Casa Cabrillo

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Zine
Title: Casa Cabrillo
Publisher:
Editor(s): Theresa Wright
Date(s): 1980
Series?:
Medium: print
Size:
Genre: gen
Fandom: Starsky and Hutch
Language: English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Casa Cabrillo is a 247-page gen Starsky and Hutch anthology.

It has art by Nan Lewis, Beth Browne, Connie Faddis, Paulie Gilmore, David Hosky, Signe Landon, Jan Lindner, Tim Richardson, Julian B. Thompson, Linda Walter, Liz Wright, Dale Wright.

cover by an unknown artist; this cover won an Encore Award
back cover by Tim Richardson
flyer

From "The Footnotes"

As for the possibility of 'Casa Cabrillo II' -- I cringe at the thought. Zine publishing is, without a doubt, one of the most frustrating, painful, exasperating things I've ever done (and that was just THIS WEEK!!) It is also one of the most rewarding. Even so, I have no plans to do another S&H zine in the near future. If, and when, I recover from CASA I, I may decide to trek down the masochistic route again, but that's quite a ways off in the future, so please hold the SASE's.

Editorial

A year ago, I hit upon the idea of publishing an S&H zine. It sounded like a lot of fun, good, experience in the writing and editing fields, and plenty of hard work. I was right. Just coming up with a title took almost four months. I originally wanted, to call it PARTNERS, but Paulie had already staked a claim on that one. Then came STREET LIFE a la Neil Diamond's song), but the two vignettes and one poem I had at that time had absolutely nothing at all to do with Starsky and Hutch on the streets. So, one fine summer eve as my sister and I lounged on the back patio swatting mosquitoes, sipping Tab and watching tornadoes play on the horizon, Liz suddenly sat bold upright and squealed, "Casa Cabrillo!!" My first reaction: was "Gedzundheit!", but after a while I grew to like (even love) the title.

It's been an interesting year (to say the least) -- loads of fun and frustration in fairly even doses. I set out to make Casa the best possible zine (taking into consideration my zilch experience) and tried to live by the philosophy, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing, it's worth doing right!" Believe me, it's been hard! There have been times when I've had to curb my own enthusiasm, times when I've actually had to divorce myself from the zine in order to get a better view of what was needed. At the beginning I made a promise to myself and my readers - Casa Cabrillo would have three (and ONLY three) compromises I've kept to that number. I started out trying to be a little 'different' from the rest of the S&H zines, and if nothing else, I believe I've succeeded in that aspect.

I'd like to take this space to thank all the people who contributed to the zine. Without their talents there would be no CASA CABRILLO (or PITS (Hi, Mel.); or ONE-SHOT (Hi, Jan!); or L. A. VESPERS (Hi, Dotty!); or ZEBRA THREE (Hi, Lorraine!) or a lot of others). I'd also like to thank my darling cousin. [name redacted] (he's gonna kill me for that) for coming to my rescue and saving me from certain bankruptcy. Also, thanks to REFLECTIONS of Enterprise and MEIZEL of Atlanta for their help with the cover photograph, and to Dothan Printing and Litho, Alabama, for their gorgeous printing job.

CC has progressed very, very slowly (especially these final few months), and during this time I've learned many things: patience and cunning; how to hold my temper; how to be aggressive and get things done (cry a lot.); how to be flexible (and/or inflexible); how to beg; how to grovel (Lord have I learned how to grovel!!); how to cajole genius out of others' typewriters (and ink bottles); how to be wonderfully intimidating; and how to deal with temperamental genius (place both hands firmly on the back of stubborn writer/artist and KICK!). And here is the final product - CASA CABRILLO -- a labor of blood, sweat, tears and an awful

lot of love. In print! And just two months late. Not bad for a first issue. I await your reactions and LOC's.

Contents

Gallery

Part of Some Fannish Memories in Australia

The minibus actually went down to Medtrek 2... which was part of a three week driving holiday with two friends and included a lot of fannish stops and photocopying the Casa Cabrillo - the S&H zine. Who would have foreseen the internet revolution which has put every author within reach of every reader (sort of) and made zines redundant! [4]

Reactions and Reviews

See reactions and reviews for Starsky and Hutch Remembered.

