Felgercarb

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Zine
Title: Felgercarb
Publisher: Moonrise Press, see Vendredi Press
Editor(s): Deb Walsh
Date(s): 1977-1981, 2011
Series?:
Medium: print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: multimedia
Language: English
External Links: gallery of covers here, Memories and fiction links here
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Felgercarb is a gen anthology published by Deb Walsh under one of her press names Moonrise Press.

Notes from the Publisher About the Zine

'In 1978, in the wake of the immense international popularity of Star Wars, ABC greenlit....Battlestar Galactica… the show inspired [both myself and (Mary Fall (Wardell)] to write…Very quickly, the Tales of the Purple Squadron were born, but there wasn’t a zine yet. At the time, I was working on publishing the Space: 1999 Year 3 issue of Moonbeam, so...plans to do a Battlestar Galactica zine were put on hold....I put together a booklet of flyers for my various projects, threw in... artwork,... a vignette or a poem, and the first issue of 'Felgercarb' was born. I gave them away, and it wasn’t until issue #3 that I .... had a zine large enough to sell.[1]

For much more from the publisher, see About Felgercarb, Archived version.

Submission Requirements

From an ad in 1979: "All submissions must be typed, double-spaced, and include return postage. Stories cannot exceed 25 pages. Art work should be pen and ink, or pencil if extremely high quality (pencil drawings require special printing which is very expensive.)" [2]

Content from Unknown Issues

Issue 1

Felgercarb 1 was published in 1978 and contains 12 pages of Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, Space 1999 and other Sci Fi show content. Hand drawn art.

cover of issue #1

From the publisher:

Little more than a collection of flyers with an art cover, Felgercarb was my first digest-sized zine. I gave them away. What I remember most about the zine is riding the subway into Boston to pick up the finished zines at Copy Cop - and then walking back to the subway station with a full paper box of zines. Ouch!

The pamphlet/digest-sized zine featured some nifty art (mostly mine) from Battlestar Galactica, Space: 1999, Star Wars, and The Avengers, along with news of my press. It looks like this is about the time that I decided theme zines weren't working for me, and started to plan branching out to varied multi-media. I was also planning a superheroes zine around this time, which never happened - not enough submissions - but later issues would feature superhero-themed stories.[3]

Issue 2

Felgercarb 2 was published in December 1978 and contains 18 pages. Fandoms: mostly ads, a very long editorial about plans for the zines The Loner and Galactica, some art, trivia, and a 1-page Battlestar Galactica story.

cover of issue #2

From the publisher:

Felgercarb #2 had a bit more meat to it, but it was still essentially an adzine, and I gave these away, too. I really can't remember how I afforded that! Especially since during this period, I was living in my office, and living off Cup-a-Soup and instant oatmeal sent by my Mom. The things we do for fandom - I was basically homeless at this point, but still doing zines ...

This issue featured a Battlestar Galactica trivia quiz, Star Wars poem by L. Deans, and a lovely little Battlestar Galactica vignette by Mary Fall Wardell.[4]

  • inside pages from issue #2

  • inside pages from issue #2

  • inside pages from issue #2

Issue 3

Felgercarb 3 was published in July 1979.

cover of issue #3

From the publisher:

By the third issue, I had enough material to do a small zine, and Felgercarb moved from being an adzine to being a real fiction zine.

Featuring the tag line, "This is a lot of felgercarb!" this issue started off with the news that I was moving to California for my job, Moonbeam #7 was delayed indefinitely, and The Loner Collected kept growing. Content included a trivia quiz for Superman the Movie, and Superman the Comic. Plus Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter version) poetry by L. Deans, and a short Logan's Run (TV series) story called "Lessons Unlearned" by A. Lubner. 18 pages including my nattering and an ad or two, but not a bad size for a zine in its time.[5]

Issue 4/5

Felgercarb 4/5 was published in December 1979. An ad said it was "reduced to 74% and will run about 40-50 pages.

From the publisher:

By this time, I'd enlisted the aid of a new assistant editor as well. The first of the Tales of the Purple Squadron - as well as the first Psychon 100 story - saw print. With this issue - which graduated to double-issue size at nearly 50 pages - I was back on a publishing schedule, more or less. And we had a staff that included assistant editor PCH, Puzzlemeister C.L. Smith, and the Boston gang, including both Marys....

