Hanky Panky

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Zine
Title: Hanky Panky
Publisher:
Editor(s): Michelle Ryan
Date(s): February 1982-June 1986
Series?: yes
Medium: print
Size:
Genre: slash
Fandom: Starsky and Hutch, other
Language: English
External Links:
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Hanky Panky is a slash Starsky and Hutch letterzine with occasional material from other fandoms.

this flyer for Hanky Panky was included in Between Friends #5, another SH letterzine

It was published February 1982 to June 1986, though its longevity is deceptive; there was a very long gap between the second-to-the-last and the last issue.

The title and some illos of this letterzine are references to the Slasher Hanky Code.

From the first issue: "HP#1 -- a letter/comment zine, non-profit in nature, dedicated to the pursuit of freedom of thought and speech... Subscription information: 1 issue, $1.50; 4/$6.00/USA. UK Subs SASE Terri. All contributions and other than UK subs to Michelle."

While slash was often discussed in S and H, "Hanky Panky" was the first specifically slash Starsky & Hutch letterzine.

One interesting note: While there is much use of the "/" (virgule in quote marks), the word slash is never used anywhere in this letterzine. That honor of the first fanwork where the word "slash" is used to refer to m/m content belongs to the letterzine S and H. See Slash Terminology.

Many, many fans comment in letters that they had "to take a cold shower" as they read the stories and looked at the art.

This zine won an Encore Award.

In the beginning, the writers used just their first names and did not include their addresses. This began to change after about the first nine issues or so when some fans began to use their real names and addresses, citing confusion and the desire to communicate directly with each other. Some asked others to do the same, and requested that the editor print contact information. The letterzine never took a formal stand on the name issue, and left the decision in the hands of each contributor.

Like many early fan publications, the letterzine was published without any copyright notices and may, in the US, be in the public domain.

This Fandom's Letterzines

  • S and H (June/July 1979-Jan. 1983) (gen, non-explicit slash)
  • Wanna Share?? (German language) (Sept. 1995-April 1998) (gen, non-explicit slash)
  • Me 'n Thee Times (Feb/March 1999-2000) (gen and non-explicit slash)==Reactions and Reviews==

1990

I never really enjoyed the style of HANKY PANKY (for those who haven't read this l/z, it was done in the mid-eighties (actually finishing as I was entering this fandom, so I never contributed to it) and it was a no-holds barred exploration of slash. People discussed openly all aspects of the characters getting it on and the stories were your basic rocks-off stuff. A little of that goes a long way, and when you're done with the romantic stuff, the more unusual begins to be seen. I was afraid of the genre going the way K/S has gone in recent years. (Fortunately, S/H has some of the best, most tasteful slash I've ever seen — that's why I'm still into it, folks.) HP also had stories and discussions of lots of other "slash couples", which didn't interest me at all.[1]

1991

[First name redacted] takes us back some years with the reference to 'Hanky Panky'. I'm not sure that it entirely qualifies as a SH publication in the same way as, say, FRIENZ. There were doubtless good things in it but, apart from the correspondence, HP's primary invitation was: - write a '/' story. Just pick two characters and write a '/' story. Any two. Okay ... for anyone who wants to do it. But hardly central to SH. Light-hearted fun? - but maybe a little close to a somewhat mechanical, repetitive writing exercise. [Name redacted] comments, 'I never really enjoyed the style of HP.' Neither did I. Just too involved in one fandom, possibly. Whatever - I let my sub lapse. In my limited experience of it, HP never seemed like a SH zine. Perhaps it didn't mean to be.[2]

2018

[Jen]: So I've spent most of my time looking at some letterzines and in particular one called a Hanky Panky. And I found that really fascinating from a historical fandom perspective because it appears to have been a zine shared among Starsky and Hutch slash friends in particular who were tired of not being able to have conversations about the nuances of Starsky and Hutch slash because they spent all of their time in the more mainstream zines fighting for the opportunity to even consider them as a romantic couple. Um, and so when you're starting from behind like that, you don't get into the nuances. So they created this separate zine and they were sharing a lot of topics... basically sharing their head canon. And although that wasn't a phrase used at that time about what Starsky and Hutch would be like, um, in a relationship how other characters around them would react whether or not they would, they, they put it as participating in the gay scene.

[Jen]: And no one replying really seemed to know what was being asked on that front. But it was fascinating in itself, especially to see how people in the early 1980s when the zine was being circulated, were conceiving of gay culture and, uh, the gay community. And particularly the gay male community when they were mostly women responding. Um, and so I found that really interesting. Um, there was a lot of good conversation about, uh, their head canon involving their families about how Dobie and Huggy would respond. Everyone's response on that factor was basically identical and it was that Huggy probably already knows they're together before they even get together. Also, Huggie's probably bisexual himself and Dobie loves them and wants to support them. But it was a little worried because of the complications of gay cops in the force, like every single person had the same reply.

[Rachel]: I love that everyone was united in correct opinions.

[Jen]: It's true. It's so rare in fandom. Um, it was also just a great historical artifact. There were a lot of clippings in the zine from gay magazines and newspapers, some of them just funny jokes, but others, there was an entire like guide to the Hanky Code at one point ....just pasted in there. And that's why the zine was called the Hanky Panky. All of the covers were some fan art making jokes about the Hanky Code with Starsky and Hutch. And I feel like fandom today doesn't really talk about the Hanky Code because it's not relevant. um...in 2017, but it's useful for any historical fandom if you're talking about historical, um, queer communities, particularly in the seventies and early eighties. It's nice to be able to see what people at the time were saying, even if they weren't necessarily part of these communities and you have to take it with a grain of salt.

[Monica]: I did like... I flipped through the first issue of the Hanky Panky and, um, they had a list of recommended reading with queer content. And I was just really chuffed that Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin was recommended on that list. I love that book. [3]

Issue 1

front cover of issue #1, Ruth Kurz
back cover of issue #1
from issue #1

Hanky Panky 1 was published in January or February 1982 and contains 38 pages

  • there is a writing challenge for a second pass-around zine called "Fly United." It is related to The Phone Booth and Cucumbers and Crisco.
  • several fans complain about the title of the zine calling it "coy" and "cutesy"
  • a fan writes some Kenny Rogers song lyrics and says they remind her of H/J
  • the very first lines from the very first letter:
    Greetings to the editor and any other fans who have made it to our very first issue of our own S/H letterzine! I'm happy to see a forum where the premise is that S/H is a valid premise, and no argument. I hope.

  • the TOTM is whether Hutch and Starsky are both or singularly gay or straight or bisexual, and when they "turned that way"
  • a fan speculates on how long SH have been lovers:
    One thing I am growing more and more certain of is that their relationship was never easy. It's very simple to write them as if once they've made it to bed together everything was perfect and would remain so. I've written it that way myself, but I do not believe it. Only if they were bisexual to begin with could I accept such a simplistic answer... Society has too many blockades to allow a new relationship of this sort to ever be easy. What happens when two heterosexual men fall in love with each other? Bird of Paradise looks at that from two points of view. Hutch and Starsky have made love once in a 'Christ-I-was-drunk' session, and their inability to face it, or even talk about it is on the verge of destroying their friendship. Derek Quinn and Allyn Sterling have been lovers for years, yet they too cannot communicate with each other on the nature of their relationship. It is a situation that pushes friendship to the breaking point and beyond.

centerfold of issue #1, Ruth Kurz
  • a fan says:
    It's been a pleasure to see this publication come to life. We've needed it for a long time.... This fandom is small and the S/H segment is even smaller. We don't have an inner circle or an outer circle or a fringe group, all we have is us. It takes all of us to make our fandom work. We may not all write or draw or publish or even type, but each of us can do something. In order for Hanky Panky to succeed, we must all do our part.

  • a fan says she can see them becoming lovers at any point:
    There was an era (before the flood) when I thought strictly post S'Rev, but no longer. I feel that, due in part to the fact that the relationship could not be made explicit within the show itself, any interpretation is possible...

  • a fan writes that:
    It's nice to see a little cautious (emphasis on cautious!) pubbing going on. There's really a lot more at stake than the risk of financial ruin. I suspect that few of us really fear that particular bogey very much longer. I for one, though, don't feel like becoming embroiled in any unpleasantness. Nor do I feel like causing it. There are a great many more important things in this world beyond the matter of do we have the right to rip off characters for fannish use... but the fact remains that the characters do belong to someone else, and that is, in a purely technical sense, copyright violation. Ferchrissake, every time you xerox a page from a book, or reprint a cartoon or quote in the Lz, without permission, that's copyright violation. EVERYBODY does it. What I'm getting at... is this: I'd like to see the smash come in another fandom, and if it comes in ours, I'd like to see it happen over the straight stuff... There are no medals for conspicuous bravery in fandom. The race is to those who know the shortcuts. We do what we have to do, but if we're wise, we'll shut up about it.

  • a fan says she was convinced SH weren't having sex during the aired episodes but:
    then I go the idea to do a S/H zine, and the stories started coming in --suddenly I had more S/H to read than ever before, all different. It made me think, and think hard, about the whole concept of S/H. All my previously held convictions were held up to the light and examined, and I discovered that maybe, just maybe, they could have started sleeping together earlier...My own universe started to come together over the summer of '81, and once I started writing down ideas and notes on background an such, my characters came to life and informed me that they started to sleep together after 'The Plague.'

  • a fan says she is fairly new to S/H, but gives a hint on how early fans were writing stories, if only for themselves, about the show:
    I really can't believe it took so long for my own 'universe' to develop to this point. But, looking back to my stories objectively -- way back from '76 -- I can see I was progressing toward S/H all along, only subtly... I must confess that it was probably my own puritanical prejudices at the time that kept me from writing S/H for such a long time -- I started writing my own S/H shortly before I ready any by anybody else...

  • a fan writes:
    Since most of the S/H stories I've read so far have been without the benefit of bearing an author's name (thanks to all the phobes and anti's), what I'd really like to see is an S/H story written by a man. For all I know, I may have already, but who can be sure!

  • a fan wants to see more romance in S/H:
    I'm not putting down the sex -- it's great! It's tender, it's beautiful, it's a joy to read and write, but I haven't seen that much of what I would consider romance... I haven't seen that much S/H to date -- just one excellent zine (that doesn't exist, of course), GI, and some terrific stories by the editor of this little gem.

art from issue #1, artist unknown
  • a fan says she was a long-time subscriber to S and H but never once sent in a letter as:
    I don't care to be put in the position of having to defend my preferences. And my preferences is, and always has been, S/H.

  • a zined states that she will be publishing One More River:
    ...the S/H sequel to One More Mountain, sometime this summer. Since we're all of the same mind in this letterzine, I won't bore you with the tedious stuff about discretion... We will printing no more than 100 copies. There will be no reprints... 'River' will not be advertised openly. I will keep those interested informed of progress either in personal correspondence or in theses pages.

  • a fan pleads:
    PLEASE don't let S/H ever go the way much of K/S has gone -- into screeds that sacrifice character and caring for labored so-called humor or for kinky sex or bizarre shock treatments. K/S began as an exploration of how and why two particular beings recognized and built their affinity for each other into something so boundless that physical passion became a natural expression of perfect love. Now, more and more, I find myself dismayed, bored, and even angered by perversions of that relationship. Many stories don't contain love any more, or even affection, and become real obscenities. S/H is a smaller fandom, a newer one, and I hope that... we don't become too jaded; there's too much complexity and caring in our men to walk them through pure porn or gory horror for its own sake.

  • a fan hopes that
    HP can remain an open forum with no hard feelings... bad feelings, name calling, and other childish behaviors that have found their way into fandom.

