Pop Stand Express Interview with Linda Ploetz
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| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Pop Stand Express Interview with Linda Ploetz |
| Interviewer: | Marie Antoine |
| Interviewee: | Linda Ploetz |
| Date(s): | 1987 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom(s): | fandom |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Pop Stand Express Interview with Linda Ploetz was published in Pop Stand Express #15.
She was a feature at the old Connexions and was always very generous with her time & tapes.
Linda passed away in Baltimore in August 2020. [1]
Part of a Series
- Pop Stand Express Interview with Kate Wallace
- Pop Stand Express Interview with Kathleen Condon
- Pop Stand Express Interview with Linda Ploetz
- Pop Stand Express Interview with Lizabeth S. Tucker
- Pop Stand Express Interview with Ming Wathne
- Pop Stand Express Interview with Susan M. Garrett
Some Excerpts
I was interested in ST when I was in school, but didn't know anything about fan clubs or how you got into them. My first real exposure came at a ST convention in New York in 1974. One of my brother's friends had heard about it and invited us to go along. So I went to that, and in the dealers room I saw some very bad fanzines, chock full of Mary Sue stories, so I didn't pay any attention to them... They were mimeographed on purple paper with red ink—really hard to read. And the only story that stuck out in my mind was something about the first woman captain in Starfleet, and she had Spock in love with her, and Kirk in love with her, and Bones was in love with her. I said to myself, "this story is unbelievable," so I never bothered to find out anything else. I didn't know there were hundreds of people producing all kinds of fanzines. I thought the ones I saw at the con were the only ones that existed.Awhile later I got a copy of a book called "The World of Star Trek," and in the back there was a listing of fanzines. So I sent away for a few things, liked what I got, and that's basically how I discovered fandom.
There was a comic book store near my job that I used to go to, and one day I went in and saw a copy of "Enterprise Incidents." There was a listing of several fanzines in there as well. So I ordered a few more. I think I got a "Naked Times," issue 2 or 3...Anyway, the zines I ordered had ads for other zines, and somewhere along the line I found out about Universal Translator. After I received my first issue, I went on a Trek ordering spree. For a while those were the only zines I bought, but one day I was flipping through and saw an ad for a Starsky & Hutch zine. I enjoyed watching the show, but the thing that made me by it, was the authors. I recognized a lot of names from Trek fandom, and because I enjoyed their ST stories so much, I thought I give SH a try, even though I couldn't imagine how someone could write fiction about a cop show. When I finally got a SH zine, I really liked it, and started looking for more... For the next few years I continued to buy only ST and SH zines. And then I found out about The Professionals. I first saw a few episodes at a convention, and then a friend sent me some stories.
I like small fandoms. Not too long ago, if you were interested in something that wasn't popular with a lot of people, nothing really happened with it. Now, if only a few people share an interest, sometimes a really good zine can come out of it. One of my small interests is The Equalizer. I love Edward Woodward, and try to see as much of his work as I can.
When I watch, say, Blake's 7, one of the things I really like about British programs is that the characters change from season to season. They grow and they develop. For example, you could not take Avon from the fourth season of Blake and put him in the first season episodes. He wouldn't fit. He's a different man. His personality, the way he dresses, even the ship has changed. They also kill off major characters, which is something that never happens in American shows. Except Hill Streeet, which is why I think I enjoy that program so much.