This zine also featured another gorgeous cover by Joni Wagner.[6]

  • A Voice in the Dark, parts 1 and 2, a Star Wars story by Alex Potter, illoed by various artists (part one was printed in Moonbeam #1/2, "...the balance wasn't finished until some time later. I published the entire story, including the reprinted first part, here in Felgercarb.")
  • Death and the Emerald Archer by D. Lites - one of the stories originally slated for the superheroes zine made its way into Felgercarb, featuring Green Arrow.
  • Warriors Don't Cry by Deb Walsh ("The first of Tales of the Purple Squadron Battlestar Galactica stories to see print.")
  • No Gods Need Apply by Vicki F. Newton (Space: 1999 illoed by Mary Bloemker ("by Mary D. Bloemker writing as Vicki F. (as in Fig) Newton - the first of the Psychon 100 Space: 1999 humor stories.") (pages 37–43)
  • From the Far Side, a fan column by Patti Cullen-Heyes ("guaranteed to be controversial!")

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4/5

First of all, I want to congratulate Patti Cullen-Heyes for her column. She has said quite eloquently what has needed to be said. I am a relative newcomer to fandom and I was very surprised to see how little Space1: 1999 literature exists in comparison to other fandoms. Sure, Trek had a head start on everyone, having birthed many or the others, but even in my zine collection. Space is barely represented, while I have gotten a large number of Star Wars, Starsky and Hutch, and Star Trek zines.

I too am afraid of having limits put on what is "allowable" to write in Space stories. Those limits could bury the efforts of those who are trying to express how they feel in their own styles. Infinite variety is an excellent idea for any fandom. If a person wants to use only year One or Year Two, or a combination, more power to them as long as they use them.

Now, for the rest of FELGERCARB. By far, my favorite story was "Warriors Don't Cry!" I have adored CORA since her one and only appearance on Galactica, so a chance to sea her again was not to be missed, allowing Apollo to come to grips with Serena's death was something Glen Larson never gave the good captain any time for.

"Death and the Emerald Archer" was great. AS a sometimes fan of Green Arrow, I was delighted to see his character written so well! I hope Dannell Lites uses him again.

On the other hand, I did not "Voice in the Dark." I had read part one when it was originally printed, and had expected more from the conclusion.

As a story to brighten a miserable workday, "No Gods Need Apply" is perfect. Long life to the Psychon gods, and may we see many more of them, regardless of John Koenig's ^ feelings on the subject.

The Puzzlemeister's Corner stumped me, but I liked it anyway. (So what if it made me tear my hair out. Look what being bald did for Persia.) More please.

Last, but certainly not least, the cover. The cover alone is worth the price of the zine. If Maren Jensen can't act, she certainly can look sexy, and Joni Wagner did a marvelous job.[7]

You were right, I did get a kick out of "No Gods Need Apply,'" and the way, things are going lately, I needed a few good laughs.

Also found interesting Patti's column about fandom, particularly since I've been thinking about that for some time now. Patti makes some good points that I believe are right on target. It is frustrating to note the "state of the art" in Space fandom, particularly in comparison with the rich fabric and texture of trekfandom, of which we are an offshoot. The keynote with trekfandom (this is Instantaneous, Completely Off-The Cuff And Not Thought-Out Armchair Analysis) I think is creativity, and contact with others. Star Trek was an ideal locus for ideas. Roddenberry's creation gave us humanity and others a few centuries hence, with the ability and the will to travel through space relatively easily and quickly. There were uncounted worlds about which to hypothesize, and a ready-made set of characters that, together, are a pretty good "everyman" composite. Within this given universe, there are almost infinite possibilities for the writer or artist. Just about anything that can be imagined can easily be postulated as existing in the Federation, or if not, an alternate universe can be created, showing how the Federation and all might have been. This makes it easy for fledgling creative types to practice their creative skills, and of course, with practice comes improvement and chances for still more to try to bring their ideas and reactions to life.

Space:1999 has some limitations that Trek doesn't have as a creative medium, although if any thing, it may come closer to Roddenberry's idea of "Wagon Train to the Stars." Where the Trek folk can wander the galaxy at will, the Alphans are restricted to travelling whither the moon goeth. Logically,, this means contact with differing civilizations/beings/ideas will be limited by time and space factors to a greater extent. The typical story will be that the moon does a flyby past a planet, there occurs contact/conflict, which must be resolved one way or another because the moon will only be in flight range of that planet for x-amount of time. Alternatively, aliens can visit the moon in ships. But the activities with in the Space universe (now there's a peculiar phrase if ever I heard one) are pretty much confined to being within flight range of the moon. There is less possibility of alternate universes springing up (yes, the Loner's an exception, hello, Patti) simply because about the only identifiable focal point within that universe is Moonbase Alpha and its personnel.

