IDIC (Star Trek newsletter)

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Zine
Title: IDIC
Publisher: ScotPress
Editor(s): Janet Quarton, Sheila Clark & Valerie Piacentini
Type:
Date(s): December 1988 - October 1996
Frequency: bi-monthly
Medium: print
Size: A5
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS, Star Trek: TNG
Language:
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Contents

IDIC was a general Star Trek club run by the Scotpress team. It had an international membership and published 48 bi-monthly newsletters of between 80 - 100 pages. The IDIC newsletter covered all aspects of Star Trek; ST:TOS, ST:TNG, ST:DS9 and ST:VOY. Articles in the newsletters included news, actor and character profiles, convention reports, book and zine reviews, misc Star Trek articles written by members, poetry and an active postbag section. Art has been included on Fanlore with the publisher's permission.

The club also published a fanzine, IDIC Log #1-19 (TOS & TNG, 1989-1996)

Computers and Privacy

The zines contain an unusual disclaimer, one that perhaps reflects the underground mentality of fandom and/or the new awareness of the power computers could have in daily life:
This is a statutory notice as prescribed by the Data Protection Act. In accordance with the conditions governing the maintenance of machine-readable records by non-incorporated members' clubs, IDIC must advise that the names and addresses of every member are held in a computer-readable format in order to more efficiently prepare and despatch newsletters. The information is used for this purpose only, and will not be disclosed to any other party whatsover without the specific consent of the Data Subject (i.e. the member concerned). You should also be aware that you have a statutory right for your name to be deleted from the computer record and for your newsletters to be addressed manually. [1]

Issue 1

cover of issue #1

IDIC 1 was published in December 1988 and contains 34 pages

  • the editors note that they would have liked the newsletter to be printed on size A4 paper, but to keep costs down, they went with A5. They put out a request for art, specifically black ink drawings
  • a fan writes about the movies’ subject matter (Spock leaving Kirk, Spock dying, the Enterprise being blown up):
    Star Trek was very important to me and the film threatened to destroy something precious… I tried to ignore the films as if they didn’t exist but that didn’t really work. It hurt that so many fans loved the films and I found myself wondering how on earth these people could be fans of the same Star Trek that I was. I had to somehow come to terms with the films or get out of ST fandom.” She decided to think of the movies as alternate universes. “That way they ceased to be a threat and I could even read about them without being too bothered.
  • a fan says of Star Trek: TNG: "I find TNG a perfectly acceptable future to the series. I don’t have the depth of feeling for any of the characters as I do for Kirk, Spock and McCoy but I think that suits me. I do find the stories comparable with the original."
  • there is an article titled: “Gene Roddenberry: The Continuity of a Single Dream,” a biography that includes a run-down of his working credits
  • the editors include a "continuing poll… to see how members’ views change." The results of the first one for favourite ST character: Spock 8.36, Kirk 6.95, McCoy 5.95, Picard 2.83, Scotty 2.43, Uhura 2.25, Sulu 1.93, Data 1.88, Chekov 1.31, Sarek .78
  • a summarization of Richard Arnold’s talks at Midcon in 1988
  • there is some info on Star Trek V
  • there is a con report for Midcon ‘88
  • there is a column by the Star Trek Welcommittee
  • there is a wrap-up of “Star Trek in the News,” which summarizes some ST mentions in Starlog and other publications
  • “Star Trek Goes to Albacon,” a fan’s report of ST at an SF convention
  • a mention that they were collecting used stamps for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
  • an essay, “Star Trek Fandom: Retrospecive”:
    It is a well-known fact that if one Star Trek fan falls into conversation with another, the conversation always gets around to ‘the good old days,’ when Trek fandom in this country was in its infancy.” It notes that the “Empathy convention at the Dragonara Hotel in September 1976 was in fact the third [ST] convention in this country [England], but it was the one which a very high proportion of fans claim as their first… There was a proliferation of small Star Trek clubs and groups across the country, STAG and Empathy having the highest profile, Jenny and Terry Elson, after running the first two conventions, having ‘passed the torch.’ With the exception of Alnitah, fanzines were duplicated; there was simply no other practical way to reproduce the news and fan fiction cheaply.
  • a fan notes:
    One of the things that struck me most powerfully about the dealers' room at Midcon was that the number of fan publications had dropped, and what there were didn't seem to be selling particularly well. In the early days, it was all we had, and we bought everything. Now there is a such a proliferation of merchandise -- novels, toys, pins, calendars -- that by the time a fan has purchased just a few of these, there is simply no cash left for the fan publications.
  • a fan speculates on some changes in fannish socialization at cons:
    It was the advent of video which changed the face of conventions. At first, the technology was too expensive for the average 'man on the street,' but conventions could afford to hire the equipment, and although blank tapes were £15.00 a time, a secondary programme of available episodes began to take shape, splitting the attendees into smaller groups. The 'one big happy family' feeling began to dissipate; I'm told of a convention where Trek episodes were available 24 hours a day on the hotel's in-house system, resulted in some people never leaving their rooms for the entire weekend!... Nowadays if an original Trek episode formed part of the main programme at a convention, it would have a very poor attendance indeed, and it seems that a higher percentage expect to be entertained 24 hours a day, rather than being prepared to make their own amusements.
  • a fan writes a TNG episode review: “A Personal Reaction to ‘The Naked Now’” She wraps it up with:
    I suggest that you try and see the episode yourself – ideally back to back with the classic episode, so the similarities and more frequent differences can be clearly seen. .. I like ‘The Naked Time’ too, it’s one of my favourites, but I don’t consider it BETTER than ‘The Naked Now, just DIFFERENT… So, give ST-TNG a chance, instead of continually comparing it to the classic series.
  • there are book reviews for professional ST offerings
  • a review of To Catch a Butterfly, see that page
  • a review of Mind Meld #5, see that page
  • there are many ads for gen zines and for cons; at the very end of the newsletter are ads for six slash zines

