Zebra Three (Starsky & Hutch zine)

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This article is about the very first S&H fanzine published. You may be looking for the newsletter by the Starsky and Hutch Fan Club.
Zine
Title: Zebra Three
Publisher: Polaris Press and Pegasus Press
Editor(s): Lorraine Bartlett and Lorraine Haldeman
Date(s): 1977-1981
Series?:
Medium: print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Starsky and Hutch
Language: English
External Links:
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Zebra Three is a gen Starsky and Hutch anthology. It is the first Starsky and Hutch fanzine published, issued while the show was still on the air.

An ad in the first issue of Scuttlebutt asked for submissions and referred to it as a: "STARSKY-HUTCH zine tentatively called Zebra 3."

In addition to fan fiction, the zines had extensive artwork, poetry and cartoons. A gallery of some of the interior artwork is below.

From "Closing Notes" in the first issue:

Zebra Three is a literary extension of the Starsky and Hutch "universe." It is not affiliated with any Starsky and Hutch fan club, or Soul/Glaser fan clubs, and will not print news, articles, or gossip about the series or the actors. Stories appearing in Zebra Three should continue the series' format; that is, most stories will involve action-adventure, with an emphasis on friendship between the characters. In addition, Zebra Three will not print any slash or death stories. Humor and parodies are welcome, if well-written.

In another issue regarding submissions, the editor stated: "I would prefer not to receive death stories specifically concerning S&H, alternate universe S&H, or stories of a homosexual nature."

Changing Zine Landscapes

By 1992, the choices in reading material in this fandom, as well as others, had become so varied that an ad in Zine Scene had point out: "If you like "straight" STARSKY & HUTCH stories, then ZEBRA THREE is the place to be!"

Fans Comment

Impossible to choose just one favourite fanzine. I've had so much pleasure from so many zines containing innumerable S&H stories which have enriched my understanding of the characters. I do, perhaps, have a special affection for the early Zebra 3's, simply because these were the first zines I read, and were my introduction to the delights of fandom. Everything that followed was, and continues to be, a bonus.[1]

The Zebra 3 zines are classics and a must for everyone.[2]

...ZEBRAS... were my first introduction to the warm and wonderful world of SH zines... back in 1979...[3]

Lorraine was Mistress of the Mimeo zine, taking a rather primitive form of production to its zenith. The first issue of this zine, which was in fact the first S&H zine published, featured writers and artists who had honed their craft for years in ST fandom. It showed; rarely has a fandom had such an auspicious beginning.[4]

Issue 1

front cover of issue #1, Connie Faddis
backcover of issue #1, Marty Siegrist

Zebra Three 1 was published in 1977 and has 180 pages. Art by Connie Faddis (front cover), Andy Bartlett (inside back cover), Gordon Carleton, Judi Hendricks, Kathi Lynn Higley, Signe Landon and Marty Siegrist (back cover).

It was dedicated to Marian Kelly "for always being there."

From the editorial:

ZEBRA THREE started out as a vague yearning for anything S&H to read.

Being temporarily fed up with the ST characters, disappointed with the Franklin adaptations, and no S&H zine on the horizon, I decided 'what the heck', and started one myself. The idea really began to gel after Sekwester Con Too, when I finally met some of my fellow-fen. Since then, Ma Bell and the airline companies have reaped huge profits from our working to get the zine in shape. This is the result.

Still, there were a lot of 'hardships' to overcome: A scrod falling from a bulletin board and fritzing the Selectric (try explaining that to the IBM man!), poverty (what do you mean Gestetner raised their electro-stencil prices almost 100%!), allergies (I watched as my sister-in-law turned into a red-eyed, flushed-cheeked, sneezing proof-reader, every time she picked up a stencil. But she read them!), and artwork problems. (Thank the maker for Faddis!) They say zine editing is a tough lot. I wouldn't know, I had a lot of help.

And with a definite deadline (meaning having everything ready to print because people are traveling great distances (i.e. from Chicago, Marion and Flint) to help print and collate) we may well have pulled off the first issue of a fanzine finished and available on time!

[...]

The first issue was meant to be small. Yes, small. Then the Mohave stencils began to pile up, and Bomb Scare scared us all the way it grew, and suddenly Z3 was over 100 pages. Oh, well -- I like big zines...

From the closing words:

ZEBRA THREE is a literary extension of the STARSKY AND HUTCH "universe." It is not affiliated with any Starsky ft Hutch fan club, or Soul/Glaser fan clubs, and it will not print news, articles, or gossip about the series or the actors.

Stories appearing in Z-3 should continue the series' format; that is, most stories will involve action-adventure, with an emphasis on the friendship between the characters. In addition, Z-3 will not print any "death" stories -- you can take a character to the point of death, but you've got to bring him back. (Death stories are definitely not fun.) Humor and parodies are welcome, if well-written, but please, no trans-universe Mr. Spock-or-Buck Cannon-meets S&H stories ("Death Blimp" was an exception).

Artists, we need your help -- but we'd like to maintain the quality of artwork appearing in this issue. Your ten-year-old brother's (or son's) crayon drawing of a Torino won't do. Artwork should be drawn with black ink on white paper (maximum size 8>s x 11", with minimum 3/4" margins).

issue #1, illo for "Mojave Crossing," Connie Faddis

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

See reactions and reviews for Bomb Scare.

See reactions and reviews for Mojave Crossing.

[1978]: This is, quite simply, a remarkable zine. Nothing in it is less than excellent. Joy Maricevic's “Second Chance” opens; it’s a short tale of friendship lost and regained, with a valid psychological point to make. "Bomb Scare”, by Jan Lindner, is sneaky. On the surface, it’s a fast—paced adventure of a type familiar from the aired series: a none—too—stable demolitions expert busted by S&H while they were in Vietnam is out for vengeance, exacted with progressive viciousness against Starsky’s friends. On another level, it is a neat and well—turned examination of courage——what it is, what motivates it, how it affects the lives of those who do or do not possess it. Aut prodesse aut delectare. Vergil would appreciate this story. “The Apology”, a second short Maricevic, deals with a not—to—serious quarrel and its aftermath; it’s amusing, but wonders how Charley would feel if Hutch were short, fat and ugly. Creeping MCP—ism [5], for shame. Faddis’ “Mojave Crossing” is a sequel to “The Set—Up”, in which Starsky and Hutch cleaned out a nest of contract assassins with high but unspecified political connections. Not surprisingly, the bad guys turn out to be renegade FBI agents, who are, also not surprisingly, set on preventing S&H from testifying against them. The upshot is a harrowing trek across the Mojave Desert in high summer, in the course of which Starsky is blinded, Hutch is horribly wounded, and Maggie Landis, surely one of the best—realized female characters in fan fiction, learns something of the nature responsibility——to oneself, to friends, to society. It is an intensely emotional story, that addresses the reader on all levels of response, brain, heart and gut. The author nevertheless remains in full command of her material throughout. The tenderness of the hurt/comfort scenes in both exquisitely controlled, and entirely free of the steamy sexuality which mars so many K/S epics of the Contact school. The zine concludes with “Starsky and Hutch vs. the Death Blimp” by one of the Nine Billion Names of Smith. Would you believe Dobey—Wan Kenobi? Wookie Bear? Laya Orgasm? It is a peach. (Also the best SW tale I’ve seen, probably because one remains aware that real and viable characters uphold both sets of funny hats.) There are also three fine poems by Georganne KC Shelby, a trivia test, limericks, cartoons, and an article by Jan at the appeal of S&H. The art, by Faddis, Landon, Siegrist and Carleton, is as fine as the stories.[6]

[1978]: Price $3.45 third class, $4.20 first class. And worth very cottonpicking nickel and more! Did I say I didn't care for mimeo? Perish the thought. The first thing I did was put the gorgeous covers in protective plastic. There's only 200 copies of this if I'm reading the contents page right, so if you like STARSKY AND HUTCH stop reading stop and order this right away. EVERY SINGLE THING IN THIS FANZINE IS FIRST RATE. From "Second Chance" a back together again at last story by Maricevic, the elegant poem "Backup" by Shelby, "Bomb Scare" by Lindner, a cliffhanger that would make a fantastic episode, another fine Shelby poem 'Stake Out, a short short by Maricevic "The Apology" accompanied by one of the more gorgeous photos I've seen of David Soul, one more Shelby poem "Always the Last to Know' ,"Mojave Crossing" by Faddis (words fail me on this story (suffice to say it would make the best two hour TV show you ever saw) and finally to "Starsky and Hutch vs Death Blimp" by Cool Han Luke, in which Darth Vader and Dobie-wan, oh heck, buy the zine and read it yourself. Art by the best : Carleton, Faddis, Landon, Siegrist .... the only problem Lori and Lauri are going to have is that they didn't print enough copies. And that this is gonna be a tough act to follow. (But I bet "Wilderness" can do it. That's the story in the next ish... hrnmmm, Zebra Three Two? Zebra Three Also?? I know, Zebra Three Encore!! [7]

[1978]: Zebra Three... well worth the $4.00 fourth class, $4.60 first class price. 180 pp. of fine fiction, art and general good fun, this Starsky and Hutch [zine] features an insanely funny parody of Star Wars, "Starsky and Hutch vs. the Death Blimp," by Cool Han Luke. This is a dynamite zine, highly recommended...[8]

[1978]:

Faster than a Star Wars sequel.