  • a fan says she didn't find K/S much of a model for writing slash or explicit sex:
    Aside from K/S being SF, the alien nature of Spock seemed sufficient to differentiate the two characters and left the 'same sex' feeling from the stories.

  • FICTION: "Morning Interlude," by Katy, "Morning with Starsky" by The Duchess, "Another Phone Booth Story" by Sid, "Let's Pretend" by ?, "The Kurz Curse" by Susan, "Gift of Love" by Sharon, "Brothers" by Patti, "
  • POEMS: "Forever Yours" by Daemen, "Icarus" by Teleny, "In the Clear Light of Day" by Jean, "Ode to Camping Trip" by Lyndy Harding
  • there is a proposal for a slash zine called "The Generic Zine" by Pacific Fruit Express

Issue 2

Hanky Panky 2 was undated, but probably published in May 1982 and contains 36 pages. The submission deadline was April 15.

front cover of issue #2, Maria A.
back cover of issue #2, Maria A.
centerfold of issue #2, Ruth Kurz, used four years later on a Frisky Business flyer
  • the TOTM is “How do you see S&H adjusting to being lovers? Do they adopt the gay lifestyle?”
  • a fan writes that it is much easier to write to this letterzine:
    It’s a pleasant cnange to be able to read about different S/H ideas rather than arguments about whether or not there should be and S/H idea.

  • a fan says:
    I never saw them as lovers until after S’Rev, and still enjoy “non-/” stories. I’ve got admit, though, that since I got into S/H, it’s hard for me to get the same emotional ‘kick’ I used to get from the straight stuff, but if the story is well-written and interesting, it can still be almost as good as S/H.

  • a fan writes:
    It’s a sad comment that this must be semi-anonymous or pseudononymous zine (and I’m grateful that it is.) But however it is accomplished, HP is a needed outlet and network for specific communications. I hope, though, that those of us here represented do not withdraw from fandom at large. It would be a shame to fragment the general group any further or cut off communication between subgroups.

  • a fan writes:
    I’ve been involved with K/S since 1976, so the idea of this type of relationship was not new to me. Secondly, I knew of the S/H underground even though I had not read any printed material. So when I first started watching S&H it just seem natural to assume the relationship already existed.

art from issue #2, Freda
  • a fan compares K/S and S/H:
    K/S has been around for several years and has gone though many stages of development. First, the exploration of the possibility of a relationship, next the ‘first times’, then to others’ reactions, etc., etc. Yes, some stories are hard core sex, but that is a phase of the relationship. I think as each new piece is published, be it K/S or S/H new ideas are spun off, and this is a natural development…. Don’t do to S/H what S&H has done to you. Let S/H have room to grow in many directions.

  • a fan writes of changing acceptance:
    Many of us tend to progress from 1) No, they’re definitely not lovers; 2) Well, maybe it could happen, but only after S’Rev; 3) Yes, it will definitely happen after S’Rev; 4) It started at some earlier point. Something I’ve also noticed… is a general progression from seeing them both as straight, then bisexual, then one of them gay, then both of them gay… I suspect that many of us have a secret preference for the romantic, idealistic version of them both being completely straight until the moment they find each other. Nothing wrong with that universe… but I think that the more we get ‘into’ S/H – the more good stories we read – the more willing we are to accept them as completely gay.

  • POEMS: “One True Child Believes” by Misty, “Sunburn” by Lyndy, “A Cold and Lonely Place” by Billie Phillips, “David Michael” by Daemen, “R.S.V.P.” by The Duchess
  • FICTION: “Stakeout Hustle” by Robbie, “Gotcha!” by Teleny, “Happy Mayday, Folks” by Jean (N.J.), “Guilt Trip” by Sharon, “A Day in the Life” by Prudence Phynagle, “A Typical Sunday Afternoon at Home” by Elaine, “A Piece of the Rock” by Ruth (H/J story)

Issue 3

Hanky Panky 3 is undated, but was published in 1982, best guess July. Submissions for issue #4 was June 21. It contains 35 pages.

front cover of issue #3
back cover of issue #3
  • a number of fans say that their involvement and interest in S/H has made them more open and more interested in gay rights and in the “gay lifestyle” of men
  • there is a notice from the editor about unauthorized Xerox copies, see image
  • the TOTM is what would Dobey and Huggy think of their relationship?
  • many fans say they feel that both Huggy and Dobey would be accepting of S&H’s sexual relationship, and that S&H wouldn’t adopt “the gay lifestyle” (cruising, sleeping with other guys, wearing earrings) but would adopt “the gay lifestyle” if that meant they would commit to each other and if they expressed a preference for “homosexual sex.”
  • several fans wrote to say they enjoyed the fiction but hoped it wouldn’t crowd out the letters
  • a fan jumps into this fandom:
    I’ve been a S/H fan since a copy of C7 drifted my way last summer… [What makes me a fan] is not even the red long-johns or the low-slung towels that unwoman me the most, it’s all that touching…that elbow jar or pat of on the knee or soft stroke down the spine? It makes my teeth melt…

warning about unauthorized copies falling into wrong hands
  • a fan writes:
    I’m always thrilled to see another new REAL name added to the list of ones already in HP. Someday I hope we don’t have to use those quote marks on any of the letters [referring to the quote marks around the writers’ names]. I’d still like to put in a note of caution in here regarding who gets and reads HP. There are those people out there that would gladly take this little forum away from us… so be careful. This is the third issue – so far, so good, but we’re still not home free… not as long as the ‘other side’ remains adamant about us NOT doing exactly what we’re doing.

  • a fan reviews some current gay pornographic magazines, “Stallion,” “Honch”, “Mandate,” Numbers,” Stars,” “Bronc,” “Blueboy,” and then the bi-weekly newspaper, “Advocate”
  • POEMS: “Only You” by Michelle, “To Rick” by Robbie (Simon and Simon), “Sweet-Boy-Meat” by Misty, “Jaws” by Daemen, “Bart” by Ruth (from the movie Making Love which fans were discussing), “The Game” by Lyndy Hardy, “Play the Game” by Jean (N.J.), “Listen” by Syn
  • FICTION: “In the Gym," part one by Elizabeth, “Grand Theft: Zoo Tram” by Mario (Simon and Simon), “A Day in the Life” part two by Prudence Phynagle, “Locker Room Lust” by Misty, “A Kurzory Glance” by Susan

  • centerfold of issue #3, Ruth Kurz

  • art from issue #3

  • art from issue #3

  • art from issue #3

Issue 4

front cover of issue #4
back cover of issue #4

Hanky Panky 4 is undated, though probably published September 1982, and contains 28 pages. Submission deadline was August 20, 1982.

  • the TOTM is “Which partner would be more dominant?”
  • a fan is pleased with Hanky Panky:
    I’m really enjoying this Lz! It was such a nice change of pace after the last issue of S&H lz – so much bickering and in-fighting.

  • about the dominant partner:
    It seems to me that there would be mutual caring and understanding in all go relationships regardless of the partner. I think sometimes either one could be hurt physically because of the strength of each man.

  • a fan states that in her universe:
    Starsky has previous homosexual relationships fairly successfully but not with the intentness of his relationship with Ken. I feel Hutch might have had feelings but never put a ‘name’ to them before he met Dave.

  • the editor of One More Mountain says the zine is nearly ready but there are stipulations:
    There will be only a restricted number of copies available. One perperson – no bulk orders will be accepted. If you want to buy a copy for a friend, fine, but we will need an age-statement from that friend, just as if she were buying a copy for herself.

  • a fan writes about Making Love and Simon and Simon:
    I confess I didn’t see that in their relationship but what do I know…) How many of the “/” writers have created their own primary characters rather than adapting them from media shows? We had K/S, and S/H, and over here [England] we have a growing band of B/D (that’s Bodie/Doyle from the LTW show, The Professionals) and a few splinter groups who slide a virgule between every partnership duo they come across.

  • about Code 7:
    Any of you who didn’t receive one of the red flyers for C7, if you write to me immediately (if not sooner) you can still get a copy – but that’s it. I’m going to print the beginning of September, and will only be printing a few over the numbers of orders on hand. I know the zine is horribly expensive, but it will be worth it. Promise.

  • POEMS: “Silver Bowl Thoughts” by Sharon (Ohio), “On the Edge” by Jackie, “Leather and Lace” parts one and two by Misty
  • FICTION: “Code Seven, or Afternoon Delight” by Jean, “In the Gym” part 2 of 4 by Elizabeth, “Freedom’s Gift” by Jean (Chicago (a Khan/Joaquim story (Wrath of Khan), “Changes” by Ruth (a H/J story), “A Day in the Life” (another chapter) by Prudence Phynagle

  • art from issue #4, Khan and Joaquim

  • art from issue #4

  • centerfold of issue #4, Ruth Kurz

Issue 5

Hanky Panky 5 was published in December 1982, It contains 39 pages.

front cover of issue #5
centerfold of issue #5
back cover of issue #5 -- "Bottoms Up"
inside page from issue #5
inside page from issue #5
  • the TOTM is “what are Starsky and Hutch’s favorite fantasies?”
  • the editor of Code 7 is pleased the zine won four out of seven Huggys at ZCon and announces there will be a third issue, hopefully out “by next summer”
  • fan apologizes for her handwritten letter, as she is saving her money up to buy a typewriter
  • some of the art from the letterzine is being auctioned off. The proceeds will help pay for typewriter ribbons and envelopes
  • a fan says she has created some other primary characters named Mark and Judson:
    ... who belong to my S/H universe but very quickly took on a life of their own. They have become even more fascinating than S&H to me (oh heresy) and more fun, too! Because they are completely mine, I suppose.

  • a fan says:
    This being the only place I can really talk about it, I’ll make an … Official Announcement. I’m planning a mini-zine (l/zine-sized), called “Off the Cuff,” and I need stories, poetry, artwork, and so forth. The theme? Heh heh heh. Bondage, ladies. And let me make it perfectly clear right from the outset that I’m not interested in S&M or anything approaching it. I’ll take serious stories, playful stories, humorous stories, whatever… but don’t give me S&H hurting each other. Ok? No whips, chains, tit clamps… you get the idea. I think bondage is a game Starsky and Hutch would enjoy occasionally, and I’d like to get stories with that attitude. This will be a very limited print run, and quite cheap, as well. I don’t want to offend anyone, and there are plenty of fans who just can’t handle the concept at all. But those of you who are interested, I need submissions.

  • a fan writes that she loves “Hanky Panky”:
    I can truly say that I now look forward to HP so much, much more than I do the regular S&H l/zine. In fact, I haven’t really enjoyed the S&H for a long time. Too much bitching and fighting. I’ll admit that I’ve contributed to that a lot in the past couple of months, but it just seems that there are certain people in the l/zine you can’t even DARE to disagree with, or it becomes a World War, or something. It’s got to the point where you don’t even write to the to l/zine to discuss S&H, but you’re forced to spend the whole letter defending something you said last time, that somebody took offense to. Well, this zine is a wonderful change of pace, and I hope that it always remains as warm and friendly as it is.

  • an Australian fan is:
    ...accepting submissions for my own zine, “/” of course. I don’t have a clue where to advertise to get some overseas writers to contribute. I’ve only gotten Australian writers so far. The zine will be male/male: K/S, S/H, The Professionals, and any other type one want to submit, any length. The Professionals story I have dibs on looks like it will be a novella. If I get enough like this, I’ll put out separate zines instead of just dividing it into sections, as it is planned at the moment… I’m still trying to think of a name for my zine. Does anyone know of one or two words that have a definition of something like this: The force that attracts one to another; the force that holds the universe together? [4]

  • fan asks:
    Whaddya mean a dead issue re: the K/S relationship? Do mean because we all know that is the way it is with them, or because Star Trek is an outdated subject?

