broadly distributed through fandom by Darrow's supporters, and when Darrow's wife, Janet Lees-Price, wrote to me once she made reference to it." -- Re: [CriticalEdge Re: Looking for confirmation of a rumor] (now offline), was CriticalEdge post by Jane C. on CriticalEdge dated April 21, 2003. Pseudo legal threats were issued against fans.
Other letters, press packets and public statements were released by the actors and writers, some of which were directed personally at and against individual fans. Fandom was divided between those who supported their fellow fans, those who supported the actors, and those who wanted to stay neutral. A fan in Rallying Call #15 wrote: "Some fans began loudly taking sides, generally divided by what they thought of slash and/or the actor. My favourite button that it spawned was 'I'm NOT on Your Side Either!' or 'Just Shut UP about it!'"
Some mitigating factors: 
Some fans believe that Paul Darrow knew about slash (and RPF) early on, but did not take action until the events of 1988, making the topic of slash a scapegoat.
The Blake's 7 actors were very active in fan gatherings and publications, especially Darrow and Keating, and likewise, fans were highly invested in these celebrities and in the promotion of their careers. Two examples of this support is illustrated by the 1991 press article, Fans Flock to Paul, as well as the many, many fan publications that were devoted to Darrow promotion, such as Aspects, The Horizon Newsletter, and Avon. 
Academic Camille Bacon-Smith saw the events as a clash between the new and old guard, claiming that many of the core Blake's 7 fans had been attracted to the fandom because, unlike Star Trek, it had not developed a slash presence. The newcomers threatened to change this status quo:
Another factor that played a role in the “Feud” (as Camille Bacon Smith called it) was the unusual blurring of lines between fans and Paul Darrow, one of the actors from the show:
Gareth Thomas' comments at Scorpio in 1987: Some later comments by Terry Nation in Dalek Man, London. Having scrambled British SF TV expectations, Terry Nation considers reshaping fan conventions (January 1990) only confirmed some fans' fears.
==Tensions Among the Actors==
The conflict caused massive tensions among fans, but it also created strife among the actors, making them "choose sides" and navigate their own relationships and commitments. Paul Darrow and Michael Keating, and to a large extent, Terry Nation took one side. The other actors appeared to take, with varying intensity, the other side. 
 
This fire was fanned by Paul Darrow and Michael Keating's demanding set of letters. See Paul Darrow and Michael Keating's 1989 Cease and Desist Letter and Paul Darrow's Statement Read Aloud At The 1989 Gambit Convention. 
This controversy affected fans and their alliances, as well as disturbing the status quo and expectations about the actors and their many expected appearances at conventions.
In March 1993, a fan wrote about possible tensions, and Darrow's tendency to be at the center of attention: 
From another fan in 1993: 
==The Slash Topic==
As with other large media fandoms such as Star Trek and Star Wars, slash fandom was not universally accepted and many fans raised religious and moral objections to the genre. 
Still, slash and gen writers and readers in the Blake's 7 fandom had co-existed for many years with large number of slash fanzines being published during the 1980s. 
A fan in 2009 commented on Blake's 7 fiction: "Certainly, most Blake's Seven fan fiction written in 1978-1981 was circulated on set. Oddly, the porn usually rose to the top, or so we were informed by David Jackson." comment by Lil Shepherd at by Melody C (March 19, 2009) 
Another fan's reply: "I'm not at all surprised the porn rose to the top and I'm happy to hear David Jackson admitted it. Of course, Mr. Darrow ordered it immediately delivered to his dressing room. (Oooh, sorry, that was evil)." comment by Melody C by Melody C (March 19, 2009)
And the response: "Read it! Hell, David wrote (or, to be more precise, taped) his own satiric R-rated fic, though I felt very privileged to hear the tape, as there were only a couple of copies, the original being made for the fan (Anne Harding) who he later married. "The reason there was no B7 slash published in the UK until after the show finished was, in part, due to Pat Thomas promising Gareth Thomas that she wouldn't allow that kind of thing. You didn't cross Pat!" comment by Lil Shepherd by Melody C (March 19, 2009) 
 
