Grup (Star Trek: TOS zine)

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Zine
Title: Grup
Publisher: D.O.B Press (D.O.B. stands for Dirty Old Broad), in 1986, T'Kuhtian Press had permission to copy and distribute these zines/parts of these zines
Editor(s): Carrie Peak/Carrie Brennan (#1, #3, #4, #5, #6), Steve Barnes (#2)
Date(s): 1972-1978, (Best of Grup was published in 1984 by Datazine Publications)
Series?:
Medium: print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Grup was the first adult, or R-rated Star Trek zine.

The title is a reference to the show: "Grup" was the abbreviation of "grownup" used in the original Star Trek episode "Miri."

From an early ad: "The adult trekzine with the centerfold. Artwork, articles, fiction and poems from Trekdom's best-loved artists and authors." [1]

Some Descriptions and History

From Spockslash:

Before we can talk about the first printed K/S fiction, we need to talk about the first “adult” Star Trek fanzine to appear.

Prior to 1972, all printed fan material was for a general all-ages readership. Then “Grup” came on the scene in 1972 (you will recall that “grup” was the word for “grownups” in the episode Miri), specifically to publish adult stories and art. It was considered pornographic at the time, though the stories were not very explicit by today’s standards.

The first nsfw art was published in Grup: the first edition had a nude centerfold of Spock!

In the first instance of a practice that would become standard for writers and publishers of adult — and especially slash — publications, one of the two editors of Grup was known only by a (male) pseudonym. (With a few exceptions, none of us ever published under our real names.)

Grup was hugely popular, as you might imagine, but the editors did very small print runs, not even trying to meet demand. Everyone was scared in those days of exposure and of being prosecuted for producing pornography. Just mailing Grup through the US mail was breaking the law!

In 1974, in the 3rd edition of Grup, Diane Marchant published a story called “A Fragment Out of Time.” It was very short and very, very vague, describing two unnamed people making love. Although the characters weren’t identified, the story was accompanied by a drawing showing Spock saying to Jim,

“Impossible?… No, Jim. I warned you about messing with aliens … especially Vulcans.”

Whoa, Nelly!

Fandom would never be the same.

[snipped]

Letters poured into the letterzine The Halkan Council, questioning if the two characters depicted in the story were, in fact, Kirk and Spock. The author wrote an essay in Grup 4 confirming that yes, “Fragments” was about Kirk and Spock, and exploring (again in very subtle and somewhat coded language) the nature of the relationship between the characters.

And a huge, raging debate started in the letterzines all over fandom about The Premise that Marchant had proposed: that Kirk and Spock were in a romantic, sexual relationship with each other. (This was when that term came into general use. Before that, there was no public discussion of the K/S relationship, and so no general name for it.)

Two authors, Gerry Downes and Leslie Fish, wrote into (I think it was) The Halkan Council, asking Marchant if they could borrow The Premise to develop in fanzines they were inspired to publish, thanks to Marchant breaking this new ground.

Description from Not Tonight, Spock!:

GRUP was a mimeozine, edited by Carrie Brennan, which ran for six issues, between 1973 and 1978. It was devoted to adult (sex) stories, often featuring Spock (of the Three Balls Theory) and some female. But there were some excellent stories by such authors as Steve Barnes, and artists, some of whom later went pro, like George Barr and C. Lee Healy. The third issue boasted not only "To Invite the Night" [2] by Diane Marchant, an Australian fan, but also the first piece of published K/S art: a small, dark, and rather smudgy piece by the author. Nonetheless, it is an intriguing illo, the kind of thing at which one keeps peering in order to discern who is doing what to whom.[3]

Description from Time Warp #1:

The original Dirty Old Broad's fanzine, GRUP specializes in 'adult fiction' and in strategically undraped illos of the Enterprise. crew. Porn content ranges from implied to triple-x rated. Along with the porn, some well-written stories on adult themes first appeared in the pages of GRUP.[4]

Grup, Visibility, and Awareness of TPTB

Gene Roddenberry, the show's actors, and other showrunners certainly knew of this zine's existence.

The editor, Barnes, comments in Star Trek Lives! about three letters she received, regarding Grup:

...two from Gene Roddenberry and one from Leonard Nimoy... about the notorious and well-received publishing of Grup's first issue and the floods of fan mail that followed." The editors also received a letter from George Takei's fan club regarding the Sulu centerfold.

Gene Roddenberry had this to say in 1976 in an interview:

TT: Have you read much of the fan fiction, the fanzines, and what do you think of them?

GR: I think that it runs pretty much true to Sturgeon's law, "90% of everything is crap!" I have enjoyed fanzines (most of them send me copies), and I always at least flip through them and then stop when something really catches my eye. I've read some very interesting and good stuff in them. I've read some beautiful poetry in one and I particularly love the good humor in one of the magazines with the drawn foldout centerfolds of Mr. Spock or Sulu I think they're funny. I love it when I see them not taking STAR TREK too seriously; let's have some fun, too.

