The FidoNet Star Wars Echo, a message forum using "echomail," flourished on bulletin board systems throughout the 1990s via FidoNet. This platform was dedicated to discussions surrounding Star Wars, the saga created by George Lucas, and it existed before the widespread adoption of the modern Internet. It stands as one of the earliest and most influential forms of on-line fandom for Star Wars.
Eli "Skip" Shayotovich established the Star Wars Echo on February 25, 1991, and it quickly rose to prominence as a leading forum within FidoNet. Its launch occurred just prior to the release of The Thrawn Trilogy novels, positioning the Echo as a central hub for online Star Wars fandom during the rise of the Expanded Universe and leading up to the announcement of Episode I and discussions about the prequel trilogy of movies.
While precise overall usage figures remain unknown, records show that the Echo sustained an average daily volume of 60 to 70 message posts between November 1994 and July 1995.
Later, Echo moderator Skip Shayotovich took on the additional role of president for the America Online Star Wars Fan Club (AOLSWFC) on AOL, but his personal BBS, named "Star Wars Central," did not receive official recognition from Lucasfilm.
The rise of the Internet rapidly diminished the popularity of BBS systems and FidoNet; however, Echo participants transitioned to the new platform and established some of the most significant early Star Wars fan sites. Several Echo members also participated in the rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc (RASSM) newsgroup.
Notable figures who engaged in the Echo's discussions included Star Wars authors Kevin J. Anderson (who referenced FidoNet with FIDO in Champions of the Force), Roger MacBride Allen, Brian Daley, Barbara Hambly, Lora Johnson, Vonda McIntyre, L. Neil Smith, Kathy Tyers, Tom Veitch, Daniel Wallace, Timothy Zahn, actress Cheryl De Luca, and on occasion, representatives from Lucasfilm.
Other participants were individuals associated with West End Games, the company behind Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, such as Sterling Hershey, and with Dark Horse Comics, such as Chris Gossett.
In addition to moderator Skip Shayotovich, other important fan contributors to the Echo's success were co-moderators Brent Lynch, David Sentz, and Mike Schwab—along with Kevin Cox, Mike Farnham, Dave Thomer, and Mike Hollis, among others.
In November 1994, the Echo began publishing Out of the Maw, a monthly newsletter/fanzine that was also distributed through America Online and Prodigy. Echo member Rich Mason also put together his own fanzine, called Starfighter Command.
The Echo was the first to create a separate message forum for playing Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game online.
The involvement of early Star Wars writers, as well as employees of Lucasfilm, West End Games, and Dark Horse Comics, has led to Echo members being recognized for their contributions to the development of some of the early Expanded Universe elements.
Near the end of 1994, some Echo members attempted to assemble a CD-ROM that would contain all of the Star Wars digital content—images, sound files, text documents, and so on—that was available online at the time (which was minimal by today's standards). This was intended as a non-profit effort, with members only asked to cover the cost of the blank CD-ROM. However, when these members sought permission from Lucasfilm's licensing division to produce the CDs, their request was denied, and the CD-ROM project was abandoned. This fan-driven initiative did inspire LucasArts to produce some of the first commercial Star Wars media compilations—such as Star Wars: Behind the Magic—and it also served as the initial catalyst for Lucasfilm to begin carefully considering how to engage with online fans and to formulate a strategy for safeguarding their intellectual property in the online sphere.
A letter from Shayotovich was included in the comic book Dark Empire 1, which has since become a valuable collectible. A letter from co-moderator Mike Farnham concerning the FidoNet Star Wars Echo appeared in Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 2.
- The RASSM History Archive provides information on the history of the Internet's rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc newsgroup, in which many Echo members participated. (Due to the parallel operation of both groups for a period, many of the discussions and issues covered on this site are also relevant to the Echo.)
- The Complete Star Wars WWW Listing (1996) is a historical archive of links to early Star Wars websites, with some being created by Echo members.