S and H (Starsky and Hutch letterzine)/Issues 16-20

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Issues 01-05 · Issues 06-10 · Issues 11-15 · Issues 16-20 · Issues 21-25 · Issues 26-30 · Issues 31-38

Sneak Preview: A new editor takes over and this sets the stage for a discussion over whether to censor zine reviews or simply ban them altogether. The publisher of the first m/m zine, Forever Autumn, talks about the risk to m/m zine publishers when underage fans lie in their age statements (as one fan apparently did). There is yet more discussion about m/m in the fandom (both for and against), however, for the first time Christianity is explicitly brought into the debate. The rifts between the two groups seems to be steadily growing. The first US m/m zine, Code 7 is still in the works, but the publishers express worry that the anti-m/m factions might do something more than just complain about its publication. No details are given as to what exactly they are worrying about although age statement issues are mentioned. And finally, the second Zebracon and its associated Huggy Awards are considered a success.

S and H 16 (December 1980)

front cover of issue #16, by Sue S
back cover of issue #16
  • contains 44 pages
  • art by Jane Davis, Jeff Dixon, Betty de Gabriele, Greg Franklin, Don Hunter, Ruth Kurz, Jan Lindner, Marilyn Mink, Joy Mancinelli, Cheryl Newsome, Sheiler Nichols and Kathy Pentland, Sue S (front cover)
  • the editor of "Off Duty" says she's had a few submissions and a couple of stories promised, but still has lots of room for stories, poems and art. She doesn't know when she'll be printing the zine.
  • the organizers of Zebra Con #2 reported there were 92 attendees (compared to 49 last year) and 34 supporting members. They were able to give $475 to charity, not as much as last year but "the expenses were much higher and people were a lot poorer."
  • a fan notes that for a place called Bay City, there is very little water shown
  • fans weigh in on having their phone numbers published in the letterzine. Some like it, some don't (citing phone calls at odd times due to time zones, and citing phone bills that are already too high), and some say they don't have phones
  • there is much discussion and extrapolation as fans compare and contrast "The Pilot" and the "Targets/Sweet Revenge Trilogy"
  • the editors talk of ceasing the letterzine, citing health problems and lack of interest in the fandom; they hope to find someone to take over for 3–6 months
  • a fan asks for more care-and-feeding of writers and better editing, saying that she has heard of too many zines lately that have been postponed or canceled and that "S & H fandom is fragile, and needs our loving attention to flourish. Don't simply sit back and expect to be fed."
  • a con report for Zebra Con #2
  • a review for My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys that is both positive and yet "disappointing," see that page for more
  • a review for My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys that is a little more positive than the prior one, Hopscotch, but also comments on the OMC that reminded her of a Dirty Harry character, and that there was an emotional distance between Starsky and Hutch, see that page for more
  • a review for Casa Cabrillo, "Recommended, with reservations," see that page for more
  • for sale by Melanie R, the "1981 S&H Calendar, a 6-page, 12 month, 11x17 visual delight. Artwork by Faddis, Lindner, Landon, de Gabriele, Kurz, Franklin. One hundred copies printed, no reprints."
  • proposed zines: All Our World in Us, Code 7, L.A. Vespers #2, "Off Duty", Pushin' the Odds, Ten-Thirteen, The Zine from U.N.C.L.E.
  • canceled and delayed zines: Dirtball Dispatch #2, Blond Blintz Bulletin, "Episode List" (complicated by the publication of the Starsky and Hutch Concordance), Me and Thee #2
  • forthcoming zines: Graven Images, Paladin #2, Records and Information
  • available zines: Crossfire, Casa Cabrillo, Hopscotch, Index (an index of contributors to this letterzine, #1-#12), L.A. Vespers #1, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, Paladin, One Shot, The Pits, Records and Information, Sins of the Father, Zebra Three #2 and #5
  • oop zines: Blond Blintz Bulletin, Copkiller, Currents #1, Dirtball Dispatch, Forever Autumn, Me and Thee #1, Partners, The Pits #1, Promises to Keep, The Striped Tomato, Zebra Three #1, #3, #4
  • regarding the back page of issue #15, a reader asks: "Could we have Hutch in a wreath of daffodils next time? Please?" In issue #17, there is a response.
  • the first letter starts off with a scold:
    Wish you’d make up your minds. In S and H #10 you complain because there were 54 pages, then you bitch in issue #15 because there were only half that number. And STILL you want us to restrain ourselves to two pages. Ye Gods… well, you’ll be lucky to get a page from me this time – I can’t sit at the typewriter for too long. No, I ‘m not gonna explain why either. So, I’m not going to debate on heroin addiction, or S/H, or camera angles, or take you to task over typos. It is the season of Peace and Goodwill, after all.

  • another fan complains (perhaps tongue-in-cheek) about the last issue's subtitle of "litterzine" rather than "letterzine.":
    Whose idea was to call it a litterzine, anyway? I don't tear mine to shreds and put it in with the kitty litter, because it's to valuable! Litterzine? That's absurd and it's also stupid!

  • a fan says she has seen a copy of Casa Cabrillo:
    [I've just had time to] turn the pages – not to read it yet. Theresa referred to a delay of two months in publication, but, for that beautifully evocative cover alone, two years might not be too much.

  • One English fan writes:
    I must say it would seem that the majority of the US fans are obsessed with this ‘gay’ theme, especially after reading the August issue. I only found out earlier this year that S/H meant ‘gay’ but does it really? S/H as far as I am concerned is another term when writing and/or. I have watched ‘Starsky and Hutch’ from when it first appeared on UK television and to this day have never once read into their relationships as gay. If you fans really ARE fans, then I don’t think you would say they are gay, also for the fact that neither Paul or David, I’m sure, would be very pleased to read that their loyal fans ‘read’ anything into the relationship of ‘Starsky and Hutch’ that isn’t. I expect by now, someone will think I’m a prude or something… I’m not! I see nothing wrong with a homosexual relationship if people are and want to be, but not when the people involved are not.

  • the creator of Forever Autumn writes that she has learned that:
    A certain person, whose name I will not mention, ordered, paid for, and received a copy of Forever Autumn while under age… CONSIDERABLY under age. I know this was an exception as [F M-K] vetted my sales list and knew most of them. Okay, so FA was mild compared to many of the stories currently circulating: deliberately so as being a) the first and b) hopefully a slightly different approach after the white-heat of many later K/S offerings. That’s not the point. The point is, an editor TRUSTS people when they claim to be over 18. I don’t want to be accused of corrupting anyone’s sweet and innocent young daughter, especially as I went out of my way to make FA proof against such things… This is mainly directed towards that person, and I hope she is reading this. She need not inquire about any further zines produced by myself, nor about anything of a sensitive nature produced by myself or friends of mine. Harsh? I guess, but then how would YOU feel?

