MESSAGE FROM ME

Welcome to issue thirty-six of The Eye Shield. Next month sees the tenth anniversary of the conception of TES, which is why this issue celebrates the fanzine’s tenth birthday. Of course, I myself have been keeping the TES flag flying for a mere four and a half years, and before that the fanzine spent three and a half years in limbo, but I still think it is testament to the enduring popularity of Knightmare that I am writing this editorial now, and so the tenth birthday of The Eye Shield is something to celebrate. Consequently, the first few articles in this issue are in honour of this momentous occasion, including The Knightmare Tens Quiz, which takes a decagonal look at the programme, the final installment of Catherine Jackson’s Dragon Queen saga, which was a prominent part of the first three issues of TES, and Adventure Time, which is the only heading to feature in every single issue of TES thus far. Oh, apart from Message From Me…

I still remember very well that fateful moment on December 4^th 1995 when I attached a fifty pence piece to a small square of Lego-box card and posted it off to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the hopes of receiving the first issue of The Eye Shield. Of course, nowadays it’s much simpler for TES readers to peruse the fanzine – all it takes is a few clicks of the mouse. Well, except for me, of course, because I have to compose, type, read, reread, edit and e-mail the whole thing as well, but you get my point, I’m sure. If you have any enduring memories of TES over the past ten years – particularly if, like me, you’re a reader of Paul McIntosh’s original fanzine, and I know there are still some of you out there – e-mail me and share your Eye Shield experiences. I’m still in need of truckloads – shiploads – of mail for this page, so please get in touch!

And now for something completely different. I have been in regular contact recently with avid Eye Shield reader Liam Callaghan, who has been sharing with me his what sometimes seemed endless task of writing an interactive Knightmare quest. After literally years of hard work, Liam has finally finished his undertaking. Unfortunately, the quest is far too large to appear in TES, but it will hopefully appear in the fan fiction section of the main website. Eye Shield Towers recommends to all its readers that they give Liam’s quest a go. Its intricate structure will keep you guessing right up to the end, and the vast variety of routes through the Dungeon will guarantee you a fresh quest every time you play. Check it out!

CORRESPONDENCE

My thanks go out to Katie Bermingham for the following e-mail, which contains some of her Knightmare memories, as well as a very controversial and thought-provoking Knightmare issue.

Dear Eye Shield.

I was, and still am, a big fan of Knightmare. I started watching the show about halfway through its run, so I was very excited when Challenge TV started showing it again. Series 7 was my favourite, because the storylines became more interesting, and the two winning quests were great fun to watch. I was interested to read that Televirtual wants to create a new version of Knightmare with avatars and better graphics, but nothing much has come of it. I doubt Hugo Myatt would still want to be in it, nor indeed many of the other actors, and it just wouldn't be the same without someone shouting “Sidestep to your left!” What are your thoughts?

The time has come at last for me to be completely honest with you, readers. I would absolutely HATE to see Knightmare return as a kind of computer game segment on a Saturday morning children's entertainment show. I think it would completely ruin the show's unique atmosphere, which was a big part of what made it really good. To have the dungeoneer as an avatar just would not be right - it would mean that the audience was watching someone else playing a computer game, rather than taking part in an interactive adventure. I would have loved to have seen Knightmare return at some point in the mid to late '90s, but I think it's just too late now. Even if Hugo Myatt and some of the other cast members were in it, as Katie says, it just wouldn't be the same.

Liam “The Ultimate Knightmare Quest” Callaghan makes an observation about the quest section of one of the Knightmare books.

Dear Eye Shield.

The quest section in Fortress of Assassins doesn't quite have everything right. For example, when you go through the bats' chamber, the entries for the STEALTH and SHIELD spells are reversed, which always used to confuse me. Just a typo, I suppose…

Yes, that’s one of several annoying little typos in the Knightmare books. The only consolation in this particular case is that, after defeating the Seigneur des Mouches, you can save yourself from meeting the bats by taking either the left or right door, as long as you avoid the central door, which has been recommended by the untrustworthy knight.

Challenge question: Which two series of Knightmare have no monk?

Please e-mail me with any articles, questions, thoughts, comments or contemplations about Knightmare or TES at eyeshield2002@hotmail.com