TT: Have they done you yet in a centerfold?

GR: They better not! [5]

Grup's Birth

A group of us were sitting around talking one day, and we took a look at a new flyer that had just arrived advertising the next edition of a popular Trekzine and soliciting new material. One of the instructions was 'No Spock-goes-to-bed-with stories' We laughed at that, and I said that they were missing a good bet, and that someone ought to do an x-rated zine with nothing but that kind of story. We started to brain storm on ideas. We got out the Star Trek Concordance to look for a good name. It didn't take long to get to the G's, and the obvious name leaped out at us. Several weeks later Stevie and Carrie Brennan go in touch with me and asked me if I was going to proceed with the x-rated zine. I told them I couldn't because I was so heavily involved with Eridani Triad. They asked if I minded if they did, and I said no. And that's how Grup was born.[6]

The First Issue's Historical Significance

Besides the adult fiction, the first issue had a full-sized fold-out centerfold by Roz Oberdieck. (A note about the later reprints by New Leaf Publications: "Due to reprint agreement restrictions, fold-outs are reduced to 8 1/2 x 11 format.")

From Star Trek Lives!: "It was a Star Trek fanzine which was the first to shatter with a shot which should have been heard -- or seen-- 'round the galaxy: a thoroughly nude male centerfold of the elegant Mr. Spock."

The Second Issue's Historical Significance

While not exactly historical, this issue contains a centerfold of George Takei by artist George Barr. "When asked about the centerfold, George Takei's has often said that, "While being anatomically correct, it is somewhat flattering." It was indeed a great complement for George to not only recognize but to praise the artist." [7]

This image was also reprinted in Graveside Grope.

  • Sulu centerfold from issue #2, George Barr, also in Graveside Grope, this was reprinted in "Best of Grup #1" and, at least in one instance, was autographed by George Takei himself. A poster of this illustration was sold at at Phoenix Fan Convention which George and several other TPTBs attended; it required an age statement to purchase.

  • inside page from "Best of Grup #1"—the Sulu nude centerfold from issue #2 was reprinted (it is unknown if the image here is a photocopy of the original issue, or if a photocopy of that centerfold was included in the zine).

The Third Issue's Historical Significance

inside art from issue #3, Diane Marchant. "Impossible?.... No Jim. I warned you about messing with aliens,.... especially Vulcans." This drawing appeared at the bottom of Diane Marchant's two page Kirk/Spock story "A Fragment Out of Time"

The first K/S story to appear in a zine was "A Fragment Out of Time" by Diane Marchant, published in Grup 3 in 1974. It was written so obliquely that it wasn't clear to many readers that the two people having sex were both men, much less Kirk and Spock, until Diane's letter to the editor in the next issue. By the time the last issue was published in 1978, Boldly Writing claims that "Grup seemed almost tame compared to what was coming out elsewhere."

From Jenna at Beyond Dreams Press:

The very first printed K/S story of which I'm aware is 'A Fragment Out of Time'... The story is very short, printed on two pages only with a small illustration accompanying it. No names are mentioned in the piece, but it does present a fairly explicit sex scene. And who else can the participants in this Star Trek zine be? The point-of-view character appears to be Spock, and the story begins with someone else saying to him, 'Shut up… we're by no means setting a precedent.' (A friend of mine points out the irony of that statement being the very first sentence of the very first printed K/S; this story was indeed setting a precedent that would extend through many other fandoms and affect many lives.) [8]

Marchant wrote an essay in defense of "A Fragment Out of Time" in the following issue of "Grup" called "Pandora's Box... Again."

The Fourth Issue's Historical Significance

The historical significance comes by way of a review of this issue in The Halkan Council #12 which contains one of the earliest uses of the term "Kirk/Spock" in Connie Faddis's review of Grup #4 (1975):

Diane Marchant wrote an article on the Kirk/Spock homosexual love affair premise that’s been buzzing around fannish conversations for at least a year. The idea is an interesting permutation, but Diane’s argument fails to convince because she failed to document her evidence thoroughly, and there’s a tone of 'dirty old broad getting her rocks off, heh heh' that distracts from the argument and debases the premise.

Another fan in 1976:

[The fourth edition] contains Diane Merchant's Kirk/Spock love scene.[9]

The Possibility of the Fifth or Sixth Issue's Historical Significance

In A 1980 Interview with Leslie Fish, Fish talked about her story Descensus Averno and how it had been submitted to "Naked Times". If it had been printed, the story would have been one of the very earliest published K/S stories:

When I got into fandom, K/S was already a much discussed premise around the fan grapevine (I believe Mary Manchester outlined her "Continuity Theory" a year earlier), but it was till hush-hush and underground. Having lived in various "undergrounds" for a good part of my life, I thought this was an idea that deserved to surface. "Alternative hadn't been printed yet, but I did see a copy of Diane Marchant's A Fragment Out of Time in "Grup" #3 that convinced me that a K/S story could be printed in a fanzine, so I wrote one (a longish and fairly soft-core story called Descensus Averno) and sent it off to "Grup". The story was accepted and I was told it would be printed in Grup #5 or #6, but it took a year for #5 to be published and another two years before #6 came out, and my story wasn't in either of them, for reasons known only to the gods and the publisher.