  • a fan who gives her address as “Anonymous Lane, State of Anonymous” writes:
    Why is it that all of us women (and some men) love the guy’s faces (and fannies too) and think them very sexy – and then seem to enjoy reading and/or writing all these homo type stories? I could well expect Mary Sue stories but in the U.S. there has been a complete lack of them. This is decidedly strange considering that so many gals are in love with the guys. Mary Sue stories are being discriminated against! Why? Besides any facts of writing technique failure… First, I will not presume that all the writers are themselves gay… Here is my theory. People enjoy sex. They love to imagine making out with the guys… but writing about S & H falling for beautiful and intelligent women makes everyone else jealous. Besides that, it breaks up the wonderful, loyal, male-male bonding friendship which is what S & H is all about, and which is what attracts most readers. I mean if you want boy/girl boy, read a Harliquin Romance, okay? So, we get S & H making out with each other, described in detail or not. Sex is sex and the reader can get as much vicarious enjoyment out of it as the forbidden Mary Sue stories while keeping the characters loyal to each other.

  • a fan suggests there is a mid-point between S&H and S/H and that is S-(?)-H. She goes on to write:
    Sex is not love. It is a beautiful thing, both intimate and awesome, designed for pleasure as well as procreation. Sex is sharing. but, it is not the deepest thing that two people can share. If anyone assumes that it is sexuality that joins the men, then the deepest bonds of relationship, bonds that touch on spiritually, are neglected… There is room, I suppose, for the possibility of their sexual natures being expressed in a manner apart from the norm. But if the question we are trying to answer 'time spent in bed together' would cause us to miss the heart of the matter.

  • A fan responds to another’s previous letter using camera angles to analyze whether Starsky & Hutch kissed/almost kissed in the alley scene in the episode, “The Fix”:
    Thanks [to J L] for the effort, but the horse is dead, although the beating goes on. Everyone knows by now that edicts, even foot-noted edicts, are not infallible. We’ll consider the sources, form our own opinions as to which are better researched, and ignore those inflexible souls who are unable to live and let live. Stop frames can be fun, just as quotes taken out of context can be funny. They can also be used to hurt, as any newspaper proves, but in fandom I prefer to think the intent is to amuse, not force a personal belief on anybody.

  • The same fan writes:
    Thanks for the advice on the Striped Tomato. I think the same could be said for Forever Autumn, and not because of the mild S/H. Thirteen dollars is a lot to spend, and it’s no Casa Cabrillo. Now, that’s a zine.

  • a writer counts and comments on the number of episodes that have truly positive endings and comes up with only a few:
    If they weren't fictional characters, they'd both have been in rubber rooms... and with only each other to depend on, it's no wonder the fourth season was so full of tension. If they didn't love each other so much, they'd have killed each other during 'Partners'.

  • a fan says:
    A topic I'd like to see discussed in this zine is one that came up at Marian K.'s writers' workshop -- how come so many people write Starsky as a saint and Hutch as a neurotic mess? Granted, Hutch does have weaknesses, but he also has strengths -- and charming as Starsky is, he has a few quirks that make him far from perfect. Besides, if Starsky only kept Hutch around so he could prop up his ailing personality, the relationship probably wouldn't work very well for very long.

  • there is an announcement that there will be no Dirtball Dispatch or Blond Blintz Bulletin #2:
    Sorry, folks, but it just isn't working anymore. I have my own press and zines, and Paulie is getting more and more into Dr. Who'dom, and since we live so far apart now, working on zines together just isn't viable.

  • a fan says she has seen a lot of others' unpublished fiction:
    I've seen a few and with work they'd be good. Only they sit in desk drawers or languish in file cabinets... Bring them out, dust them off, and see what needs to be done to them... only don't expect Connie Faddis to illo it... unless she has the time... don't demand it to be published unchanged--none of us gets away with that, and don't fall to the ground like a wounded bird if someone doesn't like it... and has the courage to say so. Read the criticism and see if it is deserved... But, please, keep writing about the dashing duo, send them on spy missions, write a believable Mary Sue, demolish the Torino one more time... just write!

  • an ad from fan:
    Would anyone else like to contribute songs to my 2-hour round robin tape which is collecting S&H related songs? When filled, I'll make tapes of the whole thing for anyone who wants them. Send me a note or card to let me know if you have songs to add, and I'll send you a tape.

  • from issue #16, Greg Franklin

  • from issue #16, Jan Lindner

  • from issue #16, Betty de Gabriel

  • from issue #16, Greg Franklin

  • from issue #16, Jeff Dixon

  • from issue #16, some fandom cross-pollination by Marilyn Mink

  • from issue #16, Don Hunter

S and H 17 (January 1981)

front cover of issue #17, Cheryl Newsome
  • contains 44 pages
  • art by Jane Davis, Jeff Dixon, Pat Harris, Don Hunter, Signe Landon, Joy Mancinelli, Marilyn Mink, Cheryl Newsome (cover) and T’Vas
  • All Our World in Us is advertised, slated to be published by Bound in Leather Press “next summer”
  • there are several short Z Con reports
  • fan talks of trying to start a British letterzine, but there doesn’t seem to be much interest for it; she has gotten only a handful of jokes and two letters
  • the editor of the proposed zine, "Off Duty," says she doesn’t have enough submissions yet and unless she gets more, there won’t be a zine.
  • the 16 year-old (“and a half!”) fan who ordered Forever Autumn despite the age statement and who was scolded in the last issue says she had her mother’s permission and that, in any case, she was also an emancipated minor, and she states: "In matters such as this it gives me the rights of an 18-year old."
  • there is an announcement that the next three issues will be edited by Paula Smith; the letterzine’s editors say they feel confident in Smith’s editing:
    This method of farming out the Letterzine may work for the rest of its life. We will take it back for a month each time, to keep our hands in, and to introduce the next guest editor. We’ll run a guest editorial like Paula’s each time we change, and let you know who is going to do it, and what they expect to accomplish with it. I thoroughly expect some good ideas and ways of doing things to come out of it, in addition to the maintained interest in fandom and in the Letterzine itself.

  • an editorial by Paula Smith, the new editor, called “The Velvet Hand in the Iron Glove OR Godzilla of Sunnybrook Farm” says in part:
    Diana (the previous editor) urges me to put the stamp of my personality on the zine during my tenure.” Smith then proceeds to do just this by suggesting a "modified censorship. I don’t feel that right now there are any topics that require such severe handling, and it would of course be a last resort, but never say I didn’t warn you… It should be an interesting winter, neh?

  • the intensity of the letterzine begins to increase as a few subscribers apparently take the gloves off and respond to one fan/writer/reviewer who is known for her often contentious/critical letters. A small sample of some of the replies:
    • I don’t think that anyone in this letterzine or anywhere else I know of has called you 'stupid, deluded, or mendacious.' Calling the opposition names by suggesting that such names have been slung at YOU is an old political trick, and as Hutch says, ‘it stinks.' The only one in this letterzine who ever uses such vilification is you.

