Another
Starlog wannabe, MW Communications'
Questar ran for 13 issues between the Spring of 1978 and October, 1981. Originally a semi-pro fanzine covering SF fandom with original fiction, the magazine received national newsstand distribution with its 7th issue, and shifted emphasis toward the sort of science fiction film and TV coverage seen in magazines like
Starlog and
Fantastic Films.
Though slickly produced and nicely art-directed,
Questar was editorially inconsistent and uninspired, with considerable sub-par writing. Still, it did include some good interviews with noted SF authors (and personalities like
Forrest J. Ackerman), and even a comic strip or two.
I rarely saw
Questar on local newsstands, but I'm pretty sure that I do have a couple of issues stashed away somewhere....
I remember looking at the issue with the "Empire" cover (and Yoda modelled on the mask made by Don Post) at the drug store. I probably came across other issues from time to time but that particular one stands out in my mind. I have several Questar mags in my collection these days, thanks to eBay. The "Star Wars" cover by Ken Barr is a personal fave.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised I never saw/picked up one of these. I gobbled up a great many back in the day.
ReplyDeleteThat Yoda is the weirdest Yoda I've ever seen! This mag completely passed me by, so thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteThe artist obviously was working from a handful of pre-release stills and only had a photo of the Don Post Yoda mask -- which looked just like that.
DeleteNote that on the Empire cover, Yoda is blue as he was in the novelization. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that's why Yoda looked so different in the Marvel Comics paperback too.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember this one at all. My father used to get Omni in the mail and that was pretty much it for me unless I got something on the news stands.
ReplyDelete