Issue 2

cover of issue #2

IDIC 2 was published in February 1989 and contains 20 pages

  • it has actor bios/what they are up to and an update on the movie
  • there is a long rundown of available commercial merchandise for sale
  • there is an article about how to order zines from the United States
  • "Star Trek in the News" gathers ST mentions in places such as Starlog
  • a fan writes that while she enjoys Star Trek: TNG for its vision and its science fiction: "I find it difficult to accept as Star Trek... How I miss the old crew, especially the chemistry between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, how can anyone ever replace that?"
  • many fans write that they like the smaller format of the newsletter, saying it's easier to read on the train, tuck in a handbag and that the postman isn't as inclined to fold it in half to fit in the postbox
  • there are some descriptions of the first and second The British Star Trek Convention, see that article
  • there is an essay about Klingons written from a Klingon's point of view; it talks of Klingon origins, personality traits, language, and family structure
  • there is a lengthy essay in defense of Star Trek: TNG:
    All I will therefore say is that in my opinion, TNG has the qualities that made Trek the show we all loved. In the early episodes it showed potential; the later episodes of the series show it beginning to accomplish that potential. Original Trek and Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the others hold a very special place in our hearts and minds, but are we so limited in our outlook that we can't accept a continuation of Star Trek into the Next Generation?


Issue 3

IDIC 3 was published in April 1989 and contains 20 pages.

