Z.P. Florian

Fan
Name:	Z.P. Florian ("Master Yoda")
Alias(es):	The Mud Dwarf, Mud Dwarf
Type:	Fan Writer, Fanzine Editor, Fan Artist
Fandoms:	Star Wars, multimedia
Communities:
Other:
URL:	The Darth Side, The Darth Maul Estrogen Brigade: Z.P. Florian, & some of her fic is archived here and here
	Click here for related articles on Fanlore.
	Contents 1 Archives; 2 Awards; 3 Sample Fiction; 4 A Fun Parody; 5 General Fan Comments; 6 Zine Contributions; 7 Sample Art 7.1 Unknown Date; 7.2 1989; 7.3 1990; 7.4 1991; 7.5 1992; 7.6 1993; 7.7 1994; 7.8 1995; 7.9 1996; 7.10 1997; 7.11 1998; 7.12 1999; 7.13 2000; 7.14 2001; 7.15 2002; ; 8 External Links; 9 References;

Z.P. Florian as Yoda, art by Nancy Stasulis. This was presented to Z.P. Florian at the 1998 STAR aWARdS: "I let the audience choose the categories that they wanted to hear about first. We did maybe four or live categories when I surreptitiously activated this little flashing light that I have. I waited a few minutes to insure that everyone had seen it then I said, 'Hold on a minute. It looks like we have a message coming in. I'd better see who it's from. Oh, it's a message for Z. P. Florian from Master Skywalker. He says that he really enjoyed her visit to Dagobah and as promised he was sending her the pictures.' With that I asked Z.P. to come up and handed her a piece of special (and I must tell you, gorgeous) artwork done by Nancy Stasulis. It showed Luke Skywalker on Dagobah with the backpack on his back. In the backpack was Master Yoda and Yoda's face was Z.P.'s. I had some people pass out copies of this drawing so everyone could see it. Z.P. and the audience loved it. Z.P. told me that she had it framed and it's hanging on her wall. ^[1]

Z.P. Florian was a prolific Star Wars fan writer, editor, and artist.

Z.P. was born in Hungary, was a journalist, and had worked for Voice of America radio. She was also a science fiction and fantasy fan, and was cited in the acknowledgements of The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells. The character "Florian" in Wells' Fall of Ile-Rien series was named after her.

She wrote gen, het, and slash, and edited the explicit adult het and slash zine The Rest of the Garbage. She also published a single author zine Anakin (zine) in 1991.

Early Star Wars slash fanworks were fairly thin on the ground, due to the massively chilling effects George Lucas' Open Letters to Star Wars Zine Publishers (1981). One fan in 2003 dedicated her Han/Luke zine, Sanctuary Moon, to Florian: "To Z.P. Florian for her pioneering role In bringing Star Wars slash "out of the closet."

She once co-wrote a story with Ltlj that was so explicit, they were both too shy to put their names on it and it and it was published under the pseudonym, The Mud Dwarf.

She remained active in media fandom, attending MediaWest*Con every year, until she began to suffer from frontotemporal dementia with motor neuron disease in the early 2000s.

She wrote:

To those who tell me to get a life, I softly whisper, SW is life. Besides, I'm more than half a century old.I don't need to be told that I'm a nut, but a happy nut, a very very happy nut. ^[2]

She passed away on April 2, 2018 and was buried in Virginia at National Memorial Park/King David Memorial Gardens.

Awards

Fan Quality Awards (1997, 1999 and 2000)
The STAR aWARdS (1991, 1993, 1995
STIFfie Award (2000)

Sample Fiction

Darkshine Rising, part 1
A Learning Experience
The Women in His Life
The Gilded Cage (Star Wars TPM story) (1999)
Where you lay down, there's my bed. (1999)

A Fun Parody

In 1999, Florian offered up a writing challenge to other Star Wars fans. From I Don't Care What You Smell #4:

She had this idea that everyone should do a parody of their writing style. She asked (actually, she bullied and badgered but I'll deny that you read that here) a dozen or so writers to do one. Their efforts will also be found in the pages of this zine. I think they all had fun doing them. Of course, we had to convince some of them that they actually had a particular style to parody.

Florian created several stories for that zine, including "Hunter's Gamble" by Martha Wells and Z.P. Florian (writing as Martha Wells).