See reactions and reviews for A Time to Grow.

See reactions and reviews for The Letter.

See reactions and reviews for Still the Same.

See reactions and reviews for Beginnings.

See reactions and reviews for Body 'n' Fender Blues.

See reactions and reviews for Work, Work, Work!.

See reactions and reviews for Broken Faith.

1980

While two writers’ and one artist’s work do offer exceptional inside and a touch of class… the other entries range between unremarkable and frankly poor. Less ballyhoo, and vastly less pretentious packaging, should been in order.

Problem areas first: The editor’s own ‘A Time to Grow’ takes as its theme the initiation of Kiko Ramos into responsible manhood… We are never told why a youth of Kiko’s background would want to join a clearly criminal gang, still less how he could be brought to betray a friend in the process This particular lack is at least partly a function of the author’s obvious unfamiliarity with Chicano socialization patterns – she is, alas, equally innocent of Spanish grammar – but the preoccupation with causing S&H the maximum amount of payne and aguuny contributes, too. If Starsky’s original injury is gratuitous, his relapse and return to surgery for unspecified complications is flatly inexcusable. Add to this a stereotypical coward-bully villain, an uncontrolled tendency toward overwriting, and a much-too-easy emotional resolution and you have (A) a tale that requires a stylist's patience and flair for self-mortification of its readers and (B) an extremely cogent argument in support of the wisdom of writing what you know. A pity, this. Properly handled, the idea could have yielded a first-rate story.

Much the same judgment must ultimately apply to ‘Broken Faith.’ In this novella, Starsky goes undercover as a disciple in a religious commune, with Hutch as the ‘outside’ man. Their murder investigation proceeds without surprise or measurable suspense; the plot hums along steadily,… When S&H decide to quite the LAPD at the end, one is given to wonder whether it’s not a matter of sheer ennui at be forced to cuckoo every hour on the hour. On the positive side, they like the story’s other people, have received rather more attention than the plot. Mark, friend of the victim and Starsky’s ‘sponsor’ inside the Hospice, comes across as an intelligent, personal youngster. Hutch is very well-drawn and we are given a Starsky that is almost brilliant. That ‘almost,’ in fact, represents the crux of the story’s true failure. As the situation is originally set up, Starsky is subjected to the initial stages of a subtle and clever brainwashing, in the course of which he confesses the guilt feelings stemming from his perceived neglect of his brother. Mark then becomes a surrogate for Nick as well as an ally, and … nothing. The author simply abandons this line of development… Worse, it deprives the novella of its major thematic focus, at one reducing the issues to glib superficialities an severing the connection between the case under investigation and S&H’s personal concerns….

Of the minor pieces, ‘Starsky and Hutch Remembered.’ a retrospective by the producer’s secretary, manages to overcome its subject matter to be both uninteresting and unilluminating…. [the reviewer pans seven pieces in the zine].

Now, for the good stuff, which is very, very good indeed.

“Beginnings’ is less a novella than a series of closely interwoven short stories covering the period between Starsky and Hutch’s thirteenth birthdays and cementing of their friendship at the LA Police Academy…. Marian is a subtle writer, and the balance [of S and H’s different POVs] is frequently delicate…. All in all, it’s a writerly piece of work. Three cheers and a 10.

Less ambitious but equally fine is ‘Still the Same,’ an account of what happened four years, six months and twelve days before Vanessa came home to roost in ‘Hutchinson for Murder One.’ It’s marked by Mel’s usual clean style and neat construction, by her clear reading of human motivation…. Another 10.

On the humorous side, ‘The Waiting Game’ and “Work, Work, Work’ provide genuinely witty relief to the grimness of the rest of the zine. As exercises in stretching the basic double-entendre, both are delightful.