More powerful than Moon Base Alpha.

Able to leap tall Torinos at a single bound. Ca-runch! It's the Starskyhutch, and there's no escape. What is it that distinguishes this otherwise idiotic cop show? Well, what was it that set off ST from the hordes of contemporary slime (monsters) like The Invaders, Space Family Robinson, and Gilllgan's Island? What prompted us to tune into the improbable affairs of the UNCLE week after week? It sure isn't the quality of the show's scripts, which sucks pickles.

But whatever the "It" boys of the 70's have, added to good--indeed, superior--writing make a compelling argument to pick up this zine. Thet wo major (60 and 80 pages respectively) stories are by Jan Lindner (Rigby) and Connie Faddis and need one go on? The theme is Hurt/Comfort, almost to the point of death, not to mention incredulity, but the S&Hers somehow manage to stop short, swing about, and charge their victims protagonists off toward still more sparagmos. How much can they take? An infinite amount, it seems: "They're made to suffer; it's their lot in life."

Z-3-I is a huge 180 page beast with Faddis, Hendricks, and Carleton (for "Starsky and Hutch vs. the Death Blimp") illos galore. Enjoy.

Contents - 5 Graphics - 4 $ Worth - 4.[9]

[1996]: Contains two h/c classics - Bomb Scare and Mojave Crossing. Nothing "amateur" about this writing, and some of the illustrations are worthy of being framed and hung onto a wall. If you have never read "Mojave Crossing," you are missing out on one of the most intense emotional experiences in S&H fandom! [10]

[2014]: A few weeks ago, I ordered a zine...I guess I'm a huge nerd, because I was like OMG HISTORY and think this stuff is cool....

First off, I first read issue #1 and this thing is...well, ancient as fuck. In every way. It's printed in mimeo, in print that looks like bold Andale Mono font on tough cardboard-y paper like the stuff used by artists for sketches, though the paper is worn and faded and soft and brown with time. Every page is embedded with layers of god-knows-what -- sawdust, tiny particles of paint, tiny fragments of peeled-off letters, tiny bits of scrubbed-off paper pulp. There is not a single page in the entire thing where the print has not left a ghostly, blotchy, crooked imprints from the other side (although a lot of that is the effects of mimeo), and there are loads of places where serifs or tails, or even complete letters, have been completely rubbed off and it takes a second to figure out what the word is. Is that a p or an n? An a or a d? Is that half-a-word supposed to start with a W or an M? The stories in here were first published in 1977, but this one is a reprint from 1979. No indication that it's a reprint any newer than that. So, if I understand correctly, this physical object I am holding is 35 years old. Yikes.

The content is really fun: there are a handful of poems, some jokes, some cartoons, some GREAT art, a couple of trivia games, an essay on the appeal of Starsky & Hutch, a couple of short stories, a parody, some doodles, and two long stories about the length of shortish novellas. It’s all kinds of different fannish stuff put together and you can really feel how much love and fun the editors had putting this thing together. It also has two editor’s notes by a Lorraine Bartlett, who was the main person who put the zine together and you can really feel the love and investment and the tongue-in-cheek irritation at the amount of trouble it was to produce in her notes.

The front page says the zine cost $4.60 to order by first-class mail. Fuck my life.

...All the stories here are gen. As far as I can figure, during this period, people were throwing bitchfits in Star Trek fandom over various topics of fanwank bait, particularly slash. Both sides of the great war of IT MUST ONLY BE GEN/SLASH AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS A BLIND/PERVERTED LIIIIIIEEEE drowned out all the “hey, that’s good too, but don’t diss what I like” and "but isn't elasticity and breadth of interpretation the best part?" people in the middle. So probably to keep things peaceful, the guidelines were “no AUs, no slash, and no deathfic"... this is okay with me -- I love both gen and slash but I love gen even more, mostly because I'm more interested across the board in stories about friendship than in stories about romance. However, in my fanfic-reading experience, it's harder to write a compelling and satisfying gen fic than a compelling and satisfying slash or het fic of the same length because the former takes a lot more imagination and has a lot fewer templates to go off of (romantic storylines and tropes cross-pollinate between all genres and canons with minimal translation. Other types of stories? Takes a lot more work to adapt). And I know plenty of writers who write amazing shippy fic but who can't write a good fic about anything else to save their life. So I tend to be a bit more demanding about good gen.

Both long stories - "Bomb Scare" and "Mojave Crossing" are really, really good gen, which is especially impressive in the case of Mojave Crossing, which is all about love confessions and revelations without feeling either incomplete or suggestive because of the honesty of the writing. Actually, it's extremely gen, not just technically gen -- the mechanisms and revelations are entirely platonic, and sincerely so; no insecure, anxious little "no homo!"s to be found. There's a difference, IMO, between platonic-ness defined as the presence of a particular kind of love and platonic-ness defined merely as not-romance. The former is vastly better and much harder to capture.

The long stories are both fantastic, I'll review them further down. The short stories are good, though not spectacular. I don't think the vignette fanfic format had been really perfected at this point, since fanfic-vignette is a very unique genre of fic that AFAIK cannot be found anywhere except fanfic. One of them ("Second Chances") has a unique premise though -- that Starsky and Hutch were friends in the academy, but then drifted apart afterwards for a couple of years, which both of them regretted deeply, before they rediscovered their friendship later (as shown in this story). I'd never seen that "what if?" toyed with before. The other one ("The Apology") is mostly notable for articulating a glorious snippet of Hutch's series-long completely ineffective and non-serious (and therefore adorable) ongoing campaign to gaslight Starsky into dropping down to Hutch's level on the self-esteem ladder, which neither of them are really serious about, a la Spock and McCoy's neverending culture war over in Star Trek. The story is a bit too on-the-nose about it, though.

The poems are slightly clunky but also enjoyable. One of them is glorious utter crack too – it’s secretly narrated by the Torino, though that's not clear until the last couple stanzas. She (of course she’s a ‘she’! How could she not be a ‘she’?) is madly in love with Starsky (no shit, Sherlock), and the poem gets a bit steamy -- yes, that kind of steamy -- before you realize who's narrating, so props to the author for making me lol like crazy after the lightbulb clicked on in my head. I mean hey, whose engine wouldn’t purr with that man inside of – okay, okay I’ll stop now.

#cough# ANYway, the parody is a Star Wars parody, I guess since Star Wars came out that summer and was bigger than Elvis. It's dumb but hilarious, and was probably more unique when it was written than it is now...

The zine ends with a great essay about the appeal of Starsky & Hutch. In all different long-running fandoms, it's awesome to see how similarly fans at the beginning saw the canon compared to fans nowadays. The essay is mostly ideas I've also seen recently -- about how friendship is something lots of people value deeply but culturally don't know how to express very well, and how hurt/comfort unearths the depth and extent of a friendship by making the characters prove it. What made this essay different from today's opinions was that it was contemporary – the authors talked specifically about how the 1970s and the social upheaval and rising divorce rates, delayed marriages, frequency of single independent living, increased geographical mobility, etc, was a good thing overall, but it also caused loneliness and alienation, with people often not having close ties to their family or hometown anymore, combined with cynicism over Watergate, a major recession, etc, so shows portraying close, trustworthy, satisfying friendships were kind of wish fulfillment for then-current viewers. That was really cool and something I hadn't thought about before.

Another part that fascinated me were the little in-joke-y cartoons. Not just about the show itself, but also about the fandom and the process of zine production. It's like the 1970s equivalent of a gif-filled picspam party post. The medium changes, but fans never change. ;) [11]

Issue 2

Interior art by Connie Faddis

Zebra Three 2 was published in 1978 (probably summer) and a 130-page novel called "Wilderness." It is illustrated and edited by Connie Faddis. It is an influential Starsky and Hutch story that makes up the entire second issue of "Zebra Three" #2. Written by Lorraine Bartlett & Laurie Haldeman, it is widely mentioned as one of the the h/c fics that started it all.

It is illustrated and edited by Connie Faddis.

It won an Encore Award.

See Wilderness.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

See reactions and reviews for Wilderness.

Issue 3

front cover of issue #3, Signe Landon

Zebra Three 3 was published in 1978 and has 200 pages. It has art by Connie Faddis, Paulie Gilmore, Judi Hendricks, Signe Landon (front cover), Marty Siegrist and Linda Walter.