  • a fan comments on Gunther's Revenge:
    When I first read 'Gunther's Revenge.' I enjoyed it but couldn't understand letting the first time scene go unwritten. Then PFE sent the crucial pages and the story became more cohesive and understandable. Ms. Soliste has a nice technique of combining adventure and '/' in one story and making it enjoyable. And [J's] pictures of S&H are by far the best I've ever seen in fandom. If she auctioned those off at ZCon, I envy the lucky owner.

art from issue #5
  • another fan says this about Gunther's Revenge:
    Gloat, drool, I just got my copy of 'Gunther's Revenge,' and I have my suspicions about S. Soliste, but if pseudonyms are in, she'll have to write me and fess up for the full critique. About the sex scenes... take a bow, lady. They are the grittiest, sexiest, most exciting action I've read in a long time, and so right, in character, that I've simply run out of superlatives, I wish I had written every word, and I hope the non-writers out there are aware that such depth of emotion is earned by effort and deserves more reward than just the thought of writing a LoC... Anyone who could read this one without a temperature hike must live in an igloo. Congratulations!

  • a fan ruminates:
    Thank goodness for fun in this all too somber world. One thing we can’t afford to do is take ourselves too seriously. Remember Captain Kirk’s line in ‘Shore Leave.’ Something about the more highly developed a civilization, the more the need for the simplicity of play. HP is our safety valve for letting off steam and keeping a light touch to sanity. Something like Zebra-Con, that fantastic love-in. Every piece of art in the ‘filth-con’ show sold. Hmmm.

  • a fan writes about that H/J:
    ...was sired by a movie, but evolved into something more. You’ll find as I did that word of mouth and the pleasure of sharing the fun soon makes keeping quiet about your characters difficult. They have minds of their own, and readers enjoy discussing their development.

  • the editor says One More River is finally typed:
    It now goes to be deBritted and suitable trashed, and when I get it back, I’ll start cutting the stencils." She warns this is "a novel. It has a plot. It is not a catalogue of sexual athletics between the protagonists. If that is what turns you on, you’ll be surprised by OMR. The actual S/H averages about 10% of the action. The emotional S/H, as opposed to the graphic, works out about 90%, though.

  • a fan writes:
    What is happening to S/H?... In four issues of HP we have seen some very fine fiction, more power to their typers. We have also seen some arrant rubbish. God forbid I should prevent anyone writing whatever they want to write, and reading, for that matter. But I do truly believe we have a standard to maintain. More so than the writers of S&H. S/H started off at a disadvantage. None of us, I am sure, want it to degenerate to the level of cheap porn. Erotica has its place in S/H writing – as part of the pattern of a developing relationship. Take it out of that place, deprive it of the background, and it becomes little better than titillation. Before you leap to your typewriters in furious defense of Erotica – think about it. A steady diet of caviare [sic] may make one long for bread and butter. You can have too much of a good thing. Read too much of the erotic sex, and you get anesthetized to even the best-written material. And – believe this as you will – you can even start skipping the sexual athletics to get to the plot… S/H, in itself and in what it stands for, means so much to me. I don’t want to see it go downhill.

    art from issue #5
  • the editor of the letterzine answers the previous letter:
    Rubbish. What do you mean by that? Badly written stories? Stories that just need an editor? Or do you mean stories that deal with topics that you find objectionable? If the latter is the case we run into problems. Who’s definition of objectionable do we use in determining what stories get published in HP?... Hanky Panky, like just about any other zine published, has its share of good stories and bad stories. And each of the two stories [the editor had mentioned: ‘In the Gym’ and ‘Gotcha’]… have had good and bad reviews/comments made about them. Equally, there are people who love both stories. Knowing this, how can I wish I had never printed either of them? Up to this point, there has been only one story in Hanky Panky that just about everybody didn’t like. One out of 26 stories isn’t bad…. I will not discourage our subscribers from contributing. Each story I receive gets weighed on its own merits… I recognize the fact that you are concerned with where you think S/H is going. You have that right. I don’t think you have the right in saying HP is bringing down the level of S/H. HP is just a vehicle for ‘/’ fans. It reflects what they want to write and read.

  • there is a submission request for Who You Know, What You Know & How You Know It:
    This new S/H zine welcomes submissions of stories and artwork. Emphasis is on romance. The ‘/’ relationship is understood to be present, but the stories may or may not contain explicit sex scenes. We also welcome hurt/comfort.

  • POEMS: “Thoughts on a Drawing” by Tam, “Tomorrow” by Barbara, “To Joachim” by Robbie, “With this Ring” by Daemen, “One the Same” by Claudia, “Hutch to Starsky” by Claudia, “Starsky to Hutch” by Claudia, “Run Swiftly” by Misty, “The Light Within” by Jean (N.J.), “Facets” by Barbara, “Blue in the Night” by Jean (N.J.)
  • FICTION: “It Takes Two to Tangle” by Robbie, “Undercover” by Sharon, “In the Gym” parts 3 and 4 by Elizabeth, “Photofinished” by Rosemary, “A Brand New Day” by Chris, “Sweet Sixteen” by Ruth (H/J), “Knight Love” by Ruth (Knight Rider slash between Michael and Kitt, the car), “A Day in the Life” part three by Prudence Phynagle
  • there is an ad for A Week in L.A.: “this is a 97-page H/J and S/H story, and like all H/J stories will be reprinted as needed.”
  • there is an ad saying that Strokes is available. "Due to the mature nature of this zine – topics dealing with sex and violence – a statement indicating knowledge of subject matter is required."

Issue 6

Hanky Panky 6 was published in February 1983, the submission deadline for issue #6 was January 21, 1983. It contains 32 pages.

front cover of issue #6
back cover of issue #6, Ruth Kurz, Starsky with Wings -- a fan in issue #8 writes: "That back cover is wonderful! My Starsky as Cupid - wish he'd shoot his arrow at me!"
  • TOTM: "HP #6 marks a whole years of existence for HP. How do you feel HP has affected S/H fandom? Where do you see this fandom going? Where do you want it to go?"
art from issue #6
  • a zined says she is dropping “Off the Cuff” as she’s gotten only two poem submissions and will put that content into Code 7 #3
  • there is short, tongue-in-cheek essay by Misty called “What and When is Porn?”
  • a fan responds to the TOTM:
    I think it has brought it [S/H] closer together, givn us a forum in which to discuss our opinions and feelings without worrying about upsetting anyone’s delicate sensibilities. It has also given us a place for all those short stories and fantasies that would probably otherwise sit in desk drawers (or worse – in our heads never to see the light of day)… I would like to see the S/H fandom and idea to be accepted universally, but I’m afraid I’m just not that much of an optimist… [and hope] to not slip into the bickering which has plagued the S and H

    regular letterzine]] for so long…

  • another fan says:
    I look forward to reading HP much more than I do the other l/zine these days… it seems we’ve managed to keep most of the griping and bitching out of these pages.

  • fan says, while she thinks the editor of the letterzine should continue to print a variety of stories, she, too, is a little weary of all the explicit sex:
    When I first read an S/H story, I thought I’d never tire of the loving (pronounced ‘sex’). I even wrote some of it, god forbid. Now, more than a year later, I’ve learned that yes indeed, I can grow weary of reading sex for sex’s sake. Even the explanation that the whole point of the story is to show that fucking, they show the true depth of their love for each other, is no longer sufficient to hold my interest if the story lacks any other plot. I no longer have heart palpitations at the thought of reading an S/H story with lots of sex. I now look for something more… Sex alone just doesn’t cut it anymore.

  • a fan asks:
    This subject truly interests me. Several letters in HP #5 specifically mentioned male/male relationships. What I am curious to know is how do readers view female/female relationships in fiction and in reality?... Is our interest in S/H, H/J, K/S, etc….fiction merely a reversal of men’s interest in lesbian porn?

centerfold of issue #6. "Mutual games of bondage can be a lot of fun for both parties, Just as Marie's centerfold where Hutch was bound with silken cords didn't fool anyone into thinking he was helpless or unhappy, especially not with that smile on his face. That kind of bondage is quite appealing. " -- from a fan in issue #8. Note: This image has been marked as sexually explicit and has been minimised.
  • a fan says that HP is a letterzine that should continue to offer a variety of stories:
    If the reader has difficulties with the B&D themes or rough game playing in S/H or other stories, she shouldn’t read them. This is a matter of personal taste and a situation over which the writer has little control. All an author can do is her best, and place the story where it will reach like-minded audiences.

  • fan writes that she’d like to see more discussion of the fanfiction in HP:
    I’d like to see lively discussion… what do you think works and what doesn’t – and why. Also discussion of what has been printed elsewhere. There are many different opinions floating around fandom these days concerning S/H and how publishing should be handled. How do you feel? And why?

  • a fan responds to another’s letter about a need for less erotica:
    You may say that we have standards to maintain, but who in the hell made us arbiters of fannish taste? C’mon, [name redacted], that sounds as if [refers to a controversy in S and H] the accusation of power-hungry cliques is true. No one has the right to dictate what appears in this rag except [the editor].

  • a fan writes:
    Three cheers for [names redacted] for bringing up the topic of the year, which happens to be: The Effect of Bad Writing and Butt Plugs on ‘/’ Fandom….[I’ve] read some English garbage (some of it created by American writers as it happens) that didn’t just disgust me. It made me first furious, and then thoughtful, always a dangerous arrangement. What I thought I saw happening was writers reaching too hard for the emotional impact which is inherent in violence and the more extreme forms of sex. As a reader, I object to being manipulated in that way, and as an individual I have no interest in fist-fucking to make stories acceptable. Sure I get a little charge out of it. The question is Do I want to? which is my personal choice, and is this the best the writer can do by the characters and her craft? which is more open to objective analysis. [I’ve written and submitted many explicit zines for publication. The reason I mention this is that]… I want to make the point that I care about my writing, and I do write erotica. But where do I go from there as a writer? Well, the vibrating butt-plugs, the fist-fucking and dog collars don’t point in the direction. On my ads [for my most recent Trek zine] I stated that the story was K/S but contained ‘no sick sex, no crazy-making, killing, or maiming of major characters.’ I have gotten letters from editors saying they were going to adopt the idea and fans saying they couldn’t believe it was [name redacted] talking. Well, we’ll see. If the appeal of my writing was just two bodies in bed, who might as well have bags over their heads, fuck it. And them. I have to agree with [name redacted] that much of what I’ve read in HP turned me off. But some of it was wonderful! I believe that explicit sex belongs in love stories. It may also belong in stories of hate, violence, rape, etc. but I’d like them clearly labeled so I know what not to read. The best writers also respect their craft, know when what they have written works, and can judge when it’s worth killing a tree to print a story. The characters I believe in don’t deliberately hurt each other, and don’t need weird games to get turned on. They might punch each other out or say something cutting – they’re human – but deliberately plot out bondage games or real torture? Yeeeechh!... The saddest part of this tendency is not the lack of something worth reading – the good stuff is always there to be reread – but what the ‘market’ for sick stories does to writers. Serious writers, who may be inundated for the first time in their life with fan mail. Beginning writers who just want people to read their stories. Each individual writer… has a natural pattern of growth, just a tree has a genetic pattern. And writers, like trees, react to the environment. Prevailing winds bend them, nourishment attracts them… [name redacted] is right about the anaesthetizing effect of too much intense sensation. That is only one not in the scale, and a singer with one note is boring; a writer with only one story is pathetic.

art from issue #6, some Simon and Simon art
  • a fan writes that:
    ...pornography is when there’s sex simply depicted for the sake of sex. The exercising of a purely animal release, without any love or tenderness or concern for the partner involved. Having sex without even thinking of your partner as a person, but as an object. That’s ‘cheap porn and rubbish.’ Has anybody read anything like that in HP? I haven’t… Most importantly, except for the private circulation of S/H stories among friends, what other forum do we have to share our stories like this?