Artwork: the best is Faddis’, out front and running away. The illos for ‘Broken Faith’ are easily her finest work since the ‘shadow-man’ Hutch in The Pits #2 [incidentally, this reviewer wrote ‘shadow-man’]. The characters’ weariness and fear comes through with mirror clarity…

Signe Landon’s work for ‘Still the Same’ is competent – her art is never less, but in this case neither is it anything more. The same is true of Nan Lewis’ and Paulie Gilmore’s contributions. The much-touted front cover bears an unfortunately close resemblance to a Warm Touch greeting card, though we are mercifully spared a quote from ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’ or ‘The Prophet.’ Plain is better.

Recommended, with reservations.[5]

[Regarding the essay, Starsky and Hutch Remembered]: I have a couple of pet prejudices and one of them is intrusive reality (or attempts at same) barging into my fantasy worlds. I was uneasy with Amanda Green's [6] article in Casa Cabrillo -- I bought a Starsky and Hutch fanzine, not an issue of MODERN SCREEN. If I'd wanted to read excerpts from VARIETY et al., I would have taken out a subscription. [7]

...well-done, but the artwork really shows it off. The way the art is set on pgs. 74 and 75 in particular. Neat, truly neat.

The Menu was hysterical. Now, somebody has to do a S&H cookbook!

Beginnings by Marian Kelly. Ahhhh. what a lovely piece of work. Clear, thorough, and deeply touching. Very real, but not harsh. Truly fine. The aspects of character revealed by this story are realistic and easily perceived. This is a lot like Faddis' work, with the emotional muddiness and is infinitely preferable.

In Body 'n' Fender Blues by L.L. Walter gets the best of zine award for writing. This one made me cry. And it's only 4 pages long! I always like Merle -- and I like this treatment of him. A lot. Upcoming Zines. Now what are you laughing at?!

Broken Faith by Jan Linder is very good, and well written, tho' it has a tendency to skirt away from some major issues with such an... [8]

[...]

[Beginnings]... the best "first meeting" and background story I've seen.

Body 'n' Fender Blues -- Linda, you've done as good a job at tying up my guts. Without more graphic description than the streaks of blood, the missing windshield, and the various forms of dents on the vehicle, you brought back all the awfulness of that shooting. The note to Merle from Hutch was perfect. This short, yet filled with an underlying through" "Fix the love of his life to help fix him."

Work, Work, Work! -- Goddamn that Marian! I was laughing so hard that my side hurt, and my family is again convinced that I shouldn't be reading Cabrillo, I should be staying there. Just one more thing, will she give Ramon equal time?

[...] [9]

[...]

...[I did not enjoy] Still the Same. I'm not sure why either; it's just as good as the writers in any of the zines. But it just wasn't my cup of tea. What can I say?

The Menu completely cracked me up. Especially the House Specialty... Loved it!

What can I say about Beginning? I enjoyed it as I did Body N Fender Blues. I could picture Merle hot under the collar - also defensive of the Torino when his friend called her on it. It really sounded like Merle to me.

Liked Marian Kelly's Work, Work, Work ... but didn't completely understand it. I must have missed something along the way.

[...] [10]

[...]

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed CASA CABRILLO. At first I had thought the price was a little steep. When I saw it, however, I understood why it had cost what it did. And it was well worth the money. The cover is beautiful, and I also admired the typography. From slipping through it and looking at it, before I had even begun to read, it looked as though an immense amount of care had gone into its making. You said in your editorial, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Well, Theresa, you did it right.

The first thing I actually read was your rather conspicuous menu. To use an old cliche, I nearly died laughing. Bacon, lettuce and Torino sandwich, indeed! The illustration of the sandwich was marvelous.

Then I began to read the stories. The piece that struck me as the best was "Beginnings" by Marian Kelly. Whatever fine line there is that divides amateur fiction from...

[...] [11]

[...]

Work, Work, Work! Started laughing and had a hard time stopping. The only thing I was left wondering about is when Starsky is going to hear that tape and just what color of red he's likely to turn.

Short but sweet Body 'n' Fender Blues is my favorite. There is so much emotion in those few pages. Starsky and Hutch aren't even there, yet their presence is felt. All Hutch's grief and love for Starsky is in those five words of the message. Fix the car and Starsky can't help but recover, the silent plea. I've never felt so much in a story that S&H weren't actually in. Where I could stop laughing when reading Work, Work, Work, I couldn't stop crying when reading this one. Loved it!