From the editors:

This issue is somewhat of a departure from the previous issue. 'One Small Corner' has a decidedly more realistic tone to it. No doubt some readers will be offended by the strong language and sexual references... To avoid any confusion, 'Last of the Big Time Gamblers' by Jane Aumerle, was inspired by another story (so far unpublished) where it was stated that Starsky entered Hutch's room after Hutch was injected with the serum, and stayed there until he knew his partner would survive. I would love to print the original story too (hint, hint) if the authors would care to rewrite it.

  • Editorial (3)
  • Last Will and Testament by Joy Maricevic ("Hutch ends up in the morgue on a slab. Will Starsky get there in time to stop the autopsy on his still living partner?") (4)
  • They Also Serve by Jane Aumerle, poem (46)
  • The Last of the Big Time Gamblers by Jane Aumerle (winner of an Encore Award) (48)
  • It’s No Fun Dating a Cop by Carolanne Dubois (55)
  • Sometime Never by Jane Aumerle, poem (56)
  • Off-Stage Action by Randy Kaempen (RPF, see Starsky & Hutch RPF) (60)
  • Squadroom Bulletins (64)
  • One Small Corner by Connie R. Faddis (from S and H #1: "I was trying to look at how S&H might act once their love for each other has been acknowledged and cultivated and lived with day to day. I wanted to show them as whole persons in the context of the larger world in which they live, in the context of other commitments and obligations and beloved people. No man is an island, and two men do not an archipelago make, either.") (66)
  • The Plaque by M. Rauch (192)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

See reactions and reviews for One Small Corner.

[zine]: As is usual with Z3, the quality is excellent throughout and I'm very glad I've got this zine, but well... I like S & H with a little more 'comfort' and a little less 'hurt' than this particular issue has. But they're big boys now and I'm a grown-up, too, so, yeah, I'm glad I read it.[12]

[zine]:Contains the chilling "Last Will and Testament" - Hutch ends up in the morgue on a slab. Will Starsky get there in time to stop the autopsy of his still living partner? Also, "One Small Corner." Not as emotionally intense as "Mojave Crossing", but a well constructed detective story and an excellent read. [13]

[zine]: ZEBRA THREE has proven to be remarkable in a number of ways, not the least of which is its consistently high quality. This third volume is everything one has come to expect, and maybe a little bit more. It opens with Judi Maricevic's "Last Will and Testament", which involves a pair of standard-issue ex-cons with a grudge, an attempt on Hutch's life, and Starsky's subsequent frantic search for his missing partner. The story is severely hampered by a coincidence-ridden plot and unnecessary shifts in viewpoint, as well as one or two jarring technical errors, A revolver cannot, repeat cannot, be silenced—gases escaping from the rear of the chamber will still produce a good loud bang, Maricevic's characterization, though, is solid, and in combination with a rapid, well-sustained pace, suffices to keep the reader turning pages to a satisfactory denouement, "Off-Stage Action", by Randy Kaempen, is one of those items that always crop up sooner or later—Paul Glaser chokes on a burrito while filming, passes out and is translated, Uncle Tom Cobleigh, co-star and all, into S&H's "real" LA. If you like this sort of thing, it's not half bad. It is, however, thoroughly outclassed by M. Raunch's "The Plaque", which damn near put my ribs in traction. It' s primarily a take-off on The Plague, but also scores off the Franklin adaptations, earlier issues of Z3. Teri White's "Hour of Lead", Kirk/Spock mind-melds ("He and Starsky could understand each other perfectly... Starsky had once understood Hutch and been able to catch a criminal who had put Hutch into the coma he was in at the time Starsky was able to understand him.") and just about everyone and everything else within range. Raunch's Remington is the only typer in Southern California with mounts for a sniperscope.

Last, and in no way least, is Connie Faddis' "One Small Corner". Briefly, it concerns a) S&H's efforts to break up a ring of illicit filmakers specializing in kiddy porn and snuff flicks, helped and hindered by turns by the Vice officers assigned to the case; and b) Hutch's attempts to remove his fourteen year-old half-sister from an intolerable and dangerous home situation. Which is a drastic oversimplification—sort of like telling you that Moby Dick is about a fishing trip—but due to limitations of space, etc.. Get a copy of Z3 and read it for yourself. Even if you don't particularly like Starsky and Hutch, this story is unconditionally guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, sing, dance, kiss the bill collector and cover your Head with your Feete and lie for a Time Astonied. In its emotional complexity, and in the compassion and insight the author has brought to her character, "One Small Corner" is very nearly unique. It is probably the best fan-written story, of any type, yet produced. You'll be cheating yourself if you miss it.

Art this issue is excellent as usual. Signe Landon has an especially fine front cover, and the illos which accompany the two Aumerle poems- one Landon, one Siegrist—are touching and beautifully turned. Highest recommendation.[14]

[zine]:

Wow! What powerful, sad, horrible, sickening, beautiful, wonderful story. I'm talking about One Small Corner. It was perfect. The trust, the love, and mostly the caring. Like Starsky said, "What ever happened to plain, old fashioned caring?"

As for the graphic description, there was nothing in the story that was either unreal or unnecessary.... It was all needed to put across the tone that the author wanted to get across. [15]

[zine]:

You asked for comments about One Small Corner, so here goes... Grim is the first word that comes to mind! Followed closely by WOW... Connie is a professional in every since of the word. She certainly captured the mood and 'feel' of the streets, and the realism of a cop's world. This S&H relationship was too damned realistic, it was, in fact, the way two cops would handle the job, and themselves, but I wanted the magic and fantasy of that S&H friendship! I was hoping for another story on the order of Crossing or Wilderness.

That scene in the alley where the bad guys catch Starsky was scary and grim, but the only scene in the entire story that stuck with me, so it had impact. In fact, it was one of the few flashes of that S«.:H manic even in the horror of the moment.

... (Mojave) Crossing and Wilderness are stories that the girls and I pull out and read again and again, but I doubt I will read Corner again. It was like reading,a damned good novel, one that held your attention, but once read doesn't draw you back again.

I loved that short version from The Plague, The Last Of The Big Time Gamblers. There was S&H magic in that story. ... Hope you get to print the longer story.

Judy's Last Will and Testament was very good. - I enjoyed it a lot. I had no trouble living her story or accepting her characters.

The whole zine was great again... Can hardly wait for #4. [16]

[zine]:

Zebra Three Volume III is just great! I do miss the ol' tear-jerker stories of past issues, but these new stories are terrific anyway!

One Small Corner is extremely well written. Parts of it are abrasive, but that's the kind of life the story deals with. The characters are beautiful in their construction, and real. And, Starsky and Hutch lose none of their appeal by being "realistic."

Jane Aumerle's poetry is poignant. I read both pieces over and over again and each time my throat tightens. Just beautiful.

And the Squadroom Bulletins are just perfect! [17]

[zine]:

I've just finished Z3 III and thought I would kick back such thoughts as occurred to me.

Signe is a great, great artist and I hope does much more work for Zebra 3.

Last Will And Testament - Judy, as usual, has written a real winner. This one gave me the absolute creeps! If I ever develop a phobia, being autopsied while alive would be second on the list! It was very well done, and I hope to see still more of Judy's work.

They Also Serve - I'm not much into prose & poetry, although I find myself enjoying the imager in the verse you've been printing.

Last of the Big Time Gamblers - Please beg (the author) to rewrite the story that precedes this one. The hints in "Gamblers" drives me nuts.

One Small Corner - Lovely, a wee bit weak in spots, but a fairly lovely story. It was not as graphic as I had imagined it would be from your warning. Some parts were very well done, like the attack on Starsky, 'tho I felt the reaction (Starsky's shakes) should have caused Hutch to get more concerned. I felt that his mind was still on Nina/Sam. It didn't seed right, somehow.

The cartoons of Torino and Friends are nice — keep them coming.

The Plaque - FANTASTIC! Here's hoping for more. (Like maybe: Bubblebath?!) [18]

[zine]:

First of all - cover artwork. I have to comment on this drawing by Signe Landon because it's simply marvelous. And, until next issue comes out with more competition for me to drool over, it is my second favorite drawing of Starsky and Hutch. (My special favorite is in WILDERNDESS: Connie Faddis' drawing of Hutch hugging a very ill Starsky.)

Last Will And Testament; This would make a fine episode for the screen. It deals with an absolutely horrifying possibility - the nightmare of being locked in with dead bodies, mistaken for one of those deceased, facing that last form of desecration, the autopsy ... it brings goosebumps to the flesh to even think about it., This was a very well written story, with every bit of the terror and pain and anxiety of the situation. A darned good story, (but, personally, I prefer Starsksicles!)

They Also Serve - A moving poem, very descriptive, and oh, so true, as anyone who's ever waited for news of a loved one in that ‘room' can testify. It was also quite Starskyish - definitely something the man would think and feel and say. I liked it very much and would love to see even more poetry of tin’s nature in upcoming issues.

The Last Of The Big Time Gamblers. I was not exactly thrilled by the Plague episode on television. It seemed rather shallow to me - something warm and precious was lacking between the two characters. But Jane Aurmerle's story made up for the telecast episode. It filled in some of the love and caring that was so obviously missing from the screen version.

