First Time (Star Trek: TOS zine)

Also see: First Time for other articles and topics with this phrase.

Zine
Title:	First Time
Publisher:	Merry Men Press
Editor(s):
Date(s):	1984-2011
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:	First Time at the publisher's page Subpages for First Time (Star Trek: TOS zine): Issues 1-10 · Issues 11-20 · Issues 21-30 · Issues 31-40 · Issues 41-50 · Issues 51-60 · Issues 61-64
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a group shot of issues #1-#37

First Time is a Kirk/Spock slash anthology zine, published by Merry Men Press.

There were 64 issues published. That's a lot of first times!

First Time 1-64

Subpages for First Time (Star Trek: TOS zine):

Issues 1-10 · Issues 11-20 · Issues 21-30 · Issues 31-40 · Issues 41-50 · Issues 51-60 · Issues 61-64

General Zine Description

From the publisher:

First Time Stories. Self explanatory, I hope. IE: Where Kirk and Spock first find out that they feel that way about each other. Remember that doesn't necessarily mean that there's sex involved. Love is love after all. Happy endings are a must. Hate, blood and mayhem all the way through. Fine, but a happy ending is a must! That's what all these zines were started for in the first place.

And:

A K/S zine devoted to the love between Kirk and Spock. Very sexy, very explicit and then, maybe not. What's important is for the readers to see the 'first time' Kirk and Spock realize that they feel 'that way' about each other. There may be explicit (yeah!) sex involved or not. But rest assured there will be love. Stories will encompass from their childhood through Starfleet Academy to beyond the movies. Anything our writers can imagine.

Not a Fan of David Gerrold

The editor and many fans of this zine series were NOT fans of David Gerrold due to his words and actions against slash.

In at least one editorial and one meta story, he is referred to as "David-you-know-who" which was a way to diminish Gerrold's outsize voice. While this was pre-internet, this avoidance of using his full name was also not unlike fans' actions regarding John Ordover's full name.

In late 1987, Robin Hood, the zine's editor quipped about an upcoming zine:

'Fetish' will stir you up and if the words don't the art I already have from Chris Soto and Suzan Lovett well. And if that doesn't get you going, then it's time for you to turn in your "No David you-know-who" buttons. You are burned out!

The Editor Looks Back

In issue #50, the editor wrote about the very beginning of this zine series:

…yes, there truly was only going to be one issue. A zine that would be all happy endings (had just read NOME 6 and after throwing it across the room) and no continued stories (sic), a tad more compact (sic): IE white space) and a bit easier to lift (sic). Yes as a matter of fact I am a lazy shit, and I do like my K/S happy and all there! I'm also an instant gratification baby and don't want to wait (sometimes years, sometimes never) for my story's ending! What's wrong with that?

Different Editions and the Front Covers

The zine publisher is known for removing the fan art from their zines, including the covers, after a certain period. These 'bare' zines are often referred to as "second editions" or "third editions."

From A 2007 Interview with Robin Hood: "After paying $1600 to get the front cover of FT 1 printed and more for the zine itself, I looked for another printer."

Examples:

cover of issue #14, The Southern Cross (Surak award)

cover of issue #14, "third edition"

General Fan Comments

See the issue's individual pages for many more comments.

1996

First Time is very inconsistent. Every now and then a terrific story pops up, but get them recommended to you before investing (or better yet, borrow!)