This delicate balance changed in 1989 when one of the Blake's 7 actors and a segment of the fan community raised objections to the slash community and attempted to force it back underground. Many believe that slash had little do with with the real issues and that it was used as a pretext by fans battling over access to the actors and the ability to run for-profit conventions. 
By most accounts, slash was peripheral to the main debate of fan run vs. professional conventions and actor vs fannish bruised egos. Certainly in many of the contemporary LOCs at the timeSee the letterzines Pressure Point and Horizon., fans focused on the 'for profit' conventions and whether the actors should be paid first, and only then moved on to the topic of slash.
That being said, negative attitudes about slash did play a role in the Blake's 7 wars. Given that the genre has always been a major flashpoint for media fandom, it is not surprising that years later the Blake's 7 wars are now known as the "Blake's 7 Slash Wars."
So what were fans saying about slash in Blake's 7 fandom at the time? Some argued that because slash offended a few of the actors, slash fans should not be a visible presence at Blake's 7 conventions. Another goal was to make certain that slash zines and fanart not be allowed to be sold at these events. At least one, if not more, actors from the show weighed in and announced their opposition to both slash fiction and slash fans. There was much focus on publicly identifying who was a slash fan, who was a secret slash fan, and who could be outed as a slash fan to the actors.
==The Paper Trail: A Sample of Fan Open Letters and "Formal" Comments from TPTB==
A series of open letters, press releases, and locs were published in the Blake's 7 fan community. Some of the content and writers of these letters remains elusive, while some is well documented. 
===1988===
* The Rumored Blake's 7 Story Sent to the Darrows (unknown date, unknown title, unknown content, it likely does not exist)
*The Name Withheld By Request open letter by Ann Wortham, printed in Federation Archives and Avon Club Newsletter #35 (November or December 1988) 
* I don't need to be lectured on my responsibilities toward Blake's Seven fans., a letter by Terry Nation to Linda Terrell (December 22, 1988) 
* "Slash Fiction" by Janet Darrow, printed in Avon Newsletter #35 (December 23, 1988)
===1989===
* Colin Baker was the first person to ever tell me you couldn't be trusted., a letter by Linda Terrell sent to Paul Darrow (early 1989)
* Federation Archives, many fan comments and open letters (January or Feb or March 1989) 
*"Unwortham's Lies" by Paul Darrow, printed in Avon Newsletter #35 (January 1989)
* Now Paul and Janet Darrow are on the offensive about it., by Kathy Hanson, printed in Avon Newsletter #35 (January 1989) 
* Press Release to Fan Clubs, Fanzine Publishers, Fan Artists, and Fans by Terry Nation and Paul Darrow, from an official press release packet (January 2, 1989)
* NEW STATEMENT: Where's the Fire? by Leigh Arnold (shortly after January 2, 1989)
* Stand Up, Avon's Angels by Judith M. Seaman, printed in Avon Newsletter #35 (January 1989) 
* The Paul Darrow That I Know... by Mary Moulden, printed in Avon Newsletter #35 (January 1989)
* Paul Darrow and Michael Keating's 1989 Cease and Desist Letter, sent to three fans (January 1989)
* Dear Blake's 7 Fan by Laurie Cohen from an official press release packet (February 3, 1989)
* Background Facts on the Origins of the "Slash" Controversy in B7 Fandom. by Kathy Hanson (February 4, 1989)
*Paul Darrow's Statement Read Aloud At The 1989 Gambit Convention, by Paul Darrow, read aloud by Terry Nation at Gambit convention (February 10-12, 1989)
* OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO FANS OF SLASH by Helig Benedict (February 1989) 
* Just what is this "controversy" about, anyway? by [L S], printed in Federation Archives (February 1989)
* For General Distribution From Linda Terrell, a letter from Linda Terrell (February 1989) 
* Spies Who Judge Us, a personal editorial by Linda Terrell, printed in The Federation Archives (February 1989)
*Pressure Point, issue #8 (Jan 1989) and #9/10, both include many fan comments (April 1989)
* A Statement Written by Diane Gies on Behalf of the Horizon Committee (June 1989)
* Horizon's Summary of "The Controversy in Blake's Seven Fandom" (June 1989)
* fan comments in The Horizon Newsletter #22 (June 1989)
*fan comments in The Horizon Newsletter #23 (December 1989)
===1990===
* Dalek Man, London. Having scrambled British SF TV expectations, Terry Nation considers reshaping fan conventions, a for-profit article written by fans Jean Airey and Laurie Haldeman for Starlog magazine (January 1990)
* News from Ashton Press (there were at least two, the second published in May 1990)
==Fan Comments==
The story of the Blake's 7 Wars were passed down orally through successive waves of fans until they took on a mythic quality, obscuring what some argued were the original reasons behind the wars (namely access to the actors and for profit conventions). And like a game of "Telephone," the information often mutated.
Below are multiple versions of events; where possible they are offered here unedited. Keep in mind that different fans had access to different information, they often had opposing goals, and all had much to protect. This means that each statement or comment needs to be read in context and with awareness (if possible) of each fan's filters. 
===1988===
The Killing Grounds was a zine by Suzan Lovett that was never completed because of this controversy.
See commentary in The Federation Archives.
===1989===
====General Remarks====
 
 
 
====Remarks in "Southern Seven"====
==== Remarks in "Horizon Newsletter"====
Comments from Horizon Newsletter:
* See Issue 22: Letters from the "Controversy in Blake's Seven Fandom" Section 
* See Issue 23: Letters from the "Controversy in Blake's Seven Fandom" Section
* See A Statement Written by Diane Gies on Behalf of the Horizon Committee (June 1989)
* See Horizon's Summary of "The Controversy in Blake's Seven Fandom" (June 1989)
====Remarks in "Pressure Point"====
 
====Remarks in "Avon Newsletter"====
Avon Newsletter was a publication openly supported by the Darrows and issues included the Darrow's essays and letters. The editor wrote in the January 1989 issue: "We would like to hear your views on what we consider to be the most cruel and unfair accusations aimed at two people who must be among the most considerate in the acting profession. I personally would like to add that it's six years now since I took on the running of 'Avon' and in that time I have known nothing but kindness and consideration from both Paul and Janet. They have helped me every step of the way. The club wouldn’t be as it is today without the interest they show and the affection they hold for their fans."
This meant fans overwhelmingly came out in support of their objects of affection in these pages. Fans with something less-than-positive to say said it elsewhere.
 