Sometime Never - Another bright spot in the zine. Like I said before, Jane Aumerle can write.

Off-Stage Action. This was the only segment of the zine that I wasn't completely caught up by. It was a cute story, something that would be interesting to see or read - somewhere else. Frankly, I would.prefer to keep the 'stars' of the show out of the zine.

One Small Corner was a real "gut-grabber," and I was literally bowled over by its realism... First off, the subject of snuff flicks and child pornography business was a good foundation to build a story on - and adding Hutch's background, and a half-sister with problmes, created the basis for a dynamic story.

I love the brilliant writing.' Connie Faddis is that special kind of writer who has the talent and ability to reach out from the printed page and grab your senses,'shake ’em, stimulate 'em, really get the ol' proboscis wiggling. One can almost smell Nina's dingy apartment, the stale odor of dog urine in the filthy rug, the day old garbage in the alleyway; one can hear the traffic sounds of the freeways, the pounding storm against the hospital window, the ear-deafening explosion. Even the taste of gritty smog lingers on the palate. Sheer magic!

As for the so-called "strong language and sexual references" — those readers who were offended by it had better go back to mother Goose and Grimm's Fairy Tales because that's exactly where they're living right now. Starsky's terror and humiliation during his sexual/sadistic attack in the alleyway were felt by this reader. Likewise, Hutch's close call with the bad guys at the climax of the story. Both were necessary: both were written and handled well.

The Plaque - I read this story at work and laughed so hard and so loud that I ended up having to share it with several office compadres.

To sum up my feelings about Zebra Three, Volume III -- I loved it. It was a mind-blowing issue - reaching and sometimes surpassing/the quality of the two previous issues.[19]

[zine]:

Volume 3 was marvelous verging on the spectacular. Even the extremely unlikely events of Last Hill And Testament carry the reader along.

I‘m sure that One Small Corner has garnered the lions share of comments. It was awfully well done — tho at times I'd forget to feel sorry for Samantha and long to give her a good swift kick. Marylou Decker is one of the great female characters in any kind of fan fiction -- an actual anti-Mary Sue. The scene where Starsky drop kicks her Kentucky Fried Chicken into the wastebasket is the best in the story.

The real class work, tho, belongs to Aumerle. Lord what a writer! The Last Of The Big Time Gamblers takes what could be a very maudlin "warm moment" and turns it into literature - educational, too. I had to look up "heirophant' in the dictionary. My absolute favorite thing was her "Sometime Never." Finding good poetry in a fanzine is like running across the Holy Grail at a beer can convention. And Marty's illo was perfection.[20]

Issue 4

front cover of issue #4, Karen Stewart
back cover of issue #4, Paulie Gilmore

Zebra Three 4 was published in 1979 and has 132 pages. It has art by Beth Brown, Paulie Gilmore, Laurie Hugg, Signe Landon, Karen Stewart (front cover), Monte Swann and Linda Walter.

From the editor:

You'll notice that volume IV is primarily a Hutch issue. It seems that most authors have the greatest ease in writing Hutch, and most of the submissions continue to be Hutch stories. (Favoritism?) You'll also notice that approximately 75% of the issue is devoted to various series episodes in the form of story addendums and missing scenes.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

See reactions and reviews for Solitarie.

See reactions and reviews for El Monte Blues.

See reactions and reviews for Tombstone Blues.

See reactions and reviews for When All Else Fails.

See reactions and reviews for Mating Season.

See reactions and reviews for Play Dead for Me.

See reactions and reviews for Join Me in L.A..

See reactions and reviews for Another Fine Mess.

See reactions and reviews for Terry.

[zine]: The quality of the stories and poems is superior. The type face is clear, but there are the usual problems with mimeo -- light print, some crinkles. The artwork is quite excellent, but the the better drawn pieces tend to be portraits instead of illos. My favorite story was a toss-up between "Solitaire" and "Join Me in LA" until the last six pages of Faddis's story. The last six pages should be an entirely separate story. As an ending to to "Solitaire." it is anticlimactic and maudlin. Taken separately, it is an interesting after-an-episode vignette. "Solitaire" takes place during and after "The Plague." The focus is on Hutch and his thoughts and experiences as he lays dying. Other than the ending, it is Connie at her best in description, insight, and dialog. "Join Me in LA" is one of the two Starsky stories in Z3IV, the other being "Another Fine Mess." Melanie handles a favorite theme ("Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste death but once") with restraint. The development of the mystery, the almost cryptic, final mountain scene maintain the tension of the flashback scenes of the murder of Starsky's father. "Play Dead for Me" is another Faddis gem, moves quickly and with all the tension of its reference episode. "Fatal Charm." Among the humorous pieces, "El Monte Blues" utilizes the conflict over the Torino to build the byplay between Starsky and Hutch. Marian's knowledge of the area in which the story takes place added credulity to the story. A 'Hutch's nightmare' can be found in "Mating Season." So that's where all those Pintos come from. All three of the poems in Z3IV are excellent. "Reflections" after "A Coffin for Starsky." is a fine inner monologue. Frances follows Hutch's mood without losing the movement of the plot. "Terry" is the finest poem I've ever seen by Melanie. It's not even pornographic! There is little to fault with Z3IV. However, "Tombstone Blues" is not up to Melanie's usual quality; it is a bit rambling and aimless, even for a vignette. Dotty Berry's "When All Else Fails" somehow seems to lack that spark that is always there between Starsky and Hutch. Her Starsky is kibbutzing too much. Last but not least, "The Fax, Ma'am": Scrodsky and Wretchedone, the surcrose junkie... ties with "Mating Season" as the funniest.[21]

[zine]: In an age when most zines are printed offset and/or composed on IBM word-processors, this mimeo zine is a refreshing change. The contents are enjoyable, too. Though this issue doesn't have anything as spectacular as "Bomb Scare" in vol.1 or "Last of the Big Time Gamblers" in vol.3, there's still lots of good reading. Several stories are follow-ups to particular episodes. "When All Else Fails" shows what might have happened after "The Fix." "Another Fine Mess" tidies up "Playboy Island" and "Play Dead for Me" goes with "Fatal Charm." Connie also has a much longer story, "Solitaire," that has to do with "The Plague." The charm of that episode as always escaped me, but this story is a first-rate, three-Kleenex, heartstring puller. On the lighter side, there's "El Monte Blues," fun and games at a swap meet and "Mating Season." It's a charming whimsy about where Starsky really gets all those Torinos. My favorite story is "Join Me in LA" that ties in a tragedy in Starsky's past with the murders of ex-syndicate members of the present. Beautifully done. Along with all this there's good to excellent art and poetry. At twice the price it would be a bargain.[22]

[zine]: The overall quality of the stories and poetry is superior. The artwork is excellent, but the better drawn pieces tend to be portraits instead of illos. 'Solitaire' focuses on Hutch as he is dying from the plague. Except for the final six pages, which should have been a separate story, it is Connie at her best in description, insight, and dialog. 'Join Me in L.A.' is done with restraint, and the tension is maintained through the final scene. 'Play Dead for Me' moves quickly and reflects the mood of its referenced episode. There are several humorous pieces, too. 'El Monte Blues' and 'Mating Season' are light and cleverly executed. The poetry is excellent and well-placed in relation to the prose. Of the three remaining stories, 'Tombstone Blues' and 'When All Else Fails' are good but not up to par, and the other 'The Fax, Ma'am' is an episode parody. This issue carries the quality of the previous three issues. Most of all, it shows well-known Trek writers in a different universe and genre. Their abilities and talent stand the translation very well.[23]

[zine]: Well, the Zebra gang have done it again, produced a lot of fine zine for relatively little bread. Z3IV leads from strength with Dotty Barry's "When All Else Fails", a postscript to The Fix. This is a smoothly written, sensitive story that picks up on some of the subtler as pects of the characters and their relationship, defines and clarifies them. There's a sense of proportion here—the author never lapses into over-idealization, nor the tale into melodrama. It' s followed by "Tombstone Blues", less a story than a short meditation on The Blue Knight, Death and the Devil. [Melanie R] knows her people, though, and respects the language; the thing works. So does Lori Bartlett's "Another Fine Mess...", which is nothing of the kind. What it is, is a nicely-turned sequel to the Playboy Island episode in which Starsky tries, none too success fully, to come to terms with his voodoo-induced attempt to kill Hutch. The slightly false note at the end is, I suspect, deliberate. For comic relief, there's Marian Kelly's "El Monte Blues", the amusing if rather pointless misadventure of Starsky, Hutch and the NASA DEGUNKER. Scratch one more Torino. "Play Dead for Me" is an Act V for the third-season adaptation of "...Misty..."; it makes, but fails to examine, a couple of extremely acute observations about Hutch's psychology. This is a pity. One expects more from Faddis. And, fortunately, gets it in "Solitaire", which is The Real Thing and more than fulfills the promise made by Connie's by-line. It's a series of short, "unseen" portions of The Plague, with emphasis on S&H's profound need of each other. It's also something of a structural tour de force, as it manages quite well to hang together as a story in its own right. The zine's only completely free-standing piece is Melanie R's "Join Me in LA". A corpse with a bullet in its head and scars from a facelift leads Starsky and Hutch to a virtual coven of ex-Mafiosi, all living in Los Angeles under the Federal Protected Witness Program. One of them turns out to be the hit-man who murdered Starsky's father, an amoral and thoroughgoing professional who must nevertheless be protected against the "Jane Smith" who is systematically icing his colleagues. Starsky's resulting conflicts are extremely well-handled, as are Hutch's response and concern. There are no easy outs here, no pat answers or neatly tied loose ends. On the purely technical side, the story moves easily and rapidly, the dialogue is English as it's lived. To the best of my know ledge, this is [Melanie R's] first major story to see print; if she's this good now, the next couple of years should bring us portents and wonders. Thish also includes some fine poetry, several "cartoons of questionable taste", and two more short humorous pieces. Of these, ; and "The Fax (Ma'am)" is a parody of The Fix. I found the latter about as funny as your average dead-baby joke—personal quirk, you may think it's a scream. Art this time around is sparse but first-quality; Signe Landpn and Paulie Gilmore have done themselves especially proud. On the whole, Z3IV is a quieter issue than lastj nothing spectacular, just a hundred and thirty pages of solid excellence. Buy it. Highest recommendation.[24]