General Fan Comments

Florian's style of writing hits the high points of the plot development with the expectation that the reader can fill in the in-between action. A warning if you are unfamiliar with non-English fiction: be prepared for a dialogue that is not colloquial American English. Florian is Hungarian; the vocabulary she uses may ring oddly to the American ear at first. Don't let it bother you, please; the unfamiliar language support Florian's fresh angle on characters and subject, and more than make up an occasional awkwardness. Anyone who has come from a multi-lingual home, or who has command of a second tongue, will recognize the variations of inflection and imperative that appear in Anakin. And, although I hope Florian has her next story read by a native speaker to clear up any occasional misusage, I likewise hope that such editing does not destroy the wonderful flavor of the writing.^[3]

Z. P. Florian's alternate development of TESB was quite refreshing. Her Vader is not "just a nice guy gone wrong" but rather the sort of man I can well imagine doing what he's done. And her Luke is not a rube, but rather a man who thinks his own ideas in his own way ~ someone without the sophisticated back ground of Vader (or Han or Leia), but not someone who is an idiot just because he's ignorant of some attitudes and pastimes. I love the simple, and obvious to everyone but a megalomaniac like Vader, ending. True simplicity of the finest order. ^[4]

Z. P. Florian's alternate development of TESB was quite refreshing. Her Vader is not "just a nice guy gone wrong" but rather the sort of man I can well imagine doing what he's done. And her Luke is not a rube, but rather a man who thinks his own ideas in his own way ~ someone without the sophisticated back ground of Vader (or Han or Leia), but not someone who is an idiot just because he's ignorant of some attitudes and pastimes. I love the simple, and obvious to everyone but a megalomaniac like Vader, ending. True simplicity of the finest order. ^[5]

STATE DINNER by Z. P. Florian [in Bright Center of the Universe #4]. Hah, caught off guard again! Writers who draw or artists who write are some of the most talented people I know and still they continue to amaze me. Therefore, I should have been forewarned when I started this short piece having already seen samples of Florian's artwork throughout the zine. What a pleasant, delightful piece! No deep, dark meanings behind each scene. No suspense or laser flashes, death or destruction; just a dull diplomatic dinner with a little "healthy" diversion Heaven knows it's about time our young Jedi started looking beyond the Force!!! What a wonderfully written, delightful piece. ^[6]

And special thanks to Master Yoda, I mean Z.P. Florian who has an amazing ability to master all things- editing, writing, art and being a friend. ^[7]

Z.P.Florian has to be one of the most inspired fans I've ever come across - wonderful stories and art! The woman does it all! Her take on Anakin is always inventive. ^[8]

Zine Contributions

Sample Art

Unknown Date

ZP Florian art work for her "Flyboys" story
Anakin Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
drawing, "Han after a torture session"

1989

from The Wookiee Commode #6: "A certain Nerf-herder busies himself with much-need repairs on the Falcon."
from The Wookiee Commode #6: "Chewbacca was glad to have another Wookiee to talk to..."
from The Wookiee Commode #7
from The Wookiee Commode #7
from Hibernation Sickness #10

1993

1994

from Only Hope #1 -- "The interior art, especially the sexy Anakin by Z.P. Florian, was very good." ^[9]

"Anakin looks realistic and delicious!" ^[10]

"Several of the illustrations were top-notch. My personal favourite was Z.P. Florian's portrait of Anakin. Her Anakin is almost Bon-Joviesque, certainly a man of confidence and sensuality. Very intriguing!" ^[11]
from Shadow Jedi
from Shadow Jedi
from Who's Scruffy-Lookin'?
from Who's Scruffy-Lookin'?
from Who's Scruffy-Lookin'?
from Who's Scruffy-Lookin'?
from I Have a Bad Feeling About This #1
from I Have a Bad Feeling About This #1, portrays Luke and Wedge
from Another Sky #6, for "Pilot Emergency"
from Another Sky #6
from Another Sky #6
from Crossfire Zone #8
from A Tremor in the Force #8
from Pursuit of the Nashtah
from Pursuit of the Nashtah
from Pursuit of the Nashtah

