Vel Jaeger/Memories

Below is a collection of fannish memories from Vel Jaeger, quoted on Fanlore with permission.

In 1986, Vel said:

When Trek debuted in 1966, I was incurably hooked — and in 1975, when ST LIVES and the NEW VOYAGES books appeared, I discovered fandom and have been blissfully immersed ever since.

In 1977, I founded the Star Trek SIG (Special Interest Group) for Mensa, and am still the newsletter (#48 in progress) and zine (TREKisM AT LENGTH VII in the works) editor. Together with Kim Knapp and Beth Carlson, I've spilled over into IN CASE OF EMERGENCY PRESS (ICoEP), publishing Beth's novel, REUNION, and a 3-volume retrospective of Ginna LaCroix's work (TREK ENCORE); TE 4 and a sequel to REUNION are also in progress.

Some time in the early stages of fan addiction, I began drawing Trek art; this year I received my 100th contributor's copy (no wonder we don't have any closet space!). Four years ago I went back to school to study art seriously, as a direct result of encouragement from fan readers and editors. Here and there, I've held an odd assortment of jobs: substitute teacher, printer, secretary — careers are difficult to establish when you are a military wife.

[snipped]

The consolation for the constant uprooting has always been that no matter where we go, there are always new fans and new activities — fandom has been my anchor these past ten years.

Just how did I discover K/S? I have Fran Panabaker and Sandra Gent to thank for that — Fran showed me her copies of NAKED TIMES 2 and THRUST. After I picked myself up off the floor, she loaned me "Shelter" and "Poses" to read, and then let me borrow the zines. And at that time, Sandra was living in Florida, and let me borrow her zines by the double armload — to this day, I'm astonished that she would let a practical stranger out of her house with such precious cargo. Naturally, I've been reading MATTER/ANTIMATTER every since.

And the first time I met Virginia Green, I practically shouted at her, "You're the one who wrote 'Fire and Ice'!"

Della Van Hise published my very first drawing — I hadn't even submitted it, just enclosed it with a letter in the manner of "show and tell — lookee what I done!"

Then in 1981 I went to my first NYC con (FebCon), and put a lot more faces to names — it seemed as though everyone who published was there, especially the K/S crowd. Talk about the happy country mouse come to the Big Time!

In 2013, Vel said:

In the years from 1982 to early 1986, we (my husband - "Gunny" our 3 kids & I were stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, about 25 miles north of San Diego & 60 or so south of Los Angeles, right on the Pacific Coast. I already had Star Trek fan/friends/zine publishers living in the area, most notably Sandra Gent (editor/writer/publisher of Matter/Antimatter), whom I had met when she was still living on the other side of Tampa Bay from Clearwater - she loaned me zines by the double-grocery-bag full.

Many of these fan friends were also William Shatner/Kirk fans; when we weren't heading to LA, we would gather at the least excuse. I've forgotten exactly how or when it started, but we began meeting in San Diego at a pizza place on the north side of town, easy to get to for out of towners as it was right off the I-5 Freeway. It was generally on the Second Sunday of the month, ergo the title San Diego Second Sunday Pizza Pigout. Robin Hood - yes, that is her real name; I think she showed us her drivers license once to prove it - was an early attendee; others were [Alice G], a university biochemist; [Lynda J], who made adorable cloth dolls (ca 18" tall - she took commissions to try out an anatomically correct "Jimmy Kirk doll" - with bib overalls & a bandana). Kim Knapp lived in neighboring Vista - another prolific writer & also a sci fi film & lit bug. You're beginning to get the picture, aren't you.

Zines of every sort were passed around, & since Robin could whip out a 3-volume trilogy of stories/novels while the rest of us would just think about writing, it was only natural that she caught the publishing bug, & published the first issues of First Time. I had been taking art classes (real ones, not the hobby type - 4 semesters of life drawing, though it didn't help my pathetic attempts at figure drawing - & no, I'm not telling you where they're published - really pathetic!) at Mira Costa College, & had been illustrating zines for other editors (Della Van Hise & Wendy Rathbone, also in CA but not part of the 2nd-Sunday gatherings). I was usually working on a project, either a class assignment or zine illo - & Robin would as if I had plans for the trek art - or anything else, such as the carousel horse I mentioned - I think she added the horn.

It was a wonderful time, & I miss being with such imaginative, life-loving people.

On the plus side, in my mind's eye they haven't aged a minute: all is as I left it 26 years ago. Perhaps that's why I'm enjoying sharing all this with you. If you think others would be interested, share whatever parts you like. The editorial slant in my brain always wants to know it all - not so for others, so I'll leave the selection to you. I'll just repeat my credo of "if I wrote/sent it to you, unless noted otherwise, it's okay to print."

A number of these antics were written up - without much embellishment, either - for many of the Shatner newsletter; we really were that wild & crazy, & the further we got from home the crazier we became (without getting arrested).

[Vel describes a fan's personal tragedy]... everyone she knew in southern California drove to Ventura for the funeral. That's what real fan friends do: they share the pain along with the joy.

In 2013, Vel said:

"Why I Can't Listen to William Shatner Audios Without Falling Asleep"

Way back in 1974, my Marine husband was sent to Okinawa, Japan for a year's tour of "unaccompanied duty." That meant his wife & 2 kids couldn't go with him - nor could we stay in our base housing while he was overseas....

... I waited to hear from my husband, & understandably had a hard time sleeping. A fellow fan friend had made an audio tape of William Shatner's album, "The Transformed Man," so I listened to that over & over till I finally fell asleep. After a week or so I would start to nod off as soon as I heard "that voice." The psychologists call it "conditioned response." My husband made it back to base safely... What does all this have to do with audio tapes, you wonder? The next time tried to I listen to William Shatner on tape, I nodded off in less than five minutes! My mind had so firmly associated calm, security & sleep with his voice that, to this day, I can't listen to his readings without getting drowsy. If I'm lying down at the time, I go out like a light.