ightsaber-wielding women conquer the feminine side of the Force with Star Wars Chicks, a site chronicling fandom's holy trilogy from the female perspective. The site offers quizzes to help women geeks determine if they, too, are qualified to be Star Wars Chicks (one sign: wanting a lightsaber more than an engagement ring), recipes for Darth Mauloaf and oodles of fan fiction.
There are bios of prominent women from the series--from Queen Amidala to Mara Jade--that briefly detail their physical descriptions and roles in the Star Wars universe. Gaming fans can find a section dedicated to active Star Wars role-playing game campaigns, while the online message boards discuss a wide range of topics, including best scenes, best quotes and sexiest stars.
The Star Wars Chicks e-mail list carries similar conversations offline, while its Sith Chicks twin offers a place for more mature discussions and fan fiction. Both lists, but the SWC list especially, see a fair amount of traffic, and welcome participation by men--as long as they behave themselves.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- July 23, 2001
veryone knows what happens to Superman if he has a pocketful of kryptonite, but what about a fistful of carbon or a lungful of helium? Fear not, true believers--the Kentucky University Department of Chemistry answers these questions and more with its Periodic Table of Comic Books. The table looks identical to its traditional counterpart, and clicking on an element takes visitors to a section detailing that element's appearance in comicdom.
Marvel and DC Comics' pantheons dominate the tables listings, with examples drawn from the industry's Golden Age through to today. Within its elemental examples, Superman battles a river of mercury, the Thunderbolts fight the Elements of Doom and the X-Men struggle to fend off Cobalt Man. What's truly impressive is that the site doesn't stick to the easy elements like krypton and oxygen. There are write-ups on the really obscure ones too, like neptunium, antimony, polonium and others rarely uttered outside of college classrooms or corporate laboratories.
The site sticks to real-world elements: Wolverine fans won't find any mention of his famed adamantium, and the kryptonite here is strictly the garden variety, without the red, green or blue mutations. This is hardly a fault, though, and the site's great for learning about the scientific roots of comic books or boning up for that next chemistry exam.
-- Ken Newquist
Site of the Week -- July 16, 2001
his beautifully designed page is the source for official information on Gallifrey's most eccentric Timelord and his doings, with everything from recent news to a detailed episode guide. Doctor Who--The Official Site provides a healthy dollop of satisfaction for anyone who loves SF's longest-running TV series.
The Web site provides facts, photographs, games, interviews and more, enough data and images to sate the appetites of most visitors. But--for those who can't get enough--there is also information on recent Doctor Who tie-in media: novels, CD, video and DVD releases are all listed. Another top-notch feature is the page's charming online photonovels: collections of stills from various classic episodes, garnished with often-hilarious sound bites.
The site's highlight, though, is its newest Doctor Who adventure, presented in multimedia format. Death Comes to Time combines the features of a comic book and a radio play, mixing illustrations with sound and dialogue in a crisp and spine-tingling brew. Starring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor and Sophie Aldred as Ace, it is a prime Doctor Who tale, full of excitement and action. In it, the Doctor's benign interference with the invasion of a planet called Santini is interrupted by bad news from home--news concerning the murder of two other Timelords!
This all-new adventure's first episode is available online now, and fans will want to keep checking back for future installments, along with all of the other important Whovian information that makes this site a must-see.
-- A.M. Dellamonica
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