Thought a long time about how to voice my feelings on Broken Faith. Still can't do it. Liked it and yet I didn't. ...

[...] [12]

[...]

I like Nan's illo at the end of this story very much. I've never seen her do any S&H work before. It's always been Trek.

It wasn't too hard to guess what had happened to the Torino in Body and Fender Blues. Somehow something like a blood-spattered, broken, inanimate object like a car can scare you the worst in a situation like that. The whole thing seems so ominous, the ruined car such a silent testimony to horror.

I really enjoyed Amanda Green's reminiscences about the show. Really appropriate that the last S&H scene ever filmed was the last scene of SWEET REVENGE. I also agree with Amanda about the violence crack....

[...] [13]

Thank you very much for sending me Casa Cabrillo. I really have enjoyed it very much. I think there should be a "C" added to Casa Cabrillo -- Classy Casa Cabrillo. First impressions are very important, or so I'm often told. Casa Cabrillo certainly struck me as being a very 'classy' zine. I love the photo cover and all the artwork is great. The back cover is excellent; the plastic spine is also a very good idea. I must say that I am quite new to zines, but I am very impressed. Yes, Casa Cabrillo is great.

I found S&H Remembered very interesting. An insight to the other side of S&H.

Now The Waiting Game. I fell for it. Yes, I really did think it was something serious concerning our favorite cops.

A Time To Grow -- I thought it was a different type of story. It kept my interest all the way through. I could imagine Hutch reacting in the way you wrote it. I really enjoyed it.

You will definitely think I'm daft when I tell you about my reaction to The Letter. I started reading this and got about halfway through it when I just could not read any more because I could not see for the tears in my eyes. Stupid, I know. I had to turn to the end. Once I had read the last paragraph I started again and read it all the way through. I know I cheated, but I just couldn't help it. I finally enjoyed it.

All the artwork is lovely; picture on page 48 is beautiful.

And Cold Turkey -- I must be the dumbest ever reader of CC. I fell for that one too. When I read the title, I thought, 'oh, good, something about The Fix'. I loved it when Starsky gave Hutch the packet of sweet cigarettes. His reaction was just lovely. And poor old Starsky he finally met with a sticky end.

Linda's picture on page 55 is great. His Favorite Things -- lovely. I could not read this for laughing.

The S&H Photo Album - very cute. Love Linda's picture on page 76. Perhaps my car could get second prize.

The Menu -- when and where do I make the bookings? A table for four please. It’s really funny.

Beginnings -- I enjoyed this; it's nice to know other fans views on their backgrounds, but, of course, I especially enjoyed it when Starsky and Hutch finally met. When Hutch was having a hard time at the Police Academy, I wanted to go out and give the nasty man, Nelson, a hard time. I only have one complaint about Beginnings. It ended! I wanted to turn over the page and keep on reading. I know the title would need to be changed. Really very good. Loved page 146.

Body and Fender Blues -- I found myself laughing away at Merl the Earl. The end was very touching.

Like '"Curlytop” on page 151.

It is incredible that one person will never learn, but this here turkey fell for Goodbye. Thick isn't the word for me. I was reading it and saying to myself, 'no, he can’t be so daft. He wouldn’t do a thing like that.’ I cheated once again and read the end before I finished. I just about laughed myself stupid. Started again and really enjoyed it. I think I prefer Hutch without his ’hairy caterpiller’ too.

Picture on page 160 - very good.

Upcoming zines - very funny.

Broken Faith — I hate to say anything critical about anyone's work. I mean, I know I couldn't do half or a quarter what all you people have done, but although I enjoyed Broken Faith - I did miss the close relationship between Starsky and Hutch. I suppose I slightly resented the intrusion of the others, namely Jane and Mark. Silly, I know, but it’s just my opinion for what it’s worth.