  • a fan writes that she likes idea of the “bondage scene” as long as: ...
    there’s nothing cruel and sadistic… nothing like Surrender. I just couldn’t get into that one… It hurt ME, too!

  • the editor of the letterzine responds to another fan:
    You stated that you thought that HP has yet to make a significant mark on S/H fandom… I feel very strongly that [it has]… You and I have been lucky enough to read quite a bit of S/H material – stories that the average fan coming into S/H right now will either never get to read or will hav to wait till they develop the trust/friendship necessary to have the stuff sent to them. That just happens to be one of the facts surrounding this fandom…What HP has done is given these people a regular supply of S/H stories to read. Plus, it has given us all a place for discussion of ‘/’ relationships… A fandom cannot exist or continue to grow without a means for communication. We receive at least one new subscription a week – one person who didn’t know S/H fandom existed until they were handed a copy of HP by a friend.

  • a fan writes:
    Does well-written pornography become erotica? Who determines what erotica is? One person can watch a very explicit sex scene and call it porn while another will call that same scene erotic. In my opinion, The Prize was well written porn. I did not like it. That does not take away from [its] awards….[and] awards do not make the author, either…

  • a fan agrees there’s been too much sex in S/H:
    What I… have noticed recently is the trend toward contriving stories with the sole purpose of getting S&H into the sack, be it for the first time or the five thousandth. Okay, so once the gates were opened there was bound to be a flood of explicit stories that had been gathering dust in those locked drawers. But isn’t it time was let our boys out of bed and allowed them to grow a little? [Name redacted] may claim that H/J is only for fun, and I admit 95% of it is sex, yet in that other 5% they have still managed to develop way beyond S/H. They have faced problems, the accusations, the trauma of coming out to family and friends, have set up a home and made provisions for the future. They have even faced the near-reality of losing each other.

art from issue #6, some Simon and Simon art
  • a fan says she really enjoyed The Water is Wide:
    I’ve never written a review, and I don’t intend to start up now, but I have to say openly how good reading this zine made me feel. Starsky’s resentment of his mother’s marriage, Hutch’s fear of being tied down again, it was all so real. Even the lesser characters were brought to life, and while we had a taste of just about every emotion, there was no particular one to dominate. I just hope [name redacted] is planning a sequel, because S&H weren’t the only ones wondering how they would answer Michael’s moment of realization.

  • a fan writes that S/H has a responsibility to society to be as good as it can be:
    I believe in S/H. I believe that it has a future, possibly an important future, in showing the value and beauty of love, regardless of gender. That is why I personally write it. There does seem to be less of the rampant homophobia in fandom right now, and the genre is opening up gradually, with a more relaxed attitude to S/H zine publishing. More people are writing S/H, coming to accept the premise, recognize the idea. So far, so good. So long as we keep sight of that ideal, and don’t lose it behind in a mass of mediocrity.

  • a fan writes:
    I thought the whole purpose of HP was the chance to share our fantasies without having to worry about offending the rest of the group.

  • a fan comments that:
    We’ve seen a lessoning of the paranoia over this last year, that will probably continue… I foresee more and more S/H zines being sold openly – not without safeguards, but not so totally underground either. Pseudonyms will still be widely used… S7H fans – at least in this point in time – seem to be at the very least tolerant of S/H – and most of them seem to be very much in favor of it. We’re not a minority anymore, and I don’t think we’ll ever be again. As long as this fandom exists, S/H fandom will be a major part of it.

  • the writer of Bird of Paradise says the zine is nearly finished, that she has bought a computer (an Apple) and has named it "Colossus," and the zine will be printed on a letter-quality Toshiba printer
  • POEMS: “If You Had Gone” by Daemen, “Ashes and Gold” by Jean (N.J.), “Last Resort” by Robbie, “Daydreams” by Misty (contains the lines: “What! Tie you to a brass bed? So, you like it rough?”), “Alternative” by Claudia, “Evening Tide” by Jean (N.J.),
  • FICTION: “5 Hugs, 7 Kisses, 2 Hickeys, and 1 (Censored) Miscellaneous” by Chris (M.I.), “One Special Day” by Marie, “No Regrets” by Robbie (Simon and Simon), “Hot Cross Buns” by Robbie, “You Oughtta Be in Pictures” by Sharon, “When the Friendship is Over” by Carla

Issue 7

Hanky Panky 7 is undated and contains 35 pages. It was probably published in April 1983, the submission deadline was March 25.

front cover of issue #7
back cover of issue #7, parody of a scene in the TV movie, "Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home"
art from issue #7, Ruth Kurz showcases Hutch and his poncho
art from issue #7, Freda
  • TOTM: “What about female/female relationships or is it just male/male relationships we are interested. Why or why not?” And, “What do S&H do on a lazy Saturday off?”
  • a fan asks that a poll be taken to see if fans would be open to dropping the pseud requirements, that anyone who wishes could have their name and address printed so it would be easier for fans to talk to each other
  • a fan asks: "Is Courts of Honor almost ready for distribution?? I’ve been waiting since the 4th of July to read [this novel]."
  • fan says she enjoys female/female material as much as male/male but that "I rarely respond to any sort of erotica."
  • answering the TOTM, a fan speculates that S&H would have a picnic on their day off. "They’d have cucumber salad… lots and lots of hot dogs with soft, luscious buns… [or they’d go to the zoo] and watch the monkeys peeling their bananas."
  • a fan thinks the lack of interest in female/female stories has to do with the dearth of interesting women in media
  • fan says she enjoys some gay porn films but likes / fiction better as it portrays more complicated relationships between men, less promiscuity, and more real-life situations. She also says she enjoys reading the fan fiction way more than talking about it, and that knowing too much about motive and stuff makes the fiction less interesting
  • fan says she’s attracted to male/male relationships because she likes men and with those stories, "there are two of them.”."
  • a fan notes that H/J has had 29 zines so far, lots of time "for character development to have a chance. Quite likely some of the brief S/H stories in HP have in-depth universes behind them, too. A lot of excellent S/H will probably always stay underground, a real shame, but understandable…"
  • about the TOTM: a fan’s pet writes in for her, as the fan herself is in the shower, cooling herself down after looking too long at the centerfold in the last issue:
    She’s mainly interested in male/male relationships, but is not quite sure why. Not that the female/female relationship is in any way a turn-off, but mostly, probably, because she has no knowledge of any. Most of fandom writes male/male, and we have yet to experience any two females who we consider close enough to that ‘/’ category. Cagney & Lacey hasn’t hit our screens yet, but apart from that, we don’t know of any shows that have two females who could be considered.

  • a fan comments on her previous controversial letter:
    At least we sparked off a few inflammatory discussions last time. Which was at least part of my intention – after six issues, HP should be past the ‘gee, isn’t this wonderful’ and ‘I LOVE S/H’ stage.

  • another fan thinks of about reading female/female stories and says:
    Well, to be honest, they never turned me on, in fact, it’s never been something I’ve though about a lot, but when I do, my reaction is usually, ‘ick.’ That doesn’t mean I think it’s wrong, just that, it’s not for me.

centerfold of issue #7
  • a fan comments on the Simon and Simon fic in the last issue:
    While incest is not my favorite premise because of prejudices taught since childhood, I liked ‘No Regrets.’ It shows an important point in the S/S relationship – no exploitation of the helpless young, so often associated with such a relationship. Here the young brother seduces the older one. The other main objection to incest, that inbreeding makes sickly children, doesn’t apply here, just lots of love.

  • a fan says she doesn’t read slash anymore for the sex, that the newness of it is gone, as well as the:
    ...sheer physical excitement of watching them fuck each other into the floor. So, some people bring in more and more taboo elements, to make it exciting again. Bondage, rape, cross-dressing, fist fucking, child pornography, Great Danes, whatever… There are other pleasures besides gonadal ones. A piece of well-written ‘/’ can provide insights into character, a perspective of humanity, a lovely lyric run of word-use, and still be sensuously enjoyable… Now, a well-written lesbian story can, for me, supply all of the intellectual and emotional satisfaction of a gay story. It just doesn’t have that extra added zine in its tail.

  • fan wonders if the appeal of male/male relationship stories is:
    ...the polyandry aspect, having two (or more!) gorgeous males in a private fantasy, a personal harem. There’s no need to worry about them leaving because they aren’t there to begin with, no real emotional clutter and hurting because the premise sets up the emotional attachments at the beginning quite clearly.

  • a fan writes of S and H:
    I was not completely crushed when the letterzine died. In fact, I think I sighed and thought, ‘Thank goodness they put it out of its misery, poor thing.’ A lot of people did a lot of hand-wringing and predicting of doom, but since Jan has stepped into the breach and pubbed a fine newsletter (and those of you who don’t support it deserve to be cut off from fandom), I don’t think we need to worry about the demise of the letterzine… If this rag ever begins to sound like the last issues of the lz, shoot it.

  • a fan writes:
    “Despite the death of S and H, fewer zines this year, and no ZCon, S&H fandom continues to roll merrily along...

  • a zined complains that while HP gets dozens and dozens of stories and poems, but she can’t get folks to submit to her zine:
    I wonder if the writers would rather just do little pieces for HP so that they don’t have to work for months and suffer through endless rewrites than a substantial story for a zine. Is this laziness? Fear of being edited? Fear of being criticized.

  • POEMS: “Dark Wind, Dark Water” by Jean (N.J.), “Prisoner of Love” by Daemen, “The Conditions of Your Love” by misty
  • FICTION: “A Day in the Love” part four, by Prudence Phynagle, “Lazy Afternoon” by Ruth (H/J, also printed in Son of Freebie), “Young Lord Hutchinson’s Waif” by Araminta, “Locker Room Lust Revisited” by Ima Fool, “Something Special for Hutch” by Chris

Issue 8

Hanky Panky 8 contains 27 pages. It is undated, but published in 1983, late June. It went out to 99 subscribers. Submission deadline was May 25.

front cover of issue #8 -- "the crew of the spaceship BRIGHTON ROCK," perhaps coded members of the rock group "Queen"
from issue #8, Ruth Kurz, centerfold
from issue #8, Ruth Kurz
  • the TOTM is: "What is it that makes the theme of bondage/domination appealing in '/' relationships? Or, it it really all that appealing?"
  • a fan proposed some care:
    I suggest we all take a few precautions such as thought before words. Sometimes the temptation to say something nasty or unkind Is over whelming—but a public forum is not the place to air dirty laundry or personal feelings. May I suggest that as we write our public letters to HP, we all re member that we have no Idea who will be reading our comments? This is not a request for censorship, but a plea for diplomacy and good taste. I don't want to see HP die and it will if we aren't careful and considerate.

