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Chicago Daily Herald
11/06/98
By "OnSite" page 18
GRAPHIC: "Fans take "Xena: Warrior Princess" (Lucy Lawless) to a higher level on the Internet"COMMENTARY
WHOOSH is reviewed against the old official XENA site, and guess what! WHOOSH WINS! They call WHOOSH "easily among the best "Xena" sites. The corporate site offers a perfunctory tribute to "Xena," but the Journal site includes the things that matter to true Xenites." Why to go WHOOSH! WHOOSH articles mentioned: "Why Joxer is Seen as a Threat and Other Problems" [by Jennifer Waldeau] and "Missing Dahak: What Went Wrong in the Third Season of 'Xena: Warrior Princess'" [by E.A. Weeks].REPRINT
Getting There: www.mca.com/tv/xena www.whoosh.org The Internet is swarming with them - teeming heaps of "Xena: Warrior Princess" fans and their Web sites dedicated to Xena art, pictures, chat rooms, fan fiction, quotes and endless minutiae. One fan even goes so far as to refer to herself as "Xenrielle," a conglomeration of the Xena and Gabrielle characters. And if you don't know who Gabrielle is, what have you been doing with your time? Two sites signify the opposite ends of the Web site spectrum: the corporate site, which should have complete access to "Xena" information, and a fan site, which must dig up its information to share with fans. But the corporate site is clearly the weaker of the two. Universal/MCA's site (which produces the show), at www. mca.com/tv/xena, immediately hits visitors with official "Xena" merchandise for sale including weapon replicas, statues and a multiplayer role-playing game, rather than "Xena" information. The site's background offers a short biography of how Xena became the Warrior Princess, and then toots its own horn on the production values of the show ("elaborate and extremely imaginative sets and costumes"). MCA provides air dates for episodes, a station list with links, and a netforum for Xenites to discuss the show. But there are no extra pictures to look at and no information on characters other than just Xena and Gabrielle. (No Joxer and no Callisto? That's just silly.) Rather than offer a chance for people to fully experience the show, this small site is either something to pacify beginning Xenites or a primer for people who might want to start watching but aren't sure. On the other hand, there is the Journal of the International Association of Xena Studies, at www.whoosh.org. This fan site provides in-depth examination of "Xena." Essays, articles and commentaries offer titles such as "Why Joxer is Seen as a Threat and Other Problems," "Missing Dahak: What Went Wrong in the Third Season of 'Xena: Warrior Princess' " - hardly fodder you might find on a corporate site. An episode guide offers information on "Xena" plus "Hercules: the Legendary Journeys" and "Young Hercules." A show schedule lists upcoming episodes into '99, even farther in advance than the official site. "Xena's" FAQ is the most complete collection of information a fan site could hope to offer. Besides the traditional episode guide and synopses, there is the collection of disclaimers, funny statements put in the credits. The cast of characters includes even bit players who influence the show or Xena. News, gossip, rumors, a multimedia archive and back issues round out this site, easily among the best "Xena" sites. The corporate site offers a perfunctory tribute to "Xena," but the Journal site includes the things that matter to true Xenites.
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