°  °   °  ÜÜÜ ÜÜ ÜÜ   ÜܲÜÜ ° ²   °  ß²²Üßß  ß² Ü ß²ßßßßÜ °Üß ßßßß²ÜÜ°°²°²  °      ° ޱݰ Ü Þ ±ݱ  °Ý ° ßÜ°  Ü°Þ² ²±°ß   ²Þ°  Þ ±Ü ß ßß²°² Þ°  ß  °  Ü °Ý °  °±²ß ß ßßÛ° ²Ü°² ÝÞ    ° ß° ÝÜÜܲ  ßß°  Ü Üܱ °  ß  Þ°     ±Ý  ßß²ß Ü ° ß°Þ±° ܲÝ  °Ý ° ܲÜ Þ°  Þß  °±² ²Ý   ÞÝ Þ±ÝÜ  ²Ý °    ß°Ü Þ°   °  Ü°   ±²ß    ßÛÜ ² ßßÜÜÜnb!   ÜÜÜß   Þß   F ßß ²Oßßß  ß²ßß Sßßßß²ßß ßß ß ----------------------------------- ° -------- ° ----- ± --------------------- Happy Birthday??!! ° Yes, welcome one and all (and anyone else) to the FoS Anniversary Pac k! It seems only, ummm...last year, that myself and Royal Assassin decided that it was time to start a group. I had already been through this once befo re, and was bound and determined to drag Ken into it too. So in March `95, w e spread the Fistful of Steel Infopack, announcing to the world our intentions . We've come a long way since then, even if some of our members had to be pulled kicking and screaming. FoS is still dedicated to promoting the origi nal ideas of newcomers to the scene, and once in a great while picking up a vet eran or two to help out. We have not compromised our desire to have fun, and  we still do good work, usually for free (or in trade for kiddie porn in Rb x's case). Still Independent I forget how many times I've been approached on IRC by someone wantin g to merge with FoS, which translates to "merge FoS into so-and-so", losing our name and identity. There has never been a policy against dual-grouping in FoS , so if a member wants to remain with us and still join another group, that's f ine. And if they choose to cut their ties with us and move on when a bigger gr oup comes calling, no hard feelings. The every-other-month release schedule ke eps things simple for those wanting to do two things at once, and will remain in  place until we grow enough to handle monthly releases. New News That's the old stuff you've read before. Now onto new business. As is to be expected at times, we say goodbye to a few friends. Fractal  actually left a couple months back, and is doing quite well. A few inactive members (mostly Canadians?) were dropped. Sadly, long-time ANSi doodler Morbid T hought told me his intentions of leaving the scene, so we bid him farewell and go od luck. Lastly, The Shadow Caster and Cynic (who for whatever  reason wasn't on the roster) leave us after coming over from Fidelis for a short stay befo re also dropping out of the scene. On the hand, we have some new members (and a couple old faces) aboard  this month. Jazzman comes to us from Rigor, bringing with him his  toony styles. Clark joins the ANSi Division from our southwestern stomping grounds in sunny Arizona, and our European courier Mailman is now also drawing  that funky old- school ASCii after showing off other people's work for months. Our f inal new addition this month is none other than former SabrE ANSi Coordinator Phyn, who returns after faking his own death a year ago...welcome back! In site news, we have a new Eastern USHQ, Alien Nation, and a  Swedish HQ, Atlantis. After scrapping the SteelNET concept once and for all, Sector Slayer has instead put up a Fistful of Steel Web site. For F oS packs, VGA artwork and Bill's "Ambient Music" selections, feel free to visit us at http://www.goodnet.com/~sslayer; currently, Netscape 2.0 is r equired to fully experience it, although poor saps like me with text accounts should b e able to use Lynx...ack. ;) Arpeggio is rumored to be down for good. No alternate FTP si te at this time. BTW, we are NOT accepting applications for U.S. distro sites. Headqu