It’s a year since Fantha Tracks launched on 31st October 2017, and what a year it has been. Events, interviews, celebrity shout-outs, exclusives, podcasts, YouTube videos, 5000 posts on the website and more, we’ve covered events across the UK, the US, Norway, France, Brazil, Australia and beyond – where do we start with our look back? With the team of course.
We reflect on the past year, what’s been achieved and what’s next for Fantha Trackers everywhere….
Clair Henry
I can’t quite believe it’s a year already since my Star Wars fandom took a whole new trajectory! There are so many highlights but for me I suppose it was my first exclusive that sealed it for me! Who would have thought a church in Leamington Spa would lead to a worldwide exclusive with bittersweet outcomes.
A chance meet and a study of a photograph led to an off -the-cuff tweet in bed with a cup of tea the following week and boom!
A reply from Rian Johnson himself, replying to confirm what I had seen in the photo at that small but perfect convention was correct! Gary Fisher, the French Bulldog who kept Carrie Fisher company, would feature in the Canto Bight scene in The Last Jedi! It was amazing, the tweet went viral and it gave Fantha Tracks a worldwide exclusive!
From there the year took off. The thing for me about Fantha Tracks is the fun, laughter and friendships I have found. I’d be going to the events anyway, but with my Fantha buddies old and new it’s fantastic!
What’s next for me and team Fantha? Well, I’m hoping our female-led podcast will launch soon and what makes it exciting for me is that it will feature women from both sides of the Atlantic talking about their favourite subject – Star Wars!
Mark Newbold
I don’t know quite where to start with this look back at our first year of Fantha Tracks. First off, I can’t believe it’s a year already and I’m also blown away by just how much content we’ve generated. We recently blew through 5000 posts on the site – my primary responsibility of Fantha, so I’m crazy proud of that – and we have also passed 30 episodes of podcasts between The Fantha From Down Under, Adam O’Brien’s infectiously fun Australian-based show and Making Tracks which sees myself and Dave Tree talk with stars of the wars every couple of weeks. The fact that I’ve been lucky enough to land myself another great co-host to bounce off has been a genuine pleasure and I always look forward to our bi-weekly recording sessions. Kicking off the first year with Gareth Edwards and guests including Steve Sansweet, Greg Hildebrandt and Bill Kimberlin wasn’t been too shabby either.
As for event coverage, the team got dressed in their best bib and tucker for The Last Jedi premiere, went nuts on Leicester Square after the Solo press screening, watched the fireworks at the Cannes Film Festival, have travelled to Hoth (by way of Finse in Norway) for Visit Hoth, been involved in the first Star Wars Zone at London Film and Comic Con, hit New York Comic Con for a huge pile of coverage, were honoured to be at Dave Prowse’s final ever convention, Empire Day, had a blast at Star Wars Fan Fun Day, crossed the channel to Disneyland Paris and the Atlantic to Disney World in Orlando, Scum and Villainy cantina and Disneyland in Anaheim, rolled halfway around the planet for the My Saga premiere, did Return of the Garrison, covered Secrets of the Empire more than once, walked the halls of Autumn Fair, enjoyed the Rancho Obi-Wan Gala….yeah, we’ve been busy. Aaaaand we launched our very own tri-annual event – Fantha Day – which forms the first day of Farthest From and takes place 3 times a year, the next event being on 8th December.
For me, the best element of Fantha has been all the laughs we’ve had. It’s hard work – 24 / 7 there’s someone working on some element of the site, be it podcast, news article, social media or our Fantha TV YouTube channel (which we can’t thank Martin Keeler and Dave Tree enough for, it’s awesome) – but it’s endlessly enjoyable. New York Comic Con earlier this month was the most fun I’ve ever had at a big event, and getting together with my fellow Trackers is always a laugh, no matter what mixture of team I’m travelling with.
I couldn’t be more excited for our second year, with Celebration Chicago on the horizon, London Film and Comic Con 2019 and more. And Episode IX at the back end of next year – count me in!
Carl Bayliss
Blimey, a whole 31,536,000 seconds since we cracked the champagne on this baby and set her sail on the waves of the internet, and what a memorable 31,536,000 seconds they have been (yes, every last one of them).
Over this time I’ve been lucky enough to meet Gareth Edwards, as part of the team that interviewed him in his home town of Nuneaton (the results of which can be heard in episode 1 and episode 2 of our excellent Making Tracks podcast), attended Empire Day – Dave Prowse’s last public event, film the Fantha bake off and Julian Glover seeing his Black Series figure for the first time, and have been to more conventions than in my previous forty-something years as a Star Wars fan.
And the best thing to happen from all of this? The friendships I’ve made with both fellow Fantha Trackers and the wider Star Wars community, and the great sense of teamwork we have behind the scenes. Not by accident have our council of Jedi Masters put together a great mixture of people with complimentary skills and ideas to help bring great content to YOU!
And for the next 31,536,000 seconds? I’m looking forward to further building on our successes, and hopefully meeting lots more Star Wars fans in the process. Oh, and more cake, definitely more cake.
Richard Hutchinson
I’m not usually one for holding onto the past and prefer to look ahead to the next year. There is so much to look forward to and you can be sure that Fantha Tracks will be there to cover it. As a vintage collector my next big target is Star Wars Celebration Chicago and to meet all my friends that I talk to online. The future is bright, the future is Fantha.
Greig Robertson
Can’t believe Fantha Tracks is one year old already and so much has been achieved in that short space of time. It feels like Fantha Tracks has been around a lot longer than that, a force truly to be reckoned with. I still remember getting a message from my good friend and Zuvio fanatic Martin Keeler asking if I would like to join the team and being taken aback and of course shouting HOT DANG YES from the top of my lungs! It is truly an honour to be part of such a great team and being able to call these fine folks my friends.
The last year has been incredible but highlights for me have been a short visit to Star Wars Fan Fun Day with Team Fantha and a visit to Mos Eisley aka Death Valley with Mr Keeler and the wives, which was truly breathtaking and a sight I never thought I would see in person. All I can say is, THANKYOUVERYMUCH for including me in this amazing team and thanks to all the readers/viewers for making this site what it is.
Paul Naylor
How do you pick a favourite moment from a year filled with such great Star Wars memories? From interviewing Rogue One director Gareth Edwards to Dave Prowse’s final public appearance in the space of a few days – I guess that week or so would be my highlight, but there has been so much more.
Star Wars Fan Fun Day (SWFFD) is always excellent and Fanthas were out in their droves at the Turf Moor Stadium, home to Burnley FC – and SWFFD – as the football season came to an end. For me, it is an opportunity to interview actors from the franchise, or interact with them in a unique way. Case in point, Dinner with the Stars the night before SWFFD is always great fun. Guy Henry stole the show at this year’s event with his generosity during the charity auction.
But most of all, it’s about friendship – the sharing of a common interest. And the characters at Fantha Tracks are as diverse as any George Lucas ever penned. Where else could you hang out with a Brian Blessed lookalike with a Boba Fett addiction, or a man who owns more Constable Zuvio action figures than Hasbro recalls making?
As I write this entry I am preparing to hook up with fellow Midlands Fanthas Clair, Carl and Mark for an evening of Chinese food and Star Wars goodness.
So, in conclusion, the last year has seen me enjoy more Star Wars fun than ever before, with a circle of fans that share their adventures with the entire planet. Long live Fantha Tracks. Here’s to the next 12 months and beyond.
Sérgio Lopes
It’s still something fantastic for me, a year ago, I remember talking to Brian and receiving the invitation to participate in this project and show what happens in Brazil to the World and also write for this blog.
I did a lot of things, I showed a little of what happens here, and that next year I can show even more from side of the world to Fantha and enrich the content of this blog.
Paul McQue
I suppose it’s quite fitting that I’m only allowed to pick one highlight for our first year celebration. I’m choosing playing with Gary Fisher outside the TCL Chinese Theatre after watching The Last Jedi.
First, let me tell you about the events that led up to that fateful meeting with Gary. I had camped outside the TCL Chinese Theatre for one week leading up to The Last Jedi screening with fellow fans raising money and awareness for Make-A-Wish. I gave a middle finger salute to Carrie Fisher with badass Star Wars alumni, Verona Blue and Janina Gavankar. Todd Fisher unveiled a plaque dedicated to his sister earlier in the day prior to the screening. I shook Rian Johnson’s hand and wished him good luck when he made a surprise appearance to introduce the film. Tears rolled down my cheeks whenever Carrie was on screen. I made my way out into the forecourt afterwards and there he was, wearing a doggie X-wing pilot costume. I was wearing space buns. As I got down on all fours he excitedly jumped on me and gave me doggie kisses with that famous cute tongue of his flapping around. As I was playing with Gary I told his owner that is was Fantha Tracks that broke the Space Gary news a few days prior and she asked me to pass on her thanks to the team. So yeah, playing with Gary after tears rolled down my cheeks was a cathartic Carrie moment I’ll cherish forever.