Curlylocks and the Three Bears - funny. Very good. A nice way to finish off a wonderful zine. Please try and be brave and do CCC II for my sake, if for nothing else. I’m a selfish brute, I know, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you so much. [14]

To say this letter was overdue would be a significant understatement. I've been wanting to write to you about CASA for ages but I've been terrible so far this year about getting things done. I loved CASA — it is a beautiful zine, both in presentation and content. I am tom first of all between front cover and back. The photo is brilliant, and the Starsky portrait is totally arresting. The other artwork was just as good, especially the family album, the Nan Lewis Starsky and Connie Faddis' Hutch at the beginning of Broken Faith.

The stories -- well, there was nothing I didn't like. ”A Time to Grow” was well done. Congratulations, it’s good to see more of certain characters.

Teri White’s ’’The Letter” had me in tears and there aren’t many that do that.

"Still the Same” by Melanie Rawn is superb too. Vanessa is incredible and Hutch still caught up in her as much as he hates it -- and Starsky, quiet class!!

Marian’s "Beginnings” is superb; it’s a hard job dealing with the early characters, but she’s done a very good job.

I like the end of "Broken Faith” too, an attempt to deal with the effect of age on them, trying to keep alive is difficult enough without looking for trouble.

I enjoyed Linda’s 'Body ’n’ Fender Blues’ too; it sneaks up on you. I loved the menu when I first saw it, and I still do.

All in all, Theresa, CASA was a joy to receive and a joy to read. [15]

[...]

Goodbye - Way to go, Ruth! Had me really going there. Sadist!

Upcoming Zines -- Bad, really bad!

Broken Faith: Fairly taut, post-Sweet Revenge story. Both the illustrations and the story had the air of professionalism. I'm afraid we may soon lose Jan to the real world with stories like this. The Hospices in this area are good, so I was glad to see that Jan did not condemn all of them. (Won’t Penny consider the back-rub, etc. a courtship gesture?)

A Grim Fairy TALE - Ah, yes. If I can’t get a job with Little Red Riding Hoodlum, I want to move to Switzerland and help the head Cuckoo.

From front to back, I’d say the South is a definite contender in the S&H zine biz. Schweetheart, ya’ll got a winner! Let’s go for number 2!! (Theresa? Are you still there? Theresa? Somebody... [...] [16]

1981

[zine]:

My Scots heritage bridled at first over laying out ten bucks for any zine, but this is quite the most impressive and possibly the best S&H zine to come out yet. Not every phrase in every story is sterling, but the overall quality is exceptionally high, and the zine is well worth the money.

There are three particularly skilled pieces, each which could highlight a zine by itself.

The first, ‘Still the Same,’ an early-partnership story; four years, six months and an odd number of days, according to the author, did not refer to the time since the Hutchinson’ divorced but since the Hutchinsons last drew blood. The story is intense, vividly described, multitextured, with several almost invisible plot currents running. One bit of Mel’s skill especially worth noting is how she makes use of her point of view: the story from Hutch’s pov portrays Starsky as being deliberately obtuse; from Starsky’s own pov his real sensitivity blazes out and we gather hints why he hides his spirit this way. The contrast is almost extraneous to the triangle plot, but it gives a lovely richness and sense of craft to the story.

If ‘Still the Same’ is a diamond, Marian Kelly’s ‘Beginnings’ is a heart. The theme is friendships in the lives of young men…. Less intense than ‘Still the Same, ‘Beginnings’ give at least as much character detail in smaller doses, as well as a comprehensive summum vitae for Our Boys. The reader may disagree with parts of Kelly’s universe, but probably won’t be able to help believing it while in it; it is very convincing and complete, and does not contradict what we know of those years from the aired episodes. Marian shows what strength the use of commonly accepted underpinnings gives a story.

The third hosanna goes out to ‘Broken Faith.” This is the second novella (the first was ‘Hide and Seek’ in One Shot) in a probably series of post-Sweet Revenge stories. The connection between the two lies in their asides and resolutions, not in the similarities of their primary plots.