arters will be chosen at the senior staff's discretion. Prospective sysops can e-mail me or another senior and invite us to check out their board, b ut we are picky sons of bitches. Closing Comments I would personally like to thank a number of people for their support  of the group over the past year: ts (and everyone in Teklordz ), Nero, Seize, Proze, Sabotage, Assaylant, Griffin, Boyd at  Home Field Advantage (for a hell of a lot of comics that I never used, and a few that Elusive and Royal did), all of our couriers, sysops, our excellent senior staff and of course all  the members, past and present. Not to be overlooked are the guest artists who contributed to this li ttle birthday surprise. Not everyone who volunteered artwork met the dead line, but thanks to those that remembered and those that came through at th e last second. I've decided to throw in all the guest art from the past yea r, as well as new material. (See the roster for a list of guests who appea red this month.) Hope you like the pack, and feel free to send me your comments and re quests. Now, I believe Sector Slayer has written a little something, so that's it from me...long-winded bastard, ain't I? ;) O-Tron FoS President/Artist xrist@primenet.com  Not too much to say this time around. I've about given up on Steelnet  as the BBS scene for art is just too slow. FoS should be starting up a mailing list so if you want to get on it send one of us mail or chat with us in #FoS. I managed 2 pics this time around (maybe 3 if I got reall y motivated after writing this :). With a new baby, new job, etc. lucky  I got that much. Spoonman has cranked out about 4 logos...if anyone wh o does VGA is interested in joining send me mail and a sample or two. We good really use a good freehand artist. Next pack should bring some interesting stuff from me with the release of a new version of the raytracer that I use for my pics I'll have lots of new effects to tak e advantage of. My BBS really needs a good ansi as I've never gotten o ne from anybody in a few years of doing this art group thing :) *hint* Cheers to the whole FoS crew for lasting a year...I think we've consistently put out good art and that's more than most groups can sa y. Sector Slayer sslayer@goodnet.com S_Slayer on IRC sysop: Sinister Funkhouse ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜ ÜÜ ÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ  ÜÜÜ ßÛ For further information ²± ²± ²± ²± ²±  ²± ²± ²± ²±  ²± ²± ÛÛÛÛ ²±  ²± ²± ²± Û on FoS, send e-mail to ±° ±° ±° ±° ±°  ±° ±° ±° ±°  ±° ±° ÛÛÛÛ ±°  ±° ±° ±° ßÛ xrist@primenet.com or °Û ßß°Û °Û ßß °Û °Û ßß°Û °Û °Û ÛÛÛÛ °Û °Û °Û ßß  Û send SASE to: °Ûß Û °Û ßß°Ü ° Û °Ûß Û °Û ° Û °Û ßßßß °Û °Û °Ûß Ûßßß °Û ÛÛ °Ûß°Û ° ° °Û °Û ÛÛ °Û °° °Û °° ß °Û °° °Û  Ûß Ryan M.  °° ÛÛ °° ° ° °° °°  °° ÛÛ °° ° ° °° °° Û  °° °° °°  Û 1301 67th Ave. N. #302  Û° ÛÛ Û° Û°  Û° Û° Û° Û Û  ° Û° Û° Û ° Û Û° Û°  Û° Û Brooklyn Center, MN 5 5430 ßß ÛÛ ßß ßßß Ü ßß ßß ÛÛÜ ßßß Ü ßßß ÜÛÜ ßßß ßß Û USA ß ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ßß Ü ÜÜ ÜÜ Ûßßßßßßßßßß ßßßßßßßßßßß    ±± ²± ²± ±± ²±  ²± ²± ²± Û  World Wide Web: http://www.goodnet.com/~sslayer ±° ±° ±° ±° ±°  ±° ±° °° Û  World Headquarters: 612.522.6213 nup: minotaur °Û ßß °Û °Û ßß °Û ßß °Û Û Internet Relay Chat: #fos , #ansi, #art, or #612 ßß°Ü °Û °Ûß ßß °Ûß ß °Û ßßßßÛ ß°Û °° °  °Û °°ß °  °°ß °  °°ß Û °° Û° °° ° ° °° °° ° ° °° °° Ûß   Û° Û° Û° Û°  Û° Û° Û° Û ° Û° Û< see included file FOS-xxxx.BBS for sites> Ü ßßß Ü ßß Ü ßßß ÜÜ ßßß Ü ßßß ÜÛ ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßpn!