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    Stargate Official Magazine, issue #2: A Review

    SG1_Spoilme review:

    THE OFFICIAL STARGATE MAGAZINE
    Issue #2
    Newsstand Price: $6.99 + tax
    Subscription: $37.75 ($6.29) 10% savings
    Comes out every two months – issue #3 due February 24, 2005

    Issue #2 follows in the footsteps of the first issue, being a glossy stock magazine, being 68 pages in total (including both covers). 15 pages are devoted to cover & back pages, requisite ads, table of contents, subscription info, and ‘coming attractions’ for issue 2, leaving you with 51 pages of actual content.

    The layout remains basically the same as the premiere issue, which is good. The print still remains small in some articles, but since it probably saves on cost and gives you more text, it’s okay. That’s what they make magnifying glasses for …

    In last issue’s review, I pointed out that the photo quality was inconsistent, ranging from pretty sharp to washed-out green. While it’s picked up a bit, that green problem is still an issue, as is sharpness. On page 8 and 9, both Carter and Sheppard look a tad too much in the green/yellow spectrum, as does Carter on page 11. Some photos look a bit washed out, while others have a bit too much contrast. The biggest example of differing quality is the inserted poster, which many fans will be using cotton gloves to remove so as not to put fingerprints on the photo of either John Sheppard or Jack O’Neill, the two characters/actors who receive the bulk of the profiles in this issue. Alas, Jack O’Neill is looking a tad bit green (bad sushi?), he’s not very sharp (no, I’m not talking about his wit<G>), and the contrast is too high. His vest is black, and blue in the shadows, and you can’t make out details. Posters require DETAIL. Now, on the flip side, you can look for stray threads on Sheppard’s black shirt. And count the hairs on his chest. On a totally different point, why isn’t this photo available as an 8x10 from MGM or on the official site? Sheppardholics will be in heaven.

    [Note: image of both posters is up at http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/sg1_spoilme/ - you don’t need to join group to go take a peek at the pic]

    Anyway, if nothing else, make the photos in the poster as sharp as possible!

    ***********************************

    THE CONTENT:


    1. TIMELINESS: For a savvy net fan, most of the news is again, old news, but the articles have stepped up in content, so it’s okay.

    2. SPOILERS: Yup, spoilerphobes will have to skim the mag with slightly unfocused eyes to avoid some tidbits… To do that, do NOT read the episode guide bars on pages 8, 10, and 11 (the first one for SG1, the latter two for SGA). They give away the premise for each episode for the rest of the seasons for both shows.

    3. ORIGINAL CONTENT:


    The NEWS UPDATE section contains the following stuff that basically, most internet fans know

    >Sweepstake winners get their own SG1 avatar (a 64-year-old woman named Alene Smalley, from Oregon, won this honor)
    >Michael Shanks lends voice to book recording
    >SG1 and SGA are both renewed – however, even they’re in the dark as to who has signed for SG1
    >Amanda Tapping is expecting a baby
    >Michael Shanks and his wife had a baby girl
    >Wisconsin fan Nathan Fleming won the walk-on role from SciFi to appear in both SG1 and SGA (although the mag divulves he’ll appear in “Moebius” and “The Siege”, respectively).
    >Dan Castellaneta (who voices Homer Simpson) is guest starring in the episode “Citizen Joe.”
    >Richard Dean Anderson visits military hospital (but has nice pics and more info)
    >Convention update: Creation’s listing

    However, the magazine has scooped all the fan sites in this one:

    >Joe Flanigan is penning a script for the second episode of Atlantis. Although the actor is interested in Sheppard’s backstory, his script will concentrate on exploring the inner workings of the city of Atlantis. He’s writing the script over the hiatus between seasons 1 and 2 as “it would be impossible for me to write it during shooting.”

    And

    >How they used ‘cutting-edge techniques’ on the episode “Gemini” which contains two Carters.