cover of issue #3
  • there is a memorial statement for Margaret Bertram, see that page
  • there is a review for Sojourns, see that page
  • there is a review for The Problems of Doctor Penhaligon, see that page
  • this issue has many reprints of magazine and newspaper clippings (including many detailed synopsis of the next movie), merchandise for sale, and reviews of pro books
  • there is a description of the second season episodes for Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • a number of fans write of how they enjoy, or don't enjoy, TNG
  • a fan writes a con report about Terracon, 1976 con, see that page
  • a fan writes an article called "Raumschiff Enterprise" about the history of Star Trek in Germany -- some interesting bits: "Amanda" became "Emily" and "Gary Seven" became "Felix Sevenrock." He also mentions the dreadful dubbing, The Standby Team, the re-titling of episodes, and of the translations of some pro books. An excerpt from "Raumschiff Enterprise" regarding availability of Star Trek canon:
    At the beginning of the seventies ZDF bought some of the ST episodes. In 1979 some of them were rerun along with some new ones and In 1979, some of the 39 German episodes were telecast for the last time. Since that time these 39 episodes have been rerun several times on cable television, but not everyone has the cable connection. In 1987 SAT 1, a private station broadcasting cable television telecast the rest of the ST episodes which had never been seen on German television before. I have no cable connection, but friends recorded them for me. In 1976 ZDF telecast 17 of the animated episodes. The movies came to Germany about three months after their premiere in the USA. ST:TNG can be bought on video, as is the case in Great Britain, but there are rumours that we will see TNG on German television in 1991.
  • from "Raumschiff Enterprise" regarding dubbing (after pointing out numerous poor translations of both dialogue and the quality of the actor's voices).
    STIV seemed to suffer from the same destiny -- eg it was planned that Spock couldn't say any swear words; and many, many other minor changes... But then Standby came into life. Standby is a group of five German Trekkers who had had enough of bad dubbing of Star Trek. After STIII they wrote to Harve Bennett, Leonard Nimoy and Wolfgang Schick (who directs the dubbing of Star Trek) to name only a few. The Standby team got permission to check the translated script and to correct mistakes. They rewrote at least one third of the script. They also managed to get Kirk spoken again by his "old" voice, G.G. Hoffmann. Now ST IV is really enjoyable also in Germany.
  • one of the editors writes about the history of zines, first explaining the scarcity of pro books and how hard it was to view Star Trek:
    For most of us, therefore, there was only one answer. If we wanted more Trek, especially in the hiatus between series, we had to write it ourselves. (The Americans had come to the same conclusion some years previously - remember, they had Star Trek as early as 1966.) Many of the stories written In those days were written for a very small group; the writer and her friends. Back around 1976, I was typing 6 copies of some of my stories - one top copy and 5 carbons. You can imagine the quality of the bottom copy! Finding someone who put out zines, so that you could get stories written by someone else, was not easy. Come to that, finding other fans wasn't easy! Today, things have changed quite drastically. The number of Trek books that have come out for the professional market over the years is over 100 - some of them good, some of them, quite frankly, a rip-off. But as the number of available books grows, the number of people writing their own stories has dwindled. Why should this be? Is it the old answer that inertia reigns supreme? That people can't be bothered writing down their own stories because there are so many professional novels around? Yet the highest praise a zine reader seems to give to a professionally written novel ia that it's as good an a zine story! There must be as many potential amateur writers around today as there were back in the early '70s, if they would only summon up the courage (or the energy!) to set the words down on paper and then lot a zine editor see them. If the basic plot has been used - so what? It's how it's developed that makes a new story. The kind of story written for the amateur (zine) market tends to be somewhat different from the kind of story written for the professional market. Zine stories tend to lean on inter-character relationship and stress the friendship between the characters while still often telling; a good, well-moving story. Professional novels rarely have much of this relationship - for some reason the professional publishers of today seem to be terrified of stories (for adults) where characters of the same sex are actually friends. Friendly, yes, but not friends. (In children's books, on the other hand, the characters are allowed to have 'best friends'.) Even romances - unless the publisher is Mills and Boon - are often temporary affairs. (I'm not Just thinking of Trek novels, incidentally.) Oh, there are exceptions; some professional writers do write the kind of inter-character relationship that makes a book eminently re-readable instead of instantly forgettable. That's not to say that all zine stories are good. Many are - while some are abysmally bad. Some, while neither particularly good nor particularly bad, show promise and the writers can, with a little constructive criticism and advice, go on to become really good.

Issue 4

IDIC 4 was published in June 1989 and contains 52 pages.