In Trek and SWars, there's a multitude of planets and peoples loosely combined within (or without) the Federation, Klingon Empire, Romulan Empire, or Empire (been so long, I've forgotten what the badguy system In SWars was called. Oh well.) You're not limited to a single set of characters around whom the stories must revolve.

That's not to say that good creative fiction in the Space:1999 universe Is impossible, but it's going to be more difficult to do, and do creatively. Also, it must be remembered that even Trekfandom was young once, and I'm sure that trekfiction has improved vastly since its inception. There's hope for Space, given time and a lot of imagination. I, for one, would like to see more fiction about people coping with conditions within the moonbase, and some more creative dealing with possible different cultures met during the moon's wanderings.[8]

Issue 6

Felgercarb 6 was published in March/April 1980 and is 72 pages long.

The illos are by Mary D. Bloemker, Deb Walsh, Judy Moore, Alice Newsom, and Pat Munson.

front cover of issue #6, Deborah M. Walsh
back cover of issue #6, You Are Receiving This Zine Because

From the publisher:

One of my fondest memories of this issue is running around the Statler Hilton in NYC, looking for a floor with windows that could open. No, I wasn't suicidal - and we had to explain that more than once - MaryB and I were researching the first part of her "Well Met in Time and Space" series. Although neither of us realized at the time that it was going to be a series. This issue ran about 70 or so pages, and featured more installments of a number of series that had graced previous zines...

This zine also featured a ton of art by MaryB, me, Alice Newsom, Judy Moore, and P. Munson - over 30 pieces throughout the zine! [9]

  • Words from the Black Hole of Malden, editorial by Deborah M. Walsh (3)
  • From the Farside by Patti Cullen-Heyes (an overview of current science fiction movies and television, specifically Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Galactica 1980) (4)
  • Galactica (classic) Well Met In Time and Space Part I, by Mary D. Bloemker (Battlestar Galactica/Doctor Who) (5)
  • Second Coming by Vicki F. Newton (19-26) (Space: 1999) (19)
  • Prelude (UFO) (27)
  • The Puzzlemeister's Corner by Cynthia L. Smith (28)
  • Jedi, poem by Lillie Deans (30)
  • Yesterday’s Heroes by Deb Walsh (Battlestar Galactica) (31)
  • ComPost, letters of comment (62)
  • The Critic's Chair by Deborah M. Walsh (64)
  • Cosmic Bulletin Board, ads by readers (66)
  • '99 Fan Fund by Mary D. Bloemker ("The purpose of the 1999 Fan Fund is to raise enough money to allow a fellow 1999 fan to attend the SPACE:1999 convention in Columbus, Ohio, in July, 1980.") (70)

  • from issue #6, Mary D. Bloemker

  • from issue #6, Deborah M. Walsh

  • from issue #6, Mary D. Bloemker

  • from issue #6, Alice Newsom

  • from issue #6, Deborah M. Walsh

  • from issue #6, Deborah M. Walsh

  • from issue #6, Deborah M. Walsh

  • from issue #6, '99 Fan Fund info, illo by Deborah M. Walsh

Issue 7

Felgercarb 7 was published in June 1980 and contains 62 pages. 200 copies were printed.

The zine contains fiction from Space: 1999, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who/Battlestar Galactica. The art is by Judy Moore, Joni Wagner (cover), Marty Siegrist (poster: "Freddie"), Mary Bloemker (back cover from "The First Noel), Alice M. Newsom, Deborah Walsh.

front cover of issue #7, Joni Wagner
back cover of issue #7

From the publisher:

I still love this art - it's so simple and elegant. Joni Wagner still remains one of my favorite fannish artists. I own a number of pieces by Joni, and while I may consider getting rid of parts of my fannish collection, I have never parted with any of her art.[10]

Issue 8/9

Felgercarb 8/9 was published in 1981. It contains 144 pages.

The art is by Deborah M. Walsh, Mary Bloemker, Monica Miller, and Judy Moore.

front cover of issue #8/9, Le Gascon Eloquent (Frank Langella as "Cyrano de Bergerac")
back cover of issue #8/9

Publisher's notes:

Issue #9 included a guide to Blake’s 7, designed to entice my fellow multimedia fans to take a look at the obscure British series....that was only available if you happened to be at the right party at a con, or knew someone who had tapes. In the early 1980s, open viewing parties weren’t yet common, since there were still issues with copyright and FBI search and seizure of video collections. Yep, being a fan could make you feel like an outlaw – is it any wonder so many bonded to the rebels of Star Wars, the outlaws of Blake’s 7, or the ragtag fleet of BSG? [11]