  • a fan showed off her Decorated for Death sweatshirt at a fan gathering at someone's house; the gathering was called "SinCon Sydney"; SinCon Sydney consisted of ten fans (one male), a rented porn tape, the episode "The Plague" on tape, a mixed tape of SH moments, a tape of the animated Star Trek episode "Mudd's Passion," the Pros episode "Rogue," colored condoms for a balloon fight, viewing art bought at ZCon, and eating a salad with sausages
  • a fan writes:
    First of all, let me say a 'thank you' to all the people who bought ONE MORE RIVER -- and an even bigger 'thank YOU' to the ones who LoC'd. We like to know what we did right (or wrong) and your letters and interest are a continuing source of help and inspiration. Yes, even the lady who wrote and went into detail about what would have happened if the roles had been reversed. No, we're not going to write it... The sequel, NO EASY ANSWERS, is begun. Ju3t don't ask when it'll be finished. We are still fighting over the intricacies of the plot. If the length of time OMR took is anything to go by, you can expect NEA sometime in 1985... 3-11, however, will be with you sooner than [1985]. We now have all the material except the artwork, and we hope to have the thing ready for publication before the end of October (in time for DobeyCon, for the Brits reading this). The zine is predominantly S/H in theme, but not everything is S/H. Okay? That clear? Just want to make sure y'all know what you're getting.

  • fan is against warnings:
    Stories do not carry a Government Health Warning (This Zine may damage your Morals?) or any guide to content. At least, I haven't noticed any. Should we code our fiction somehow? Colour-code, perhaps, in the manner of hankies? (Hrmm. Better avoid that story, it's written on red paper...) Well, it's an idea. Personally, I'd rather read and then decide what I like or can believe about the characters. And if I don't like a piece, I'm at liberty to rip it up/stomp on it/feed it to the cat/whatever.

  • regarding pseuds:
    On tho pseudonym/address suggestion -- speaking personally, I'd be happy to have my name and address printed in HP for the few who don't already know it. But there are people who would feel that their privacy was being invaded by going public, and with good reason. What might be a good compromise would be for Michelle to maintain a file of those people who are happy to have their address passed on to other interested parties... Pseudonyms are necessary in certain circumstances -- but I'm please to see that we mostly feel comfortable enough with each other now to abandon them. Heavens, to begin with it was like attending a party to find that half of the guests were wearing masks... (with or without sequins and argyle socks...)

  • regarding the TOTM:
    Mutual games of bondage can be a lot of fun for both parties, Just as Marie's centerfold where Hutch was bound with silken cords didn't fool anyone into thinking he was helpless or unhappy, especially not with that smile on his face. That kind of bondage is quite appealing. Less so is the kind where only one partner is enjoying himself. Probably the psychological need to be overpowered goes back to an upbringing that said enjoying sex la Wrong, Evil. After all, one can't be blamed for being raped, thus no guilt. To me that is hardly the way our boys find their satisfaction. They love each other openly with no need for subterfuge. At least, not between each other. But games...they are famous for playing games, and both are inventive and enthusiastic players.

  • regarding the TOTM and two stories:
    I do not find the bondage/domination theme appealing. At all. I don't want to see them hurting each other in anyway. Especially under the guise of lovemaking. For that reason, I did not care for GOTCHA or IN THE GYM. That is not meant to reflect badly on either author. Tho stories were both well written, but just not to my taste. As we have all said, one time or another, each of us have our own idea of who S&H are (In GOTCHA my Starsky once released, would've beaten Hutch to a pulp. End of partnership.) The idea of rape might be stimulating but the fact is anything but. It is a violation in the deepest sense of the word. Nobody has the right to take sex. No spouse, no lover, nobody. Period! Sorry, but the rape myth is one of my sore points.[5]

  • regarding the TOTM:
    What makes the theme of bondage/domination so appealing (to some of us, obviously!). Well, it's all a fantasy thing, isn't it? I think that those of us that ARE so turned on by the bondage theme would love to be able to "dominate" one, or the other, or BOTH, of those gorgeous bodies our selves! Since we'll never be able to experience that as MEN, we can sort of "play it out" through the actions of who ever happens to be tho dominant partner. Mind you, I'm no shrink, this is just my own theory, for what's it's worth. I know in my own case, Starsky's body has always turned me on a lot more than Hutch's so most of the bondage stuff that I write has Hutch as the dominant one. I also enjoy the stories where it's HUTCH who's tied down, handcuffed to the bed, whatever, but I've noticed they don't turn me on as much as the stories where it's Starsky who's held in bondage. Which is probably why GOTCHA! turned me on so much, even though I found the characterization of Hutch to be repulsive. Of course, I realize that all of this could go the OTHER way, too... we may fantasize about being "dominated" as well as being the "dominant" one, too. Is ANY of this making sense?

  • regarding the TOTM:
    That's the way I've always felt about [[[bondage]] during sex]. Someone has to be the dominant one and the other has to submit to the treatment which, to me at least, isn't very loving. Since writing that particular story I read somewhere else that allowing your lover to tie you to the bed posts and soon is a sign of absolute trust. I however remain unconvinced. There are much better and loving ways to express faith and trust in your lover without having to go to such extremes. It's easy for even tho best intentions to go astray and end up really hurting each other physically or psychologically when such games are played.

  • fan, who has been ill, had a lot of time to read, and she wants to know why another fan has complained of some kinds of fiction in SH:
    I read a large volume of K/S and I found an overwhelming abundance of the b/d theme, in many places it bordered on s/m with slavery, branding, physical abuse, castration, etc. In contrast, there has only been one story in S/H fiction dealing with this subject, so I fall to understand why Marie can fined her comments to S/H fiction.

  • a fan apologizes:
    Lastish was enjoyable as always...hey, I really didn't mean to gripe so much about HP getting stories instead of me. I m sure there's enough being written to keep both of us in business - right? Sorry for sounding so bitchy.

  • a fan writes:
    I think that part of the attraction of male/male relationships is the thrill of playing voyeur, of getting to eavesdrop on these two gorgeous hunks of male flesh making love to each other. Assuming that all of us that read HP are female (do I assume too much?) - that's something that none of us are ever going to experience in this life - being a man, and making love to another man. I, at least, can't imagine what it would be like to have a cock of my own, and to know what it feels like sinking into someone's flesh - m/m relationships makes that fantasy seem real. There is a certain mystery about making love with a person of your sex - a mystery some of us will never (or never want to) experience. Homo- or bi-sexuality is mysterious and, to be honest, probably taboo to the way we all were raised (no dear, nice girls don't think about such things!). I have made love to another woman -and it was a beautiful and loving experience, and right for the time and place we were in. My basic sexuality is oriented towards males, but I believe that we all have the capability (or potential) to be bisexual. We just have to allow ourselves to respond to the situation.

  • a fan writes:
    I suppose that you could argue that certain parts of IN THE GYM could be called "pornographic". By using that reasoning, however, you could say that about almost ANY "/" story, that is, there are going to be incidents (in serious stories) where the lead characters may seem to be, or actually are, cruel or in sensitive to each other. You can't judge an entire story to be "pornographic" based on isolated scenes. Go back and read the story again, and pay particular attention to the resolution and the ending. If you still think it's pornographic, then you and I just obviously are operating within two different frames of reference. Well, to each her own. I will say this -- I realize I have to reconsider my statement that I've never seen anything "pornographic" in various S/H literature. I'd have to say that SURRENDER came as close to being out-right porn as I'd ever care to see. GOTCHA!, too, although that story was a real problem for me -- it turned me on, while completely turning me off to the characterizations. Who can figure these things out!

  • POEMS: Dark Wind, Dark Water by Jean, Rick or Starsky by Robbie, Tenderness by Misty, Moonbeam by Daemen, Where Have All the Brunettes Gone or, How I Occupy My Mind at Work by Karen
  • FICTION: A Day in the Life (Chapter 3 Part 1) by Prudence Phynagle (2 pages), What's a Partner For by Frankie (1 page) (based on the movie, "Paint Your Wagon"), Twelfth Night by Sandi (2 pages) (based on two "Streets of San Francisco" episodes), The Book by Chris (MI) (2 pages), Come Fill the Cup by Jean (NJ) (1 page) (based on characters in a Dan August episode, "The Killing Affairs"), Before the Beginning by Alexis (2 pages)

Issue 9

Hanky Panky 9 contains 38 pages. The art is dated 1983, the letterzine is not dated. Best guess: September 1983. Submission deadline was August 20.

front cover of issue #9, Jean C. -- "Lymond who?" is a reference to The Lymond Chronicles
back cover of issue #9, Ruth Kurz
  • TOTM: What exactly (besides each other) turns the boys (you pick them) on the most? Be specific and very detailed in your answers!
  • regarding identity:
    I don't mind if names and addresses are printed in HP, or if full names are used. Think everyone knows who I am anyway...

  • regarding identity:
    I have no wish to invade anyone's privacy, but the pseudonyms are bewildering and frustrating. Correspondence addressed to [she includes her full name and address] will be most welcome.

  • incest?
    This is a difficult... one to answer properly. Now, let see if I'll make myself understood! I don't, find incestuous relationships that much of a problem, provided of course, the relationship is between consenting adults. Forget any of this parents, and/or older brothers or sisters with young kids. I'm easier with "same sex" incest though, especially with your S&S stories. In this enlightened age, with its advanced medical achievements, I imagine that contraception would no longer be a real problem, which (to me, and I suspect a lot of people was one of the real reason for the taboo on such things. With m/m or f/f, this would not of course be a problem, so if both are consenting adults and have a great love for one another, why not? For some strange reason, I also find it easier to accept a relationship between a mother and son than a father and daughter. Doesn't make a lot, of sense, I know, but them's the breaks.

  • a fan scolds others:
    Yeah, I'm going to lecture you. I'm feeling grumpy today and I'm really concerned about the future of this fandom. You know, if a lot more of us don't get off our duffs and contribute something to HP, it's gonna die. All of you who write private letters to Michelle or other friends and say: "What would we do without HP?" well, you just may find out. You see, month after month Michelle has to beg us for stories, artwork... even the damn letters!... Since I'm a guilty party too I can only plead that I am lazy -- not a pleasant thing to have to admit, but a heck of lot better than pleading apathy which is, I suspect, a major problem in this fandom. And if it goes on we're not gonna have a fandom.

  • another fan writes:
    I have a question: Why were there only 12 letters last month? I know HP goes out to close to 100 people - and only 12 bother to write? No wonder Michelle's getting discouraged. Everyone talks all the time about how great it is to have HP - well, we may not have it much longer if more of us don't start participating. Twelve letters is shameful.

  • yeah, someone's always doing it wrong...
    I don't like this tendency (very noticeable last issue) of turning every character DS or PMG (or even Clint Eastwood, for Chrissake) ever played into a gay character. I thought a couple of the recent stories have really been reaching. I know too many gays who do the same thing - believe the whole world is secretly gay in order to justify their own sexuality. I understand - of course! - the desire to enjoy these particular bodies in incarnations other than Starsky and Hutch. But there are other ways to do it - like creating original characters based on the physical aspects of someone you love. To write "John Smith," for example, using the face and body (with minor changes, perhaps) of, say, PMG, is fun, hurts no one, and is creative, to boot. Quite a few of the established writers in this fandom use "clones" regularly - I know Jean always has a face in mind when she creates a new character. My own much-loved Mark and Judson are based on Brian May and Judson Scott (not in personality or talents, particularly, just physically). But I believe this trend of turning Soul's and Glaser's minor roles into gay characters, and performing wild contortions of plot in order to pair them up, is both worrisome and unhealthy.

