Features / November 1, 2017

Fantha Tracks Website Launches

Press release from the newly-created Fantha Tracks site:

TUESDAY 31st OCTOBER 2017

To quote Darth Vader himself: “This will be a day long remembered…”

Star Wars fans around the globe will be rejoicing as a network of Star Wars enthusiasts return to the fold with a new venture – Fantha Tracks.

Dave Tree, Mark Newbold, Brian Cameron and Matt Booker are all respected members of the Star Wars fan community. Having spent seven years as the daily content manager for Jedi News, Mark felt that now was the right time for a fresh challenge.

“I left Jedi news just over a month ago,” says Mark.

“It’s a big step, obviously – I was associated with that site for seven years. Prior to that I had run Lightsabre.co.uk for 10 years and other sites beforehand since 1994.

“I decided in the summer that it was time for a change.”

For those in the know, Fantha Tracks is a nod to the original Star Wars fan newsletter that launched in the late 1970s – Bantha Tracks.

Indeed, the logo – or mascot – for Fantha Tracks includes a newly imagined character dressed in Star Wars apparel and wearing a Bantha mask – or is he a bi-ped Bantha? Only time will tell. He is certainly a Fantha.

“We have members of the team who have been with Star Wars from the start back in 1977, myself included,” says Mark.

“Our oldest team member turns 47 in November, but we have members of all ages that share one common bond – a love of all things from a galaxy far, far away.”

“We want Fantha Tracks to be a ‘talking shop’ – a forum for all things Star Wars. We have launched initially with the website but the podcast will follow, probably early December.

Dave Tree is known to UK fans for his vintage collecting event Farthest From and his Palitoy Archive from the first Celebration Europe event back in 2007 and brings his knowledge of the UK scene and vintage collecting.

Matt Booker will oversee the sites social media outlets, a role he held previously at Jedi News. During his time at Jedi News he developed the sites following across all platforms, something he intends to emulate on Fantha Tracks.

Brian Cameron, former Literature Editor at Jedi News, will again be head up the literature section. He will also serve as the sites webmaster, having built both Jedi News and Fantha Tracks websites and be involved in the forthcoming podcast network.

In addition, there is a growing team of contributors, both in the UK and around the world who are primed and ready to bring the latest news to Fantha Tracks.

With decades of combined Star Wars reporting experience and thousands of pages posted to a variety of sites, Fantha Tracks contributors have covered events across the planet. Star Wars Celebration, New York Comic Con, Star Wars Fan Days, San Diego Comic Con, MegaCon, New York Toy Fair and more. The reporting team has been present at many of the major Star Wars events this century with every intention to attend many more.

“We want to build up a team where we enjoy what we are doing, have fun and experience new adventures along the way,” adds Mark.

“We plan on giving our readers the chance to name our Fantha mascot.

“It will be good to embrace the fans and involve them in the site.”