[zine]:

Honest - I don't want to bore you but let's face it. Zebra 3 #4 is pretty qood. Nothing in it hit me as hard as a couple of things in #1 and #3 did, but it was still a couple of evenings' entertainment.

My favorite story was Join Me In L.A. — there's so much more plot there than normal. A person gets the least bit tired of all the scenes with one of our heroes suffering in a hospital bed and the other hovering tearfully over him. So then I get to Solitaire with Starsky practically doing a hummingbird impression and in spite of myself got caught up in that too. Another Fine Mess didn't do much for me, nor did Play Dead, but I thought Mating Season was utterly charming.[25]

[zine]:

I like the way you space the humorous pieces between the serious ones so that we readers can recover from the emotional shock of one story before starting another one. I also enjoy the letters of comment. It's nice to get the other fellows' views!

When All Else Fails A nice story with good characterization. It helped fill the gaps left in the aired episode, THE FIX. Reflections —This poem has the distinction of being the first one I have ever read to make me cry. It is powerful and very moving. Beautiful) Tombstone Blues — I'm glad to see that someone noticed that dear Captain Dobey is a person, not just a spare character; The illo by Ms. Huff is fantastic! Another Fine Mess — Another good gap-filler. It is well written and the little aside of Hutch drinking Starsky's scotch was a nice touch! Terry — A most unique way of viewing a relationship that I haven't even considered! The last few sentences in particular are very touching. El Monte Blues — A great story! Starsky's long-standing love affair with his Torino is a constant source of enjoyment to me — poor Hutch! The scenes of Hutch at the swap meet are 'priceless! Play Dead For Me — A nice ending to FATAL CHARM. Starsky's character was well handled. Join Me In L.A. — This one had me on the edge of my chair! It is easy to picture Starsky getting that obsessed with Fletcher that close. It is also quite believable that Hutch would have Starsky busted — to keep him out of trouble. Mating Season -- My first mistake was reading this story at 2 a.m. This forced me to practically choke to death on laughter in order to avoid disturbing a sleeping family! I loved it! (Of course, everyone knows Torinos have Pintos!) A Last Good-bye — A nice lead-in to the story, Solitaire. Ah, Ms. Faddis, I do love your style! The characterization is flawless. The story was very suspenseful (even though I already knew how it was going to end), and well-written The thoughts of Hutch and Starsky add greatly to the story. Actually, they are the story. Solitaire forced so many emotions out of me so fast that I had trouble dealing with all of them, beautiful from beginning to end. (The ending was very nice!!!) The Fax (Ma'am) — (Glorious! Nothing like a good dose of hysteria to brighten a day! "Herringbone tweed bread"indeed! Keep Roy Smith writing these gems! (Cute illo!) Linda Walter's cartoons are always fantastic! Zebra Three Volume IV is a priceless addition tomy zine collection![26]

[zine]:

The most fascinating feature of Zebra Three IV was the letter column, not in what the correspondents said about the stories, but in what they revealed about themselves -- about all of us.

I have been watching Starsky & Hutch fandom longer than I have been watching the show; so far as I can tell the only reason a fandom -- and a fandom whose constituents migrated from Star Trek fandom -- developed around this show and not, Adam-12, has been the relationship of Starsky and Hutch. Even as current ST writing dwindles to ringing changes on the Kirk/Spock relationship, here grows a subculture who sole raison d'etre is the relationship between to men. S&H hasn't even the plot possibilities of ST, which is after all science fiction and has as well a number of minor characters to work with. But where are even the stereotyped stories — the Lay-Starsky and (more probable) Lay-Hutch? Hell, where's Lieutenant Mary Sue?, here, the youngest and most brilliant meter-maid in Los Angeles. The kinds of stories written in this fandom are very few, in fact, two: epic and non-epic. The former is the one we crave, the one with all the lovely danger and fear and passionate admisions of love and concern wrenched from Our Boys' lips as Krakatoa goes up — the kind wherein Starsky/Hutch is nabbed by fate or the bad guys and Hutch/Starsky must Save His Ass (in a decent, manly way, as a rule.) Or else they get into a spot together, no different. This is the plot of THE FIX, and SHOOTOUT, and THE TRAP, and A COFFIN FOR STARSKY, AND BLOODBATH, and HUTCHINSON: MURDER ONE, and MURDER WARD, and SURVIVAL, and FATAL CHARM -- every episode we like best and all for the same reason: the "love and caring," as we call it. Thelove and caring, exclusively for each other. Oddly, we don't like them to waste this concern on some other, unworthy make-space. Perhaps that's why the lovely lay lade has never showed up. S&H should save it for each other (to be expressed with or without sex, according to the taste of the writer.

This is what struck me in the lettercol. [M L N] is disappointed in "One Small Corner" because in including Sammie and her problems, S&H don't expend all their "love and caring" exclusively on each other; [D W] misses the "magic and fantasy of that S&H relationship"; and [L T] and [T W] hold Starsky's rape and Hutch's near-evisceration to be the most effective parts of Corner (when they had nothing directly to do with the primary plot). They are disappointed in Corner because it was contaminated with Sammie. Mojave Crossing was superior, they say; possibly because Maggie did not require particular "love and caring." After all, she didn't get blinded or gut-shot. Why then should Sam so waste Hutch's time?

But Corner was not, au fond, one of these epic stories. Its focus was Hutch: how the child-abuse hit him both thru his work on this case and thru events in his own family. It was a story of development in his character (and Sam's) and though it contained elements of the epic, it was not the same identical story as Mojave Crossing in the sense that Mojave Crossing was the same story as Bomb Scare was the same as Last Will and Testament was the same as Promises To Keep was the same as Solitaire. The difference lies in the details, and the skill of the writer.

Similarly, Join Me in L.A. is not an epic story, for it is about Starsky, how he confronts the man who killed his father, and how he must control himself before that man because it is his duty. Neither is Terry an epic poem, nor Tombstone Blues an epic vignette. Blues is exceptionally interesting for its insight into the Dobey character, even though it is also about the S&H relationship -- but from the outside.

El Monte Blues is about the S&H relationship, though it itself isn't epic; it points up that despite one partner's bozoness, the other one will stick with him. This was the idea behind Judy Maricevic's Apology and Georgann Shelby's Stake-Out back in Z-3 1. Most S&H stories are not so much about the two as human beings, as about the relationship that binds the two. Consequently, the story possibilities are limited. It depends on how imaginative the writer is, how much she tries to get away with, and how much the readers will let her.

From the lettercol, the answer to the last is, "plenty." "Fantasy" and "magic" were frequent compliments; and "too realistic" — concerning two late '70's LA cops?! -- a criticism. [W], again, says that she doubts she will reread Corner the way she rereads Mojave Crossing and Wilderness. [T K] said to me that she agrees; the reality of Sam's problem in Corner made the story uncomfortable reading, made even S&H themselves too real. They were no longer fantasy figures to be shot and to bleed copiously over the pulp pages. Even the particular Krakatoa they fell into that [W] and [T] agree had "impact" is more gruesome and less fantastic than the usual run in S&H stories: explosive disembowelment, vivisection, (Well, there was Last Will and Testament, true.) Our imaginary lovers must suffer poignantly, and remember to gasp "Oh, Hutch" or "Oh, Starsky" at the right moments. They must not be limited in their mutual devotion by constraints of the human body — in Promises To Keep, Teri White has Starsky trudge six miles with a broken ankle through a blizzard, and without a compass fetch up at the one and only haven from the weather for 30 square miles, while Hutch holds onto life despite a bullet in his left ventricle 'cause Starsky is counting on him to -- or of the human soul — your own Sins Of The Father, Lorraine, as you put Hutch through the wringer just to torture Starsky. One point of 1984 was that a human being has a limit (in contrast to the state); Winston Smith at the last did betray Julia. In Corner, Sammie does distract Hutch from Starsky's problems; but, she has to. Humans may have an unbounded capacity to love, but we have only finite time in which and finite energy with which to express that love. S&H are unreal; or, real in the Platonic sense — they are an idealization of friendship, devotion, concern for one another, of love and caring. At least, this is all the further we have let them develop in the zines.

