Activate!

Zine
Title:	Activate!
Publisher:	The Robert Picardo Fan Club
Editor(s):	Tracey Ledel, later E. Cristy Ruteshouser
Type:
Date(s):	1995-?
Frequency:	quarterly
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Star Trek: VOY
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Activate! is the newsletter for The Robert Picardo Fan Club. It was published four times a year.

V.1 N.1

Activate n.1 v.1 (issue #1) was published in Fall 1995.

cover of the first issue

V.1 N.2

Activate n.1 v.2 (issue #2)

V.1 N.3

Activate n.1 v.3 (issue #3) is undated, but appears to have been published in summer of 1996. It contains 35 pages.

It has art by Jo Beth Taylor, Mark Gold, Renee Bowe, and Janet D'Airo.

front cover of v.1 n.3, Renee Bowe

back cover of v.1. n.3, Janet D'Airo

From the editor:

Welcome to ACTIVATE! #3—a special edition! Because of our first piece of fan-fiction, "Matchmaker" and the amount of material we've amassed for this issue, we've gone with a larger format. Whether we stay with it or go back to the digest sized newsletter will depend on how you like it and the amount of contributions we receive for publication. I must take a moment to thank ALL of you for being so patient. This is very late, but I haven't had one complaint from anyone (not even those of you I talk to online.) Contrary to the popular "Get a life!" stereotype of Trekkers, I've found most of us have totally full lives AND add Star Trek on top of everything else we do!

• "A Fan's Confession" by Chris Powell:

  On Saturday of the Grand Slam weekend in Pasadena, a friend (Activate! contributor, Michael Barrows) and I were discussing the process of fan-dom. Our approach was quite intellectual and detached. Our discussion contained, at least, one reference to a Ph.D. dissertation. We agreed that we enjoy the work of our favorite actors, writers, producers, etc. and are interested in learning about their craft. We wondered aloud, from our lofty perspective, about the inner workings of the minds of those fans for whom the line between actor and character, writer and story, producer and film blurs. We criticized the questions these fans ask actors based on their character's feelings and motivation, past history, and current activities when they're not in the story's view. We debunked the god-like status given to the cast and crew. They're just people we said, not icons, and we should act accordingly. Later that evening, I was invited to attend a party hosted by ORACLE, Rene [Odo] Auberjonois' fan club. At the party I was introduced to Rene, Ethan [Neelix] Phillips,and Andrew [Garek] Robinson. I listened to Ethan tell jokes and stories, spoke briefly with Rene about old televisions shows that he had done, and watched him "rock-out,w dancing with his wife. Then as I had to leave the party, I found myself deeply disappointed that I hadn't had a chance make my way through the crowd to meet Armin [Quark] Shimmerman before I left. At the end of the evening, I giddily described the experience to friends, apparently for a short while losing my detached perspective in favor of genuine star-struck fandom. The coup-de-grace to my self-image as a cool and removed high-brow came the following morning. There was a small possibility of meeting with Bob Picardo in person before the cast's appearance at the Grand Slam. I had previously interviewed him over the phone for the Activate! article on The 'Burbs - but that is yet another story. I awoke hours before I needed to and couldn't get back to sleep. I was as nervous as a school boy in the throes of his first crush. There were butterflies in my stomach. Would I get the chance? So much for the dispassionate, cognitive study of the actor's craft and its exemplary execution by Bob. I'm a hopeless fan and can't escape it. I only hope I can avoid waiting in line for half an hour then asking stupid questions. Oh, what the heck, why not?! Bob, could you tell me, how do you feel about?

• Voyager Studio Tour, Part One by Tracey Ledel, includes photos
• Studio Tour: The Sets by Michael Barrows, includes photos
• report of Robert Picardo's appearance at Novacon IV (March 1996), includes several photos
• a report of Robert Picardo's appearance at Warp 10 (April 1996)
• a "letter" written by The Doctor, to "Dr. Zimmerman"
• a very long description by Chris Powell of Robert Picardo in the 1987 movie "Innerspace"
• a full-page publicity photo of Picardo smoking a cigar and wearing a cowboy hat
• transcript of an interview by Tracey Ledel of the actor Jennifer Lien
• transcript of a recent AOL interview with Picardo
• "A Mother's Prayer in the Time of AIDS," an essay-thing reprinted from the internet by a fan
• a poem by Rick Rattle called "Glimmer of Light," about AIDS
• fanfiction inspired by a conversation "on the 'Doc and Kes' board,' by Amy Vincent, title is "Matchmaker"
• a list of Star Trek: VOY fan clubs

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  inside page from v.1 n.3, Janet D'Airo

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  inside page from v.1 n.3

V.1 N.4

Activate n.1 v.4 (issue #4) is undated, appears to have been published in the spring of 1997. It contains 34 pages.

front cover of issue v.1 n.4 by Janet D'Airo, this issue doesn't have a back cover