    BIGGER ARTICLES that have lots of new stuff in them

    >Interview with PETER DELUISE
    >Interview with RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON (page 19 contains some tiny spoilers for “Reckoning”)
    >Article on TOP 10 BATTLES in SG1. My only quibble with this is that it was drawn off Gateworld’s poll on exactly the same topic. Alas, polls such as this can be ‘stuffed’ by fans (and yes, they are – if you visit enough mailing lists you can actually find people talking about several times on the same poll (usually in regards to favorite character of volatile topics such as ‘ship’). Anyway, what saves this piece is that author Sally Reeve went behind the scenes on those battles (aka talked to the ones) to give fans in-depth anecdotes of how they were done and any problems, etc.).
    >Interview with JOE FLANIGAN
    >Interview with ROBERT COOPER
    >DANIEL’s NOTEBOOK: This time, they cover the “Killer Legos from Outer Space” (my term!<G>) aka Replicators.
    >Interview: DON S. DAVIS
    >Mission Debrief: “The Other Guys” (one of my least favorite episodes, BUT, I really like Patrick McKenna as Harold in RED GREEN, so it wasn’t all bad – I just didn’t like seeing Harold on SG1)
    >Interview with JOHN BILLINGSLEY (“The Other Guys”)
    >Letter page: 4 letters from fans
    >Article on the Stargate SG-1 novels, which US fans can’t get except through convoluted or expensive means. Darn. The site should run a contest for North American fans only to win some of these books.
    >A Day in the Life of ANDY MIKITA (just what does he do? It doesn't say...)

    THE POSTER
    This time, the two leads of SG1 and SGA, O’Neill and Sheppard, are featured on either side of the poster. Sheppard wins hands down on photo quality and choice of photo. I do like Jack, but a sharper, better photo would have been nice. You can also find a small photo of the posters on the second page of the table of contents.

    Overall, this issue has gone up in quality from the premiere issue. If they do present old news, they have a different spin on it. And they’ve scooped the fan sites in some places, which is good.


    ISSUE #3 promises
    Brad Wright interview
    Chris Judge interview
    SG1 merchandise
    Mission Debrief: “Heroes” with Teryl Rothery
    Daniel’s Notebook: The Tok’ra
    Double-sided poster

    *************************************************
    THE CREDITS (upgraded from last time)

    EDITOR
    Sharon Gosling

    NEWS EDITOR
    Darren Sumner

    DESIGNER:
    Stu McKay

    EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
    Ned Hartley

    MANAGING EDITOR
    Brian J. Robb

    CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

    Kristy Bratton
    Sally Reeve

    #2
    No wonder the issue had Gateworld Poll Results in it, look who the editor is!

    Comment


      #3
      yeah well they work in unison with news!
      sigpic
      Stargate Destiny - Coming Again Soon

      Comment


        #4
        i'd probably subscribe.. but that's not that great of a savings.. i might as well check it out at the bookstore before i buy it..
        For SciFi news, reviews, and discussion check out:www.scifichick.com

        Comment


          #5
          Thank you for the review prion
          "Love is not for life, it's for one week only" Wass

          “You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is.” Ellen DeGeners

          “You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'.” Homer Simpson

          “It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up, because by that time I was too famous.” Robert Benchley

          “What is it with McDonald's staff who pretend they don't understand you unless you insert the 'Mc' before the item you're ordering? It has to be a McChicken burger...a chicken burger gets blank looks. Well, I'll have a McStraw and jam it into your McEyes, you f**cking Mc******!” Billy Connolly

          “Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that, who cares? ...He's a mile away and you've got his shoes.” Billy Connolly

          Comment


            #6
            Yes, thanks for the review, prion. It's nice to know what I'm missing...
            Twitter / YouTube / Twitch

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Ugly Pig
              Yes, thanks for the review, prion. It's nice to know what I'm missing...
              Ah, yes, Norway. guess it's not available there! And mail order is probably prohibitive.

              Comment


                #8
                I look forward to reading it when it arrives. Mail is slow this time of year so my magazine is late.
                "Embress your life, find what it is that you love, and pursue it with all your soul. For if you do not, when you come to die, you will find that you have not lived."

                A character from the novel "Chindi" by Jack McDevitt

                Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.
                'Eleanor Roosevelt'
                Individuality is freedom lived.
                'Janis Joplin'

                Comment


                  #9
                  Just brought it and read it. It was better than the 1st issue, I thought.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Hello.
                    I'm french and I'm really fond of Stargate SG-1. I would like to subscribe to the official magazine of Stargate SG-1 but I can't find how to do. Could you help me, please? The only site I've found takes subscriptions from Canada and USA only.
                    I thank you.
                    Sam.
                    Stargate SG-1 will join every body all over the world

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Hey Ugly Pig.. Howcome you don't get the mag in Norway as it's being sold even in Finland

                      I bought issues 1&2 the other day but the price was kinda high 9,7€(due to the importing) that's about 9 $ or so.
                      There were three types of covers in the shop. issues 1&2 and a third with a red cover and Jack in front. It had the same articles as issue 2(or 1) what was that?

                      I was kinda confused there for a moment... But I'll probably keep on buying them anyhow. I have to...

                      Comment

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