Also from the publisher:

The cover for this issue was a new artistic high for me, done entirely in dots. I think I logged over 80 hours on the piece, a portrait of Frank Langella from the Williamtown Theatre Festival production of Cyrano de Bergerac, one of my all-time favorite plays. This zine also marked my first Blake's 7 work, an extensive illustrated "primer" on the series. Multi-media zines in the early '80s were often a way to discover a new passion - readers tended to read everything in a multi-media zine at that point, simply because fandom hadn't yet splintered into a thousand separate fandoms. In the next year or so, the landscape completely changed.[12]

From the zine's editorial:

There are some changes In the contents. "Time and Time Again," "You'd Do the Same for Me," "Testament" have all been taken back by the authors for rewrites. Whether we print them in the future is up to the authors. "A Question of Honor" is printed in two parts because the damned thing is so long., and funds were beginning to run out. You may notice that we've got three different typefaces in the zine too—thanks to much-appreciated help from Mary Bloemker and Mary Fall. Unfortunately, Felgercarb was the death of Mary Fall's typewriter,and the rest of the Loner was done on my typewriter. Sigh. Do you ever get the feeling the world is out to get you?

Other changes include the fact that Falconer I is postponed indefinitely. I will make an announcement in Warped Space when a final decision is made—authors and artists who've sent me submissions are free to take them back if they wish. City of Angels is also postponed—no, cancelled. I have received zero submissions.

My apologies for having so much of my own artwork in this issue—I had planned to have more of Bloemker's art, but she hit a dry spell, and she's also trying to get out Faces of Time and Vaslovik Archives #4.

  • You Are Receiving This Zine Because (2)
  • Here's the Scenario by Deborah M. Walsh (4)
  • Blake's 7: A Primer by Deborah M. Walsh (5
  • Skyrider by Mary A. Fall Wardell - a Buck Rogers in the 25th Century vignette (28)
  • Requiem for a Lonely Man by Carri Coloreigh - a Superman vignette (30)
  • Blue Skies vignette by Deb Walsh ("My take on what happened after the credits rolled on Altered States.") (33)
  • Conflict of Interest by Dian Hardison - Man from Atlantis tale from the most prolific writer in the fandom. (38)
  • The Loner by Michael J. Heyes (47)
  • Prelude, Loner vignette by Michael J. Heyes (reprinted from "Felgercarb" #6) (71)
  • The Face That Shocked the World, Loner vignette by Michael J. Heyes (79)
  • The Unifying Factor, Loner vignette by Michael J. Heyes (87)
  • Well Met in Space and Time... or, The Doctor Strikes Back! -- The Sequel by Mary Bloemker, another installment of MaryB's Doctor Who/Battlestar Galactica series (Doctor Who/Battlestar Galactica) (90)
  • The Puzzlemeister's Corner by Cynthia L. Smith (110)
  • A Question of Honor by Deb Walsh (part one, another installment of the Tales of the Purple Squadron) ("Part 2 of 'A Question of Honor' will appear in 'Felgercarb #10' (possibly a dould issue). We have included only the first half here for two reasons: 1)length and 2) the second half is still undergoing rewrite. Never fear, we know how this story ends, as well as the entire series. For other Purple Squadron universe stories, see Journals of Kobol #1, which features Mary A. Fall's 'New Life,' a background story in the series.") [no other issues of Felgercarb were published.] (114)
  • Driftwood by Mary A. Fall Wardell - another Buck Rogers in the 25th Century vignette (144)