cover of issue #4
  • a fan comments on ST:TNG:
    I read an article recently in a US zine that suggested that the Trek movies had become morally bankrupt. I think that's a gross exaggeration, but in my mind at least the films have come a long way from the original, enjoyable though they are in their own way. So it's especially nice to see a lot of the things that attracted me to Trek in the first place are there in the new. It had Gene's hallmark all over it, and if it doesn't have anything quite as special as the Kirk/Spock relationship (if it did, I'd be writing it, believe mel) it still has a lot going for it. So I'd urge anybody who's been a bit wary to at least give Next Gen a try - it does improve as it develops.
  • a fan remembers writing Starlog about her love of Star Trek:
    ...I sent them a desperate note, something along the lines of, 'Please help me, I think I'm the only person in Britain who likes Star Trek (if only I'd known!). The response was a wonderfully kind, friendly letter reassuring me that I wasn't alone, addresses of a couple of British clubs to prove it, and a zine catalogue. The zines I duly received contained good character relationship stories, warm and caring and well-written -- they were everything I had been searching for without even realising, and suddenly the world was a better place!... It was a great joy to discover there were people out there who wrote Trek characters the way I thought of them, and a relief to no longer have to rely on the unsatisfactory professional novels.
  • the editors of IDIC Log explain the reason for this new zine:
    Re. the IDIC zine; we started up ScoTpress so that we could publish stories which would appeal to other fans with similar interests to our own, which is why ScoTpress has its policy [of no death stories and stories that do not concentrate on the Big Three]. IDIC however caters for all aspects of Star Trek and we don't feel we should dictate the type of story which is published in the club zines. As long as a story can be called 'Star Trek', is well written, is in good taste and doesn't include explicit sex, we will consider it. Basically, ScoTpress will only accept stories which will fit our policy, IDIC can accept any story which ScoTpress does plus all the others. We know some fans prefer to read or submit stories to a zine which prints a larger variety of stories than we do with ScoTpress.
  • this issue has a con report for Clippercon 1989 and features the talk by George Takei
  • there are two con reports for Sol III, see that page
  • there is a con report for TerraCon (retrospective), see that page
  • there are several articles: "In Defence of Wesley" by Sheila Clark, "Movies and the TV Series" by Lesley Hatch, "The Dilithium Crystal Within the Star Trek Universe the Known Facts" by J.A. Clarke, "Klingons, part 2" by Mel Claessens, an "IDIC Opinion Poll" compiled and organized by Helen White
  • there are many pro book reviews
  • contains a review of Song of the Stars , see that page
  • contains a review of Make It So #1, see that page
  • contains a review of The Morbius Syndrome, see that page
  • contains a review of A Proper Pantomime, see that page
  • contains a review of Crossroads, see that page
  • contains a review of A Comedy of Errors, see that page

Issue 5

IDIC 5 was published in August 1989 and contains 60 pages. The editors write that the size of the zine is increasing and that its cost will go up as well: "We juat don't feel we can give you the kind at newsletter we want to in 36 pages. Fandom is much more diverse these days and we want to be able to print something in the newsletter for everyone."

table of contents for issue #5
cover of issue #5
  • a con report (retrospective) for Intercon 1978
  • a financial report for Sol III 1989, see that page
  • a review of Home to Roost #1, see that page
  • a review of Too Many Avenues, see that page
  • a review of Eridani #3, see that page
  • a review of Saavik, see that page
  • a review of Continuum #1, see that page
  • a review of The Beginning and the End, see that page
  • a fan writes "Fandom in the West Bank and Israel":
    Before I start, I must admit that Martin Stahl's article [2] about fandom encouraged me and gave me a 'push' to go forward... the fandom in my country is - somehow - like that in Germany... The Israeli Broadcasting set began its plans for Star Trek in 1980; to understand how fandom goes on, you must consider the West Bank and Israel are separated in regard to fandom. Star Trek didn't last too well in Israel; in the West Bank we liked it enough to have a good number of fans.
    The series' popularity increased after it was stopped! It began to have its fans - even so, there was no information about the series at all. In the West Bank it began to appear everywhere, on shirts - I still have a green shirt with the Enterprise on it, though now it doesn't fit me - it's for a child! Even so, the people considered it was for children. Everyone tells me now, "Are you a bairn to see those binaurds?" That really makes me mad... Nobody understood about IDIC because of lack of information. So Star Trek ended, like any other programme. The animated series succeeded better than the original one - I still remember, as if a Vulcan mind-melded with me! You'll find pictures in my mind - some scenes in both - the animated - and the original series — as long as I can remember. The show went off and stayed hidden there in some corner of a broadcasting room!
    After seven years, another TV station began to show Star Trek - it was the Middle East Television - and the show was translated into Arabic. More people came to love Star Trek; I was among them. But that didn't mean all the people understood Star Trek - like when one says 'James T. Shirt' Instead of James T. Kirk???!
    The translation METV made was so bad — it was a written (subtitled) translation, but that didn't mean it didn't threaten tne script! Like saying 'Volcan' about Vulcan and the programme's name turned from 'Star Trek' to 'The Space Ship', which is obviously incorrect. Furthermore, there were some scenes 'shifted' in the episodes; that changed Star Trek. Some people even called it 'The Long Eared People'! There are no conventions in Israel — neither are there books, either novels or zines. I don't know why.
    Many fans ask for Star Trek, so sometimes we can see some episodes of it (mostly Patterns of Force). I myself, with some friends, asked for the episode 'The Trouble with Tribbles' and for the film The Brothers Karamazov - and it came! And YEAH! it was thrilling; you can't see William Shatner as a small monk every day! (In fact he's as far from it as the Orion Nebula from us! But he was great as Alex Karamazov.)
    I have seven friends who thought about making a Trek group to help fans in Israel - I do care about activating fans everywhere - but the situation here for a Palestinian is difficult; much of what we try to do is declared illegal.
    Most of the fans here prefer Kirk to Spock and Spock to the other characters - like me.
    Two years ago, we saw Star Trek - The Motion Picture. That first one was a film that everyone liked - even my mother, who is fandom's best enemy!
    I - like many of my fan friends - thought we'd see the other films, but no; Israel does not have any plans to show us more. Neither does METV want to show any of the four films - even though Israel, with the help of the USA, made the METV.
    If any of you have any suggestions about how to increase fandom in Israel and the West Bank - I know that everyone likes to hear that Star Trek is popular everywhere - please help. I would love everybody here to consider Star Trek as a philosophy, but never to be The Long Eared People!!!