  • a fan can't find Starsky & Hutch:
    You know, all this "/" stuff is fine fun. I enjoy most of it, er, at least some of it. And, H/P has certainly provided an avenue for free expression as well as a place to share our fantasies, though some of the stories have left me not so much breathless as winded. And, some of the stories have made me wish that the writer had NOT put her fantasy down on paper, but had kept it to herself. And then, some of the stories, a very few, have shown merit and skill. But, what I wonder every time that I read HP, or any S/H for that matter, is what the hell happened to Starsky and Hutch? I just can't seem to find them anymore in recent fiction. I fear that some essential ingredient has been lost in thin "/" 1iberation. I can't condemn HP for the material because the editor is at the mercy of the writers. And, I don't necessarily take issue with the writers, who most certainly TRY to do their best with the talent that has been allotted them. But, what I truly miss is STARSKY and HUTCH. I really do. Call me nostalgic, old-fashioned perhaps, but I miss the love. That's what I saw on tv, love deep and caring, and yes, passionate. But, unfortunately in our push for freedom of "/" this love has been distilled and bottled and labeled and ultimately lost in sexual conjecture and cliche. I know that this will sound like sacrilege in these pages, but it never mattered to me (arid still doesn't) if they were lovers or not. What interested me from the start was the depth of caring and the fact that they loved. It was no unusual and so real. Of course, I suspected that something might be going on after I saw the show for the second time and finally got the characters' names right. I kept asking myself "what's with these guys?" The nature of their relationship intrigued me, and still does. And, I guess what I mean to say is that if we continually pattern them as gay always, or gay only after a certain season, or bi, or tri for that matter, we deal only with one small aspect of two very large and lovely characterizations. I know that THAT is what "/" is all about, fantasy investigations into human sexuality. But, I still feel that stories can be told that involve more than the aspect of titillation. I applaud the editor's work with the material that she gets stuck with and I appreciate the fact that we still have a forum for discussion. But, personally, I am growing tired of "/" discussions and "/" short stories and "/" in general.

  • misogyny?
    In our (dare I say) obsession with the oblique recenssion,[6] there would appear to be a general disenchantment with any form of 'straight' relationship. Now for me, the love in paramount in importance, with gender being comparatively immaterial -- but do I detect a hint of misogyny creeping into our thinking? Isn't this a tad strange, since most of us are female and (speaking for myself) proud of it? That, and the tendency to make one or other of the protagonists either overly effeminate or excessively youthful, are tho things I find most puzzling about the genre. S/H, at least, in at its best a relationship of equals, not an exercise in pederasty.

  • POEMS: untitled by Jean (NJ), None So Blind by Jean (NJ)

  • inside page from issue #9, Ruth Kurz

  • inside page from issue #9, uncredited

  • centerfold from issue #9, Jean C.

Issue 10

Hanky Panky 10 contains 40 pages. It is undated, the art is dated 1983.

front cover of issue #10, Maureen B.
back cover of issue #10, Ruth Kurz
  • TOTM: "Are we sacrificing love for sex in S/H?"
  • regarding the TOTM:
    The question of sacrificing the love in S/H has long bothered me. It has been my main objection to S/H all along, because the guys I see on the tube have a near perfect rapport, and I think they would keep that, even increase it as lovers. All the agonizing I read in most S/H seems out of kilter for my boys, so I see them through each author's eyes and enjoy each pair of slightly different people that way. Terrific as it is, "A Place To Hide tore me apart because that rapport had been interrupted, shunted aside long enough for Starsky to get a wife and kids. It was painfully realistic and a happy ending seems so unlikely for them. Many of the stories are well and realistically written, but within surmountable odds. That's not what I love about S&H. I love the "Me and Thee Against the World',' so I don't like to see them torn apart internally and externally. I get enough of that in real life. I don't mind conflict so the two can stand together against all comers, or fight to get back to one another. It's the conflict between them that hurts. I, for one, need that perfect rapport, their special undivided love in my life.

  • a fan comments on the fiction:
    The love and sentiment in GUESS WHO'S COMINGTO DINNER? was beautiful - there was no explicit sex scene, although the sex was implied, "behind closed doors" to coin a phrase. STARSKY'S LAW was a downer type of story, but Starsky's underlying love was there right through. A DAY IN THE LIFE - Well, what can one say? This serial defies intelligent thought, and is delightful to the last syllable. The powers that be are to be thanked for "too much chocolate, champagne and noisy teenagers" -- AFTER THE PING PONG BALL BOUNCED was beautiful. STARSKY & THE SPECTACLES was cute. A body could go crazy trying to put shows to names of course, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Seems fandom has a thing for Riverboats. Bodie and Doyle have gone that route, and now Starsky and Hutch. An interesting departure from the general run of stories — a fantasy universe is nice once in a while, but I'd hate to lose sight of the two characters I came to know and love so many years ago. FOOLS AND HEROES -- hey, have a heart, we haven't had CASABLANCA here in Oz yet. Interesting story though. With A HANDFUL OF SAND we were back to sex (not that I mind in the slightest, mind you -- the more the better, so long as the LOVE is there as well). In this case, the love was also present. Nice.

  • a fan lets others know of the recent Huggy Award winners:
    The Huggy Awards were announced at CopCon. Without further ado, the winners are: Best Poem, "Strange Justice" by [Melanie R]; S&H Short Story, "Kindred Spirits" by Jan Lindner; S/H Short Story, "A Place to Hide" by Lynna Bright; Best Novel, ONE MORE RIVER; Best Non-Fiction, Hanky Panky (take a bow, Michelle); Best Humor, "A Day In The Life" by Prudence Phynagle; Best Portrait, [Jean C.] for the grinning Starsky from WKY...; Best Dramatic Illustration, [Jean C.] for the double-page illo from "Kindred Spirits"; Best Cover, Connie Faddis for STRANGE JUSTICE; Best Artist, Connie Faddis; Best Writer, Terri Beckett & Chris Power; and Best Zine, STRANGE JUSTICE. Congratulations to all.

  • a fan is unhappy with fiction:
    Are 'We Sacrificing Love for Sex? Well, yes and no. I think a lot of us are sacrificing good long complex stories about two men in love and how they deal with it and their jobs and so on and so forth for quickie little rocks-off fantasies. It's easier, god knows, to dash off a 2-3 page vignette and 3end it to HP than to work - and work hard, sometimes for months - on a story for a zine. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the vignettes - I like rock-off stories, as long as they're moderately well-written. I still enjoy reading S/H sex scenes. But I worry about those writers who don't write anything else. That's the danger. It makes for lazy writers, writers who don't improve. Writers who don't grow. And it makes for lazy readers, too. As much as we might enjoy reading the quickies, do they really make us think? Or feel? The way something like Mojave Crossing does, or Cost of Love or One More River, or Decorated for Death, or... The list goes on and on. No, we're not giving up love, because even in the most poorly written, sex-for-the-sake-of-sex vignette, there's still love. One thing we all agree on is that S&H love each other, and that we love them. That's held us together, despite all the squabbling, for almost 7 years. The love is still there, but I for one would like to see it explored in stories, and not just illustrated in sex scenes.

  • original characters/Fan Casting:
    I can't see any harm in using other characters... to write fanfic around, even if they are square pegs where '/' is concerned. It doesn't upset me -- even if I don't agree with it. But I do think that many of our writers are getting hung up on writing it. After a bit, it becomes too easy to churn out yet another '/' relationship with media characters -- cross-universe, even. But it's a helluva lot more fun, more creative, more mind-stretching, to invent characters of your own, clones or not. I will admit that my favourite pair started out as clones -- for about three paragraphs. Then they became separate entities, who don't even look like their progenitors apart from one blond and one dark. (But then, I've been writing one blond and one dark since I was so high, long before S&H. So what's different?) Let's hear it for the 'clones', and ghod how I hate that term.

  • a fan wants more meat:
    What can I, as a writer, say? I write S&H as I see them... I write S/H as a situation I can believe in. But it does get boring, when there is no meat in the sandwich, no plot-line, no accurate characterisation, just private fantasies brought to light, or 'let's see how many different ways we can make them fuck1 scenarios. Yes, Pat, I'm with you -- I can't seem to part with my affection for Starsky and Hutch. As people -- not as sexual athletes.

  • not gay:
    ...the characters of S&H get lost in a lot of S/H stories but not all, I don't think. I also am very tired of seeing S&H portrayed as a couple of gays when I see them as two very sensitive guys who fall deeply in love with each other because of something unique between them. I do enjoy the sex in stories but I wish there could be more accent on love.

  • here for the "/":
    Let me take a brief stroll down memory lane... I recently had the opportunity to read some of the early S&H zines: Zebra 3 #1, Pits, One-Shot, etc. Since my first introduction (perhaps seduction would be a more appropriate word) to SH was an S/H story, you might say I came into fandom in reverse. Never had a genzine phase, you see. And, once hooked on S/H, it's frankly difficult to truly appreciate a non "/" story. It was enlightening, then, to run across several gen stories that I really enjoyed. "Bomb Scare" and "Mojave Crossing" spring immediately to mind. Boy, there was some exceptionally good writing going on in those days. And, I think there's plenty of good writing going on nowadays, too-.

  • a letter signed "Elizabeth" (author of In the Gym) and "Sally," though it appears to have been written by "Sally" only: In Hanky Panky #11, "Sally" (who appears to be a friend of the author) addresses fans; "Elizabeth," author of "In the Gym" has her name on the letter's header as well, but the letter's language suggests it was written by "Sally" only:
    We aren't sure that we want to be 'lectured' about what we should and should not do in this fandom, but we do think Jean has a valid point. If we want this zine to continue, then more of us should support it. Under the guise of various names we supported HP in the form of short stories until the end of IN THE GYM. And then we stopped. There was, you see, an unnamed sequel to IN THE GYM, but we both felt - rightly or wrongly -- that this might be seen as some kind of justification for what Elizabeth had already written, and neither of us felt that any justification was necessary. [S] -- who said IN THE GYM was 'in poor taste' -- we can only apologize. It never crossed our minds that it would be cited in such a way, and since we have to assume that her complaint is genuine, then we are sorry she was offended. Having said that, perhaps [S] would like to reflect on how her words might have affected Elizabeth. [S] has put her complaint on record but Elizabeth has to live with the charge of having written something in 'poor taste'. While realizing that it is only one person's opinion, it is something neither of us likes to think about very much. We agree wholeheartedly with that part of Karen's letter regarding bondage, and we don't think Starsky or Hutch would deliberately hurt one another either. We've always felt that way. And before anyone starts wondering about inconsistencies between that statement and IN THE GYM, we have to tell you that [T] got halfway to one of the main points of that story and then abandoned it in her wish to 'object'. We did think about writing and explaining it, but the tone of [T's] letter was such that we felt our answer, at the time, would have been on regrettably acerbic lines. Besides. for all we knew, many of the silent majority who read HP might well have taken the point without our explaining it in words of one syllable. Which brings us to the point of this letter. We are awfully tired of hearing; in one form or another, those popular words 'this isn't my Starsky and Hutch'. We have heard it so many times from so many people about so many stories that, honestly fellow-fen. it has begun to grate on us. Some people make the statement about a story and then add that they still enjoyed it. Fair enough. But if everyone's S/H tallied precisely with everyone else's then fandom would have become boring a long time ago. [T's] 'objections' to IN THE GYM were concerned with characterization. We assume from this that in her opinion the S/H portrayed in IN THE GYM did not match her concept of the characters as depicted in the aired episodes. Surely this is just another way of saying this isn't my Starsky and Hutch? There is a very easy answer to this statement. It may not be [T's] S/H, but it is most definitely ours. And who is to say who is right and who is wrong? To the best of our knowledge and belief, while we have seen Starsky and Hutch in bed together, we have never seen them living together as lovers. So, what we write about their sex life is pure conjecture based on our concept of the characters as we saw them on television. We agree with [T]; Hutch can be cruel. But which is more cruel, to threaten someone with something they don't like (and who is to say that threat would ever have been carried out?) or to subject Starsky to the prolonged mental torture that Hutch, in our opinion, subjected him to in "Partners'? We know which we consider to be the worst of the two. According to our interpretation. There have been pleas for moderation and good sense in the pages of this zine. We endorse that wholeheartedly and would like to add a rider to it. If you see a story in these pages that you don't like, before you set pen to paper in a righteous rage, consider a couple of points: 1. Some of the stories in this zine are put in under pseudonyms for reasons of shyness/guile/caution/whatever. 2. This is the only zine I know of where stories go in unedited. I imagine [M] has more than enough to do already! Taking these two points into consideration, before you accuse a story of being 'pornographic' or 'in poor taste' or 'object' to it on the grounds that you think, in your opinion, that it is out of character, think for a moment about the writer, who may not be known to you. Maybe it is someone who has put her very first story for publication. Perhaps the reactions of HP readers will influence whether she tries to get more stories published, or is so appalled by what is said about her first baby that she never tries again. Maybe it will be someone like Elizabeth - no-one knows who she is! - who was both upset and concerned by what was said and now writes only for her own pleasure. Please, fellow-fen, think about what you will achieve when you set pen to paper to write indignantly about a story that you have not liked. Not everyone can brush aside the accusation that what she has written is in 'poor taste' or 'pornographic', and there have been quite a number of criticisms, both general and specific, about the writing in HP in the last few issues. Not all the writers in this fandom are working towards professional status. Some are doing it purely for fun and for the love of a television series, and want to share what they write with other people. If their efforts are constantly criticised for no other reason than that they do not coincide with a reader's concept of the characters, then perhaps some of these writers will no longer wish to share. And that would be a great pity. Silence can be much more effective than words sometimes. If readers of this zine only talked about those stories that they had liked, then a universal silence about the merits of what is possibly not such a good story would tell the writer of that story quite a bit.

