Bonnie Vitti

Fan
Name:	Bonnie Vitti
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Fandoms:	Blake's 7, Patalliro, Doctor Who
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Bonnie Vitti is a zine publisher and fiction writer.

Vitti was also a zine publisher. She and Leigh Arnold ran Pony Press. The press's publications were Desperado | Flake's Seven Annual | Lone Star | Magnificent Seven | Magnificent Tales | New Horizons | Pirate Planet | Starship Britannica.

Vitti was involved in Rabble Press, which published Children of the Federation in 1990. She must have taken the reins of it from two other fans who published Revenge of the Rabble the year before.

Magnificent Seven and Children of the Federation are the two zines that contain Vitti's fiction.

Vitti also was involved in selling videotapes to fans.

Zine Piracy and 1988 Confrontations

Vitti was also seemingly unrepentantly directly involved in zine piracy. This sometimes involved Leigh Arnold, her partner at Pony Press. One of the flashpoints was at Creation Con Salutes Star Trek, a Creation Con in 1988.

See An Open Letter to Fandom by Deb Walsh (1988) and An Open Letter to Fandom by Della Van Hise (1988)..

Another point of context, though it didn't directly involve Vitti was The 1988 Blake's 7 Bootlegged Zines Discussion.

Zine Piracy: 1990 Comments by Vitti

From Vitti's zine, Children of the Federation:

No Copyright 1990. All stories and art are controlled by their respective creators, and are unreservedly offered to the fandom for the entertainment and enjoyment of the readers. All rights to "Blake's 7" are acknowledged to Terry Nation and the BBC, with heartfelt thanks to Mr. Nation for his creation. Terry, we couldn't have done it without you! To Paul and Michael and all the splendid actors who gave us the characters we love, equal heartfelt thanks. To the fans, this zine's for you guys.

NOTICE: Copying this zine is permitted with the written approval of the editor. Making copies of this zine is also permitted with the written approval of the Queen of England, three state governors, an act of Congress, and the blessing of the Pope. And you know what? Copies of this zine are also permitted without any of above.

There, you guys have it in writing, you're safe, go ahead and xerox your little hearts out, and when the zine police scream bootleg! you can show thiem this paragraph and sneer nyah-nyah, nyah-nyah nyah-nyah, and watch them sulk. All proceeds from the sale of this zine will be donated to the AIDS Project of Los Angeles to help them in the fight against AIDS.

If all the copiers in town are busted, this zine can be ordered by sending lots of money... to Bonnie Vitti...

Fan Comments

1994

One really fun panel for me at Escapade was the "Fan Feuds: How to Start Them, How to keep them Going and How to Stop Them" panel. We had this big white board on which we put people's names and their "reputations." The really interesting thing about it was that, for example, I wrote the name "Bonnie Vitti," and the room as a whole went "oohh." I asked, "okay, what's her rep." "Zine pirate!" people called out. We did this with, probably, ten or twelve people, several of whom were suggested from the group. It was *really* fascinating to see the memories people have for old feuds and gossip. We then discussed how feuds get started, how they keep going, and the easiest ways to stop them (which did NOT involved, I'm pleased to say, murdering the major participants).

[...]

It's my personal experience that people are *often* aware of their reputations, but not always. Bonnie Vitti's aware of hers because people get in her face and confront her about it.

2004

The bootlegger, the one who was confronted by editors at the Star Trek 20th Anniversary Con years ago, the one who photocopied and sold dozens and dozens of in print titles is Bonnie Vitti. I don't think she stopped even after the group of us all but threatened her with bodily harm.

I understand from another editor that the bootlegging of zines did ultimately stop. Vitti and her partner were banned from Creation cons and other cons,

and so their market for both bootlegged and legit merchandise dried up. Recently, though, I have seen video lists of bootlegged videos from Vitti at cons (I remember seeing an extensive list at Eclecticon).