    • [name redacted], you’ve really done it this time. I’ve curbed my comments as long as I can but I can’t sit still any longer. Woman, you are one cruel, opinionated wimp, and I refuse to let you get away with your poison penning any longer.

    • Either buy glasses or improve your insight.

    • It is not useful or kind to dismiss a beginning writer’s story with one sneering line.

  • fan disagrees with another’s review of My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys in the last issue:
    What we have in ‘Cowboys’ is a very impressive and significant psychological study of survival and healing. IT IS FRUSTRATING. We want them to be like they were; we want them to be happy again… For the relationship to achieve its former status, each individual must rediscover himself. One can’t do it for the other, no matter how much they might wish to… It is this hunger for a resolution that lead [name redacted] to her disillusionment… On final comment regarding the review: to say to someone ‘your effort or product is flawed because it doesn’t meet my expectation of what you are capable of doing’ is to put someone in a position they are powerless to correct. There is no way Teri or I or anyone could ascertain what your expectations of her talent were, or what would have fulfilled them. In this sense, a comment of that nature is not constructive and may, in fact, be destructive if the person becomes paralyzed by other people’s expectations. It came across as criticism of Teri, her efforts, and her talent, not her story.

  • a fan writes of her belief that if Starsky had died at the end of ‘Sweet Revenge’:
    Hutch would have gotten himself blown away, and am I the only person who finds that kind of exclusivity in a relationship frightening? I love it, it’s beautiful and capable of reducing me to a mass of quivering jello on any given evening, but is “me and thee against the world” really desirable? And why do we all find it so damned appealing? I sure can’t figure out why.

  • a fan bemoans the lack of upcoming zines:
    Am I being paranoid or is there a shortage of zines on our horizon? I counted only four still accepting submissions in issue #16. That’s not enough to satisfy my appetite for the coming year… Where have all our zineds gone? If someone doesn’t do something quick I might get desperate enough to try editing a zine myself. The title has been floating around in my mind for a few months now… I’d call it ‘Soapy Scenes.'

  • another fan asks:
    Does anyone think a moratorium on new zines is called for until the writers can catch up with the demand for stories? I’m willing to wait. Stories written with care and helpful editing are always worth waiting for, aren’t they?

  • a fan is disappointed in the m/m stories:
    When I first watched S&H, I was really impressed that two guys could show their emotions so openly, express their affections, and not be though of as homos. This was a great advance from the typical stoic male behavior – afraid to show their emotions because they might be thought queer. Now all these homo stories mess it up. Any guy reading such fanzine stories or even some of the ‘proof’ of the guys’ gay tendencies in #16 are gone feel it is better to stay repressed if he doesn’t want to be thought gay. The guys were trying to start a trend toward openness and emotional freedom, but all these homo stories show that it definitely can be easily misinterpreted. Sad. In the last issue someone was saying that gay wasn’t the appropriate term for homosexuals. So, what is?

  • one fan writes (and follows up in a later issue with a diagram) that she has studied the "kiss in the alley” in “The Fix” and despite the fact she like to see one, platonic or sexual, that as an artist with much experience in rendering three dimensional objects to two dimensions, the kiss just isn’t there:
    I hope that someone with earned expertise in the matter might lend an opinion and, with luck, defuse an argument that could readily degenerate into name-calling. There’s enough bullshit being composted in the letterzine without that, too.

  • fan writes that:
    ... those who subscribe to the S/H premise don’t HAVE to explain it – or to explain away anything else in the aired series. Neither, for that matter, do non-S/H’ers who require no ‘proof’ of S&H heterosexuality beyond their own preference and/or artistic vision. The only ones in difficulty are those who maintain that a) S&H would never Never NEVER absolutely NEVER! and b) every frame of the aired series is Gospel. They, poor things, have painted themselves quite handily into a corner.

  • a writer says:
    I’d be perfectly happy to read an honest, well-written, believable story exploring either or both men’s heterosexuality. I can’t write one myself because I don’t believe it for my own universe, but I’d like to read about it happening in someone else’s. I’m willing to be convinced – for your universe.

  • the editor of Code 7 says the first issue is all filled up and any more submissions will go into a second issue:
    That’s right – C7 is not planned as a one-shot. We’re going to keep with it as long as there’s an audience for quality S/H… and I have a feeling that’s gonna be a long time! We’ve made the decision to go off-set – and bankrupt, too, probably but whatthehell!! – and are still planning to have the zine for MediaWestCon next May. I’m accepting deposits of $5 to reserve a copy, plus a SASE for final notification. I want to repeat – and perhaps unnecessarily – that C7 and World, [Jean C.]’s novel, are S/H. I’ve gotten some SASEs from people I had thought were against the concept, so I want to make sure there are no misunderstanding.

  • a writer says:
    I have been accused of infidelity to S&H by writing the infamous Professionals Hatstand stories, but I don’t see why we can’t flirt with couple of beautiful British men. I believe that they are about to be unleashed on unsuspecting L.A.

  • there is a review of Casa Cabrillo that starts out with:
    My Scots heritage bridled at first over laying out ten bucks for ANY zine, but this is quite the most impressive and possibly the best S&H zine to come out yet. Not every phrase in every story is sterling, but the overall quality is exceptionally high, and the zine is well worth the money.

  • why do we create fanworks:
    I would not go so far as to say that every interpretation of the characters is viable (which Webster's defines in part as being "workable") for everybody because not every story works for every read er. But everything works for somebody if only for the author. MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS did not work at all for me, for example, and neither did ONE WAY TRIP TO NOWHERE. Personal taste; if you're allowed, then so am I. Although I found ONE MAN'S DREAM delightfully amusing in its own way and on its own terms, those characters weren't my interpretations. But because I personally didn't agree with Teri, Shirley or Ruth in their handling of their characters, I don't think I can with any conscience term these ladies "parasites". They used familiar names for characterizations that don't match up with mine but that hardly makes them "parasitical" Unless, of course, all fan writers, poets, and artists are to be labelled as such because we use someone else's names and set-ups to make our own stories. If this is Indeed true, then there are many many people in Hollywood writing for TV series who are, by this reckoning, "parasites". Maybe the difference between being a "parasite" and being a pro is getting paid for it. But what the hell do we do this for anyway? Last March and again last June I was asked that question by a non-fan. Why do we "waste" our time and talents on a dead show? I don't think I got my point across to this non-fan, but basically what I said was t"485 We do it for ourselves. We do not do it for David Soul, Paul Michael Glaser, Joe Naar, William Blinn, Aaron Spelling, Leonard Goldberg, or Amanda Green. We do it be cause we feel like it. We do it because we get something(s) from it that we want and/ or need. W e do it for ourselves. Of course, we also keep Ma Bell and the Post Offices of several countries happy and solvent, but what the hell, right?

  • from issue #17 by Signe Landon, a companion piece to an earlier piece of Starsky and the request, "Could we have Hutch in a wreath of daffodils next time? Please?"