  • POEMS: A Present for Hutch by Daemen
  • FICTION: I Samuel 18:1-4 by Lynna Bright (SH), winner of an Encore Award for "Favorite Vignette," Not a Borrower Be by Belulah Land (Simon and Simon/Magnum P.I.), The Book Revisited by Chris Thomson (SH), Open Secret by Peach-nuts (Pros), Love's Rapturous Rumpus, part two by Araminta Carrington (SH), Bystander by Edna Oberon (SH), Ecclesiastes 4:11 by Teleny (SH), Road Trouble by Ruth Kurz (H/J, reprinted in Free and Easy), A Day in the Life, chapter 4 part 1 by Prudence Phynagle (SH)

  • from issue #10, Jean C., centerfold

  • from issue #10, Marie

Issue 11

Hanky Panky 11 is undated, but one of the illos is dated 1984. One fan's letter was written "six days before Christmas," submissions were due January 4, 1984, and the cover wishes subscribers a "Happy Groundhog's Day," so February 1984? It contains 36 pages.

front cover of issue #11, "Jean -- that Groundhog's Day cover was the cutest thing, and I loved the 'sleet kicker' boots Hutch was wearing." -- from a fan in issue #12
back cover of issue #11, Marie
  • TOTM: "Who hangs the mistletoe?"
  • this issue has a very long description and review of the play "Torch Song Trilogy"
  • regarding the TOTM:
    I can see either one of them hanging the mistletoe: Starsky because he's the romantic and Hutch because he knows it will please Starsky. I think Starsky might try to hide some in an unexpected place so he could surprise Hutch, where Hutch would go for the traditional spot over the front door.

  • a new fan writes:
    I've just recently discovered HP (and SH for that matter). A couple of years ago I was introduced to K/S, my first reaction was "Yuk, you have to be kidding." But then I got to thinking about the chemistry, the relationship that was Star Trek for me, and I said, "Why not?!" Four months ago, I came across a S/H fanzine at a con -- this time there was no negative reaction to it at all! I thought of the chemistry between S&H, all that marvelous touching, the exchanged looks... and I said "Oh yes." HP has given me the words to explain why I believe what I do. I wasn't sure I'd like a letterzine, but it was the fiction and artwork I was interested in (both of which are marvelous), but it was the letter section that really caught me. I found myself agreeing with a lot, disagreeing with some and interested in all.

  • regarding incest:
    I know what you mean when you say you don't mind incest between consenting adults, and I personally don't find the S/S pieces offensive either, but before we all get carried away in a Harlequin fantasy world, inspired by the Men-Boy Love League rhetoric -- approximately 99% of all cases of incest consist of exploitation, sexual abuse and rape, usually of the young, physically and emotionally vulnerable female children by older, dominating males. Most sibling incest, either gay or straight, is an extension of power plays, rivaly, and outright abuse which already exists in the family. Put simply, most incest is use, not love.

  • there are many comments on the fiction—one fan writes:
    Araminta's and the Magnum P.I. piece were confusing, BYSTANDER and SAMUEL 1:4 purple, and THE BOOK puerile. More, please.

  • POEMS: Sweet Revenge by Robbie, untitled poem by uncredited author, Sleeper by Pat Massie, Valentine's Day by Daemen
  • FICTION: Fifty by Ruth Kurz (H/J, reprinted in Free and Easy), Yours Until Niagara Falls by Chris Thomson (SH), Stakeout by Jenn (N.J.), Spring Fling by Robbie (Simon and Simon), Anyone Else But Me by Kate Wallace (SH), Separate Beds by Carlene (SH)

  • inside page from issue #11,

  • centerfold from issue #11, Maureen B.

Issue 12

Hanky Panky 12 is undated and contains 35 pages. The submission deadline was March 20, 1984, the centerfold has an April Fool's theme, best guess on publication date WOULD BE April 1984, but a fan in the next issue says it came out in May 1984.

front cover of issue #12
  • TOTM: "Are we giving Starsky and Hutch the values and ideals of a traditionally "straight" relationship and ignoring the "norms" of the gay society?"
  • two reactions to the same story, Separate Beds: "Generally I personally don't care for stories about S/H grown old but this is so humorously and caringly done, that I don't mind it a bit" and "Thank you, "Carlene" for doing what I could never seem to do—visualize Starsky and Hutch as old. This story illustrated that aspect of their life nicely, especially the rapport that remains, Starsky knowing what Hutch said without having heard it!"
  • a fan addresses another with a single phrase: "Nice centerfold. Very nice. Also you owe me a letter."
  • a fan recounts "SinCon" #2, a fan gathering that occurred in Australia in February, which included a gay porn movie viewed at home, handing over of the "Golden Cock Award" to a "token male" guest, dinner, a caption contest, an attempt to "our Token Male and his boys in waiting to pose a scene from The Price and the Prize but they declined. They did, however, join in the competition later in the evening to see who could give a banana the best blow job," watching Pros eps, and "our first attempt at a song tape (all 2 1/2 minutes worth)"
  • the editor struggles with production issues:
    The only place in town I'll buy typewriter ribbons is out of my brand (3 weeks I waited for a new ribbon to come in!) Today my correction tape ran out so I had to get out (I mean, dig out of the bottom of my bottom desk drawer - you know, the one where you throw every thing you never use!) the bottle of white-out, read the instructions on how to use it, and started cursing each time I hit a wrong key....

  • the editor also brings up a controversy:
    Just a note for the girls participating in the "other" controversy brewing in HP: We're not all too pleased with current reviews coming from that side of the pond - not pleased at all. Remember who's typing here (and who her helper is)...we'll only go so far before blowing the scene! Of course, a little controversy" does keep one on his toes! I do think I deserve some sort of award for not interrupting your letters with my own arguments - don't you think?

  • a fan comments on Dragonriders of Pern:
    Now I realize I may be at the hinderend of this discovery, but I can now categorically state that my suspicions have been confirmed. Pernese Dragonriders are bisexual. Well, stands to reason, really, when you think of the number of proddy greens. All of you who are yawning and saying 'We knew that' -- okay, so why didn't you tell me? I've only just read MORETA, but soon as I've finished typing this (expletive deleted) zine, I'm going to haul out the whole lot and read 'em again. So there. Just a thought-- DMS would be splendid on a bronze, but would Hutch have to have a golden queen?

  • regarding her name in this letterzine:
    How do I want to represent myself? As the totally weird DOB I've always been. Oh, that's not what you meant. Well, I thought everybody knew who I was anyway -- and I right in thinking I'm the only Wendy around at the moment? -- so if [the editor] doesn't mind printing my full name and address, I don't, mind enlightening those who might not know me. I am what I am, and I don't care who knows it.

  • regarding the TOTM:
    ...just because S&H become lovers it doesn't necessarily follow that they must change the ideals and values that were established long before they met. The series showed us that they are both very private individuals, not given to broadcasting the details of their off-duty hours, except maybe to each other (and then not every time - how much did Starsky know about Gillian, or Hutch about Rosie?). They wouldn't be bothered about the world of bars and baths, which appears to be the center of the gay society, and there was enough evidence in the series to make it clear neither man was exactly celibate. So, what other differences are there? Straight or gay, the majority of people want to put down some kind of roots eventually. Okay, so they can't have kids; but there are plenty of couples nowadays who are in the same position, whether by choice or quirk of nature. We may tend to over-romanticise the relationship, but as far as lifestyle goes I don't think we do too badly.

  • regarding the TOTM:
    Is this Hanky Panky or Sociology 101? Help! I guess, though, you can approach this topic two ways - One, what are the 'values and ideals of a traditionally straight relationship?' (Or straight society?) Ask ten people and you'll got ten different answers. The values and ideas I might bring to writing and S&H are probably quite different from someone else's. What are the 'norms" of the gay society? I honestly don't know, so I can't bring any of that in my writing.

  • regarding the TOTM:
    Please, teacher, I don't understand. What are the 'norms' of the gay society? Are we ignoring them? Or have we decided instead that S&H are more likely to have the values and ideals of the 'straight' relationship because that's where they've lived for most, of their lives? It all depends, of course, on whether you see S&H as both gay, both straight, both confused, or whatever. The S/H I write about (see, I do not refer to them as 'my S/H') would have the values and ideals of the hetero society they live in. Unless they're going to leave the force and go live elsewhere, I don't see them making any drastic adjustments to their ideas or lifestyles.

  • regarding the TOTM:
    Yes. I think most "/" writers in fandom do tend to model their relationships in fiction on ideal straight relationships. I've read depictions of homosexual marriages by male authors, such as Gordon Merrick, Joseph Hansen and others. I find them sterile and unappealing, with sexual excitement generally the highest priority, commitment a poor second. In the lesbian relationships I've read about, these priorities are reversed--the results are, to me, also unexciting. In the m/m relationships by female writers, I see an emphasis placed on both sexuality and sensuality, commitment and love. It's the best of both worlds, and probably unrealistic as hell, but I don't read Harlequins or write '/' fiction (the two genres are not otherwise, unfortunately, connected) for realism, but for wish fulfillment and fun.

  • regarding the TOTM:
    I might get lynched here, but for me, the stories where both of them are gay never held much attraction, no more than an ordinary "hetero" romance would. If they both ARE gay, and happened to fall in love with each other - what's the big deal? I mean, they're both very attractive guys, so why WOULDN"T they be attracted to each other? The interesting, fun complications arise when ONE of them is gay, and the "straight" partner will have to accept and adjust if he realized that HE really loves his partner that way, too. Of course, as I said before, I admit to being prejudiced towards my own "universe" - and anybody else who believes the guys were always "straight" but just happened to "discover" each other, against all odds, and go on to build a life together from there. That premise has always been much, much more satisfying and beautiful to me than the totally gay premise, or one of them gay, one straight.