About the zine itself: gee, narrow margins. [27]

[zine]:

I enjoyed Volume IV every bit as much as III. And yes... the contents more than make up for the lack of pages (and the price was nicer too!) My highest compliment is that there wasn't one thing I disliked -- right down to the cartoons!

Being a Dotty Barry fan, I was thrilled to see When All Else Fails. I was even more thrilled when I started reading and realized what she was dealing with. I've iImagined similar scenes myself after that particular show (THE FIX) ended. I knew Hutch would have guilt feelings to deal with. Dotty handled it beautifully with her usual excellent style and insight.

The last stanzas of Reflections were perfect! (The rest of it was great, too, but the ending...!) Terry was superb, gorgeous, fantastic... just not enough adjectives to compliment if properly.

As for the Faddis works -- what can I say about her writing that hasn't already been said. Solitaire was absolutely incredible. Dear God! How can one person have so much talent?! It just isn't fair to the rest of us floundering and plodding along! Page 115... WOW! Talk about insight! Psychological visibility. Excuse me a minute while I bury my weak attempts in the back yard! [28]

[zine]:

I'm with Starsky on loving tepin chilis, the hotter/spicier the better. The variety in this issue was wider than previous issues, I agree, and my favorites were the addendums (although I wouldn't want a steady diet of just them along).

When All Else Fails - All too believable! I, too, thought that Hutch would feel guilty about giving Jeanne up. You know, what if time. ...The reference to Starsky working alone "all those years" jarred as I feel they couldn't have possibly worked separately more than a couple of years. But other than that I enjoyed it.

Reflections - I was afraid there would be a gap with Georgann Shelby gone, but Frances (Todd Garret) looks like a worthy replacement.

Tombstone Blues - Yes, this one was long overdue. I'm afraid I too an guilty of overlooking Dobey. I find my attention centered on our daring duo, and a fairly large amount on Huggy Bear. In my opinion, that man is too often shuttled to the background, except for his role in One Small Corner. Melanie hit it right on the nose with her description of S&H as the enfants terrible. I only wish that the story was longer, with more insight into a hard-nose Captain who lets his men get away with just so much, then WAM! tow the line.

Another Fine Mess - Please don't kill me, but something didn't click right or this one. Hutch's refusal to believe in voodoo was right on the money, but Starsky gave in too easily. I know, I know! It's supposed to be a short, short story, and I shouldn't expect a novella, but I can't help that. Terry - I've always wondered how Hutch felt about Terry. This comes fairly close but not quite the same, at first. More resentment on Hutch's part, I feel. But this would pass with time. I've always thought Starsky would have a harder time accepting a rival for Hutch's time. Was it my imagination or did Starsky grimace when Hutch mentioned Nancy in the first show?

El Monte Blues - I found myself giggling throughout this story, which got me some very strange looks on the bus. It not worse when I tried to explain to a group of people who didn't empathize with the guys! Her suit disappears? Wow, only his beloved car could tear Starsk away from that! Poor Hutch, as a semi-frequent swap-meet visitor/gullible only sometimes, honest. Although, the magic words "used by NASA" does pull my attention, and my wallet, I really should know better. The only thing wrong is there should be a warning attached to it. I was eating lunch (our bus drivers are very tolerant) when I "saw" the smog. I don't know what the poor man next to me thought when Coke sprayed all over him. CHP's have no sense of humor.

Play Dead For Me - Thank you. This particular episode ended much too soon. Even this ended strangely. You ask yourself questions: will Hutch be leery of women for a while; will being alone frighten him, especially in showers?

Join Me In L.A. - At last, a story behind little Davey's poppa's death. I found this the favorite of the zine. I felt Starsky's pain and anger. I understood Hutch's confusion in how to help his buddy. Hutch threatening to turn his partner over to I.A.D. wasn't a betrayal, it was desperation. I don't think he would have actually done it, but I could understand if he did.

Mating Season - I know Laurie (Haldeman) is really proud of this "baby" (pardon the pun). This is the best comedy piece in any zine (ST, SW, S&H, etc.) ever! Somehow, I was suckered in, hook, line, and sinker, wondering if Hutch would get out alive. Shades of Kirk & Spock with Fizzbin on that: "Do you know how rare it is ...?"

A Last Good-Bye - This could just as easily be based on A COFFIN FOR STARSKY. Either way, it does something to you.

Solitaire - Re: my comment on Gamblers (last ish) - thanks for the 'between' part.

The Fax (Ma'am) - what can I say, 'cept keep it up, Roy! That Scrodsky sure is cute! And, honey, you like license numbers, forget old THX 13S 'cause she's much too busy, try little BMH 737 from Georgia. Our Motor Vehicle Dept. is twice as fast as Mississippi. 'Course, building the Sphinx was faster than Mississippi.[29]

[zine]:

CONGRATULATIONS! It seems like you've done it again. Zebra Three Volume IV is first class all the way through. Once I started reading I found it difficult to put down. It isn't every zine that can keep me up until the wee hours of the morning.

I must admit that the humorous stories aren't exactly my cup of tea, but then life would be rather boring if we all liked the same things. It would also be quite discouraging if there weren't the lighter moments to brighten the way. Although all of the stories in the lighter vein were enjoyable, they just didn't seem to bring out the deep feelings that the more serious stories did. Also, Mating Season was pretty far out, dream or not. As for the poetry — simply beautiful, all three pieces. Reflections, and A Last Good-Bye both seemed to capture the mood of the episodes, but I especially liked Terry and the way it presented Hutch's viewpoint. The fleeting moments of wondering where this would leave him in Starsky's life and then the mutual love that came with the acceptance that she would be adding a new dimension to it, not taking away. It is not easily forgotten. When All Else Fails did an excellent job of continuing, or should I say, finishing one of my favorite episodes. "And They All Lived Happily Ever After" ending just didn't seem to fit where the original left off. It didn't seem possible to have an experience like that and come out of it without any hang-ups. 'When All Else Fails not only provided the hang-ups, but also the answers to them. Now at last the ending fits. Another Fine Mess combined the more serious aspects of a just-as-soon-forgotten nightmare with that touch of lightness that pulled, it all together. Join Me In L.A. - I must admit that the quote at the beginning of this story had me wondering just what it was about and how it fit in. Well, I found out and got to read a great story at the same time. The background on Starsky did much to bring him into better perspective. It did seem to have a slight let down at the end, though the rest of the story more than compensated. Play Dead For Me turned a so-so story into something to remember. The episode didn't have that "relationship" element that makes S&H what (who) they are. This story provided that element. Loved, the illustration by Signe (Landon). Solitaire - SUPERB --- BEAUTIFUL. It grabs you at the start and doesn't let go or let down, some places actually had me in tears. It contains insight that makes S&H live, that makes them real, not just a couple of fictitious characters. I don't know how Connie (Faddis) does it, but I hope she keeps on writing them.[30]

[zine]:

When All Else Fails is a welcome switch from "Ken Hutchinson, boy shrink." Starsk has depth, too! A good job. Refiections ~ decent. Good grasp of the language but didn't do that much for me, really. Another Fine Mess - I like it. El Monte Blues - Hutch at his martyred best; Starsky at his most little-boy exasperating. Love it! Play Dead For Me was okay. Connie's is an adept and powerful writer, but in this issue she's gliding, not flying. Mating Season is very funny, a different kind of funny than El Monte Blues, a more whimsical humor. El Monte is a lobster thermidor; Mating Season is a light and airy souffle. A Last Good-Bye makes a good entrance to Solitaire. Solitaire is my major problem with Z3#4, "Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me" was the only scene really worth the story. It's the gem at the bottom of the case of costume jewelry. Connie's brains, talents, and insights can be and have been used so much more effectively and honestly -- she's found a slipstream on emotions we've already experienced, and is gliding on it, not working for her keep by beating her wings to really fly. ...I object to being played with emotionally, to having things I've already felt in the episodes dragged out to use again to make the writer's job easier. When the purpose is for a reference, that's fine; but to continually bring up things from the past, rehash them, to USE instead of to illustrate-- that's cheating. I feel like I'm being used, that my emotions are being played like a guitar tuned to D minor and that can't play any other chord. You know how that ends up? I feel bored. I will, however, point out a couple of things that are very right with Solitaire. Page 115, Starsky's thoughts in the middle of the page. YES! the urge to stash this treasured friend in a golden box — lovely, lovely line, and very real. Very Starsky. A beautiful paragraph, and the Faddis I admire so deeply. And page 124, the "in a minute" line. Indeed, the whole scene. It's perfect. It's almost — almost — worth plowing through the rest of the story to get to that scene.