  • from issue #17, Don Hunter

  • from issue #17, Cheryl Newsome

  • from issue #17, Pat Harris

  • from issue #17, T'Vas

  • from issue #17, Jeff Dixon

S and H 18 (February 1981)

  • contains 56 pages
  • art by D. Hunter, R. Kurz (cover), J. Mancinelli, C. Newsome, P. Smith and T’Vas
  • submissions are requested for a zine called “Soapy Scenes”
  • there is an announcement that the the third Z Con is set. They have a date and a place and just need to sign the contract. The "darling man who showed up last time has promised to return for the whole con! Brave soul." [1]
  • the editor of Records and Information hopes to have a second issue out in late February
  • there is much discussion about “Timelines” in the show, i.e.: did S&H serve in the military together, how much time passes during the four seasons, how long was Hutch married, and how everything fits together
cover of issue #18, Ruth Kurz
  • several zine editors respond to the underage fan’s letter regarding the purchase of Forever Autumn, saying that it matters not that she is an “emancipated minor” --- under 18 is under 18
  • the editor of Ten-Thirteen says:
    The stencils went off this week so by the time you read this, it should be ready for mailing… It’s got some terrific stuff in it… [but] there are a couple of things I have had to make compromises on – we would have liked more artwork. But what we didn’t get, we couldn’t print, could we? I can understand anyone’s reticence in sending something prized and agonized-over across the Atlantic to an editor they did not know – but how about it for our second issue, people?

  • a fan ponders an earlier fans letter and writes:
    The question, as I see it, 'Does sexuality cancel out spiritual love? Does eroticism deny affection? Is love imperfect if it includes physical expression? The answer is a firm ‘NO.’ It is possible, of course to have sex without love… and love with out sex… but the two together, like S&H themselves, comprise a whole that is greater than the sum of the component parts… Love is one of the most complex emotions known to man, and it takes many forms… I do not intend to argue the point over S&H vs S/H – whether they do or they don’t is not at issue here. There can be no doubt that the motivation behind their relationship, whatever you conceive that to be, IS love… Their loving is what we relate to, and what we share.

  • in their announcement on page 1 of the letterzine, the Code 7 editors required an age statement with every order and limit one zine per order. Presumably, this is to prevent the sale and purchase of m/m fan fiction to minors, something that was discussed in issues #16 and #17:
    As you’ll see from our announcement, we’ve had to put some restrictions on the sales of this zine. It’s unfortunate; I’d personally like nothing better than to be able to sell to anyone and everyone, as many copies as possible – but we have to protect ourselves. We have to be careful; there are too many people out there just itching to cause trouble. So we’re being hard-nosed, yeah, because we have to.

  • a fan responds to another fan’s letter in the previous issue:
    'Homo’ stories. Jesus H. Christ. I thought it had been explained to you last time you used that word that it’s offensive. You don’t say ‘nigger,’ do you? And I seriously doubt that any intelligent male will be afraid to show his emotions because he reads an S/H story… but you obviously don’t know anything about what S/H is REALLY all about.

  • a fan echoes another’s comment that writing to this letterzine can make an average/new fan:
    ... "fearful, afraid and timid…. Like it or not, this letterzine can seem like a pretty formidable forum to break into. Because this fandom, like ANY fandom, has a tendency to coalesce into a hierarchy of fans.

  • a fan writes:
    I’m sick to death of the ‘is it or is it not a kiss’ brouhaha. I’ve seen the tape, too, and, I’ve formed my own opinion but have no intention of flinging it into the arena. I don’t give a good-goddamn about anyone else’s opinions, for or against. That does not mean that I’m going to say to the readership at large: ‘Drop the subject because I’m sick of it.’ If you pays yer money, folks, and sends in yer letter, yer gets it published. That is no guarantee that anyone is going to read your letter… There are some people whose letters consistently give me a swift pain, but you don’t hear me saying, ‘Stop writing to the letterzine, you’re making me sick,’ do you? Nope… I suffer in silence. Gag.

  • a fan takes another to task for taking another fan to task:
    You liked CASA. I didn’t. – chacun a son gout. But neither of us are qualified to review it. Whether you agree with [P W] or not, you should be aware that she has far more than adequately established her credentials. She is, in the opinion of many fans, one of our finest writers.

  • the editor of The Striped Tomato explains the errors in the zine:
    I was told that any spelling and grammar in my manuscript would be corrected by the lady printing the zine as she typed the stencils; it is therefore not my fault if this was not done. [And] the original artwork which I sent to the publisher was of first class quality, the artists had had many other samples of their work published in other zines, so care definitely not lacking. However, I must admit the finished product left a lot to be desired. I paid quite a lot extra for each piece of artwork to be reproduced by electro-stencils but instead the printer merely traced them onto a stencil. Most people seemed to make allowances for obvious printing errors, as I could have sold all copies of my zine twice over.

  • a fan agrees with a letter in the previous issue:
    You’re absolutely right. No sooner do Starsky & Hutch start convincing the world it’s okay for fellas to show they care for each other than these S/H promoters go and wreck it.

  • a fan wants to know why folks aren’t writing:
    S&H stories with mature themes. The lay stories exist in Trek fanfiction alongside the K/S stories. These lay stories appeared early and dominate the adult zine published. [name redacted] asked in the very first issue of S&H, June–July 1979, ‘Where are the lay-Starsky and lay-Hutch stories.’ In issue #17, [name redacted] asked the same question. That’s eighteen months, folks… There have been a number of zines published and proposed in the past year and a half. That seems ample time for a good adult zine… Someone please write me a believable love story.

  • a fan explains the lack of lay-stories:
    Can you imagine trying to sit down and write a S&H story that involved a woman in a romantic role when you are fully aware you’re going to be lambasted when the story comes out?... No, nobody wants to warrant more ‘trouble’ than they can, and there isn’t a faster way to get called on the carpet than to write a S&H romance that isn’t S/H.

  • a fan writes in defense of honest zine reviews:
    A zine is more than a labor of love – it is a commodity, something that is purchased with cold hard cash. And many fans simply don’t have the money to spend on something they are unsure of. I distinctly recall the howls of outrage about a certain zine that was considered a poor investment, and if memory stands me correct, no one did a review of it either.

  • one fan tells another:
    I’ve decided not to read your letters anymore. The only thing they are good for is ruining a perfectly good day.

  • a fan doesn't like the UK word for "slash", which is "stroke":
    Actually, my main complaint about S/H is the term 'Starsky *stroke* Hutch.' It is just too coy. I like *slash*. It sounds so masculine, like passion in the night and lust that strikes like lightning. *Stroke* sounds so cutesy. *Slash* sounds dynamic, dominant, daring, and exciting." She goes on to suggest, tongue-in-cheek” some other terminology: “SxH (Starsky loves Hutch), S!H (Starsky finds Hutch exciting), S$H (Starsky would buy Hutch anything), S?H (who knows and how cares?), S:H (it’s really none of my business), S#H (I don’t know how close they are, but if they are happy, what business is it of mine… or simply S=H or SH. [2]

  • fan encourages some other fans to continue writing in both Starsky and Hutch and Professionals:
    Keep on Hatstanding, for pity’s sake. When I can’t get hold of fresh S&H and S/H, Bodie and Doyle are pretty good in the way of methadone.

