Destiny (Beauty and the Beast zine)

Zine
Title:	Destiny
Publisher:	Destiny Press
Editor(s):	see below
Date(s):	1988 – 1990
Series?:	Yes
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:	gen and het
Fandom:	Beauty and the Beast (TV)
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Destiny is a het anthology. They were edited by a combination of Kathy Cox, Karen D., and Beth Blighton. The third issue of this zine series was the first SND zine.

Issue 1

front cover of issue #1, Beth Blighton

back cover of issue #1

Destiny 1 was published in November 1988 and contains 180 pages. The covers and interior art are by Beth Blighton, calligraphy by Carol Anne Gordon. All stories are by Kathy Cox and Beth Blighton.

Written between 1st and 2nd seasons. Classic anthology zine with stories and poetry including "Celebration," "By the Chamber of the Falls- Suite," and "Brothers," among others. Also a teleplay, "The Gift." Includes several "P.O.V." entries written as if journal entries by Vincent, Father, Devin, and Catherine.

Buyers should note one story does concern Vincent's teenage sexual relationship with a Tunnel-dweller and a son he never knew about.

Regarding the different editions: The second edition September 1989 and contains 120 pages. The third edition was published in March 1990, and presumably contains 120 pages.

Regarding the second, and subsequent editions:

In word processing this second edition, minor changes were made to the text and some dialogue was slightly reworked; in no way did this alter the stories from their original character.... I had mercifully forgotten how long it takes to get a zine on paper, be it typed or word processed. So the idea to transcribe D-1 to computer and then have it re-typeset was one of those projects it was probably best not to have truly comprehended before starting, else it might never have been started. And it could not have been done at all without my Helpers: [much thanks snipped, all male names, all assisted with computers, Pagemaker software and print shop issues.]

From the editorial:

Realistic Fantasy....Author's Philosophy: Beauty and the Beast is fantasy - no other single word so embodies what it is: Vincent is mythical, the Underground wonderous, the relationship with Catherine extraordinary. And yet...once that first leap of the imagination is made and these basic premises accepted, where should it go from there? Our feet are firmly planted in the notion that there is magic enough in the fact these people and these places exist. To us they are utterly real, worth loving, worth caring about deeply; we've made that initial step into their world and we may never completely leave it again. However, while we're there, while we're in there... Let everything else be as realistic as possible, let events be plausible, let the people and the places be credible. I do not mean to destroy the magic; just when one almost reaches the conclusion that here we simply have two people in love struggling to find a way to live that love (as millions of others do every day) , one is forced back again and again to the shock that this is NOT just another couple in love, this is Vincent and Catherine......... [two paragraphs snipped]......Our goals, therefore; accurate characterization is far and away the most important aspect, no matter where we are and what we are doing, and that we strive for always. We will try to tell good stories, ones that move and entertain, ones that provoke thought, that give insight. Everything in Destiny was written between the first and second seasons of B & B so of course future episodes could contradict - or give whole new direction to go. And so we will.....

table of contents from the later editions, calligraphy by Carol Anne Gordon

NOTE: the pagination below reflects the first edition.

• Destiny (1) (poem)
• Celebration (3)
• P.O.V. (Point of View) ~ Vincent, Beyond a Happy Life (15)
• In the Chamber of the Falls ~ Suite:
  • Prelude (17)
  • Freedom (11)
  • Journey (33)
  • Soliloquy (40)
• P.O.V. Father, Beyond 'Soliloquy' (45)
• To Ron Perlman (46)
• P.O.V. Devin, Beyond Promises of Someday (51)
• Brothers (53)
• P.O.V. Vincent and Catherine, Beyond 'Brothers' (78)
• Might Wine (79)
• My Own Breath (81)
• P.O.V. Father, Beyond 'My Own Breath' (107)
• Ancient Myths/Magic Words (108)
• The Gift - Glossary of Script Terms (110)
• The Gift (111)
• P.O.V. Vincent and Catherine, Beyond 'The Gift' (163)
• Center of My Spirit (165)
• Seraphs (167)
• To Our Readers (178)

Issue 1, Edition 1: Sample Gallery

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  inside issue #1

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  inside issue #, an example of Guys Crying

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Issue 1, Edition 2: Sample Gallery

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  inside issue #, an example of Guys Crying

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  inside issue #1

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

You get so much in Destiny besides the wonderful stories. Beth Blighton's artwork is some of the best around, The script is good enough to be an episode, Zine features two full color drawings. This is the book for getting inside Vincent's head. Hard to find much wrong.

