Roj Blake

Roj Blake is the eponymous 'hero' of Blake's 7, although he is only part of the core-cast for the first two series (appearing briefing in the finales of series 3 and 4). Blake is the self-appointed leader of the Liberator crew - his goal is to bring down the Federation (a fascist empire), using almost any means necessary. Of his crew, he is perhaps closest to Jenna Stannis and Kerr Avon. The latter claims to want to be free of him and then pursues him across the galaxy after he leaves at the end of series 2. Travis is his self-appointed nemesis. 
==Fan Reactions==
Blake is a controversial figure in Blake's 7 fandom - he's both one of the more popular characters in the show and one of the most hated. For example, the 'Classic Era Character Discussion' forum on Horizon (Blake's 7 fan club) has 7 pages of comments about Avon, followed by 4 pages about Blake, 3 about whether Avon loved Blake, and then 2 about the next most discussed characters. 'Classic Era Character Discussion' forum
A commissioned Audience Research Report on the first series indicated that Avon was the most popular character followed by Blake, Jenna, Vila, Cally and Gan,Wikipedia, quoting Blake's 7 Summer Special. This same audience report seems to have been responsible for killing Gan and saving Vila. although today Blake's popularity has probably been overtaken by Vila. Blake is the other half of arguably the most popular Avon ship. 
Those who dislike him tend to focus on his ineffectiveness as a leader, his autocratic behaviour, or his Machiavellian manipulation of other characters. Burntcandlemas comments that:
From a fan in 1996: 
Early US fans comment:
A prominent early British fan is quoted as saying that Blake was "nothing more than a nasty little terrorist" comment in a Judith Seaman profile in Horizon newsletter no. 12. However, Blake's supporters tend to laud his goals and his idealistic drive and consider his methods as necessary, if undesirable. 
An early and not uncritical fan also comments:
==Some Comments by Gareth Thomas in 1988 Regarding His Character==
Fans known for being particularly pro-Blake
* Linda Terrell | Joyce Bowen | Sue Clerc | Sondra Sweigman | Judith Proctor | Natasa Tucev | SallyMn | Zenia | aralias | x_los | emuna | Terry Owen | as Angela Reese | Bunn1cula
Fans known for being particularly anti-Blake
* Judith Seaman | kalinda001 
==Popular Blake Ships==
===Blake/Avon===
Blake/Avon is easily the most popular Blake ship, and one of the most popular ships in Blake's 7 (somewhat by virtue of Avon being the most popular character in Blake's 7).Pairings table on Hermit.org The dynamic is usually antagonistic, either manifesting as hate sex or 'getting along despite their differences', but can be straightforwardly positive. Most fics take place during series 1 and 2, or Post Gauda Prime.
===Blake/Jenna===
Blake/Jenna is the most popular het Blake ship, although significantly less popular than B/A or het ships involving Avon.Ibid. The dynamic is generally warm and loving, although some of the same issues present in B/A (Blake's focus on the revolution ahead of his personal relationships) do appear here as well. Jenna's romantic interest in Blake is frequently mentioned in B/A fics (Jenna is typically jealous of Blake's interest in Avon). There are relatively few threesome fics featuring all three characters.
Big Finish's new audio line seems to be providing more paracanonical evidence for this pairing with each release.
===Other Blake Ships===
There are no other popular Blake ships, although outliers do exist - Blake/Deva has inspired a few fics, although some of them end in B/A instead. Even Travis's determined pursuit of Blake has only produced a handful of fics to the surprise of some later fans,two B7 ships that didn't sail (and one that did) posted by Aralias on Dreamwidth though Blake/Travis pairing has grown in popularity a bit in the early 2020s. Blake/Vila and Blake/Avon/Vila are rare pairs while Blake/Tarrant was apparently so unlikely that fandom refers to a "Curl Rule"Slash Zine review-- Southern Comfort 9.5/Review by Sarah Thompson on Hermit.orgThe Top Ten Reasons Avon and Tarrant Make a Good Couple: on the Tarrant Nostra website that keeps them forever apart.
==Fanfiction and Popular Tropes==
As usual, the Recurring Themes in Blake's 7 Fan Fiction list is completely on the money. Most notably:
Other Blake related tropes mentioned in the recurring themes list:
* Blake is an engineer
* Blake is Welsh
* Blake as Nature Lover
* Blake gnaws a finger (his own unless it's slash...)
* Blake is fairly often referred to as smelling of spices (also rain. Not usually in the same story).
* Blake's room: It's a mess. I can't decide if this is meant to represent his uncontrolled energy and drive or his chaotic approach to running a rebellion. Or just that he's too busy to clean up. 
* Blake is bonkers: This is usually either a preStar One theme or aP/GP story. In the first, Blake's determination to destroy Star One is seen as irrational and insane. There is a _very_ pronounced tendency in fan fiction to portray his intention to blow up Star One as unquestionably nuts. Stories that make any attempt to give Blake's p.o.v. are as rare as anti-Avon ones. When Blake's mental health is questioned in GP or PGP stories, he is generally said to have lost his lead duck while away from Avon. 
* Blake has no memories of former sex partners or sex
* Blake is hung like a horse
==Fanart Gallery==
===1987===
File:Southernseven2-7.jpg|from Southern Seven #2, artist is Celeste Hotaling
File:Southernseven2-2.jpg|from Southern Seven #2, artist is Leah Rosenthal
===1988===
File:Bizarrozineone.jpg|from The Bizarro Zine #1 by Leah Rosenthal. One of the most popular jokes of Bizarro is that Blake has in the past done something very odd with ducks.
 