  • a fan doesn’t consider Starsky and Hutch to be homosexual but she is a great supporter of S/H:
    Their commitment to each other is so great, and is under constant stress of danger, and imminent breaking by death, that the final step to complete it seems inevitable. If they were bank clerks or drove trucks, it probably would never happen. But they are cops, risking their own and each other’s lives…but I cannot envisage them having the need, or the inclination, for a sexual relationship with any other man. The keyword for Starsky and Hutch is ‘love.’

  • a fan want to know:
    ...why nobody’s been objecting to the Harry/Johnny series, while anything S/H gets tromped on. Discrimination? Or all the anti-S/H people Starsky-PMG fans who don’t care about Blondie in any incarnation whatsoever? Curiouser and curiouser.

  • from a fan who lives in an area where the show is not rerun, does not own a VCR, and only saw the show during its first run:
    However, I did audio tape every show and then in the six days between the episodes, I would laboriously copy, line by line, every word of dialogue. I would also include notes on physical movement, clothes, and prop placement that I had taken down while viewing the show.

  • a fan writes:
    I am a Christian, and I see a lot of God in S&H… I believe that wherever there is a lot of love, there is a lot of God… In fact, I wish many of my fellow Christians could get into S&H! If they would only open their eyeballs long enough they might learn something about all that love we’re always preaching about!

  • a fan dislikes the reviews as she finds them often cruel, demeaning and ultimately discouraging:
    I have never particularly liked the idea of the work of amateur writers being reviewed in public…I would like to see the reviews section stopped once and for all.

  • from a fan regarding My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys:
    I think most people are dissatisfied with COWBOYS because its main emphasis is actually on someone else besides Starsky or Hutch and fandom may not be ready for that as of yet. While I enjoyed it—not enjoy, that's the wrong word, perhaps it would be better to say that it held my interest--there was a feeling of emptiness due to the lack of hope in the story. When Teri told me that it was finished, I remember saying that I hoped that it was not as much of a downer as the previous one. Now I understand her laugh better.

  • the editor clarifies her comment about “modified censorship”:
    I have seen many lettercols and zines get tied up or even knocked off by fruitless debates. How would it be if the editor had the power to warn the membership that some controversy had gotten out of hand, and then close the subject for the next two or three issues? The members' would either have to keep the subject out of their letters themselves or have it done for them, during the moratorium. After that, the subject would be available for comment again, just like everything else. Only one subject could be impounded like this at any given time, and the same subject could not be so treated twice, or, twice within a year. The advantage of this would be to break the back of a pointless argument, but if the subject were still a matter of real concern, would still allow it to be discussed again... I think something of this sort could be useful in a lettercol zine, though not necessary, since in the long run a dipshit debate will destroy it. However, it's in the short run that it can kill or cripple a forum. Censorship is an evil word—and an evil concept. I don't pretend that my proposal isn't a form of it. But acrimonious chaos is an opposite evil. There is room to operate in the middle. At the moment there is only one topic that I think requires "such severe. That's the personal invective that has been flying more heavily than usual lately. [name redacted] called [name redacted] a wimp, so [name redacted] calls [name redacted] an expert on cesspools. Next month somebody'll howl at [name redacted]. This is inane. I understand the impulse to screech, 'I can't let her get away with that!'—I think I felt it approximately 87 times while typing up this month's copy; but I had to censor myself. There are people who are gratuitously offensive. There are also people who are hypersensitive. Not every thing in every letter is for everyone; after all, we're reading each other's mail. But we also have to keep in mind that a lot of people we don't fully know are reading our mail; how badly do we want to sound silly, spiteful, or pompous in front of them? The best control is self-control. Don't make an editor have to tone you down—you won't like it, and neither will the editor. Some folks are hobbits: they need to be aware there are wider vistas than that of Bag End. Some are wizards: they must take care not to strike and blast as forcibly as they feel like, because there is always some fuzz-footed clown out there just itching to swipe yer Ring. The most useful thing anyone can learn is when to shut up. Like now.

  • from issue #18 by Cheryl Newsome

  • from issue #18 by T'Vas

  • from issue #18 by Joy Mancinelli

  • from issue #18 by Cheryl Newsome

  • from issue #18 by Don Hunter

S and H 19 (March 1981)

cover of issue #19, Jean C.
  • contains 52 pages
  • Paula Smith says she’s been asked to remain on as editor until May and then a new editor, [M R], will take over
  • It has a variation of the title on the cover, "A Starsky and Hutch comment, review, snarl, and letterzine."
  • there is more discussion over timelines in canon
  • there is some more discussion regarding "where are all the women in the show?"
  • art by S. Bird, Jean C., C. Faddis, R. Kurz, J. Mancinelli, C. Newsome, T’Vas
  • a fan disagrees with the “unkiss” and provides a helpful diagram along with extremely complicated description of angles and trajectories and profiles
  • the mother of the aforementioned-underage-ordering-fan writes and says she was the one who ordered Forever Autumn. She provides her phone number and offers to send a copy of her driver’s license.
  • a fan likes and dislikes the idea of the “modified censorship” but has no idea how it could reasonably applied:
    Maybe we should all declare a self-moratorium on some subjects unless we have genuinely new thought or insight to offer. I should hope we can all control ourselves on the subject of beating topics to death and personal attacks. We're all fans of S&H because it shows love and compassion, so surely we can emulate a little of it, huh?

  • another fan comments:
    Censorship, [name redacted], is an obscenity, but so is the petty behavior many of us have indulged in lately. We're better than that, or so I'd like to think, but if we can't be mature enough to muzzle ourselves, maybe we need someone to do it for us. Sad. Me? I was a bitch last month, and if I offended anyone, I apologize.

  • a British fan says:
    Over on this side of the pond, ‘slash’ is slang for taking a leak. I'll stick with SH. I like to see them in such close proximity.

  • the editor of Code 7 writes:
    Those of you interested in CODE 7—you'll see in the back that it's turned out to be a pretty expensive zine. I'd like to apologize for the cost...I'd like to, but I can't. With such a limited print run, and not being able to hawk it at cons and such, we're losing an arm and a leg—apiece--getting the damn thing printed. I do think it'll be worth it. We've gotten terrific fiction and incredible art… Do get your orders—or at least deposit to me by May 1, though. We're only printing enough to fill orders plus contributors' copies. There won't be any extras. Second issue? Yeah, sure. This one filled up so fast we've al ready got some stuff that has to be held over. #2 probably for next May, but that's getting a bit ahead of things.