===1990===
==== General Remarks====
 
 
 
==== Remarks in "Gambit"====
 
From the zine Gambit:
From the editorial of "Gambit" #6, remarks by Jean Graham about "the war that rampaged through our little fandom": 
===1991===
===1993===
====General Remarks====
====Remarks in "Strange Bedfellows" ====
Remarks in the APA: Strange Bedfellows:
===1994===
====General Remarks====
====Remarks in "Strange Bedfellows"====
===1995===
====General Remarks====
====Remarks in "Rallying Call"====
Comments in the Blake's 7 apa, Rallying Call:
====Remarks in "Late for Breakfast"====
Comments in the multimedia apa, Late for Breakfast (1995):
===1996===
====General Remarks====
 
==== Remarks in "Lysator"====
===1998===
====General Remarks====
==== Remarks in "Lysator"====
Comments at the mailing list, Lysator -- Still too hot, ten years later:
===1999===
====General Remarks====
Langley commented: : 
A version of the events was compiled in 2009 by Fan History Wiki. No sources were provided on this account of events, and the account is frustratingly vague on details. An archived version can be read here.WayBack link.
====Remarks in "Lysator"====
In August 1999, newer members of the Lysator mailing list asked for more background on the "fannish controversies", feeling that the unspoken undercurrents in the community were causing them to miss nuances and impacted their ability to participate in and connect with the community: 
These fans were loudly and clearly told the topic was not one that the community liked discussing. One list member went so far as to say that those who kept asking for information were morbid and looking to be titillated: 
Eventually, one list member took pity on the newcomers and offered up a few crumbs of information and suggested the fans go on a treasure hunt:
===2000===
 
===2005===
===2007===
===2008===
===2009===
===2010===
===2011===
===2013===
===2015===
===2017===
====Remarks by Suzan Lovett====
In 2017, Suzan Lovett explained in an interview: Media Fandom Oral History Project Interview with Suzan Lovett:
===2020===
==Epilogue==
Fans continue to read, write, draw, buy and sell slash in Blake's 7 fandom. Ann W. and Leah R. continue to publish fanzines and neither Darrow nor Keating take further action against them. The Federation Archives letterzine folds and is replaced by a newsletter titled, not un-ironically, The Neutral Arbiter.
And sadly, the fears of many fans proved to be accurate as fan run Blake's 7 conventions were replaced by slicker and more expensive for profit events. As one fan explained in 2012:
Another fan opined:
and 
==Zine Statistics as a Measure of the Impact on the Fandom==
In today's fast paced era of Internet based fandoms, the life cycle of fannish enthusiasm is difficult to measure. Fandom is spread across multiple Internet platforms making it difficult to assess how large a fandom base is, how productive and how engaged is the community.
In the pre-Internet fandom era, however, the number of published fanzines often provided a more solid measurement of the popularity of a given fandom. It would take at least one year - if not longer - to solicit material for a fanzine, to edit it, to publish it and then to sell it. And then, fans had to buy the zines. Few fans could afford to spend money on a fandom they were no longer interested in.
In 2001 Tavia analyzed the numbers of fanzines produced in Blake's 7 fandom, both before and after the events of the Blake's 7 Wars, based on zine contents compiled by Sarah Thompson. Her research shows that the conflict took place at the height of the fandom's popularity (as measured by fanzine production) with a sharp fall off in the years thereafter. Whether the conflict played a role in the drop cannot be determined; however the numbers show that within 2 years of the events, fanzine production fell by almost half. (accessed Dec 17, 2013). 
==Other Fandom Wars==
* The Ray Wars
* The Beauty and the Beast Wars
*Quantum Leap Slash Wars
*ASC Slash Wars (Spring 1997)
*Man From Uncle Slash Wars
* The Luke and Han War
*The Chan Wars in The Phantom Menace
* X-Files Wank: 1996-2000
==Meta==
* Vintage Drama: The Blake's 7 Wars by whyarepangolins (July 10, 2020)
* The War That Almost Broke a Classic Fandom: Blake’s 7 fans and actors mixed regularly at cons and on the pages of zines—until an anonymous letter changed everything. by Lena Barkin for Fansplaining (January 22, 2025)
==Notes==
 
==References==
Category:1980s Events
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Category:Fandom Wars
Category:Scandals
Category:2019 Featured Articles