About "Deck 5"

Steve Barnes writes about a proposed zine:

If plans for my first novel don't interfere. I plan on doing the long-delayed 'Deck 5' zine that I've been promising. I sincerely hope to take up where 'Grup' left off and that the readers where no (wo)man has gone before in at least sexual areas that deal in ST. It will be a quality project in all particulars since I've decided that if I'm going to be an editor, I'm going to edit. So far, I have three pro writers lined up for material. But please, discourage the younger fans from asking me about it. There are hundreds of Trekzines for them, dealing with areas that they will feel comfortable with. 'Deck 5' will not be that kind of publication.[10]

Grup Portrayed in Other Zines

  • cartoon in Starbase M.T.L. #6 (1978) accompanying the Fanzine Review section. In it, Dr McCoy asks if Captain Kirk has finished reading his technical manual copy of Grup yet. Cartoon is not credited, although, like the header, the initials read WGP and may refer to Wendy. To read the cartoon, click to see the larger version.

  • cover of Sublight Reading #1 (1978) shows Spock reading three zines, Grup, R & R and what appears to be Obsc'zine.

Issue 1

Grup 1 was published in September 1972 and has 112 pages.

front cover of issue #1
back cover of issue #1, by Allan Asherman

Back cover by Allan Asherman. Other art by Steve Barnes, Gail Barton, C. Lee Healy, Devra Langsam, Roz Oberdieck, Ted Peak, D. Carol Roberts, Maryann Walther.

From the editorial:

The real purpose behind this zine... was to give some of the more outspoken of us a chance to write and read about our favorite Vulcan doing something more interesting than being logical. Many standard Trekzines have a policy of no Spock-goes-to-bed-with stories and the backlog of this type of story and art is unbelievable... We have all got these semi-pornographic Trek stories bumbling about in our minds (many which will not get written... and some of the ones we couldn't print... wow). At any rate, 'Grup' is meant to provide a publication for those stories. We tried to keep fairly high standards, all the fiction had to have a plot and some characterization as well as as a storyline... these are not just Spock-goes-to-bed-with stories, there are articles and poetry along with anyone/thing-goes-to-bed-with-anyone/anything stories.

Sample Interior: Issue 1

  • from issue #1, Steve Barnes

  • from issue #1, some helpful male diagrams, note the "urinary papilla"

  • from issue #1, some helpful female diagrams, note the "urinary papilla"

  • from issue #1, some more diagrams, this time showing the "Common Movements of the Vulcan Penis During Pon Farr." Note the "rhythmic wave-like pulsations of the penile muscles" and the "lateral circular motions"

  • centerfold from issue #1, Roz Oberdieck, reprinted in "Best of Grup #1"

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

See reactions and reviews for Gambit.

[zine, selected stories]:
  • Encounter / Romulans are about to launch a test invasion and Spock (you guessed it!) is about to enter an early pon farr. Christine to the rescue. Not the most compelling version of this plot.
  • Touche / Amusing romp. Enterprise is transporting computer expert Circe, who (being a virgin half-Orion) is exuding pheromones that have an unfortunate effect on all male human crewmembers, just about bringing the ship to a chaotic halt. Spock solves the problem with a successful seduction carried out in her beloved computer-speak.
  • Gambit/ In search of a dilithium contract, our trio encounter Vulcan-like colonists suffering - or perhaps "enjoying" is a better term - strange effects from their new planet's atmosphere. Spock finds true love with one who has lost her voice but gained telepathy, and refuses to leave the planet though the atmosphere is quickly killing his Earthling companions. Rather too reminiscent of "This Side of Paradise." [11]

Issue 2

front cover of issue #2, C. Lee Healy
back cover of issue #2, Steve Barnes

Grup 2 was published in February 1973 and contains about 106 pages.

The covers are by C. Lee Healy & M.L. "Steve" Barnes. The other art is by Steve Barnes, Liz Danforth, Claudine-Marie de Sisi, Roz Oberdieck, Diane Marchant, Martynn, Regina Marvinny, Georgia Michaels, and Jennifer Reid.

There was an announcement in Star-Borne #4 that "material that was to appear in 'Deck 5' [a zine that didn't make it off the ground] was to be incorporated into Grup 2."

