Finagle's Folly

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Zine
Title: Finagle's Folly
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University's Star Trek club, United Federation of Star Trek Fans
Editor(s):
Date(s): 1976-?
Medium: print
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links:
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Finagle's Folly is a zine published by the Star Trek: TOS fan club at Pennsylvania State University called United Federation of Star Trek Fans.

Issue 1

Finagle's Folly 1 was published in January 1976.

Issue 2

Finagle's Folly 2 was published in March 1976.

Issue 3

Finagle's Folly 3 was published in May 1976.

Issue 4

Finagle's Folly 4 was published in July 1976.

Issue 5

Finagle's Folly 5 was published in September 1976.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

Congradulations [sic] on your latest issue of Finagle's Folly!! I really enjoyed it and hope to do so again in the near future. Please keep up the good work on this, the best fanzine, and as president of the best club at Penn State. Live long and prosper!!! [1]

It was the greatest issue ever. Each issue of your fanzine appears to be outdoing its previous expectations. I can't wait until the next issue arrives.

Thank the Great Bird of the Galaxy that I bought a subscription or else I'd be missing alot of good stuff.

However, my comrades and I feel that the issues are much too short. They should be longer!!!!! Please see what you could do concerning this manner [sic]. In the mean time keep up the good work. Live long and prosper!

Dear Mr. Ashtok, I'm sorry but the presses are set up for each issue to be exaclty 8½ x 11 inches and therefore I cannot make the issues longer. Than you for the suggestion. [2]

Issue 6

Finagle's Folly 6 was published in November 1976 and contains 16 pages.

front cover of issue #6, Bill Swallow

The front cover is by Bill Swallow.

The editor-in-chief is Anne Marie E. Stranch.

  • Letters of comment (some humorous and fiction, two "real") (1)
  • Greetings and Felicitations! (2)
    • an announcement that Leonard Nimoy would speak at Pennsylvania State University on February 9, 1977 in the auditorium
    • the club traveled to Wilkes-Barre to see William Shatner's speech at a local college (topics man's quest for immortality through his striving to reach the stars, the myths of ancient Greece, the Renaissance discoveries in science, the lunar landings in the 1970s, the exploration of Mars and Venus, the poetry of Shakespeare, Cyrano de'Bergerac, and two modern books "Earthbound" and "High Flight")
    • the club is planning a field trip to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. to see, among other things, the original model of the U.S.S. Enterprise
  • Star Trek Update by John Skerchock III (short news bits) (2)
  • City on the Edge of Hysteria, fiction by Gaylen Reiss (Star Trek: TOS) (3)
  • a reprint of "Co-Eds Beware!", a poem by "Iowa Engineer," part of Cranks and Countershafts," in the journal "The Ohio State Engineer" v.14. n.5 (March 1931) (downloadable PDF is here) (9)
  • Star Trix, cartoon by Stephen Van Eck (9)
  • Klingon Update by John Skerchock III (short description of Klingon sightings: "This is all the information that the Federation has supplied me with thus far. They claim that their spies may be discovered should they reveal more. Until next time, keep the galaxy clean, kill a Klingon today.") (10)
  • Crossword Puzzle Answers (to the puzzle in the previous issue) (10)
  • You Know You're a Trekkie When, list by Bill Swallow (10)
  • Engineering Procedure, Training Command, Star Fleet Academy, official version for cadets from United Nations, Earth, Sol System, Technical Advisor: M. Scott, Lt. Comm., U.S.S. Enterprise (unclear what this was cribbed from, perhaps the Star Fleet Technical Manual ) (11)
  • Classified Ads (humorous, fictional) (12)
  • Crossword Puzzle by Gaylen Reiss (13)

Issue 7

Issue 8

Issue 9

Issue 10

Issue 11

Issue 12

Issue 13

Issue 14

Finagle's Folly 14 was published in November 1977.

The Special Klingon Issue

The Special Klingon Issue was published in 1977 and contains 24 pages.

front cover of the Klingon Issue
back cover of the Klingon Issue

From the editorial:

Hello to all of the readers of "Finagle's Folly," Most of you may have picked up this issue thinking that it was like past issues. It's not! This issue is a solo work which I completed mainly to see if I could do it but also to see if it could he done. This Folly, although following the same format as the regular zine published by the United Federation of Star Trek Fans at the Pennsylvania State University, is something quite, but not completely, different. The basic purpose of this issue is to do a work dedicated to the Klingons without too much emphasis on the rest of the world of Star Trek. Many hours were spent visiting various worlds of the Federation and the Empire to gather information about the Klingons for this issue.

  • Note of Note, editorial (2)
  • Affection for the Dead, poem (3)
  • Special Extra Alien Feature by John Skerchock III (essay about gargoyles, the males of which carry and incubate their young via eggs in a pouch) (4)
  • a "letter" by John Carter, Warlord of Mars (The Barsoom people are asking for help) (5)
  • Corallium by Li'Chen (how to grow an alien garden) (5)
  • recipe for Ceroban Swizzle (cola mixed with concentrated cherry juice, "Although at Althogor the Ceroban Swizzle is one complete drink extracted from the glands of a musk Cerob, this substitute tastes just as good and makes a fun drink at parties.") (5)
  • Kreliz: The Warrior by John Skerchock III (article about some beasts and people on the planet Vero) (this is reprinted from Menagerie #4 (1974) as "The Legend of Krelix the Warrior" where it was credited to John Sherchock and Paula Smith) (6)
  • various jokes and one-liners
  • Cat Creatures Spread Plague, article by John Skerchock (10)
  • A Tragic Little Story by John Skerchock (10)
  • Kang's Klingon History by John Skerchock (11)
  • Babel Night, logic puzzle (13)
  • Federation Tactics, fiction by John Skerchock (13)
  • some reprints from Star Fleet Technical Manual and the Klingon Blueprints
  • Surprise Exodus, fiction in dialogue (18)
  • UFOs Here AND Now, An Identification by A.N. Alien (includes some helpful charts) (18)
  1. ^ a letter of comment by John Skerchock III in "Finagle's Folly" #5
  2. ^ a letter of comment by Klaatu Ashtok Cygnuss III, reply by the editor in "Finagle's Folly" #5