Print Quality - 4.3

Proofreading - 3.3

Sexual Content - 2.0

Plot - 4.7

Character Integrity - 5.0

Believability - 4.7

Issue 2

front cover of issue #2, Beth Blighton

back cover of issue #2

Destiny 2 was published in May 1989 (second edition: September 1989) and contains 204 pages. There were at least 1300 copies printed.

Covers by Beth Blighton (front in color); Interior art by Blighton, Kevin Hopkins, Wendy Rae Smith. The writers are Kathy Cox, Karen Dorrell, and Beth Blighton. The calligrapher is Carol Ann Gordon.

The editor thanks, among other things: "Minute Maid Orange Juice and the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, a new Mita copier and an old IBM typewriter and on more than one Dark and Story Night, by Paul Masson Pale Dry Sherry...."

It was the winner of three Tunnelcon fanzine awards.

The second volume in the series contains a variety of story lines, including a young Vince 'Shards' in which Vincent meets his son from a previous relationship.

It also came in a "Gold Edition" with special stamping and art printing. The artist comments on this:

I used a fairly extensive foiling (fourteen instances) for the first 100 copies, advertising it in a separate mailing only to those who had purchased the first issue of Destiny, as a special limited first-run edition. Response was tremendous, the Gold Editions selling out in less than two weeks, with plenty more orders left over than zines. While the original intent was to create a special 'Thanks for the faith you showed in this new sight unseen publisher' for my readers; it was instantly apparent that this was a heck of a marketing tool. Anything which is rare, limited, in a special edition, has a particular cachet to it and creates not only a desire in your buyers but an immediacy. And since you've just spent the grocery budget and possibly your next mortgage payment on the up-front costs of production, isn't it a tantalizing prospect to offer something which makes them buy NOW instead of 'getting around to it'? For a fast start in sales, you can scarcely beat this.

From the editorial:

We welcome your comments. Tell us what you loved; this inspires and encourages (besides, it's great fun to read!). Tell us when you think we stubbed our toes; this is more helpful than you may realize, so don't hesitate. Tell us what you thought of our work, how you felt and why. We truly care. Unfortunately, we are unable to answer most letters personally, but time considerations make this all but impossible - please understand. General comments should be addressed to Destiny Press but if you wish to write directly to an author or artist about his or her work, we encourage you to do so. Fellow zine editors are more than welcome to inquire of these contributors concerning the use of their work in your own publications.

• To Ron Koslow (1)
• Songs of a Life:
  • Jacob's Song by Kathy Cox (3)
  • Elizabeth's Song (4)
  • Devin's Song ("Braveness") (6)
  • Narcissa's Song ("Treasures") (possibly the same poem as Beth Blighton's in Castles in the Air #1) (10)
  • Graham's Song ("A Time For Secrets") (14)
  • Father's Song (18)
• These Curious Days: Episode I by Karen Jean Dorrell (21)
• Echo by Kathy Cox (37)
• Beyond Echo (47)
• Dawn (48)
• These Curious Days: Episode II (49)
• The First Time I Loved Forever (65)
• Vision of the Heart by Kathy Cox (67)
• The Code, a teleplay (79)
• These Curious Days: Episode III (119)
• Shards (133)
• Love and Light by Kathy Cox, a fable which was expanded and made into a separate zine titled Love & Light...The Fable (158)
• information about The Eyes of Beauty Project (202)

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  inside issue #2, "Heaven Lies About Us in Our Infancy," a version of this was reprinted in Wildheart

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  inside issue #2

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  inside issue #2, Ron Koslow and a silhouette of Vincent Wells

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Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

Even better than Destiny I if that's possible. Controversial alternate universe story (Love & Light) has reviewers split. Beautiful full color cover by Beth Blighton.