From the editorial:

The first page includes a small square of paper, affixed by hand with a dot of glue in a manner that makes it look like a pre-Post-It note. It has the caption: "a fig leaf for YOUR centerfold."the "removable" fig leaf for delicate sensibilities
It has been said that if you want to stir up controversy, deal in material that damns motherhood, advises one to kick stray dogs, or write about sex. We chose the latter and the controversy failed to materialize. Oh, we had one or two poison pen efforts but they failed to compete with the letters of praise and encouragement we got. We found the majority of our readers accept the 'adult' theme well. After all, if sex can be accepted in a lighter vein and even, on occasion, be treated as a humorous subject, then it will soon cease to be the bugaboo it was in the past and one more sacred cow will be let out to pasture. Such is the fond hope of Grup's editor.

  • The Way, fiction by Steve Barnes (6)
  • Awakening, poem by Verna Schmidt (19)
  • Romulan/Vulcan Migrations (title in table of contents), On the Romulo-Vulcan Migrations and Their Influence on Early Slavic Civilization (title on article itself), article by Mary Ann Walther (20)
  • Gothcha [sic] (out takes, pictorial) (24)
  • Famous Last Words...or... My Crew is Sworn to Secrecy!!, vignette in dialogue by J. & K. Haan (suggests Kirk has impregnated many female crew members) (25)
  • The Cassandra Complex, fiction by Georgia Michaels (26)
  • Dear Abigail, fiction by Pat Zotti (also in Warp #1) (38)
  • Introspection, poem by Becca Oroukin (48)
  • Eridani Lullabye [sic], poem by Mary Ann Walther (49)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival, fiction by Carrie Peak (50)
  • Parting (Leila), poem by Verna Schmidt (59)
  • The Name of the Game...or The Dirty Old Broads Strike Again (photo and caption fill-in-the-blank) (60)
  • centerfold by George Barr
  • Haiku for Sulu, poem by Carrie Peak (61)
  • The Other Side of the Mirror, fiction by M.L. "Steve" Barnes (reprinted in The Best of Pon Farr) (63)
  • Ni-Var, poem by Carrie Peak (74)
  • Murder Trip by Theodore B. Peak (75)
  • Haiku, poem by Carrie Peak (85)
  • Joy in the Morning, or, Time and Time Again, "an immorality tale", by Claudine-Marie De Sisi ("A Finnegan story riffing on Kirk's remark in the episode "Shore Leave": 'Serious? Bones, I'll tell you I was positively grim'.") (87)
  • Komengathor, an Epic Poem from Pre-Reform Times, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg (99)
  • advertisement (circa 2100) by Georgia Michaels (102)
  • Something for the Boys (pinup art of Uhura) by Steve Barnes (103)
  • ad and testimonial by M.L. Steve Barnes for The Leonard Nimoy Association of Fans (104)
  • The Second Time Around, poem by Mary Ann Walther (104)
  • George... Who??, or, Just Another Potomac, fiction by "M. Stephens" (105)
  • You are Receiving this Zine Because

Sample Interior: Issue 2

  • Sulu centerfold from issue #2, George Barr, also in Graveside Grope, this was reprinted in "Best of Grup #1" and, at least in one instance, was autographed by George Takei himself

  • from issue #2, a parody ad for birth control, "The BIG DAY was circled in red, blue, green & purple when, suddenly, months too soon, my Vulcan man sprang the news -- ready or not, pon farr was unquestionably here!"

  • from issue #2, Jennifer Reid

  • from issue #2, Diane Marchant

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

  • The Way / Just bonded at age 7, Spock leaves home to begin physical training in Vulcan weaponry and rituals. His year with a compassionate teacher who had surrendered his own wish to become a healer suggests alternatives to the child - and culminates in a challenge duel with young Stonn.
  • The Other Side of the Mirror / In the Mirror Universe, Commander Sarek loses his bondmate and his captive Amanda offers herself to him in his pon farr as a political maneuver.
  • Cherry Blossom Festival / Nice little romantic idyll for Sulu - to Scotty's dismay.
  • Joy in the Morning, or, Time and Time Again / Set in the Academy years. Amusing series of Finnegan's increasingly obnoxious practical jokes victimizing the studious and virgin Jim Kirk - until the girlfriend he ropes into the stunts falls for Jim.
  • Night of Retaliation / Odd little non-Trek piece in which Spicans, having suffered inadvertent tranquilizing effects from the exhaust of Terran space vehicles, retaliate by spiking the entire Earth's water supply with human aphrodisiacs.[12]

Issue 3

front cover of issue #3, Marilyn Hawkes
back cover of issue #3, Steve Barnes

Grup 3 was published in September 1974 and contains 76 pages.

The art is by Marilyn Hawkes, M.L. "Steve" Barnes, Diane Marchant, Martynn, Stephen O'Neil, and Mary Ann Violin. It has a centerfold of Uhura (back view).