  • an editor takes another to task for blaming her typist and printer for errors:
    Yes, it is your fault. Your responsibility, rather. As the editor of a zine, you and no one else is responsible for it, every single aspect of it, from typing to printing to mailing. Many people work on any given zine, but in the long run it's the editor's name on the masthead and the editor who is finally responsible.

  • a fan writes:
    The only part of the S/H premise that I actually disagree with strongly is the tendency to put one or the of them in a diaphanous negligee or black lace cocktail dress.

  • a fan addresses another one personally:
    I don't think you're nearly as stuffy as some of your letters have sounded. I think you're just doing it ‘tongue in cheek,’ so to speak. Not to say that you're not a very intelligent and articulate woman. You are. I just sometimes get the feeling that you're like my friend Pam, who will argue just because she likes to argue. Actually, argue isn't the correct word. Debate would be better. She'll take the opposite view in a minute if she thinks it will bring on a rousing debate. She's good at it, too. Almost as good as you are. I just wish fandom could come up with some different issues to debate. Even you, as head of the debating team, must get tired of hashing over the same old issues. How 'bout a new topic, [name redacted]. Your choice.

  • regarding stories with serious female love interest:
    Who is writing the straight "lay" stories? Hardly anyone. I’ve seen a few and most are forgettable. Mary Sues aside, no woman can compete with the bond that exists between our two favorite cops. That bond and the mythology of it has assumed such proportions as to be insurmountable for most writers. How can anyone write a believable love interest for one or the other and not alter the friendship in a negative way? I don't think it can be done. The time-honored concept of brotherhood—of-brothers-—is far too strong to admit a third party.

  • a fan comments on H/C:
    Even those writers who are violently opposed to the concept of S/H understand this [the close brotherhood of men], if only subconsciously. The incredible flood of hurt/comfort stories are so tantalizingly close to being sexual that it's almost painful (and funny). These writers turn out page after page of lovingly detailed torture and humiliation, loaded—-albeit unconsciously--with sexual symbolism, solely for the purpose of flinging S&H into each other's arms and having them gasp: ‘I love you...buddy,’ "I love you too, babe,’ chaste kiss, fadeout. They return to their old habits. Really now! How close can they come to bed before they fall in and make love with joyful abandon?

  • a fan is furious with another fan [they are both working on a well-known zine together; one is the writer, the other the artist] and tells her so:
    It is rather difficult for me to write this, as I am both furious and hurt, but I to make very clear that I resent the hell out [name redacted] bringing my private correspondence into the letterzine as an attempt to pick points off my comments on the un-kiss in ‘The Fix… “You have no business bringing mine or anyone else's personal correspondence into a public forum; it is a breach of privacy and poor form, at the least. Beyond that, you are in no position to know what my current opinions regarding S/H are or are not, as I haven't corresponded with you about that or anything else of substance in at least ten months, other than to ask you for clarifications on parts of [zine title omitted] in order that I might accurately reflect your intended meanings in the illustrations. Damn it, woman, you make it god almighty difficult to work with you on anything.

  • a fan writes:
    …While I don't particularly believe in the worlds of S/H, I enjoy reading the best of the genre, and I think I've seen some thing like 2000 pages of the genre, almost all of it underground stuff (though much of it will surely be published--and should be). I'm no t trying to be facetious when I say that I enjoy S/H stories much as I enjoy fairy-tales or myths: worlds that require a suspension of disbelief at some level, but which nevertheless are rewarding and thought-provoking.

  • regarding the flap about the underage fan ordering Forever Autumn:
    I don't remember any of this hush-hush, show-your-I.D. business going on with the K/S stuff in Trek fandom...what happened? This ‘keeping it in the family’ attitude scares me. I more or less assumed people in this fandom trusted each other a little. Oh well, I'm only twenty years old, what the hell do I know anyway. If that is what it's like to be ‘grown-up,’ I want nothing to do with it. End of subject.

  • a fan contemplates S/H: '
    By the way, the question of what S/H really is has been a morsel for thought in this quarter lately, and the more I read, the more I come to the conclusion that the rift isn't always as wide as it appears. My Starsky and Hutch love each other, as intensely as most of the S/H people claim theirs do. But they are not lovers. The idea that a sexual relationship is the only way to complete such an intense friendship is beyond me, though. Yes, I can imagine sharing a bed once in a while, especially when one or the other has or is having a hard time of it--nightmares, safety in numbers, whatever else, but they are not lovers...to me, that is so out of character, any attempt to take it seriously makes me laugh. But up to that point...I guess it’s all a matter of what shade of gray you're looking at.

  • a fan comments on Harry/Johnny:
    As for the Dirty/Davis thing, since it's private and goes only to people who know what it is and want to read it, it's not open to review—and it's free of pretensions; the authors are writing simply for the fun of it...kind of like all the erotic Trek stuff was until the zines started publishing and the debates began.

  • about the lack of women/love interests on the show?:
    All that I can say is this: that in over twenty years of TV viewing, I have seen Bonanza brides bite the dust, I have seen Ben Casey's cutey get killed, I have seen Joe Gannon's gal bust a blood vessel, I have seen one Hardy Boy bride get blitzed, and I've seen Starsky's sweetheart conveniently check-out and Hutch's honey hang it up. What I want to know is this: what do script writers have against women?!

  • fan suggests a symbol change:
    Liked your idea that if S/H bothers people we should change the symbol. But how about S*H for those of us who don't really believe S/H but like to read it anyhow?

  • a fan echoes a common suggestion regarding m/m stories:
    For people who object to S/H— well, nobody's forcing them to read it. I've never been handed a zine with S&H on the cover shaking hands over the hood of the Torino only to open the zine and find them shaking something else in the back seat. S/H is clearly labeled and easy to avoid if you want to. No one's being forced to read it. No one's being tricked into it.

  • a fan apologizes for her use of the word “homo”:
    Sorry to offend so many S/H fans… by calling S/H stories "homo." I honestly thought that was better than "gay" since it derives from the correct descriptive word, "homosexual"—and I heard "gay" disparaged as a term a few issues back. If someone called the guys "hetero," would that be a dirty word? Who was talking of generic names? "Lovers" sounds sweet, but, for instance, if someone said Starsky had a lover, I wouldn't know if they meant a guy or gal or both!

  • a first-time letter writer weighs in on S/H:
    Where do I stand on the S/H issue? I don't know, I've never read an S/H story and never even knew (in all my naiveté) that the issue existed until I read an S&H fanzine back in October, 1980. So my position is one of principle, not of application. I don't understand why some people are so upset over the issue being discussed in this zine. This is America, freedom of speech and all that. Besides, I agree with [J C] when she says that S/H fen aren't trying to convert others—they're just airing their views and eliciting response from interested I'll offer more after I've read S/H fiction.

  • a review of Ten-Thirteen. See that page for more.:
    This zine is good. The only fault I could find was in the artwork, which, aside from the beautiful Faddis cover, was neither outstanding nor plentiful… The mimeo is legible, the variety of stories is excellent, the humor is legible, none of the poetry woke the diabetes and there is a warm, comfortably fannish feeling about it all, a sense that the editors were having a hell of a good time putting it all together and wanted to share the fun… Those who are bothered by / is a story can skip pages 99-102 and be none to worse for wear. Those who want to read that particularly can peruse those pages first thing.