Print Quality - 4.2

Proofreading - 3.8

Sexual Content - 2.0

Plot - 4.8

Character Integrity - 5.0

Believability - 4.7

Spot color. Gold foil. Colored paper. Fold-outs. Calligraphy. Color covers with clear plastic oversheets. Editor Kathy Cox is an authority on the little and not-so-little extras that add impact to a zine. With Destiny: The Gold Edition, Kathy has not pulled any of her visual punches and the zine has enough streamers and confetti to fill up Times Square on New Year's Eve. Her use of foil is striking. All that glitters in Destiny 2 isn't golden ether; although the Destiny Press logo is, she has employed blue foil in portraits of Vincent and Catherine on the title pages. Because it is such an eye catcher, foiling works best on the simplest designs, like the tiny gold and red foil roses scattered throughout the zine. And a little goes a long way. The editor who goes nuts with this particular effect will end up with a zine that looks like Liberace's closet. Colored pencil is one dodgy (read 'bland') medium, that frequently lacks depth and variation in hue. But color artist Beth Blighton has overcome the typical flatness of pencil by using heavily textured paper that adds a more 'painterly' feel to the work. She also put her bare-chested Vincent inside an oval, saving him from becoming just another floating pretty face. Adding complementary color would have made Beth's already accomplished art even more dramatic, say if the shadows on Vincent's face had been created using blues and violets instead of merely deeper tones of browns and gold. Because the source of light on a subject dictates how the colors in their skin and hair will be perceived, the judicious use of color will tell the viewer whether it's morning, noon, or night, and whether the light comes from the sunrise, a neon sign, or a single candle. And if your editor is willing go put their bucks on the line for a color cover, why not be as dramatic as possible? Beth's art dominates the zine, and some of it is truly beautiful. The most effective of her pieces are those where she moving on the subject and created a strong mood with her use of texture and high contrast. The Vincent portraits on pages 97 and 118 fall into this category. In each, she has captured a tremendous effect of movement and energy. The latter is also striking simply because its mood runs counter to 99.9% of all Vincent stuff anywhere -- in this one, he's grinning, and may even be about to laugh. Although taking an approach that is different from everybody else's won't help you if you can't draw, it can add even more life if the training is there. Kevin Hopkin's two pieces are to drool over... The smooth, gradual shading on his pencil drawings give the impression of figures frozen forever in time. Unfortunately, Kevin's photo-realistic style is at odds with the highly romantic flavor of the rest of the zine, a romanticism shaped by the repetition of the rose image, Beth's twenty-plus illos, Carol Ann Gordon's calligraphy, and the art of Wendy Rae Smith. About Wendy's work: While her style is certainly in keeping with the Once-Upon-a-Time feel of the zine, both her portraits suffer from the FHS (the floating head syndrome). B-12 and zine therapy are not the answer, grounding the work is. In each piece, Vincent's head could have been seated on neck and shoulder, or enlarged and cropped. Wendy could strengthen her next portrait by hauling out her trusty L-shaped cropping guides, moving in closer on her subject, and anchoring Vincent's cheek, chin, or shoulder to the page... The one thing Destiny 2 doesn't' have is decorative borders, and they would have been a wonderful addition, especially with all the Brothers Grimm imagery already in the zine. The right border design repeated throughout would've fended off some of the excess white space, and could even have been incorporated into the calligraphy or foiling. Mmmm.... a zine with gold foil borders. Would that be to die for or what?

Issue 3

front cover of issue #3, Beth Blighton

back cover of issue #3, Beth Blighton

Destiny 3 was published in late 1989 and contains 138 pages. It has the subtitle: "The Gentlest of Hands."

This issue was mentioned just after the news came to fans about the show and its third season.

For fans having trouble being, as one newspaper reviewer dubbed it, "deCatherinated, fan-fiction zine editor Kathy Cox is the first to offer an "alternate timeline in which this love does not meet a tragic end" in the third volume of her publication "Destiny III" ... "Destiny would continue as 'Classic' B&B, (with) Catherine very much alive and well." Taking a "wait and see" stance as well, Kathy speculated, "Should Season 3 open new directions which we as writers and artists find exciting and appealing ...we'll begin a whole new zine series devoted to 'Current' B&B, titled 'Legend'.

Originally inserted inside the zine was an open letter by the publisher to fandom about the changes in the show's direction and casting. See Open Letter to Beauty and the Beast Fans.

Art Information: covers by Beth Blighton. Interior art by Blighton, Kevin Hopkins, Barbara Gipson, Dragon, and Wendy Rae Smith.

The art for "Those Curious Days: Episode Five" was reprinted from Castles in the Air.