Issue 6

IDIC 6 IDIC 6 was published in October 1989 and contains 64 pages. There were 375 copies printed.

cover of issue #6
table of contents, issue #6
  • many fans write of why they like ST: TOS better than ST: TNG or the other way around, or both equally
  • the editors write about how this newsletter is put together:
    Some of you have asked us to make it clear to whom you send what so we've put this on the last page. Basically how we work it is that Janet does most of the newsletter which leaves Sheila and Valerie free to edit and type up the zines - although they do type up their own N/L articles. If you are writing to Sheila or Valerie anyway it is okay to send newsletter submissions to them but they need to receive them at least 10 days before the deadline so that they can type them up and send them through to Janet to be added to the various files. Janet then prints up a proof copy of each section. Sheila and Valerie arrive at Janet's on Friday night and newsletter weekend is mostly spent proof reading, correcting, writing our letter, deciding what we can fit in the newsletter and the best order to put the articles in. Once Sheila and Valerie leave for home on Sunday afternoon Janet starts putting the newsletter together on the computer and prints a 'camera' proof copy. At this stage items may have to be swapped round to fit, and items may have to be added or left out to fit the the page layout. Once this is done, and it can take up to three evenings, Janet prints all the masters (at 9 pages per hour if all goes well). These are then posted to Sheila who reduces them and puts them in for printing. Sheila also sticks the labels on the envelopes, stamps them and then with the help of the "Chain Gang" stuffs them with the newsletters and posts them out.
  • about dealing with Customs:
    Zines - printed matter - are not liable to Customs dues, although some packets with zines are stopped and checked, apparently at random; but other merchandise is. Not everything is stopped and not everything that is stopped and checked is charged, but there is always the probability that your packet may be the unlucky one. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason behind what they stop, either, though they often seem to go by the value marked on the packet... A few years ago, Valerie and I got some original artwork; one packet (which was addressed to the school where I was based at the time) came through without being checked, the next (to my home address) was charged quite steeply - I believe original artwork is usually pounced on by Customs. To add insult to injury, they also added a 'handling charge' for opening and resealing the packet!... One possibility if you want to try avoiding being caught by Customs seems to be, keep your orders relatively small. If you want a lot from one supplier, send him half a dozen small orders over several months rather than one big one. I don't guarantee that that will work, but it might help.
  • a fan comments on gender differences and preferences regarding Star Trek:
    With regard to [name redacted's] comment about my letter in N/L 5 containing a sexist comment. As I'm sure she really understands, I didn't mean that women are INCAPABLE of understanding and appreciating the technical side of the series, Just less inclined to prefer that side of it. Most of the zine stories that I like best have been written by women, as they explore the in-depth personalities and feelings of the characters, whereas men will generally write stories that are action-adventure based. This IS a generalisation, and she may decry the fact, but you only have to analyse the contents of 5 or 6 zines to see this is true. It's even more true of the novels. I've just recently started a bock by a male author, where he makes a comment early on to the effect that, '... Kirk thought Spock was quite a good officer, really, and it would be a bit of a shame to lose the totally unemotional Vulcan if he should ever be transferred.' I'm afraid that with that perception of the relationship, I'm not all that interested in the intricate details of the battle with the Klingons which follows. This DOESN'T make me right, and him wrong, as we all get pleasure out of the series in our own way, and perhaps we should put it down as another facet of I.D.I.C.
  • a fan reports on Richard Arnold's comments at Rec-Con regarding the differences between US and UK cons:
    On Friday night Richard Arnold chatted for an hour and answered questions on the differences between American and British cons. American cons are run for profit not for charity, they are of course much bigger with more major guest stars, and run for a much shorter time, usually from about 10 am to 6 or 7 pm, Sat. and Sun. only; there are none of these bank holiday 4 day weekend marathons that we have. Apparently the hotel bars are never even opened because they charge such a high fee for the privilege? They don't usually have any of the other traditional (for us) con events like quizzes, auctions, fancy dress, con booklets or discos etc, and there aren't even places for sitting around to chat to friends. He said British fans are generally more reserved and polite than our American counterparts, and tend to treat our cons as weekend long parties rather than expecting to be entertained, and he said he enjoys coming to them a great deal....
  • there are a number of comments about the con report in the last issue for Intercon, see that page
  • there is a con report (retrospective) for Empathy Midi-Con, see that page
  • a review of Continuum #2, see that page