From the editorial:

Well, here we are. A year late and a helluva lotta dollars short... We've gotten some very positive response and great quantities of patience from our readers -- for both, much thanks!... Now that we are in possession of a lovely Gestetner with multiple colour capacity, we hope Grup can begin to pay for itself, issue by issue. We're not looking for profit, just to keep from going under... We have heard from Mr. Takei's fan club president [13] re the centerfold from #2, and he was apparently not displeased with the intentions of the editors.

Sample Interior: Issue 3

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

See reactions and reviews for A Fragment Out of Time.

[zine]:
  • Pre-Occupation / T'Pring ponders a love poem
  • We Could Always Make Love / A shuttle accident leaves Spock with amnesia, a new personality, and a handy crew-woman.
  • The Logical Solution / Spock solves his recurring pon-farr problem with the help of a recently-bereaved ensign.
  • Gentlemen Always Ask / An engineers' strike leaves Scott time for a little picnic and idyll in the flower garden.
  • Night of Retaliation / non-Trek; aphrodisiacs in water
  • Ask the Girl Who Owns One / Thought-dialog pillow-talk between Spock and a lady-love.
  • Fire and Ice / Zarabeth finds (brief) consolation in bearing Spock's child.
  • Gently, My Love / Spock responds to a mysterious call from 1974.
  • A Fragment Out of Time / vignette generally considered to be the first appearance of K/S in fan-fic.
  • Yesterday Was for Dreaming / Enterprise is called to help settle a mining colony's dispute with the Klingons - to a planet on which Spock had had a brief but fertile encounter with a woman who has been pining for him ever since. He meets his son, and rescues him from a Klingon plot. His offer of marriage, however, comes to naught as both parties soon realize it's impracticability.[14]

Issue 4

front cover of issue #4, "Sucubbus" Connie Faddis (reprinted from Interphase)
back cover of issue #4, Spoon

Grup 4 was published in September 1975 and contains 94 pages.

The front cover is by Connie Faddis, back cover and centerfold by Spoon. The other art is by Steve Barnes, Don Barnes, D.L. Collins, Connie Faddis, Elizabeth Marshall, Martynn, Monica Miller, Spoon, Diane Marchant and J.E. Fleming.

From the editorial:

Here we are with issue #4, late again, but only a couple of months this time. However, you [will] note in perusing these contents that the illos are almost exclusively offset; we've gone to a bond paper. We hope to go entirely offset with issue #5... The mention of Grup in Star Trek Lives! has given us an increase in circulation... Grup #4 has a 500 run, and we plan a 1000 run on #5... Our major story is by Marcia Ericson who is a pro writer using a pseudonym because her agent would kill her for doing a freebie!

The Fourth Issue's "You Are Receiving this Zine Because"

You are Receiving this Zine Because from issue #4

The caption: "I don't care what those tacky bitches say, dear. I love your dress."

The options listed:

____ You're L.N.
____ You're G.R.
____ You're W.K. (Nazdrovya!) [15]
____ You contributed (It's addictive!)
____ You paid (You have good taste in porn!)
____ You'd like to contribute, but haven't "screwed your courage up to the sticking point"
____ You know the ed (carnally or otherwise)
____ You don't think he's a mule, either.
____ You agree with Dynie! (Listen, Sweetie..)
____ You've returned to your vat, too.
____ You wouldn't mind playing doctor with Kirk.
____ You wanted Christine to get pregnant.
____ You wanted Spock to get pregnant????
____ You think he'd like a glorious son.
____ You've been waiting for a story in which he "got" it in the end.
____ You looked up "fershlugginer" up in your Funk and Wagnall's.

The Fourth Issue's "Vulcan Sex Manual"

  • from issue #4, foldover of "Vulcan Sex Manual," in the "closed position"

  • from issue #4, the "Vulcan Sex Manual" in the "open position", "in, out, 'n repetitions for effect"

Sample Interior: Issue 4

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

See reactions and reviews for Pandora's Box... Again.

[zine]: This issue of Grup, the original ST pornzine (softcore, mostly), is a patchwork of fiction and art and articles loosely and casually produced.

Fiction ranges from inconsequential short stories to a pleasantly romantic lay-Spock story, 'The Sun in its Glory,' of some substance.

Paula Smith wins kudos with the best (and chillingly effective) piece in the zine, one of her 'furschluggener' stories (plots suggested by non-writing friends at drunken con parties... I think). It's a frightening, brilliantly executed story. I wish it had never been written.

Karen Fleming has an interesting Kirk/Uhura story that promises much but falls short on delivery; it TELLS how the initial relationship grew instead of showing it, and later dangles the bait of a delicious consummation in front of the reader, then jerks it away. Dirty pool, Karen, but try again.

Monica Miller's 'Bondmate' is flowery and idealistic, but the unexpected ending lends validity to an otherwise out-of-character encounter for Spock.