• Dream Within A Dream, by Edgar Allen Poe, art by Beth Blighton (1)

• Genesis by 'Nea Dodson ("The earliest days of the Underground Society are explored.") (2)
• The Great Bath Battle of 1966 by Kathy Cox; art by Barbara Gipson ("It's quite all right when Vincent and Devin recreate the adventures of Huck Finn and Jim, even up to and including the building of a raft to float down their underground Mississippi. But when the youngsters decide that in order to stay "in character" they must give up soap and water, it's War.") (7)

• An Easier Lie by Kathy Cox; art by Kevin Hopkins, Beth Blighton and Wendy Smith ("In his teenage years, the trauma of his first love's rejection brings Vincent into a confrontation with the dark side of his nature. He survives the near-death experience but is changed by it, as is his life's direction and purpose, for the next seventeen years...") (16)

• Interlude by Linda Mooney; art by Beth Blighton ("A richly romantic evening celebrating Catherine's birthday.") (26)
• Those Curious Days: Episode Four by Karen Dorrell (30)
• In Daylight as One by Linda Mooney; art by Beth Blighton and Kevin Hopkins ("Catherine and Vincent's dream of a trip to the countryside may be more of a curse than a blessing: If through the bond Vincent always knows her emotions, does he always understand the truth within them?") (33)
• Destiny (57)
• Those Curious Days: Episode Five by Karen Dorrell (58)
• Mouse Tale by Karen Dorrell (66)
• Legacy by 'Nea Dodson; art by Kevin Hopkins ("When Catherine must pack up her late father's home, Vincent gently helps her to deal with the emotions of this last goodbye.") (70)
• Where The Angels Fly, pro song lyrics by Chris Spheeris, art by Kevin Hopkins (75)

• These Curious Days - Episode Six by Karen Dorrell; art by Beth Blighton ("More of the ongoing stories featuring Katie Lawson as the treasured friend and Helper she has become to Vincent and Catherine and the Underground world.") (77)
• Walk With Me, pro song lyrics by Chris Spheeris, art by Beth Blighton (84)

• A Deeper Sight by Kathy Cox; art by Kevin Hopkins, Beth Blighton and Wendy Smith ("During a rare total eclipse of the full moon, their bond seems to be giving Catherine and Vincent an extraordinary additional communication, but before the night is out Vincent discovers there is more to this gift than either of them first realized.") (86)

• Clear Unopened Space/Chrysalis/Sunlight by Kathy Cox; art by Beth Blighton (101)
• Chrysalis by Kathy Cox (113)
• Sunlight by Kathy Cox; art by Barbara Gipson, Drafon, Beth Blighton (120)

• Ads (136)
• And the Magic Will Live Forever art by Dragon (138)

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  page one of flyer

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  page two of flyer, "140 pages in proportional print, not compressed type but sized exactly as this flyer, it's very readable yet saves about 25% in page count."

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  "Fury" by Beth Blighton, reprinted in Wildheart

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

This volume contains a well-written collection of stories spanning the years from Vincent and Devin's childhood antics to the consummation of Catherine and Vincent's relationship. The sex scenes are tasteful. 'Clear Unpeopled Space' offers readers a different ending to TRIS. Beautiful cover and inside art.

Without a doubt, DESTINY III is one of the best looking zines now available. Using an 8x11 format, it is spiral bound for easy reading and durability and features beautiful front and back covers by Beth Blighton, an artist whose work only continues to get better by leaps and bounds. There is also wonderful illos by Dragon, Barbara Gipson, Wendy Smith, and Kevin Hopkins interspersed throughout the zine, making it in my opinion worth the price of the zine alone. The layout is precise and the print clean and very legible. More pluses. But as good as all this is, there's even more...the stories themselves.

The first story by 'Nea Dodson takes us back to the beginning of the Tunnel society. It's a story about Jacob Wells, before he became Father and is aptly titled Genesis. It's well written and grabs the reader from the first paragraph. The next story is by Kathy Cox and is more lighthearted in it's relationship between Vincent and Devin as boys together. As usual, Kathy writes an amusing and believable tale, yet it is only a sampling of things to come from this writer. Karen Dorrell also has several episodic stories in this issue in which a character of her own interacts with Vincent and the tunnel people on a more down-to-earth level. Katie Lawson (Karen's antagonist) is a newspaper reporter who befriends Vincent & Catherine and has become a part of their lives. Katie is tough and street smart, but in these stories we see that she also is very human & not above needing help from those who love her, even if she is rather stubborn about accepting that help. Also, I'd like to mention Linda Mooney, whose work I have never read before, but look forward to seeing more of in the future. Her story In Daylight As One is a wonderful 'what if' kind of fantasy with a little twist. Very enjoyable and well written. Lastly, the zine ends with a collection of stories by Kathy Cox dealing with the relationship between Vincent & Catherine, but more basically, between the 'good' Vincent & the 'bad' Vincent. Somehow, Kathy is able to get inside her characters as few writers can, either amateur or professional, revealing an insight & passion that will take your breath away & leave you totally drained emotionally, yet very satisfied and wanting more. It would be a crime to reveal too much about these stories, but they are a must reading.