In ‘Hide and Seek,’ Starsky returned to the forced and admitted in the course of the story that he could no longer hack Supercop; in ‘Broken Faith,’ both S&H decide by the end they should transfer to less strenuous duty, for while investigating a self-proclaimed Messiah and his truck farm, Starsky came Nearer My God To Thee. There is a problem in criticizing a still evolving series – a critic can read too much out of what is merely coincidence. There’s a problem in writing them, too – the author can’t back up and fix contradictions or lay foreshadowing for a later brilliant idea. In both ‘Hide and Seek’ and ‘Broken Faith’ there is on odd tiredness to the characters, a distance that made it difficult for me personally to get really engaged into the story. This is not to say ‘Broken Faith’ wasn’t well-written, aptly characterized or tightly-plotted, for it was all those things. But I am guess that this tiredness in S&H is deliberateness on Linder’s part and will be dealt with or resolved in future chapters.

The remaining sketches and short stories are not as prepossessing as these three juggernauts, but then, they don’t have to be.

[About] ‘Time to Grow’… I can’t say how authentic the street gang scenes are, but they come across like bits of 1930’s gangster films. While the writing is reasonably skillful, somehow Wright’s attention is too often unfocused onto distractedly minor business, such as clocks, IV needles or a great deal of rain…. [The reviewer briefly mentions the rest of the zine’s contents]...

Buy this zine, or else your mother won’t love you anymore.[17]

1997

[The Letter]: I love sad stories. I love stories that make me cry.... ["The Letter" is] one that has stuck with me for a

very long time is in Starsky and Hutch. It is called "The Letter" by Teri White (of course, one of the best writers in any fandom ever) and it is in the zine "Casa Cabrillo" (1980). When you asked the question of sad stories I had to go looking through my S & H zines to find this one. I have always remembered it. I just reread it and it made me cry again. It is a death story. I look forward to your list. I usually prefer when stories make me cry that they also have a happy ending.

There are a lot of other good stories in S & H to make you cry but like I said this story just stayed with me. [18]

2001

[The Letter]: One of the exciting things about fan fic is that a writer can explore anything --- even unsettling or unpleasant situations -- and that's ok, because it's not permanent. The reader can accept or reject any author's vision of Starsky & Hutch's world, depending on her own needs. Ok, I like these guys, and yes, I like it when they live happily ever after. But we'd miss out on a lot of awfully good stories if we didn't have writers

willing to examine all the possibilities suggested by their relationship.

While I have my preferences, -- I admit to believing that S&H is One True Pairing -- [Rosemary C's] "Alternate" (on the Slash Archive) is one of my favorite stories. And I find Teri White's "The Letter" (in the zine CASA CABRILLO) terribly poignant, in spite of the fact that I'm not normally a fan of death stories. [19]

References

  1. ^ "Work, Work, Work!" in the print zine, "Work, Work, Work" as the online version.
  2. ^ from S and H #16
  3. ^ from S and H #16
  4. ^ Effect of Commercialisation and Direct Intervention by the Owners of Intellectual Copyright : A Case Study: The Australian Star Trek Fan Community by Susan Batho (2009)
  5. ^ from S and H #16
  6. ^ Green was the producer's secretary, production assistant, and wrote two episodes for the show: "Gillian" and "Birds of a Feather."
  7. ^ from a review of Me and Thee #2 in S and H #29
  8. ^ from remnants of a letter of comment by Donna Hutt, likely sent directly to the publisher
  9. ^ from remnants of a letter of comment by Liz Tucker, likely sent directly to the publisher
  10. ^ from remnants of a letter of comment by Dee Brandell, likely sent directly to the publisher
  11. ^ from remnants of a letter of comment by Susan Santo, likely sent directly to the publisher
  12. ^ from remnants of a letter of comment by Jeri Koch, likely sent directly to the publisher
  13. ^ from remnants of a letter of comment by Jean Thrower, likely sent directly to the publisher
  14. ^ from a letter of comment by a fan in England, likely sent directly to the publisher
  15. ^ from remnants of a letter of comment by Kathleen Gaiteley, likely sent directly to the publisher
  16. ^ from remnants of a letter of comment, likely sent directly to the publisher
  17. ^ review by Paula Smith, from S and H #17
  18. ^ from Virgule-L, quoted anonymously (April 6, 1997)
  19. ^ from Venice Place Mailing List, quoted anonymously (May 11, 2001)
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