(In short) Join Me needed more; Solitaire needed less, Nothing in life is perfect, I suppose.[31]

[zine]:

I just finished reading VolumeIV of ZEBRA III and I've got a problem. You know, it's much easier to write critism than kudos, because critism sounds so much more sincere, but I just don't have any criticism to write. Oh sure, I have my favorites among the stories and poems. El Monte Blues, Mating Season, I know it's rather obvious that anyone reading ZEBRA III and bothering to write is an S&H fan, and sure, I try not to miss the show. I even watched the rerun of THE PLAGUE but I watched it that time, like I had the first time -- with my hands clenched in frustration and ready to scream over what they were doing to those two men who are as real to me as the guy walking down the street outside my window -- maybe even more so. It was the waste that bothered me. The premise was good, but they didn't show what was there. All the caring and love. All we were shown was the sickness and anger- - until Solitaire.

I guess it all boils down to wanting to say a special thank you to you and Connie Faddis for Solitaire. I've been watching the episodes this season looking for something that as too often [had] not been there. You two gave it all back to me — you and Melanie and Marian and Laurie and Roy Smith, And I do appreciate it. Thank you! [32]

[zine]: Mainly a collection of short-but-oh-so-sweet pieces written by some of the best, with one longer novella, Solitaire, an emotional wringer based on events of [the episode] "The Plague." This collection runs the full gambit from comedy to tragedy. Of special not is Tombstone Blues, a rare and well-written glimpse into the inner thoughts of Captain Dobey. [33]

Issue 5

front cover of issue #5, Connie Faddis, this cover was the winner of an Encore Award
back cover of issue #5, Gloria-Ann R.

Zebra Three 5 was published in 1980 and has 160 pages.

It has art by Beth Brown, Connie Faddis (front cover), Gloria-Ann R. (back cover), Paulie Gilmore, Signe Landon, DeAnn Llyod, Terri Korthals, Cheryl Newsome, Karen Stewart, Lizabeth Tucker, Linda Walter and Kyrol Waters.

From the intro:

Welcome to the fifth volume of 'Zebra Three'! This issue is a departure from previous volumes since it includes mainly short stories and vignettes based upon the aired episodes. I like to think of it as an S&H slice of life issue, since the wide variety of fiction and poetry traces the development of the characters from pre-first season to post-Sweet Revenge, from the fannish viewpoint.

It may seen that there is an abundance of "similar" material in this issue, ny similiar, I mean more than one piece as based on a given episode or theme. For example, there are three dream vignettes, and while they are all based on a central theme, I selected them on the basis of content. ((And besides, I like them all!))

Sweet Revenge seems to be the all-time favorite, and I received a deluge of submissions concerning that episode. So, I was faced with the decision, would I make this a zine based on just Sweet Revenge, or draw the line and accept just so many pieces. I chose the latter. Those pieces included trace the course of events that we did not see in that episode. My apologies to those of you who submitted excellent material, but I was just unable to accept.

Regarding a sequel to "Nightrun": The author says there will be a sequel called “Riders on the Storm” that will appear in Me and Thee:

It more or less takes off where ‘Nightrun’ left off. Although the events of ‘Nightrun’ most certainly figure into the ‘Riders on the Storm,’ they didn’t fit into the telling properly. So, rather than cheat all of you by having us present a series of fuzzy flashbacks, I thought I’d bring you the who thing in vignette form, and Zebra Three was kind enough to print it. That’s why ‘Nightrun’ reads the way it does – it’s an isolated incident that has not yet been resolved, but will be later. There is no ending. If you wanna find out what happens in the desert, ya gotta read the next part.

Regarding the next issue:

I would prefer not to receive death stories specifically concerning S&H, alternate universe S&H, or stories of a homosexual theme.

NOTE: There are a lot of cartoons, several short essays, a vignette in script form, and other things in this zine that do not appear in the table of contents.

  • Editorial (2)
  • Letters of Comment (4)
  • The Tomb by Kathleen Gaitely (a get'em set in their patrol days) (10)
  • First Impressions by Cheryl Newsome (S and H meet Huggy) (22)
  • Drive My Car by Lorraine Bartlett (Hutch wrecks Starsky's car, a white Duster.) (43)
  • Downer by Mary Carson, poem (49)
  • Nighthorse by Karen J. Stewart (a deathfic) (50)
  • Birthday Boy by Sandy Byrd (S and H as infants) (57)
  • Sweet Afterthought by Barbara Greenwood (63)
  • A Little Dignity by Jeanne Sullivan (66)
  • Nightmare by Lorraine Bartlett (70)
  • A Break in the Action by Barb Greenwood (74)
  • Polyphony by Elizabeth Lowry, poem (78)
  • Perchance to Sleep by Lisa Peterson (80)
  • Once Upon a Time by Theresa Karle, poem, winner of an Encore Award (84)
  • Mother’s Son by Barbara Greenwood (86)
  • Squadroom Bullitens [sic] (a sort of graffiti section) (92)
  • Sleep’s Dark and Silent Gate by Linda Brown (94)
  • Starsky's Tush: What's the Fascination???, essay, not credited (98)
  • Nightrun by Joy Maricevic (Hutch is personally involved in a murder case that is lost in court. He angrily leaves the sentencing, and Starsky goes after him.) (100)
  • A Day in the Life, a short script form vignette, parody, Starsky reads a Trek zine in the car and has some commentary on the hurt/comfort trope (100, yes, there are two pages labeled 100 in the zine)
  • Did'ja Know About (zine ads) (112)
  • A Matter of Policy by Cheryl Newsome (Hutch tries to extend his insurance policy.) (114)
  • Black and Blue: A Condition of the Heart by Lorraine Bartlett (120)
  • How Many Times? by Elizabeth Lowry (126)
  • Recriminations by Jan Lindner (128)
  • Intermezzo by Elizabeth Lowry (130)
  • The Phone Call by Laurie Haldeman (134)
  • Apparition by D.C. Black (140)
  • Lifeline by Shirley Passman (144)
  • Refuge by Lizabeth S. Tucker (Starsky gives Hutch money for a house.) (146)
  • The Official Z3 Guide to S&H Episodes by T. Librande and L. Bartlett (158)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

See reactions and reviews for Nightrun.

See reactions and reviews for Nighthorse.

[zine]:

Zebra Three’ has fallen on hard times. The proliferation of S&H zines has meant that not all the best stories are offered to the first press of fandom. Indeed, I think #5 is Z-3’s worst issue so far.

It is almost entirely short stories or vignettes, the pieces averaging seven pages in length, including illos. A zine need not have a novella for a centerpiece to be good, but none of the bits in this issue are more tan moderately good, and some are really poor. Of the good stuff, ‘Nightrun’ was almost brilliant, but it crumbled off abruptly near the end: Hutch is personally involved in a murder case that is frustratingly lost in court; he slams out of the sentencing ready to spit tacks at the abuse he’s had on the case, Starsky runs after to keep his friend’s fury in line – and they plan to go on vacation sometime, the end. An excellent first half of a story, but we were set up for more on an ending than was supplied.

Two stories that were competent were ‘The Tomb’ and ‘First Impressions.’ Gaitely is a southern star anyway; her work in the other zines has been consistently fine. Here it seems outstanding, despite a touch of talky narrative that keeps the piece from being as taut as it could be. Set back in the patrol days, it’s a notch above a get 'em because of its insight into Starsky’s sense of obligation. Newsome took the time to work out a full-bodied plot and decent characterization. Not as rich as ‘Any Major Dude’ in The Pits #2, ‘First Impressions’ deals with the same subject, how S&H met Huggy.

Newsome’s other piece ‘A Matter of Policy’ is also good. It’s a light and right-on top dance of Hutch trying to extend his insurance coverage, while explaining to the adjuster about all of his accidents, trackmarks, and break-ins. Mary Carson's "Downer" communicates its punch almost telepathically; it is a Poem of rare quality.

The better vignettes were those by Jan Linder, Barb Greenwood, Linda Brown and Jeanne Sullivan. Not so good were Liz Tucker’s ‘Refuge’ (Starsky loves Hutch so much he gives him a $40,000 house), Bartlett’s ‘Drive My Car’ (Hutch wrecks Starsky’s beloved … white Duster?), Sandy Byrd’s ‘The Birthday Boy’ (Starsky and Hutch as infants in a Sugar & Spike plot; depending on your taste, sappy or cute)… ‘To Sleep Perchance to …’ (the inevitable dream bit) ‘a then he woke up’ has been a cliché for the last hundred years.

The absolute worst piece in the zine, ‘Night Horse.’ had at least this in its favor: it many have been an unremitting an pointless hurt-Hutch but it was true enough to its premise that it ended with him dead and not clutching his pillow. I don’t recommend the zine.