In closing, DESTINY III is a superior zine, combining beautiful artwork, creative layout and graphics, and intensely interesting stories. It earns four roses from this reviewer and I feel it is a good buy for your fan dollar.

Issue 4

front cover of issue #4, Beth Blighton, titled "Monarchs"

back cover of issue #4, Jean Kluge

Destiny 4 was published in November 1990 and contains 144 pages. It has the subtitle, "Eternities of Time." Front color art by Beth Blighton, back cover by Jean Kluge, interior art by Blighton, Kluge, Barbara Gipson, Kriss Farrier, P.S. Nim, Pam Tuck, Lisa Stubblefield, Lynette Combs, Sheri Pruehs, M.A. Smith, Cheryl Duval, Kevin Hopkins, Dragon.

• Dedication (iii)
• I Am, I Said, song lyrics by Neil Diamond
• For Ron Perlman, art by Beth Blighton (1)
• The First Time: Father by Kathy Cox, art by Lynette Combs (2)
• ‘Neath the Sheets of New York by Debbie Hicks, art by Barbara Gipson (4)
• Edge of Seventeen: The Ribbon by Kathy Cox, art by Beth Blighton (10)
• Magic by Margo Quigley, art by Beth Blighton, calligraphy by Kristy Effinger (14)
• The First Time by Catherine by Kathy Cox, art by Sheri Pruehs (16)
• To Soothe the Savage Breast by P.S. Nim, art by Kriss Farver, Pam Tuck, Kevin Hopkins, P.S. Nim (18)
• Moment by Linda Mooney, art by Kevin Hopkins (58)
• Your Move by Sheri Green, art by Lisa Stubblefield (59)
• From the Gallery ... "Desperado" by Beth Blighton (62)
• These Curious Days—Episode Seven by Karen Dorrell, art by Beth Blighton, Barbara Gipson, Kriss Farver (includes a fan-casted Lou Diamond Phillips as an original character) (63)
• These Curious Days—Coda by Karen Dorrell, art by M.A. Smith (83)
• Whispers by Mari Lynn, calligraphy by Kristy Effinger (87)
• Double, Double by Linda Mooney, art by Pam Tuck (88)
• The Ultimate, Intimate, etc. by 'P.S.Nimpho’, art by Cheryl Duval ("Editor's note: We regret that the rest of this story had been lost in ellipses. But that was inevitable, wasn't it? Author's afterword: The preceeding parody of fanfic consummation stories was composed in a vindictive fit of pique, after this author foolishly glutted herself on a surfeit of less-than-polished fan-written epics. I have tried to make all the most popular mistakes, but wish to NOTE -This piece is not a parody of any one fan-written story or zine, but is based on fanfic consummation stories in general!") (93)
• LimmerPoem by Cynthia Hatch, art by P.S. Nim (96)
• A Rendezvous with Sunlight by Kathy Cox, art by Jean Kluge (98)
• Changes by Kathy Cox
  • The Kindness of Pretense, art by Beth Blighton (106)
  • Insensible, art by P.S. Nim (110)
  • To Dare to Dream, art by Dragon, Kriss Farver, Jean Kluge (113)
• The Million Kisses by Kathy Cox, art by Lisa Stubblefield (123)
• Jubilation by Kathy Cox, art by Barbara Gipson (126)
• The Homecoming by Kathy Cox, art by Lisa Stubblefield (130)
• Child of the Dream by Kathy Cox (132)
• Eternities of Time by Kathy Cox, art by Pam Tuck (134)
• The Dream Can Never Be Ended, art by Kriss Farver (140)

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  from issue #4, Beth Blighton

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  from issue #4, Lynette Combs

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  from issue #4, Beth Blighton, a fan casted Lou Diamond Phillips

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  from issue #4, Jean Kluge

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  from issue #4, Dragon

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

Vignettes and stories from Vincent's youth through his relationship with Catherine. The Destiny III story line is concluded with Catherine moving Below and the birth of their son. Katie Lawson returns in two interesting stories about her Indian cousin Nonie. In a lighter vein we have the 'Ultimate First Time Story' by P.S. Nim, 'Limmer Poem' by Cynthia Hatch, and 'Double, Double.