File:Powerplay2.jpg|from Powerplay (Blake's 7 zine) (1988) by Suzan Lovett. Lovett also tends to depict Blake as noble and moral. Other images of Blake include him as King Arthur or with unicorns.
File:Southernseven3back.jpg |from Southern Seven #3, artist is Leah Rosenthal
===1989===
File:Southernseven5-1-12.jpg|from Southern Seven #5 part 1, artist is Leah Rosenthal
===1990===
 
File:Fireandice1back.jpg|from Fire and Ice (Blake's 7 zine) #1 by Gayle F
===1991===
File:Southernseven6-5.jpg |from Southern Seven #6, artist is Kate Knepper
===1994===
File:Songsofexperience.jpg|from Songs of Experience by Suzan Lovett. Lovett tends to depict Blake (and most of her male subjects) as being very well-built, despite evidence to the contrary (1994)
File:Backsouthernseven9.jpg|from Southern Seven #9, artist is Adrian Morgan
===1995===
 
 
File:Rallycall14.jpg|from Rallying Call #14. Rallying Call is one of the few Blake-only zines.
File:Rebeldes2front.jpg|from Rebel Destinies #2 by Whitby27. Avon is often depicted with jaguars; Blake is less often but still repeatedly depicted with lions.
===1996===
File:Machi1.jpg|from The Machiavelli Factor by Jean Kluge. In the Editorial note at the beginning of the second edition, Judith Proctor writes that she's "seen copies of the zine sell at convention solely on the strength of the cover."
 
 
==List of Blake-centric Zines==
This is not an in-exhaustive list. Currently it features zines that feature Blake as one of the main characters in all fics (if anthology), particularly if the editor asked specifically for fics about Blake, or has been reviewed as being 'great for Blake fans' or similar.
Blake/Avon
* Bend Me, Shape Me
* Careless Whispers
* The Endless Farce
* Erogenous Zine
* Fire and Ice
* The Long Way Back
* Love and Sacrifice
* Lunatic Heroes
* Memory-Play
* Mindfire
* One Night Stand (Blake's 7 fanzine)
* Puppeteer
* Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (gen, and B/A - focused on Blake)
Other
* Beloved Adversary and A Delicate Balance
* Bloke's Seven
* Checkers
* The Machiavelli Factor
* Those Who Favor Fire (Blake's 7 zine) 
* Rallying Call apa (also includes slash)
* The Way Forward apa 
* The Way Forward: Crusades of Blake fanzine (fiction by members of the apa)
* What On Earth Happened to You?
* Blythe Spirits (original fiction story written by Gareth Thomas. It often shows up on lists of Blake 7 zines but is not Blake 7 fiction.)
* The Avon Club genzines (recommended by Joyce Bowen on hermit.org, because they have good Blake content: Avon 1, 2, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17, and 20. Avon Special (I highly recommend this. A wonderful 20th anniversary zine that Avon Club put out in 1998. I was most impressed.)The Avon Club zine page recommendations on hermit.org
* Standard by Seven: The Early Years (reprint zines) 1, 2, 3 and 5." The Avon Club zine page recommendations on hermit.org
* Other recommendations for Blake centric zines on Hermit.org
==Fanvids==
* Missionary Man by Eurythmics (Blake's 7) (Blake-centric, mentioned in Rallying Call #13 in 1995)
* Follow Me (Blake/Travis)
===Meta===
* Blake's Popular Support by Pat Fenech 
* Why Blake Fought by Judith Proctor
* Unlimited Vision Or Why We Still Need Blake at the Beginning of the New Millennium by Patricia Carter 
* STAR ONE - Wading in Blood and Bad Temper and Being Led Liberator Style by Sally Manton
* Why Blake stayed on Albian by Sondra Sweigman
*Blake and Avon by Judith Proctor
* Blake And Avon by Sally Manton
* Revolutionary Charisma: Blake, Avon and The Fight Against Fascism by Patricia Carter
* In Defense of Blake by Faye Bull
* Characters of note: Kerr Avon and Roj Blake
* What Does Blake Know? by Nicole Vifian, previously published in Rallying Call 15
* A Television Knight with Blood on His Hands and Dirt on his Feet by Joyce Bowen
* Why False Charges? by Natasa Tucev (about the possible political motives of fans' and creators' negativity towards Blake) 
* Episode Analysis: "The Way Back" by Natasa Tucev (analysis of the brainwashed Blake's personality) 
* Manipulation and the man by Sue Clerc, Ruth Saunders (previously published to the B7 List), and Joan Crenshaw (previously published in Rallying Call)
* by Henry Eggleton
==Other Resources==
* Blake on Blake's 7 Wikia
* Gareth Thomas listing on Hermit.org includes material on many different parts Gareth has acted and some conventions that he has been to.
==References==
Category:Blake's 7 Characters