  • from issue #19, Cheryl Newsome

  • from issue #19, T'Vas

  • from issue #19, Ruth Kurz

  • from issue #19, diagram by a fan to illustrate "the kiss/not kiss"

  • from issue #19, S. Bird

  • from issue #19, T'Vas

  • from issue #19, Cheryl Newsome

  • from issue #19, Joy Mancinelli

S and H 20 (April 1981)

cover of issue #20, Cheryl Newsome
  • contains 48 pages
  • a fan asks: "Whatever happened to Then We Can Be Heroes and/or Bird of Paradise?"
  • one fan announces she is retiring from active fandom, though she will still write letters to the letterzine
  • a fan goes on and on in great detail (angles, percentages, profiles, frames…) regarding “the kiss in the alley diagram,” in the previous issue
  • the editor of Casa Cabrillo notes that the uncensored, unedited Locs for the zine will be sent to the contributors as soon as she can locate a xerox machine
  • several short poems by fans
  • art is by Connie Faddis, C. Frashure, Ruth Kurz, Joy Mancinelli, Cheryl Newsome (front cover) and L. Walter
  • proposed zines: Enigma, “Late Bloomer” (“taking S&H submissions. Death or permanent injuries not acceptable. Send SASE to Southpaw Press/Beth Patton”), Pushin’ the Odds, “Soapy Scenes”, The Zine from U.N.C.L.E.
  • forthcoming zines: Code 7 (“available late May, one copy per customer, no reprints, $10 in person”), L.A. Vespers #2, Syndizine #2, Ten-Thirteen #2, Zebra Three #6
  • available zines, Casa Cabrillo, Hopscotch, Judge and Jury, Menagerie #17, Mini Zine #2, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, One Shot, Records and Information #1 and #2, Sins of the Father, Ten-Thirteen #1, The Pits #2, Vermont Avenue, and Zebra Three #2 and #5
  • a British fan who doesn’t like sex in fiction is glad for clarification about what “Crisco” is, but appears to not have thought the definition through:
    Thank you for explaining ‘Crisco.’ It sounded much worse in [name redacted]’s sentence.

  • a reader comments the lack of women in S&H fiction:
    A shortage of lay-stories? I can go along with a lot of theories put forward. It would be difficult to find the space to develop a strong relationship with a woman, do justice to the S&H relationship, and incorporate a sound plot. Anyone else like me, who could perhaps tackle writing a love story (straight), but doesn't feel she has the ability to invent a plot? And, of course, we don't want to be accused of writing Mary Sues. Maybe I'll keep my fantasies to myself.

  • a fan likes the show’s portrayal of women:
    I've always liked the realistic cross-section of types of women we encountered on S&H. Some were strong, and some weren't. They came in every shade of intelligence, integrity, compassion, depth, and strength of will. There weren't many I'd call "dippy" though that's a favorite description in the Letterzine pages.” And, “At least on S&H we didn't get an endless succession of examples of the Bonanza Syndrome (falling in love with a Cartwright was the leading cause of death on the frontier) and did get a little variation in what became of their ladies. Abby lasted quite a while, half of one season and half the next, before the danger of Hutch's profession was brought home to her in rather vivid terms and, being of sound mind, she got out. Gillian caused her own death...she could have gotten away from Grossman without a confrontation, but true to her impulsive nature, she provoked a fatal one. Vanessa likewise engineered her own doom, and it only happened to take place at Hutch's apartment... she had long before left Hutch and was only there because she was using him as a one-night hiding place; he had nothing to do with her death. Helen died by coincidence... she was killed by a psycho, and her death likewise had nothing to do with her relationship with Starsky. Rosey didn't die at all...she had a daddy fixation and went with him. Terry did get killed specifically because of her association with Starsky. One outta six ain't bad. I thought S&H was rather remarkable for its constraint in bumping off ladies.

  • a fan is unhappy with the letters to the letterzine and asks for levity:
    This Letterzine often makes me laugh, sometimes makes me cry, occasionally bores me to distraction, and frequently infuriates me. Which is all well and good, but lately it seems to be doing more and more infuriating and causing less and less laughter. My God, we've all become so deadly serious , somehow. With notable exceptions, very few letters are fun to read anymore. Or fun to write, I suspect. The Letterzine itself has lost something--the attitude has changed. What with A disagreeing with B, and C calling A a nasty name, and D jumping on C...no one's even discussing important subjects like jeans anymore! This trend away from lightheartedness is evident in many of last month's letters. Including my own, I admit. Can't we all lighten up a little, huh? Fandom is fun--or should be— and this is our forum for expressing ourselves, for letting all our fascinating peculiarities and delightful differences come through.

  • the editor of Code 7 explains the reasons for a low profile:
    On the subject of CODE 7, [name redacted] wondered last month, "What is everybody so afraid of?...people in this fandom trust each other." *Sigh* I only wish that were true. Unfortunately there are people out there — in fandom and out — who are ready, willing, and able to cause a great deal of trouble for anyone putting out an S/H zine. We have to be careful; we have to protect ourselves any way we can. And that includes placing restrictions on ordering, demanding age statements, and so on. It's a damn shame things have to be this way, but we have to deal with the realities. Editors of S/H have to keep a low profile. It's not because we want to. We have to. Enough said?

  • a new fan weighs in on S/H:
    The S/H question is one worth continuing because it has such implications in the whole area of human relationships and our attitudes toward them. It's regrettable that the discussion has often gotten so personal and heated at times; let's hope we can all lighten up a bit. If physical scientists are capable of deriving widely varying interpretations from the same data (which are presumably quantifiable elements in rigidly controlled situations), we should hardly be surprised at the outcome when the data are human behaviors. If one factors in all the possible variations, both cultural and individual, of both the observed and the observers and add to this the well-recognized psychological phenomenon of selective perception, it's hardly surprising that all sorts of different conclusions are reached. Everybody seems to agree that S&H have a love relationship, and a very special one. The basis for discussion lies in such questions as: is any woman likely to be as important to either one as they are to each other? what complexities in the relationship would arise from such an added factor? could their relationship continue indefinitely as friends-not-lovers? is it possible that it could become a sexual one? how likely is it? What we each decide depends as much on what appeals to us as on the observable data (the aired episodes). The data do not rule out any of the above possibilities as far as I can see. Personally, there's some thing in my romantic soul (damned if I know what) that likes the idea of them being lovers as well as friends—just as I chose to believe that John Steed and Emma Peel were getting it on. Maybe it's the matchmaking instinct, wanting to see two people you like a lot get together.