If a thing of beauty is a joy forever, then this is one fanzine to preserve under glass in your fannish library long after you've sold its contemporaries. Not so much for it graphics and layout, but for its diversity of beautiful art and for prose that ranges from competent to outstanding.

Now, first the criticism. Kathy Cox has gathered quite a collection of impressive talent between her covers, and the only thing that I think could make this collection even better would be a less staid setting for all of that fine work. Half-and quarter-page illos could use some key lining to set them off. Titles could benefit from presstype, rather than what looks to be a larger, gently italicized version of the text. Now, don't get me wrong. The size is appropriate, the style acceptable; it simply lacks that extra-special touch. The text itself was in a very readable format, and her typeface was a perfect choice. And of course, when many zines have unreadable text and hand-lettered pages, one may wonder what I'm bitching about.

This fanzine looks just fine — but my artist's eye sort of yearned for something with a little more of the fairy tale flavor of the series. Perhaps a slight reduction in print size to leave a little more aesthetic white space, giving the air (without great expense to the reader) of a beautiful and cherished old book of tales. Perhaps some experimentation with paper colors and textures. Possibly the careful use of a simple, yet appropriately romantic, border or two. Apart from that, my only quibble is the inclusion of one or two pieces of art that suffered in comparison to the rest, their creators not yet having reached the competency of the other artists included in the zine. Those other artists include talents the likes of Beth Blighton, whose pastel portrait of Vincent on the front cover is a beautiful study in composition and use of color and movement, and whose interior art is scattered throughout the zine like a handful of gems (Vincent in overalls. Vincent in cowboy getup. A beautiful, intense portrait with deep contrasts and wonderful sooty shadowing.). Talents like P.S. Nim, who once again has apparently used magic pens and brushes inscribed with arcane runes and ink that is actually a concoction that undoubtedly reads like the recipe from Macbeth—or, barring the eye of newt, maybe it's just sheer hard work and mega-talent. She has produced a joyful and light portrait of the lovers hugging that is filled with warmth, and a beautiful, intense overlapping portrait of Vincent and Catherine that is masterfully composed and, quite simply, riveting. There is Pam Tuck, whose lovely, light touch brings delicacy and detail to her visions of Vincent and Catherine—and another important denizen of the Tunnels—in one story, but whose style intensifies for the drama needed for another story. There is Barbara Gipson, whose use of light and shadow is incredible, bringing a wonderful life and realism to her pencil illustrations of warm, intimate moments; and there is M.A. Smith, whose creative ability with stippling is undoubtedly a source of inspiration for the pen and ink artist, and a source of great frustration to those artists like myself to whom pen and ink is an unsolved mystery.

However, in praising the artists, I don't want to shortchange the writers. There is Debbie Hicks, whose talented works encompass many fandoms — her Hallowe'en story is gentle and believable. There's P.S. Nim, whose "first time" parody is a wonderful dig at the genre that had me in hysterics; she wields the writer's pen as adroitly as the artist's. And Destiny's editor, Kathy Cox. I read her prose with great delight and great amazement. This woman is a writer (no small discovery in fandom these days). The stories she has in Destiny IV are clearly follow-ups (and the wrap-up) of a series that has encapsulated a growing and evolving relationship between Vincent and Catherine, and they are quiet, gently-paced vignettes and tales. The turmoil has passed; if you seek action/adventure, you'll find it elsewhere in the zine, but not in these thoughtful, well-crafted explorations of a couple putting aside the obstacles and making things work. Kathy can turn a phrase that tugs at all of the senses; she paint: beautiful images with her words and does so with a style that is undeniably romantic, and which capture the dialogue and spirit of the show with an accuracy that feels seamless and effortless—one feels as though one is "reading an episode."

Apart from the fiction and serious art, I have to mention three outstanding contributions. First, Cynthia Hatch's delightful and nearly lethal "limmerpoem" ("In that mystical place subterranean, Which it never gets snowy or rainy in, They could hide from the glares, Of the people upstairs, While he wooed her with sonnets quatrainian." One verse out of eighteen, all of them priceless.) and P.S. Nim's accompanying 'toons. And, on a serious note, Kristy Effinger's beautiful calligraphy, an area of graphics that Kathy used to good advantage to achieve that "special touch."

All in all, Destiny IV is one class act.