Artwork in this issue suffers greatly from spotty offset printing (or is it bad mimeo?) and severe see-through (when the paper is too thin, you can see the print on the other side of the sheet), and the range of the drawing expertise is a little sad. The centerfold, this ish, is of Chekov, and it's somewhat, er, less than wonderful (which is curious, since the artist, 'Spoon,' has a VERY nice Kirk illo elsewhere in the issue. A bad day, Spoon?).

There's also a too-short cartoon collection by Martynn, and finest illo in the zine is a simple but evocative drawing of Spock asleep on his bed, also done by Martynn.

There are several articles, one on fertility in Vulcan hybrids. It's scholarly, well thought-out, and unfortunately rather uninteresting.

Diane Marchant wrote an article on the Kirk/Spock homosexual love affair premise that's been buzzing around fannish conversations for at least a year. The idea is an interesting permutation, but Diane's argument fails to convince because she failed to document her evidence thoroughly, and there's a tone of 'dirty old broad [16] getting her rocks off, heh heh, that detracts from the argument and debases the premise.

Overall, Grup continues to be an entertaining zine that would profit from a better printer and a bit more editorial selectivity in future issues.[17]

Issue 5

front cover of issue #5, Monica Miller
back cover of issue #5, D.L. Collin

Grup 5 (PDF available here) was published in October 1976 and contains 89 pages.

The first printing was 1200 copies.

It has a 'Mirror Spock' centerfold by Steve Barnes. The front cover is by Monica Miller and the back cover by D.L. Collins. The other art is by Amy Falkowitz, Steve Barnes, Signe Landon, Barry Sapp, Gayle F, Diane Marchant, Spoon Prentiss, Monica Miller, D.L. Collin, Cappel, Carol Angel, and John Adams.

Sample Interior: Issue 5

  • from issue #5, D.L. Collin, Spock and a Teddy Bear

  • from issue #5, Gayle F

  • bottom of centerfold from issue #5, Steve Barnes

  • top of centerfold from issue #5, Steve Barnes

  • the full centerfold from issue #5, this image was manually assembled through two separate scans and is slightly off-kilter

  • from issue #5, original art by Amy Falkowitz: "Infinite Diversity In Infinite Combinations"

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

See reactions and reviews for Touched.

Issue 6

front cover of issue #6, John Adams
back cover of issue #6, Elizabeth Danforth

Grup 6 was published in August 1978 and contains 94 pages.

The front cover is by John Adams, back cover by Elizabeth Danforth, centerfold by Bev Zuk. The other art is by Phyllis White, Joni Wagner, Steve Barnes, Hans Dietrich, Carol Rode, Carrie Rowles, Mike Chicchelly, Chris Prentiss, Cindy Jorgenson, Barry Sapp, Martynn, Diane Marchant, Michael Goodwin, Amy Falkowitz, and Don Barnes

Here it is: Grup 6. This is the last issue of Grup to have entirely or mostly new material. We have tried over the last six years to provide a forum for new writers and artists. To some extent, we have succeeded: some of our people have gone on to be published professionally. But even those who have not been, have gained experience and hopefully, had fun. THAT has been our Prime Directive: FUN. I, personally, want to thank all the people who have supported this zine by submitting material and by subscribing to it. You are all Dirty Old Broads. There will be a BEST OF GRUP. Steve Barnes, and I will begin work on it in September. It will be a numbered, limited edition by advance order ONLY. Its contents will be highlights from all previous issues and will contain both "Joy in the Morning" and "Encounter""-" (the stories excerpted in Star Trek Lives!. A note about the story 'Succubbus' which appears in this current issue. A vignette version of it was in Connie Faddis' Interphase no.l. At the instigation of several people, I have expanded it into a short story. One of the first of those instigators was Gerry Downes and I dedicate 'Succubus' to her.[18]

Sample Interior: Issue 6

  • from issue #6, Don Barnes

  • from issue #6, centerfold by Bev Zuk

  • from issue #6, Sulu and lover by Carrie Rowles

  • from issue #6, Diane Marchant

  • from issue #6

  • from issue #6

  • from issue #6

  • from issue #6

  • from issue #6

  • from issue #6

  • from issue #6

  • from issue #6

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6

[zine]: By this time, Grup seemed almost tame compared to what was coming out elsewhere.[19]

