King Grope

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Zine
Title: King Grope
Publisher: Ann Looker
Editor(s):
Date(s): September 1978
Series?:
Medium: print
Genre:
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links:
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King Grope is an explicit het Star Trek: TOS zine.

front cover by Alan Hunter
back cover, Robin Hill

The art is by Alan Hunter, Bob Shaw, Sandy Sapatka, Mick Eason, Gerry Downes, Maggi, Robin Hill, and Gordon Carleton.

The editor stated it would be the last Grope, mainly due to the limitations of the sexual content, the "seriousness" of many zines with sexual content (which included Kirk and Spock "laying" each other as well as McCoy), but in the end, three more issues of Grope were published.

It is a sister zine to a eight other "Gropes" as well as Alnitah.

From the Editorial

This zine has been produced to an impossible deadline and I would like to apologize in advance

for its shortcomings, as the bishop said to the actress;. At the time of writing this editorial I am within 5 days of losing my printing facilities, am waiting for nearly all the artwork and am having to scribble a story myself to fill up ten pages.

Therefore, if you find blank spaces in the zine you will have to imagine the beautiful illo that would have been there had it arrived on time," "Think, when I talk of illos that you see them..." I feel, however, that it's better to print a hasty issue than not to print at all, especially since Margaret Draper has been persuaded to continue her Kraithish saga with KIRK'S CONSTIPATION. For this relief much thanks.

I cringe at the first story. It's based on a good idea Margaret Austin had about 3 years ago. I wrote the first paragraph then and the thing has mouldered till now. And should have mouldered hereafter except that circumstances forced me to I resurrect it. You could start on page 13 if you wish.

[...]

This is probably the last GROPE. Apart from the imminent loss of my present printing facilities, I think that a lot of the fun has gone out of the X-rated scene. I may end up being part of something I don't really like-serious sex, for instance. Most X-rated Trek zines I've read recently are damned serious - and I think that's what most fans want. But I've now read so many stories where Kirk is laying Spock, or vice versa (with or without McCoy.), that I feel there is little need for me to add to that particular fantasy. I think GROPE has gone about as far as it can go without becoming dreary and repetitive. ALNITAH still exists and will consider story for publication, whatever the subject matter - the criteria are that it should be interesting and well written. I prefer to get out of the GROPE scene while I'm still enjoying it! After all, the GROPE formula is very limiting and, in some ways, it's remarkable that we've got to issue 6.

Originally it was planned as a one—shot but, to paraphrase Malvolio, some have Gropeness THRUST upon them... Although it's all been great fun my only regret is that I never got to do my religious issue called HIS HOLINESS THE GROPE.' Perhaps it's just as well...

Contents of King Grope

  • Up, Up, and Away!, editorial (2)
  • Eirwen by Ann Looker (3)
  • Diplomatic Incident by Jean Moss (13)
  • One Man's Mate by Jinx/Marion Dougall (reprinted from Obsczine) (16)
  • The Old Men's Comforts & How They Gained Them, poem by Val Colledge (a parody using Alice in Wonderland and Lewis Carroll) (22)
  • None So Blind by Anne Snell (Roland) (24)
  • Love Meld, poem by Anne Snell (Roland) (31)
  • Bondage, or Kirk's Constipation (A Tale of Human Endeavour) by Margaret Draper (a Kraith satire) (32)
  • Natural Selection by Penny Lansdell (44)
  • Turnabout Alternative by "A Lady" (Jim Kirk remains in Janice Lester's body after she is killed while in his own. They become lovers.) (This story has two sequels by Sue aka The Android in the first two issues of Entercomm; it is unknown if Sue aka The Android is the author of the original story.) (46)

Sample Interior

  • Bob Shaw

  • Alan Hunter

  • Sandy Sapatka, from "One Man's Mate"

  • Alan Hunter

  • Mick Eason

  • Gerry Downes

  • Maggi

  • Gordon Carleton

The Gropes

Reactions and Reviews

See reactions and reviews to None So Blind.

See reactions and reviews to One Man's Mate.

All are long out of print and difficult to obtain. I sincerely hope that #8 won't be the last, since I quite enjoy the sly humor and artwork, and the offbeat but mature writing. You won't find any too serious/dramatic, overwritten, overly sentimental, sophomoric tear-jerkers here. The editor herself said, in the "Editor's Postscript" to SON OF GROPE: "...the zine as a whole is not meant to be taken seriously, though certain individual stories may bring a tear to the eye, a lump to the throat, a wrench to the gut, or up yesterday's dinner! GROPE began as a light-hearted romp and, I hope, will continue in that spirit. The stories and poems...do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor nor are they intended to present a workable Star Trek universe—not even I think that the big E can function with its First Officer permanently on heat!" Some American readers may find some of the British writing hard to get used to. It should be noted, too, that the majority of stories are not K/S. In this case, the ability to appreciate Infinite Diversity certainly pays off! [1]

A Good Light Read, according to the ineffable Spider Robinson, is something that can compete with the distractions of a crowded bus, with no loss of enjoyment or comprehension. By extrapolation, A Good Very Light Read is a work that won't suffer from the Led Zep's blasting out fifty or so decibels a few feet away, (That's the Zep as in "Boogie with Stu", Gentle Reader, not as in "Bron-Yr-Aur".) This definition fits the last of the GROPE's: there's nothing new here, nothing startling or particularly insightful, nothing to send you wandering about like Hamlet with the book in your hand. What there is, is some solid entertainment, with here and there a slight, uhmm, prod shall we say, at the ol' grey matter.

The issue gets off to a notably unprepossessing start with Ann Looker's own "Eirwen", a stereo- and archetype-ridden tale of a succubus loose on the Big E. Had this been told from Eirwen's own point of view, with proper attention to characterization and a clear deline ation of her conflict between love and survival, it might have been a great deal more. "Diplomatic Incident", unfortunately, is no better, and its would-be sad/ironic-twist ending is given away by the illo.

Next is "One Man's Mate", which pits Kirk's tomcat habits and macho pride against Spock's sense of duty. The basic idea is a good one; it's a pity Marion Dougall didn't develop it more thoroughly. Nil desperandum, though, this is where we start to come to the good stuff, Val College's "The Old Men's Comforts and How They Gained Them" is a marvelously witty parody of Carroll's Alice, complete with illo in the original style. As the British say, it's a giggle.

Ann Snell's "None So Blind" is rather more serious, dealing as it does with a growing sexual attraction between Kirk and Spock. Those readers who find its premise "illogical" would do well to consider the function of pair-bonding in human warrior societies. The story is smoothly written, and its attention to psychological detail makes it easily the best in the zine. Best by conventional lit-crit standards, that is.

For sheer godawful proliferation of godawfuller puns, Margaret Draper's "Bondage, or Kirk's Constipation (A Tale of Human Endeavour)" rates some kind of prize, A large porcelain silver bowl, perhaps.

Then there's Penny Lansdell's "Natural Selection", an explanation of how tribbles learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. Another giggle.

Thish concludes with A Lady's "Turnabout Alternative", in which Kirk is permanently trapped in Janice Lester's body and must come to terms with his new sexuality. It's an obvious story, without any discernible depth, but it is enjoyable and a fair sample of the goods. If you prefer your adult material good-humored and only mildly raunchy, you'll probably enjoy not only KING but the whole GROPE series. As usual, art this time around is well-executed but sparse. Recommended. [2]

References

  1. ^ from Not Tonight Spock! #8
  2. ^ from Jane Aumerle in Star Canticle #2
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