Reactions and Review: Issue 8/9

The front cover is a beautiful portrait of Frank Langella as Cyrano de Bergerac from his Williamstown production of the play. It is one of those rare drawings that simply takes your breath away. The cover alone justifies the cost of the zine. As much a fifty percent of the artwork is done by Deborah Walsh, with the remainder being done by Mary Bloemker, Monica Miller, and Judy Moore. Judy Moore's pieces are frustrating, as the characters appear stiff or awkward. The lines are too heavy and give a flatness to the overall effect. Other than Judy's illustrations, the remaining art is good to excellent. Mary Bloemker's Tom Baker as the good Doctor is superb, as is Monica Miller's only piece - Mark Harris, our Man from Atlantis. Starting with the British contents, FELGERCARB contains Blake's Seven, Doctor Who, and Space: 1999; also, scattered references to The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Blake's 7 Primer is a solid introduction to the show. It contains a synopses of the more significant episodes and bios on the lin characters edited from the episode guide done by the Liberator Popular Front, a British B7 club. The layout of the priner is a bit confusing, as the bios are mixed in with the episode summaries and the division between the two is not always obvious. Despite the layout, the contents finally acquaint us with the world of Blake's Seven. "The Loner" is a Space: 1999 story by Michael Heyes which takes up one-third of the zine. Not being a Space: 1999 fan, it is hard to evaluate the story. The characters aren't fleshed out anymore than in the show. The most interesting character is Daniel Morgan, a character created by Michael - not in the show. The short vignettes mixed in with "The Loner" are more interesting than the main story. They are tighter and more imaginative - just good old sf. would prefer to see Michael write some straight sf rather than media sf, where he is restricted by a universe of one else's creation. The British humor of FELGERCARB is provided by Mary Bloemker's "The Doctor Strikes Back" and the subtle references to Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Hitch-Hiker's is a National Public Radio presentation that has been airing in the US off and on for approximately two years. It was created by Douglas Adams in Britain and has been presented as a two-part forty-five minute radio show, expanded and with a sequel as a twelve-part thirty minute radio show, and as a television mini-series. Needless to say, it is inmensely popular in Britain, as well as the US. It was a great pleasure to see the references to Hitch-Hikers. Mary's Doctor Who story also reflects the zany British sense of humor. "The Doctor Strikes Back" is also titled "Well Met in Time and Space - the Sequel." It is not necessary to read the previous story (in FELGERCARB 7) as "The Doctor Strikes Back" stands on its own. It is a delightful crossing of the Doctor Who universe with that of Battlestar: Galactica. Crossing the ocean, we find a large mixed bag of media science fiction and a cartoon or two from Starsky & Hutch. There are two Buck Rogers shorts by Mary Fall, both well done. A Superman short by Carri Colorigh, which looked to be another 'Man of Steel, Woman of Tissue', but had an original twist. There is a well-written Man from Atlantis short story by Dian Hardison. She makes excellent use of stream of consciousness, thus causing the reader to react with the character. For something a little closer to home, there is an Altered States vignette, "Blue Skies," by Deborah Walsh. Deb succeeds in the characterizations of Mason Parrish and Eddie Jessup with such accuracy one whould think that "Blue Skies" was a missing scene. As a resident and worker in the greater Boston area, it is nice to see the details of the area represented accurately, unlike the film. Also by Deb is the first part of "Question of Honor," a Battlestar: Galactica story. The best stories often have their roots established in facts provided by the original. "Question of Honor" does this and gives depth to the characters, old and new. It has subplots that add a strength to the story and characters. It takes on the issue of women warriors, which the show originally established and then abandoned for seme time. It also shows the stress and conflicts caused by gathering several different cultures together. FLEGERCARB also contains a Flash Gordon foldout, references to The Greatest American Hero, and artwork of other micellan-eous media science fiction. I've spent the majority of this review on the British contents,as it is more difficult to find material on it. However, FELGERCARB is not dominated by British media, but is a balance between the two worlds. As fandom diversifies, it is nice to find a high quality zine that meets this change.[13]

Basically a Battlestar Galactica zine, this has an interesting story titled "Well Met in Time and Space - The Sequel, or Doctor Who Strikes Back!" (This is a sequel to "Well Met in Time and Space", which ran in the out of print issues of Felgarcarb 6 and 7.) This one has the Doctor and Leela picked up by mysterious strangers in white (from a Battlestar television show) who convince the Doctor that he must interfere with a war between the Cylons and the humans to save millions of lives in that particular section of the galaxy. This includes convincing Apollo and Starbuck to come with him to prevent the Cylons from discovering the means to travel in time and prevent them from travelling back to destroy the Galactica - hence, no survivors of the human race in that area at all and no opposition to the Cylon war of conquest.

It is a well-written, funny and exciting story, with excellent Doctor Who artwork.[14]

References

  1. ^ Felgercarb - the Multimedia Zine For Discriminating Colonials.
  2. ^ from Command Center July/August 1979
  3. ^ About Felgercarb, Archived version
  4. ^ About Felgercarb, Archived version
  5. ^ About Felgercarb, Archived version
  6. ^ About Felgercarb, Archived version
  7. ^ from a letter of comment in "Felgercarb" #6
  8. ^ from a letter of comment in "Felgercarb" #6
  9. ^ About Felgercarb, Archived version
  10. ^ About Felgercarb, Archived version
  11. ^ Felgercarb - the Multimedia Zine For Discriminating Colonials Zine Page.
  12. ^ About Felgercarb, Archived version
  13. ^ from Universal Translator #15
  14. ^ from The Gallifreyan Dispatches #2
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