Issue 7

IDIC 7 was published in December 1989 and contains 68 pages.

cover of issue #7
TOC of issue #7
  • a review of Lifeboat, see that page
  • a review of A Legend Begins, see that page
  • a review of Make It So #2, see that page
  • a review of Scandals of Shikahr, see that page
  • a con report for Ne'A'Driar 3, see that page
  • there are several con reports for Midcon, see that page
  • there is an introduction to Star Trekkers: All Channels Open, see that page
  • a fan writes a short description of "Star Trek in Austria"
  • "Starships," non-fiction by Paul Wood
  • "James Blish Novels" by Michael Simpson
  • there is a "historical" con report for The Leeds Minicon '79, see that page
  • fiction, art, masquerade, craft winners from Rec-Con are listed, as is the amount of money for charity raised (two men dressed as women and Richard Arnold donated some items: "Overall, a total of £1450.00 was raised for charities, £605.00 going to each of the 2 charities; the NSPCC and The Motor Neurone Disease Association.)
  • "There Are Always Possibilities: How to Send Money to Britain from Germany" by Martin Stahl
  • there is a listing of Star Trek TNG second season episode titles and short description
  • there is a listing of articles in mainstream newspapers and magazines with mention Star Trek
  • this issue has a list of casting credits and synopsis of the fifth Star Trek movie
  • there are many comments on the recent movie, running the spectrum from "loved it," "disliked it," "tolerated it," but most were disappointed: one fan writes:
    Having said all that, I went to see it for a second time, and I enjoyed it much more -- maybe because I know what was in it, so I enjoyed it on its own merits. It's not a bad film, really, But it's not much cop as a Trek film. Roll on STVI -- let's go out with a bang, not a whimper.
  • the editors write:
    We are sure you all want to join with us and our German friends in celebrating the breaching of the Berlin Wall. Surely this, at last, gives ue all hope that the d!vision between East and West has been only temporary; that the invisible walls separating paople will go, too, and that the world can forget its differences and begin to build the future that Star Trek has shown us.
  • a fan comments on ST: TNG:
    The next generation, who grow up with TNG, will probably prefer it to ST. I know I always like the first version of a song that I hear and sometimes when the first is not the original, and then you do hear the original artist, you don't like that. Yet it 1s only because you are familiar with the one version. ST is mine, as it is my generation's. But I wouldn't want to stop people having TNG, and one day that will be someone else's, and their generation's, and I'll be glad to have been a part of both.

Issue 8

IDIC 8

cover of issue #8


Issue 9

IDIC 9

cover of issue #9


Issue 10

IDIC 10

cover of issue #10


Issue 11

front page of issue #11

IDIC 11 was published in August 1990 and contains 85 pages.

  • Latest Star Trek News (4)
  • Star Trek in the News (7)
  • Actor Info (9)
  • Patrick Stewart on ITV (11)
  • Diana Muldaur Profile (12)
  • Merchandise (13)
  • Postbag (14)
  • Frontiers - Guy Vardaman (34)
  • Frontiers - John de Lancie (38)
  • BBC Cuts (41)
  • Crossword Puzzle (45)
  • Book and Video Reviews (46)
  • Zine Reviews (50)
  • My Kind of Trek (55)
  • Zine Ads (57)
  • Zines - New Zines (57)
  • Crossword Puzzle Answers (57)
  • Con Ads/General Ads (64)
  • Local Group News (83)
  • a review of Frontiers, see that page
  • a review of Orion #29, see that page
  • a review of Make It So #1 and #2, see that page
  • a review of To Be or Not To Be, see that page
  • a review of Enterprise Log Entries #80 and #82, see that page

Issue 12

cover of issue #12

IDIC 12 was published in October 1990 and contains 75 pages.