• some convention dates and factual news
• comments "from the Net" regarding views on specific episodes
• the charity luncheon, "A Stardate with Robert Picardo and Ethan Phillips," sponsored by Diana Morgan and the Oberon Group rained nearly $7000 for charity—a fan writes a report about this event, article includes photos
• "Robert Picardo's Comments on Directing 'Alter Ego,' a CARPE Exclusive!"
• comments by Joe Menosky on writing the episode "Alter Ego"—one comment: "I'd watch the first Star Trek movie again only if threatened with death (nearly two decades later, and I still shudder)..." This article is very long and is mostly about Vulcan psychology and history
• a filk by Don Brynelson, "Holodoctor's Lament," to the tune of "The Sounds of Silence"
• the characters from various Trek TV series each answer the question: "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
• a report of the Voyager Studio Tour, part two, by Tracey Ledel
• "Star Trek 30: Report to Sickbay"—a description of DeForest Kelley and Robert Picardo interacting at a the con Warp 10
• a con report for Warp 10 by Mather Pfeiffenberger
• "Star Trek Voyager" Star Weighs in on His Career," a reprint of an article by Shawn Bayern from the Yale News Online Editor
• description and review by David Bruggeman of a The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr episode in which Robert Picardo appeared
• "The Doctor's Tale," fanfiction by Amanda Bonner
• artworks by Jennifer Moeller, first appeared in Dabo!, also artwork by Janet D'Airo
• comments from the editor:

  ACTIVATE! #4 represents a milestone of sorts for CARPE. For most members, it is time to renew for another 4 issues. For me personally, it is a time of re-evaluation on how CARPE is to be run in the future. While I have had the invaluable moral support of friends - in and out of Trek - and members (not to mention Bob's wonderful cooperation and support), and have had some FABULOUS submissions from loyal artists and writers, I have been doing all of the nuts-and-bolts of running this fan club by myself. Frankly, gang, I can't do it alone anymore. I NEED HELP. As I have always maintained, this is YOUR fan club. I have some ideas on how to divvy up some of the responsibilities, but am open to suggestions as well. Some of you have offered in the past - I'm ready for it now! If you want to help (remember: this is grunt-work - typing, mailing, organizing mailing lists, e-mail lists, PR, distributing flyers, etc.) please contact me ASAP. E-mail capabilities are preferred, but you don't even need a computer to help with some of it. If anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area is willing to get involved - even for an occasional envelope-stuffing party, that would be terrific (I'll buy the pizza!). If you want to get ACTIVATED!, contact me. The perks are making new friends and sharing the insanity! Our first volunteer, Adele Carr, has taken on the task of membership coordinator for our "Down Under" members in Australia, hereafter to be known as CARPE's "OZ" chapter. I had the pleasure of meeting Adele at last year's Grand Slam Convention. On to more interesting topics - Voyager! It's been an interesting season, to say the least! We've seen the "all new Voyager", action-packed (and T+A stacked). We've seen sex and violence. Sandrine's is gone (boo-hoo!) and we have "Club Med in Space", where the female crew members (even our Captain) all wear skimpy swimwear, while the male crew members stay covered up.

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  inside page from v.4 n.1

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  inside page from v.4 n.1

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  inside page from v.4 n.1

V.2 N.1

Activate n.2 v.1 (issue #5)

V.2 N.2

Activate n.2 v.2 (issue #6) was published in spring 1998 and contains 33 pages.

front cover of v.2 n.2, Janet D'Airo

back cover of v.2 n.2, Maren Frank

• has a tribute to a fan named Diana Morgan, who has recently passed away
• fundraising success: the club has raised $1224 for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
• comments on Voyager's third season
• an interview with Leland Orser
• "Best butt on Voyager": an article by Ian Spelling from Inside Trek
• reviews of the episode "Message in a Bottle"
• some excerpts from an online appearance by Picardo on February 17, 1998 on the TV Guide Entertainment/Yahoo! Chat Auditorium, one tidbit: the actor likes to sunbathe in the nude
• some excerpts from an early February phone call with Picardo
• a full-page publicity still from 1977: Robert Picardo and fellow actors in Albert Inaurato's Little Gemini at the Little Theater on Broadway
• a con report by Tim Garland: Picardo at a three-day con in Boise, Idaho called Star Trek Celebration, November 21–23, 1997
• a con report by E. Cristy Ruteshouser for the Pasadena Creation Con, November 29–30, 1997
• a con report by Conny Zurbuchen for Galileo 7 Convention in Goslar, Germany, January 2–4, 1998
• a con report by Jackie Stevens for Visions' Exposition in Warwick, Rhode Island, January 31, 1998
• a handwritten recipe by Picard for a "Picardo's Pennette," a pasta dish with asparagus and a cup of pine nuts
• a description by Chris Powell of Picardo in Amazon Women on the Moon
• an interview with Picardo conducted by E. Cristy Ruteshouser, part two, May 31, 1997 at ThunderCon in Oklahoma City
• list of Star Trek: VOY fan clubs
• lots of photos of Picardo, one of club members

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  inside page from v.2 n.2, Janet D'Airo

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  inside page from v.2 n.2