CONTENT-2 GRAPHICS-2 $ WORTH-1 [34]

Issue 6

front cover of issue #6
back cover of issue #6, Gloria-Ann Rovelstad
ad for issue #6

Zebra Three 6 was published in 1981 and has 134 pages. It has art by Beth Browne, Betty DeGabriel, Connie Faddis, Greg Franklin, Signe Landon, Cheryl Newsome, back cover by Gloria-Ann Rovelstad and Karen Stewart.

From the editor:

It's funny how soon after an issue is completed that you forget how frustrating, maddening, and downright aggravating editing a fanzine can be! This issue is a little late, as usual, but somehow everything managed to fall into place amid utter chaos and you hold the result of many months' work from a host of talented writers, artists, and friends in your hands.

Introducing the latest issue of 'Zebra Three' wouldn't seem complete without some mention of the previous issue. S&H fandom seemed split about 50/50 in their views of 'Zebra Three' Volume 5 -- some hated the short story format, some loved it. And, I got a lot more response for that one issue than for any other printed to date; much too much to print here. (You guessed it, what I printed in previous issues amounted to nearly the total amount of LoC's) Therefore, to save space in this issue, I am not printing the LoC's from issue 5. If you're really that interested, though, and want a copy of these comments, please send $2 and I'll send you a copy. Approximately, 20 pages reduced %64 -- tiny, but readable.

  • It Ain't Me, Babe by Joy Mancinelli ("Hutch's disintegrating marriage affects his performance as a cop when he goes undercover in a gay bar to track down the city's largest heroin supplier.") (4)
  • You and Me by Lucy Cribb, poem (50)
  • Coming to Terms by Laurie Haldeman (52)
  • All That Glitters by Lorraine Bartlett ("S&H are assigned to an apparent murder/suicide at a movie studio, but soon find there was no suicide and fame and a lot of money are at stake for the murderer.") (56)
  • Retrospection by Jackie Wagner, poem (112)
  • Now and Forever by D. Doxstarter ("Based on "Sweet Revenge", Hutch tries to come to terms with his anger and the possibility of losing his partner.") (114)
  • Job Search by Laurie Haldeman (117)
  • Equilateral by C.D. Rice ("S&H meet up, once again, with their ex-lover Kira in a post-Sweet Revenge story.") (188)
  • Closing Comments and Coming Attractions (133)

  • from issue #6, Cheryl Newsome

  • issue #6, Betty DeGabriel

  • from issue #6, Signe Landon

  • from issue #6, Signe Landon

  • from issue #6, Connie Faddis

  • from issue #6, Beth Browne

  • from issue #6, Connie Faddis

  • from issue #6

  • from issue #6, Greg Franklin

  • from issue #6, Connie Faddis

  • from issue #6, Connie Faddis

  • from issue #6, Gloria-Ann Rovelstad

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6

See reactions and reviews for It Ain't Me, Babe.

See reactions and reviews for Equilateral.

See reactions and reviews for All That Glitters.

Not the strongest in the series, in my opinion, but still well worth reading. It Ain't Me, Babe provides an interesting trip through the mind of our favorite blond cop set against an intriguing undercover case. [35]

Zebra Three was one of those rare zines that begin brilliantly and continue well. For four issues, Z3 maintained its high standard with a consistency seldom seen in fandom. "Bomb Scare", "Mojave Crossing", "Join Me in L.A." were strictly state-of-the-art when they were first printed, and justly remain classics even though their authors have grown beyond them. Then, last year, came the unmitigated disaster that was Volume 5; a Sears' catalogue of writers who couldn't write presided over by an editor who couldn't edit. Issue 6 is only fortuitously better, and the announcement that it will be the last is something of a relief. As Enobarbus so rudely remarked, the tears to weep this loss live in an onion. In order, from the sublime to the grotesquely ridiculous.

The improvement thish is almost entirely due to Joy Mancinelli's ‘It Ain't Me, Babe’. It's marked by literate prose, good dialogue and a well-constructed plot. (Interesting Side Note; this story was edited by Dotty Barry, who nowhere receives credit for her work. Not to mention thanks.) What could — and in lesser hands would — have been merely another trashing of Vanessa-the-lousy-bitch here becomes a sensitive and well-balanced study of the end of the Hutchinson marriage. This Hutch is no innocent victim; he resents his wealthy in-laws and takes that resentment out on his wife he can be cruelly inconsiderate he substitutes sex for real communication. Van herself is a spoilt child in a woman's body, vain and self-indulgent. And, oddly, sympathetic. She returns her husband's love, but can find no way of coping with the life he's making for them — the danger, the worry, the fascination with violence, Starsky. Step by step, Mancinelli shows us the deliberate choices that lead to their separation, and how each has prepared for that end. Starsky here is more catalyst than actor, but his generosity and his caring comes through clearly. As does the milieu of street and bar, and the hint that Vanessa's family may not be quite so impeccable after all. If I'm reading Mr. P correctly, there's also a nice bit of foreshadowing toward "Murder One". This piece would be a bright spot in any zine; here it looks like the Koh-i-Noor diamond in a rhinestone factory.

Cheryl Rice's ‘Equilateral’ deals with a reunion of S,H, and Kira, post "Sweet Revenge". Its English is competent, the dialogue crisp tending to the occasional terrific line. What's missing is a single point of view. As it stands, it's difficult to tell whether this is intended as Starsky's ..story (How I Overcame Post-Operative Depression), Hutch's (How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Blonde Bomb Shell), or Kira's (My Brush With Death And What It Taught Me About Human Relationships). A focus through one character would, I think, pull the whole thing into shape; this writer was failed by her editor, and it's a damn shame.

Also variations on the SR theme is Darla Doxstater's "Now and Forever", in which Hutch sits by Starsky's bedside and thinks. Mostly variations on the word ‘gonna’.

Last and least is Bartlett's own "All That Glitters". I hesitate to call this a novella or to use any other term which might suggest that it was actually written: what it is, mainly, is the most abysmally sloppy collect of words that I have ever seen spattered onto unoffending paper. Character's names change from one page to the next, a murderee is blackmailing the victim of a literary theft rather than its perpetrator (Don't ask, Gentle Reader. Just don't ask.), the POV leaps about like a hyperkinetic flea, the Byzantine ‘plot’ becomes inextricably entangled in its own confusions, the prose in general and the spelling and grammar in particular are occasions of dismay… A writer has an obligation to her readers, if not for herself or to her work to at least try for a quality product; to realize that there are such things as standards and to do her very best to meet them. No such effort has been made here. In fact, it looks very much as if ‘All That Glitters’ was drafted directly onto the stencils and cranked through the mimeo without so much as a simple proofreading. The result is an insult to S&H and to fandom…

I can’t recommend this zine. Borrow a friend’s copy and enjoy ‘It Ain’t Me, Babe.[36]

References

  1. ^ from Frienz #13
  2. ^ from Frienz #13
  3. ^ from Frienz #13
  4. ^ comment by kslangley at What was your first fandom?, August 28, 2016
  5. ^ "MCP-ism" is "Male Chauvinist Pig"?
  6. ^ from Mahko Root #2, 1978
  7. ^ from Stardate: Unknown #4 (1978)
  8. ^ from Moonbeam #3 (1978)
  9. ^ from Paula Smith in Menagerie #14 (1978)
  10. ^ from Black Bean Soup v.2 n.22 (June 1996)
  11. ^ Reading a 1977 zine in 2014: Zebra Three #1, Archived version
  12. ^ from Stardate: Unknown #5
  13. ^ from Black Bean Soup v.2 n.22 (June 1996)
  14. ^ by Jane Aumerle in Star Canticle #2
  15. ^ from a letter of comment in Zebra Three #4
  16. ^ from a letter of comment in Zebra Three #4
  17. ^ from a letter of comment in Zebra Three #4
  18. ^ from a letter of comment in Zebra Three #4
  19. ^ from a letter of comment in Zebra Three #4
  20. ^ from a letter of comment in Zebra Three #4
  21. ^ from S and H #1
  22. ^ from S and H #2
  23. ^ from Scuttlebutt #14
  24. ^ from Jane Aumerle in Star Canticle #2
  25. ^ from an LoC in "Zebra Three" #5
  26. ^ from an LoC in "Zebra Three" #5
  27. ^ an LoC by Paula Smith in "Zebra Three" #5
  28. ^ from an LoC in "Zebra Three" #5
  29. ^ from an LoC in "Zebra Three" #5
  30. ^ from an LoC in "Zebra Three" #5
  31. ^ an LoC in "Zebra Three" #5 by Melanie R
  32. ^ from an LoC in "Zebra Three" #5
  33. ^ from Black Bean Soup v.2 n.22 (June 1996)
  34. ^ from S and H #12 (July 1980), reprinted as part of Bored of Review by Paula Smith in Warped Space #45 (March 1981)
  35. ^ from Black Bean Soup v.2 n.22 (June 1996)
  36. ^ from S and H #28 (December 1981)
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