[zine]: I don't know why, it may be that I've read too many get stories, but I was left cold by this issue of 'Grup.' Strange, given that this fanzine was once the penultimate where Star Trek erotic literature was concerned. It's not the editor's fault; it's not the author's fault. I really think I've become jaded. Having said that, I must also say that ‘Chrysalis’ is one of the best Sulu stories I’ve read in a long time. The gentle compassionate Sulu comes across beautifully, and the portrayal of Feyanne, both a character and as an alien lifeform, was superb. Their lovemaking scene was exquisitely written. A very nice love story. It’s a pity that love sometimes means letting go. ‘Future with Grief’ and ‘A Terrible Need’ are two typical Spock without Kirk stories. As usual, the Vulcan falls apart without his captain. Somehow I feel Spock would bear up a hell of a lot better than any of these stories indicate. They are very well-written, but disappointing. ‘Succubus’ was better as a vignette. Somehow, finding out exactly who Kirk’s ‘lover’ was much more chilling the first time around and, once it was said in 500 words, saying it in 1500 seemed downright wasteful. I got the feeling with ‘What is Life Without Impossible Dreams’ was part of a series. I vaguely remember the character of Tracy Kane from somewhere before. I just couldn’t place her, and it distracted me. Actually, I suppose I could not enjoy the story because I felt I was missing some fundamental aspect because I couldn’t place Tracy or her universe. At one point, I went to my zine collection looking for her. Actually, one of the best parts of this zine was the artwork. Most of it is exquisite. I was horribly distracted by the typos throughout the issue. Carrie, you really need a good proofreader. And I should point out that pages 91, 92, and 93 were missing from my copy. Quality control has apparently slipped up. Again, frustrating to the reader. At this point, a warning hardly seems necessary, however, for the few new to fandom, ‘Grup’ is an adult zine. If you don’t appreciate this type of fiction, poetry, and artwork, don’t buy. For those who remember ‘Grup’ in ‘the days when,’ this issue is somewhat of a let-down. However, I can recommend it for ‘Chrysalis’ alone.[20]

Best of Grup

front cover of Best of Grup
back cover of Best of Grup

Best of Grup was published in 1984 by Datazine Publications. It contains reprints from previous issues and is 110 pages. Art: Includes illustrations from the centerfolds of the first 3 issues of Grup.

Cover: collage of covers from: Grup #1: Steve Barnes & Allan Asherman, Grup #2: C. Lee Healy & Steve Barnes, and Grup #3: Marilyn Hawkes & Steve Barnes.

From the editorial:

DATAZINE PUBLICATIONS is proud to bring you THE BEST OF GRUP VOLUME No. 1. Borrowing from the slang word for "grown up" used in the STAR TREK episode "MIRI", GRUP became the very first "Adult" fanzine. GRUP, the brain child of Carrie Peak and Steve Barnes was first published in 1972. It continued through six very popular issues and with time has proven to be of very good vintage.

To quote from Steve Barnes "The real purpose behind this zine (and there was one, I assure you) was to give some of the more outspoken of us a chance to write and read about our favorite Vulcan doing something more interesting than being logical." Carrie Peak said in her first editorial "We have all got these semi-pornographic Trek stories bumbling about in our minds (many of which will never get written... and some of the ones we couldn't print...WOW) At any rate, "Grup" is meant to provide a publication for those stories." GRUP did just that.

GRUP contained the very first all nude 'centerfold'. An indication as to how groundbreaking that was, is that Issue number 2 came complete with a fig leaf for those who just couldn't take the 'real' Spock. GRUP attracted some of the best fan writers and artists in Trek fandom to its pages.

This Volume contains the often talked about centerfold of George Takei... by professional artist George Barr. When asked about the centerfold, George Takei's has often said that, "While being anatomically correct, it is somewhat flattering." It was indeed a great complement for George to not only recognize but to praise the artist.

By today standards, GRUP would appear to be somewhat tame, but in it's day it drew quite a bit of controversy... all good! Steve Barnes noted in GRUP #2 "It has been said that if you want to stir controversy, deal in material that damns motherhood, advises one to kick stray dogs or write about sex. We chose the latter and the controversy failed to materialize. Oh, we had one or two poison pen efforts but they failed to compete with the letters of praise and encouragement we got. We found the majority of our readers accept the 'adult" theme well. After all, if sex can be accepted in a lighter vein and even, on occasion, be treated as a humorous subject, then it will soon cease to be the bugaboo it was in the past and one more sacred cow will be let out to pasture. Such is the fond hope of GRUP II's editor." Little did !the editors of GRUP know just how many sacred cows would be let out to pasture. Zines now cover every topic any sane or demented fan could ever imagined.

It is fortunate for all of us that Steve Barnes and Carrie (Peak) Brennan had the vision to bring their efforts to fruition, nearly a decade ago- It is therefore with great pride we bring you THE BEST OF GRUP.