  • Latest Star Trek News (4)
  • Star Trek in the News (6)
  • Actor Info (9)
  • Whoopi Goldberg - Profile (10)
  • Merchandise (11)
  • Star Trek Discography (13)
  • Postbag (14)
  • Holodeck Con Report (29)
  • Holodeck Comments (32)
  • Holodeck - Bill Theiss (35)
  • Holodeck - Joe Haldeman (36)
  • Retrospective: Terracon '80 (38)
  • ST:II - Just a Thought (39)
  • Project Genesis: Success or Failure (40)
  • Music of the Trek Films (41)
  • Star Trek USA/UK/Germany (42)
  • Next (Male) Generation (44)
  • Holodeck - Richard Arnold (46)
  • How Vulcans Raise Their Children (46)
  • Klingon Mating (47)
  • ST:TNG Stardate Guide (48)
  • My Kind of Trek (49)
  • Guide Dog Quiz - Answers (50)
  • Crossword (51)
  • Blish Paperbacks (52)
  • Book and Video Reviews (54)
  • Zine Reviews (63)
  • Zines - New Zines (67)
  • Crossword Answers (67)
  • Zine Ads (68)
  • Local Group News (74)
  • Con Ads/General Ads (75)
  • a review of Offstage Enterprise, see that page
  • a review of Enterprise Log Entries #81, see that page
  • a review of Home to Roost #1, #2, and #3, see that page
  • a review of Make It So #2, see that page
  • a review of Lonestar Trek, see that page
  • a review of Within the Mirror #4, see that page

Issue 13

IDIC 13

cover of issue #13


Issue 14

IDIC 14

cover of issue #14


Issue 15

IDIC 15

cover of issue #15


Issue 16

IDIC 16

cover of issue #16


Issue 17

IDIC 17

cover of issue #17


Issue 18

IDIC 18

cover of issue #18


Issue 19

IDIC 19

cover of issue #19


Issue 20

IDIC 20

cover of issue #20


Issue 21

IDIC 21

cover of issue #21


Issue 22

IDIC 22

cover of issue #22
  • a review of I.Q., see that page
  • a review of First Time #30, see that page

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 22

Now in it's 22nd issue, IDIC is a hefty bimonthly publication from the editors of Enterprise Log Entries, one of fandom's longest running fiction zines (now in it's 87th issue). Averaging 80 pages per issue (the most recent issue is up to 100 pages), IDIC a a digest-size zine printed on A4 paper. With over 700 subscribers, the editors have a hefty contributor base upon which to draw for articles and letters, which is clearly reflected in the contents of each issue. The zine is divided into several sections, including news, the Postbag (letters), essays and articles, book, zine. and video reviews, as well as con and club announcements and classifieds. The largest section is always the Postbag averaging 30-40 pages. After reading all issues of IDIC, can tell you that if you enjoy lively letter zines then you owe it to yourself to check out this publication. It has one of the best letter columns of any Trek publication I've read in the past couple of years (barring this publication, of course!). IDICt so carries a large number of timely reviews, essays and articles by a number of writers. Recent entries have included reports of several British and American conventions, a report on Sea Trek (the convention-on-a-cruise), the BBC's banning of "The High Ground." a humorous speculation on the presence of kitchens on the Enterprise, an episode guide to the first season of the proposed but never filmed second classic Star Trek TV series, as well as essays on the merits of the two captains and speculations on Janice Rand's lost years in Starfleet. Anyone interested in Trek. TNG or Classic, can find lots of interest in IDIC. I would recommend giving this zine a try. However, American readers should know that the BBC is only now broadcasting third season episodes of TNG This somewhat limits the scope of discussions for those American readers preparing to enjoy the sixth season this fall. Be that as it may. I think you'll still find the zine well worth your money.[3]