  • a fan, and the letterzine’s European distributor checks in:
    I just mailed nearly thirty copies of the Letterzine to readers in England, Wales and Scotland. By Express Delivery, their time from Kalamazoo was about four days. Seems we're distributing the Letterzine as fast as it can be done these days. Constraints of Christmas and New Year posting obviously bring some delays, but no problems lately. This lot wasn't opened by H.M. Customs—a fate which did befall the February issue. I'd wondered whether Customs men might be standing in line, expectant, impatiently, for the next thrilling installment.

  • a fan sends a shout-out to another “Christian fan” and says:
    I used to think the world had this fixation with sex. Now it seems to be developing into an obsession with GAY sex: it seems to be an ‘in’ topic both in and outside S&H fandom. I find this even harder to comprehend. Is sex the highest expression of love? I don’t think so. Jesus said that in heaven people don’t get married, they like the angels (Luke 20:35). So if there’s no place for marital, i.e. sexual love in heaven, it can’t be the best God has planned for us. Anyway, sex all too often doesn’t include real love. Spiritual, brotherly love strikes me as closer to God’s love, anyway. I’m a little annoyed by the apparent shortage of general S&H zines being produced. Most of the recent ads seem to put me off ordering the zines. I appreciate being warned about the contests, of course, but I feel a bit frustrated. Surely I’m not the only fan who dislikes S/H, explicit sex and violence? Sex, in my morality, is a private personal thing, even when fictional characters are involved: details should be left to the reader’s imagination.

  • a fan contemplates the future for S&H:
    I am quite convinced that S&H have, at most, a short future. As with Butch and Sundance, wouldn't we rather they went out in a blaze of glory than lived to retire and become bank clerks or whatever? Just think, they'd grow old! Seriously though, the way they work, the risks they run, the enemies they make, isn't sudden death more likely?

  • about the zine “Soapy Scenes”: [Note: this zine never made it off the ground.]:
    For those who have asked, it is coming along nicely. With the stories in hand and the stuff promised, I have close to seventy-five pages already. Not bad, but I want more! I know there’s more soapy stuff floating out there, and I want it in my mailbox! Where all the missing scenes and the alternative ending and the what if stories? Clean out those file cabinets, and desk drawers, friends. I want your long stories. I want your vignettes. I want poetry. I want humor and I want it all yesterday. Artists, I know you members of fandom’s rarest breed are swamped. For you I’ll wait until next Tuesday, but won’t some of you please volunteer? Must I publish fandom’s first almost unillustrated zine? (she said, bravely stifling a sob). While I’m on the subject, I’ve had a few enquires about whether ‘Soapy Scenes’ is to be an S/H zine. My zine listing says ‘All themes considered’ and I do mean ALL scenes, S/H or otherwise. I simply don’t have it in me to reject a really good S/H story, so ‘Soapy Scenes’ will probably reflect my own position on the S/H question… firmly on the fence, but I’m going to try something a little strange. Clean Young Ladies need reading matter, too, so for the underage and the anti-S/H crowd, I’m going to publish an expurgated version of the zine which will contain everything except the explicit material. At a reduced price, of course. The regular zine will be ‘Adults Only,’ age statement required, the whole bit. One other point; I am the editor of ‘Soapy Scenes’, and the responsibility for its success or failure is mine alone. I accept that, but there's no way I can do this thing all by myself, so I've asked Dottie Wilkerson and Perky Bills to help. They will be helping me to decide on all the material submitted. All potential contributors should be aware that their stories will be read by these two other persons besides myself.

  • regarding negligee:
    What ‘diaphanous negligee or black lace cocktail dress’? I will admit that Starsk commented to his partner, "Oh, I don't know. Ya know you look rather nice in basic black and pearls." But he never specified a black what. [Name redacted] said [in the last issue] she'd read about two thousand pages of S/H. That's a good round number, give or take a few universes. In all those pages I have yet to see a "diaphanous negligee or black cocktail dress." S&H aren't queens. Starsky will admit that Hutch can be a bitch at times, but he wouldn't let anyone else say that and get away with it. And Starsky certainly wouldn't expect his lover to wear yards and yards of chiffon. It's out of character. A writer cannot force a character--one of her own creation or some one else's--to do anything he doesn't want to do. Starsky is as stubborn as they come. He stands with his hands on his hips and dares you to do something stupid. If I suggested that either of the guys don feminine attire, Starsky would throw my typewriter out the window. And I just got it out of the shop. One possible exception might be an undercover assignment in which they were required to go in drag. Now that could be an interesting story.

  • a fan comments on The Huggy Awards:
    These awards are as important to us as an Oscar is to an actor. I think it's important that qualifications be established. For instance, only zines published between last year's con and October 15, 1981 be eligible for awards. I don't think it's fair for a zine that's only available at the con to win awards when no one has really had time to read it. Perhaps a list of eligible zines could be available at the registration desk.

  • the editor talks of the monetary funds it takes to keep the letterzine going:
    As you know, postage is going up again. That means the price of the zine may be going up again. Those of you who have been active in fandom for any length of time already know how much time, effort, and money goes into fan publishing. There is no profit. The litterzine continuously operates in the red. [D B] and I consider it a hobby and float the extra funds. We do this because we enjoy doing it. We know that most of you understand and appreciate our efforts. There are a few of you, however, who have an irritating habit of criticizing at the most inopportune moments. For instance, saddlestitchers are expensive. If those of you who insist on having your zine stapled wish to donate the appropriate instrument to the good of the cause, we'd gratefully accept it.

  • a fan asks
    Has anyone ever written or published a sequel to "The Fix"? It's always seemed to be a logical one to write a sequel about, but I've never seen anything on it." [the editor could only think of one story, which illustrates the small amount of fiction available to fans at the time]

  • the organizer of Dobey Con says there will not be a third one:
    The last one was tough enough and left me feeling very equivocal about its success and the value of another attempt. I won’t go into reasons, and I hope it won’t be said that I can’t take criticism, but I feel that now is the time to pull out, rather than halfway through arrangements for another con. However, if anyone would care to take up the mantle, I will be happy to advise wherever I can.

  • the author of Forever Autumn writes:
    I feel ought to make clear is that the proposed sequel to Forever Autumn, “The White Ocean,” does not and will not at any time see print. I apologize to those few people who were kind enough to show an interest in it. The simple fact is that the S/H muse has totally deserted me.

  • a reader comments on S/H:
    I still don't particularly care for the gay angle for them, but then I was positive that I didn't want to read any such K/S stories either. When I read several that treated the subject and characters with care and beauty, I decided it wasn't such a bad idea after all. So we'll see.

  • from issue #20, Cheryl Frashure

  • from issue #20, Ruth Kurz

  • from issue #20, Cheryl Newsome

  • from issue #20, Connie Faddis

  • from issue #20, Joy Mancinelli

References

  1. ^ The darling man was the spokesperson for the con’s charity, “the Prevent Child Abuse people” and at the last con, attendees included him in the auction in a humorous way.
  2. ^ According to Katherine Langley, this is the first printed reference she could find using the word "slash."
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