  • Encounter by Catherine Blakey (reprinted from Grup #1) (1)
  • Touche by Steve Barnes (reprinted from Grup #1) (13)
  • Fire and Ice by Psyche (reprinted from Grup #3) (20)
  • Gambit by Steve Barnes (reprinted from Grup #1) (21)
  • The Way by Steve Barnes (reprinted from Grup #2) (45)
  • The Other Side of the Mirror by Steve Barnes (reprinted from Grup #2) (55)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival by Carrie Peak (reprinted from Grup #2) (63)
  • Joy in the Morning, or, Time and Time Again by Claudine Marie de Sisi (reprinted from Grup #2) (69)
  • Night of Retaliation by Don Thompson (reprinted from Grup #2) (77)
  • Yesterday Was for Dreaming by Steve Barnes (reprinted from Grup #3; sequel to "Gambit" in Grup #1) (85)
  • Gently, My Love by Verna Schmidt (reprinted from Grup #3) (107)
  • A Fragment Out of Time by Diane Marchant (reprinted from Grup #3) (110)

Sample Interior: Best Of Issue

  • inside page from "Best of Grup #1"—the Sulu nude centerfold from issue #2 was reprinted (it is unknown if the image here is a photocopy of the original issue, or if a photocopy of that centerfold was included in the zine). Note George Takei's autograph!

  • from "Best of Grup"

  • from "Best of Grup"

  • from "Best of Grup"

  • from "Best of Grup"

Reactions and Reviews: Best of Grup 1

[zine]:
  • Encounter / Romulans are about to launch a test invasion and Spock (you guessed it!) is about to enter an early pon farr. Christine to the rescue. Not the most compelling version of this plot.
  • Touche / Amusing romp. Enterprise is transporting computer expert Circe, who (being a virgin half-Orion) is exuding pheromones that have an unfortunate effect on all male human crewmembers, just about bringing the ship to a chaotic halt. Spock solves the problem with a successful seduction carried out in her beloved computer-speak.
  • Fire and Ice / Zarabeth finds (brief) consolation in bearing Spock's child.
  • Gambit / In search of a dilithium contract, our trio encounter Vulcan-like colonists suffering - or perhaps "enjoying" is a better term - strange effects from their new planet's atmosphere. Spock finds true love with one who has lost her voice but gained telepathy, and refuses to leave the planet though the atmosphere is quickly killing his Earthling companions. Rather too reminiscent of "This Side of Paradise."
  • The Way / Just bonded at age 7, Spock leaves home to begin physical training in Vulcan weaponry and rituals. His year with a compassionate teacher who had surrendered his own wish to become a healer suggests alternatives to the child - and culminates in a challenge duel with young Stonn.
  • The Other Side of the Mirror / In the Mirror Universe, Commander Sarek loses his bondmate and his captive Amanda offers herself to him in his pon farr as a political maneuver.
  • Cherry Blossom Festival / Nice little romantic idyll for Sulu - to Scotty's dismay.
  • Joy in the Morning, or, Time and Time Again / Set in the Academy years. Amusing series of Finnegan's increasingly obnoxious practical jokes victimizing the studious and virgin Jim Kirk - until the girlfriend he ropes into the stunts falls for Jim.
  • Night of Retaliation / Odd little non-Trek piece in which Spicans, having suffered inadvertent tranquilizing effects from the exhaust of Terran space vehicles, retaliate by spiking the entire Earth's water supply with human aphrodisiacs.
  • Yesterday Was for Dreaming / Enterprise is called to help settle a mining colony's dispute with the Klingons - to a planet on which Spock had had a brief but fertile encounter with Sheron, who has been pining for him ever since. He meets his son, and rescues him from a Klingon plot. His offer of marriage, however, comes to naught as both parties soon realize it's impracticability.
  • Gently, My Love / Spock responds to a mysterious call from 1974.
  • A Fragment Out of Time / vignette generally considered to be the first appearance of K/S in fan-fic.[21]

References

  1. ^ from an ad in Leonard's Pennsy & Otherwise Freaks v.2 n.1
  2. ^ It is unclear if this is simply an error, or if this was the original title of A Fragment Out of Time in what was its underground form.
  3. ^ from Not Tonight, Spock! #2
  4. ^ from Grup #1
  5. ^ from Trek Times #2 (July 1976)
  6. ^ by Judith Brownlee in a memorial to M.L. "Steve" Barnes in Datazine #37
  7. ^ from the editorial of "Best of Grup #1."
  8. ^ Beyond Dreams Press
  9. ^ from Gerry Downes in Stardate Unknown #1
  10. ^ from The Halkan Council #2; this zine, however, was never published
  11. ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version
  12. ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version
  13. ^ This fan club was likely Hosato, but also may have been The George Takei International Fan Club.
  14. ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version
  15. ^ possibly refers to "Nazdarovya" which is Polish for "To Your Health" or "Cheers"
  16. ^ A reference to a press name, as well as what the editors reference to themselves as in this zine.
  17. ^ Connie Faddis, from identical reviews in The Halkan Council #12 (November 1975) and Interphase #2 (also November 1975), (see "The Historical Significance of the Fourth Issue" in article above)
  18. ^ from the editorial of Grup #6
  19. ^ from Joan Verba in Boldly Writing
  20. ^ from Right of Statement #3
  21. ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version
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