Issue 23

IDIC 23

cover of issue #23


Issue 24

IDIC 24

cover of issue #24


Issue 25

IDIC 25

cover of issue #25
  • despite the promise of zine reviews in the table of contents, there are none in this issue


Issue 26

IDIC 26

cover of issue #26
  • there are no zine reviews in this issue


Issue 27

IDIC 27

cover of issue #27
  • no zine reviews in this issue


Issue 28

IDIC 28

cover of issue #28


Issue 29

IDIC 29

cover of issue #29


Issue 30

IDIC 30

cover of issue #30


Issue 31

IDIC 31

cover of issue #31


Issue 32

IDIC 32

cover of issue #32


Issue 33

IDIC 33

cover of issue #33


Issue 34

IDIC 34

cover of issue #34


Issue 35

IDIC 35

cover of issue #35


Issue 36

IDIC 36

cover of issue #36


Issue 37

IDIC 37

cover of issue #37


Issue 38

IDIC 38

cover of issue #38
  • a review of Tantalus #5, see that page


Issue 39

IDIC 39

cover of issue #39


Issue 40

IDIC 40

cover of issue #40


Issue 41

IDIC 41

cover of issue #41


Issue 42

IDIC 42

cover of issue #42


Issue 43

IDIC 43

cover of issue #43


Issue 44

IDIC 44

cover of issue #44
  • there are no zine reviews


Issue 45

IDIC 45

cover of issue #45


Issue 46

IDIC 46

cover of issue #46


Issue 47

IDIC 47

cover of issue #47
  • a review of IDIC Log #19, see that page


Issue 48

IDIC 48 was published in October 1996.

cover of issue #48
TOC for issue #48
  • a review of Number One #2, see that page
  • a review of Mission Accomplished, see that page
  • a review of Children of the Sun, see that page
  • from the last editorial:
    So rnany of you have written expressing your regret at the club's closure and thanking us for running IDIC that you have made us feel quite guilty! However we still feel that we are closing the club at the right time. We are getting very stale and really need a break;and we would rather finish with a newsletter that we think you will enjoy than let the newsletters decline in standard. We have also seen both Beyond Antares and Spotlight on Leonard Nimoy closing down recently, possibly for much the same reasons, They were both good clubs and will be missed. We must point out that the success of the newsletter has not been due solely to us but to all of you who have contributed to them and we would like to thank regular contributors (in particular) for their input. Other than compiling news, what we have tried to so is give you a platform to communicate with each other and to share your joy of Star Trek.
  • a fan comments on how scarcity was a plus:
    The profusion of Trek on TV, in magazine, novels, merchandise, are the factors that are not destroying, but weakening, the cohesiveness or fandom. In the 70s we had so very little, virtually nothing in my area, so if we wanted more Trek, we had to work at it ourselves. That produced a family feeling, an immense network of contacts. Today, all you need do is lean back, choose a video or whatever, go to the local bookshop, and you can walk back home, "prey" firmly in hand.
  • another fan agrees that less was best:
    …fandom has changed (and not for the belter) over the last few years and we have lost something for it. Haven't you noticed how nostalgic we are all getting for the Good Old Days, when we had nothing and, basically, had to make our own entertainment? (zines, pictures, filk, costumes, cocktails....) But we had more tun doing it! I hope we can get back to that again…
  • a German fan writes:
    [This newsletter] helped me a lot to improve my English, and when I rend the new N/L I always felt at home. During the last years when ST and its fandom changed, IDIC remained a constant, something I always felt I could trust. And it never disappointed me. Of course the N/L changed during the years, but the spirit always remained the same. It is hard to express what IDIC really meant to me. Nevertheless I accept your decision. Eight years is a long time and means much work. I know this is our club. Of course there are many interesting moments I really enjoy, but there is also dull and boring work like licking 900 stamps every month. At the moment I still enjov the work but I don I know how I will feel about it alter doing it for 8 years, I think I will join another British club after IDIC closes since I don't want to lose contact with British fandom. I consider joining STAG, or perhaps one of the members will manage to publish a letterzine in the spirit of IDIC.

References

  1. ↑ The Data Protection Act was introduced by the UK Government and it applied to anyone keeping personal information about people on a computer; i.e. names & addresses. In certain circumstances if you printed the disclaimer you did not need to register under the Act.
  2. ↑ Stahl's article about Star Trek fandom in Germany was printed in an earlier issue of IDIC.
  3. ↑ from Engage! #15
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