1995

from Another Sky #7
from I Don't Care What You Smell #1 -- from the zine: "SMELL YE! SMELL YE! Announcing the introductory contest of I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SMELL! That's right! As a reward for all you brave souls who purchased this premiere issue, we are proclaiming a — drumroll, please — contest! The first (earliest postmark to be the deciding factor) reader to CORRECTLY identify each and every olfactory organ and/or device so cleverly depicted on the front cover by that astonishing artist Z.P. Florian will win (taxes not included) an absolutely free, 100% gratis copy of issue #2 of I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SMELL! So, grab your thinking caps, don't get your noses out of joint, and have at it. Let the games begin. Good luck and may the Force be with you! Oh yes, if you get really stumped, the artist suggests you try thumping the offending nose. The resultant cry should provide you with a helpful additional clue. Send replies by mail only (No e-mail responses, please. We must be fair to the technologically disadvantaged) to Judith Yuenger."
from I Don't Care What You Smell #1
from The Rest of the Garbage, a Han/Chewie story called "Special Modifications"
from The Rest of the Garbage for "Homecoming"
from The Rest of the Garbage for "A Learning Experience"
from The Rest of the Garbage
from The Rest of the Garbage for "Trust"
from The Rest of the Garbage

1996

1997

from A Tremor in the Force #10
from Imperium #6, Darth Vader in a thong?
from Imperium #6
from Dark Master Dark Servant: "Fans are still debating whether Anakin Skywalker was blonde or black-haired."
from Dark Master Dark Servant
from Dark Master Dark Servant
from Dark Master Dark Servant
from Renaissance
from Renaissance, portrays a young Anakin
from Renaissance, portrays a Xal and Chewbacca
from Revenge of the Garbage
from Revenge of the Garbage
from Revenge of the Garbage

1998

from Face to Face
from Elusive Lover #3

1999

2000

2001

from Millennium #1
from Millennium #1
from The Menace of the Rest of the Garbage
from The Menace of the Rest of the Garbage
from The Menace of the Rest of the Garbage

2002

from Imperium #11

External Links

Master and Apprentice: tribute and apology to Z.P. by Tara Bognar; WebCite

References

^ from Judith Yuenger in Southern Enclave #50
^ The Darth Side
^ from Southern Enclave #30 (1991)
^ comments in "A Tremor in the Force" #7 about the story, "Father and Son" in A Tremor in the Force #6 (1992)
^ comments in "A Tremor in the Force" #7 about the story, "Father and Son" in A Tremor in the Force #6 (1992)
^ from a letter of comment in Bright Center of the Universe #5 (1995)
^ from the editorial of Dark Master Dark Servant #1 (1997)
^ from Imperium #8 (1999)
^ an LoC in "Only Hope" #2
^ an LoC in "Only Hope" #2
^ an LoC in "Only Hope" #2

[1] rom Judith Yuenger in Southern Enclave #50

[2] The Darth Side

[3] rom Southern Enclave #30 (1991)

[4] ts in "A Tremor in the Force" #7 about the story, "Father and Son" in A Tremor in the Force #6 (1992)

[5] ts in "A Tremor in the Force" #7 about the story, "Father and Son" in A Tremor in the Force #6 (1992)

[6] rom a letter of comment in Bright Center of the Universe #5 (1995)

[7] rom the editorial of Dark Master Dark Servant #1 (1997)

[8] rom Imperium #8 (1999)

[9] LoC in "Only Hope" #2

[10] LoC in "Only Hope" #2

[11] LoC in "Only Hope" #2

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[3]

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[5]

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Fan
Name:	Z.P. Florian ("Master Yoda")
Alias(es):	The Mud Dwarf, Mud Dwarf
Type:	Fan Writer, Fanzine Editor, Fan Artist
Fandoms:	Star Wars, multimedia
Communities:
Other:
URL:	The Darth Side, The Darth Maul Estrogen Brigade: Z.P. Florian, & some of her fic is archived here and here
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.
Contents 1 Archives 2 Awards 3 Sample Fiction 4 A Fun Parody 5 General Fan Comments 6 Zine Contributions 7 Sample Art 7.1 Unknown Date 7.2 1989 7.3 1990 7.4 1991 7.5 1992 7.6 1993 7.7 1994 7.8 1995 7.9 1996 7.10 1997 7.11 1998 7.12 1999 7.13 2000 7.14 2001 7.15 2002 8 External Links 9 References