Federation Graffiti
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Federation Graffiti |
| Publisher: | Judy Molnar |
| Editor(s): | Kathy Dunn and Candy Torres |
| Date(s): | February 1976 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Federation Graffiti is a 56-page Star Trek: TOS anthology humor fanzine.
The art is by Judy Molnar (front cover) and Pat Molnar and Candy Torres (interior illos).
The title of the zine is a nod to the 1973 film, American Graffiti, and the theme for the zine is 1950s American tropes and customs (juke boxes, poodle skirts, drag racing, rebels in black leather jackets, teenage angst...).
In 1977, Who's Who in Star Trek Fandom noted that Judy Molnar was putting together a second issue, but it is unclear if that ever came to fruition.
From the Editorial
The "Federation Graffiti" idea first sprang up in the form now presented on Page 4. But then, we felt the title seemed to be a good idea of the philosophy of our new zine: a potpourri of items from the Star Trek universe, from the profound to the profane.
This first issue reflects the 'bent' of our staff, being 99 and 44/100 percent humor. But we want to encourage future editors not to feel restricted by either the 1950's genre or by purely comedy.
Contents
- Editorial (2)
- Alki, poem by Candy Torres (3)
- Federation Graffiti by Judy Molnar, Pat Molnar, and Candy Torres (metafiction) (4)
- HG Guide by Judy Molnar and Pat Molnar (TV Guide listings in the Star Trek universe.) (11)
- The Creation of Spock, art by Pat Molnar (28)
- Beginnings by Kathy Dunn (34)
- Poems by Candy Torres (45)
- The Cosmic Connection by Liz Ford (53)
Sample Interior
inside front cover
The Creation of Spock, artist is Pat Molnar; it is an imitation of Michelangelo's 'The Creation of Adam', illustrating Sarek and Amanda (God) reaching out and touching the finger of Spock (Adam) to give him the gift of life. This illo was reprinted in Enterprise Incidents #7 (1979).
Pat Molnar
Pat Molnar
Judy Molnar
Judy Molnar
Pat Molnar
fictional TV Guide cover
fictional TV Guide Listings
fictional TV Guide Listings
fictional TV Guide Listings
Candy Torres
Candy Torres
Reactions and Reviews
This zine is outrageous -- outrageously funny, that is.
A major portion of this first issue centers around a mild, disciplinary rebellion aboard the Enterprise, when a desperate crew adopts the dress, jargon, and general cultural mode of Earth's 1950's period to convince Starfleet of the need for a long-overdue shore leave. The entire crew, including the Captain ("Big C") and a reluctant Mr. Spock ("Da Brains") take part, and while this spinoff from the film 'American Graffiti' may sound somewhat stupid in concept, it works uproariously in practice.
Especially delightful are the accompanying cartoons, which have a wonderful incongruity, and the satirized Rock n' Roll song, which are revoltingly funny. ('Chantilly Lace' and 'Rock Around the Clock' get the treatment, among others, and the parodies will make you grimace with pleasure, even if you don't exactly remember the songs in their original versions.)
The single most humorous piece in the issue, probably because it wasn't intended to be funny, is a two-page creation of 'The Creation of Spock,' a glorious dollop of KITSCH based on Michelangelo's 'The Creation of Adam,' and is complete with the fingers touching between Sarek and a fully-uniformed Spock, with Amanda looking on. Technically, the painting isn't bad, but conceptually it's just too much to take seriously.
The non-humorous material in the zine is mediocre. Kathy Dunn's 'Beginnings' is another 'poor little-boy-Spock' story, told (naturally) from Amanda's point of view. The story has nothing new to say, though the writing shows promise.
Candy Torres' series of poems, one for each crew member, are severely damaged by mediocre accompanying portraits and a terrible layout (too much space allotted to the drawings, and they overwhelm the page). The poems themselves are competent if you can escape the influence of the drawings. (I finally had to cover the drawings with my hand while reading the poems in order to try to appreciate the poems in their OWN concept.)
Other materials is the issue are forgettable.
If you appreciate satire or nostalgia, you'll enjoy Federation Graffiti. Humor is the zine's strong point, and I still grin every time I remember one of the cartoon, which has Spock in a black leather jacket and scarf, standing behind the 'Big C's' command chair, thinking to himself, 'Surak must be turning in his urn. [1]
References
- ^ From The Halkan Council #18