  • a fan says Hanky Panky is for fun:
    Maybe the folks who are really serious about improving as writers SHOULD start their own l/zine. I think somebody mentioned once before...that HP isn't supposed to exist for the purpose of helping writers learn how to write. I know -- a couple issues back, I was complaining about the KINDS of stories that seemed to be dominating HP at the time - a predominance of purely sex, and "silly" stories -- but never once did I complain about the level of talent that went into any stories found in HP. I wish that Jean, and all the other really talented writers out there, would please remember one significant point, which should be obvious: not ALL of us have the same level of talent or ability, or even the same interest in writing, as those fandom writers of professional or near-professional status. HP, I believe, was conceived with the idea of "fun" in mind - for ALL of us to be able to share our "offerings" with each other freely. Without sounding snotty, I wish the really serious, "elitist" writers (Oh, god, I shouldn't have said that) would start their own forum, so they could analyze and criticize to their heart's content. Maybe then, the rest of us could feel free to indulge in "fun" again, without being made to feel guilty about it by our more talented counterparts.

  • a fan wants to know why there is such a variation in how others perceive Starsky and Hutch:
    ...one straight, one gay, both gay, or both straight. Your 'vision' will' affect your writing, which is why we have all those wonderfully varied "Starsky" and "Hutch" characters wandering around out there. I don't think it's possible (or even desirable) to write them one single way - we write them as we see them. Which leads me to another possible TOTM... Why do we see them so differently: Starsky gay. Hutch straight (WATER IS WIDE, THE BOXER); Hutch gay, Starsky straight (several stories in WYK) or both straight (GUNTHER'S REVENGE, other stories in WYK)? The majority of writers seem to see Hutch as being gay. Why? I'm genuinely curious - personally I see them both straight, (and write them that way, or try to) but I would love to know what, the rest of you think.

  • a fan wants to know: swallow?:
    I gotta question, tho, regardless of how much these two guys (or any two guys) love each other... two guys that we assume are straight until now... is it really likely that one could swallow the ejaculation of the other? I mean, It seems as tho it would be difficult enough to actually suck a man's cock (even if it does belong to the loved one). Maybe later in the loving experiments, but surely not the first time, first sexual experience? Wouldn't they just settle for tentative, exploratory touching and kissing? I am not trying to be facetious here... I'm curious. Have thought about this quite a lot. I'm not talking about these short stories in HP, but in longer novels and stories. Seems like one of the first things that happens.

  • a new SH fan suggests "a little kindness" for those commenting on the fiction in HP:
    When I edited K/S, I did the best job that I could do because I wanted to protect/preserve the integrity of the characters; the reputation of my zine and my own good name; and the reader, better known in more pragmatic circles as the paying customer. I'm talking about zines here, friends zines that take on the average of a year out of an editor's life - and her blood, and her sweat, and her tears - zines that cost many dollars, zines that had better deliver the goods or bear the wrath of Kha - oops, sorry, wrong fandom. HP is not such a publication. HP is a letterzine. The stories/poems/et cetera are additions to what is primarily a letterzine. The fiction in this letterzine is all gravy; it's all free. We're paying to read and share letters. The phenomenal sum we pay for each issue does not entitle us to Shylock's pound of Antonio's flesh. Did anyone hear me say the reader is not entitled to express her opinion? I hope not. I'm just arguing on the side of Mercy, which, as you may recall, is twice blessed. The writer is blessed with constructive criticism. The reader is blessed by having more and more stories to read. And if the reader's criticism has truly been constructive and not merely judgmental, the stories will increase in quality as well as in quantity.

  • a fan writes of her journey:
    I didn't have any particular attitudes about homosexuality! I don't think I'd ever given it much thought — a live and let live philosophy. However, as I examined the books I read, the movies and television I watched, I realized that it had always been the relationship of alpha males that had attracted me, had been there since childhood when I was far too fascinated with Jonathan and David for the comfort of those supposedly teaching me. It even carried over into my joining my daughter every Sunday to watch The Hardy Boys. I never cared for the books, but there was something special about the television series. At the time I didn't have the knowledge to identify what I was seeing. By 1979 I had read K/S and I had trouble with the concept -- I still do. I don't see a sexual relationship between Kirk and Spock; I can't write it now and I couldn't write it then. My love for Trek then as now was for another passion—easily and early identified—space and space travel. K/S was my only contact with male/male fiction until I started writing— against my will — S/H. Since most of the K/S I had read left me cold, I was essentially writing in a vacuum, not knowing anything about the gay community or, in fact, that there was such a thing. As I started to get to know people in S&H fandom, there were whispered conversations in con hallways and briefest hints dropped in letters, hoping that like minds would pick up on the idea and that phobes wouldn't understand. The best discovery was probably the first FilthCon when we all looked at each other mouths agape-and greeted: "My God I never expected to see you here!" By this time we thought we knew who we could trust, and conversations moved from the closet to the breakfast table and the learning process began. Books. Pro books published by gay authors and like-minded females. The better ones were read and passed around while the not-so-good were tossed to the back of the bookshelf. But each reading was a learning experience. So what I have I learned in five years? How much I don't know.

  • a fan writes:
    Sorry I missed the last issue but I've been just a bit busy lately -- what with a zine, a con, a letterzine, and a whole new fandom to get involved in... And speaking of all those things CODE 7 is going to print the end of April, and should be ready by mid-May. Those of you coming to MediaWest Con can pick up your copies there, if you like. Anyone who hasn't ordered yet, please do so soon, because the final print run is going to be determined by the number of pre-orders I have. There will be some extras, but I have no idea how many at this point, so if you wait too long there's a chance you may lose out. And I can promise that this zine is gonna be good.

  • POEMS: Ours is the Night by Pat Massie, For Loving Me by Jean (N.J.), Vampires by Daemen
  • FICTION: Post-Sweet Revenge by Lynna Bright (SH), The Gay Team by Robbie (A-Team), Out of the Closet by Ruth Kurz (H/J, reprinted in Free and Easy), reprinted in Free and Easy), The Small Private World of Lauren and Lena by Clare (original femmeslash), Ask the Right Question by Kate Wallace (SH)

  • inside issue #12, centerfold by Marie

  • inside page from issue #12, some A-Team art by Ruth Kurz

Issue 13

Hanky Panky 13 is undated and contains 28 pages. The art is dated 1984. The submission deadline was June 20. Best guess for publication: July 1984.

front cover of issue #13, TACS
  • TOTM: "Where's the beef?" (This topic was both mostly ignored or not understood...)
  • the editor gives no indication that this issue would be the last published in a long while
  • a fan writes in about her fiction in Code 7 #3:
    Thought I'd have to take a moment to reply to a couple of comments that have been made about my contributions to C7iii. First of all, thanks to all those who either sent strokes or constructive criticism -- I like both, contrary to the beliefs of a few people who have been snapped at by me in one of my personas or other. I only snap at folks whose comments seem designed more to attract attention to themselves than to criticize constructively. Second, let me give you all a clue about "Death By Water" Don't try to dissect it, particularly on the first few readings. I designed it to be an emotional experience rather than an intellectual exercise. If you are determined to play hunt-the- quote then you'll miss the experience. If there is a message in it at all it is! Don't worry. Simple, no? Also, someone commented that the Starsky in "Crying for the Moon" seemed the archetypal little housewife. Not so, though being a housewife is an honourable profession. It is difficult to write anything domestic without having your readers immediately try to categorize -- Starsky the wash therefore he must be the woman type stuff. It doesn't work that way...honest. To those of you who were perturbed by such things; who seek to insert our heroes into traditional roles, try thinking of the relationship without the sex, a la roommates and the division of labour suddenly may seem a lot more sensible and a lot less a reflection on the sexuality of the characters.

  • many fans commented on the f/f story in the previous issue — most said it was okay, but didn't interest them as it was f/f and they were confused as to what show this original fiction came from:
    El shocko, friends...who the hell are Lauren and Lena? Now that I've gotten that off my chest...it was a surprise to find this story in here. Granted it is "/" but somehow I just had m/m in mind, and tho this story isn't bad, it doesn't interest me. Besides I felt like I walked into the wrong apartment in the dark, and was eavesdropping.

  • some comments on the fiction in the last issue:
    ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION was a delight - so like both the guys. And I'm always a sucker for happy endings, anyway. The "Lauren and Lena" story was well-written, but I can't really get into f/f stories. And, am I being dense here but WHO are these women? Are they from TV, or a movie, or a book - what? Did I miss something here? OUT OF THE CLOSET - another little gem by Ruth. Her stuff is always so tender and sentimental and loving, without being cloying. The only story I had problems with was POST SWEET REVENGE. I liked it, in one way -- that is, I love all the tender, romantic stuff, which this time was loaded with, and the characterizations were generally good. What confused me was all the mixed signals this story was sending out. When I first started reading it, I thought they were all ready lovers, and then we find out they're not; but, the way they were talking to each other and the body language that was going on between them - all that holding and cuddling and even kissing - it was just so at odds with Starsky's defensive statement that it would be the end of their partnership "in a hurry" if they ever became lovers. As if THAT wasn't confusing enough, then we get Starsky's strange fantasy about him and Hutch being the last two people on earth, and if he was a WOMAN having Hutch's baby, etc. I don't know, there was just too much confusion going on in too short a space, I didn't know what to make of it. Sorry.

  • a fan comments:
    I've always wondered that, too -- why we see S&H so differently. I don't think there'll ever be one single, easy answer to that. There could be as many answers as there are fans who write stories. Here's my own ideas, for what they're worth (snicker): I think some see Starsky as gay because they figure he was probably exposed to that side of life while growing up "on the streets" -- whether you see that as happening to him in New York, or in LA, or where ever. Maybe it wasn't even something he got into intentionally - maybe he saw it as a way to survive on the streets. It's hard for me to say, because I personally never could see a "gay" Starsky. (As far as that goes, I could never see a "gay" Hutch, either -- like you, I've always seen them as having been "straight", but they just happened to fall in love with each other.) I think it's easier for a lot of fans to believe in a gay Hutch. For one thing, look at his incredibly lousy track record with women. Sure, Starsky's had rotten luck with women, too, but Hutch has had it even worse. And a lot of his relationships with women seemed purposely self-destructive. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Then, too, Hutch has always had the "softer" image of the two -- but I'd hate to think of that as being a reason for seeing him as being gay. I hate ANY stereotypes, and if I ever find any S/H story that has one or the other of them cast in a more "feminine" role, I won't read it.

  • a fan asks another:
    By 'playing the wife' do you mean cooking, cleaning, etc? Why is it necessary for anyone to play the wife. Can't it be shared. I haven't 'played the wife' in 8 years and double if I ever will. As to all the other questions you raised, I don't know. If you find any answers, I think you will have the answer for all of society. I don't see any difference between the gay world and straight world. Sex is cheap (if not free) and easy in both worlds and fidelity must be worked on by gay and straight unless I'm I wrong?

  • POEMS: The Game by Forwholanda Beltoiz, untitled by Jean (N.J.)
  • FICTION: Partner by Chris (SH), Miles of Aisles by Kate Wallace (SH), Terms of Endearment by Ima Fool (SH), I'll Be Waiting by Gill (Hardcastle and McCormick)

  • inside issue #13, Hardcastle and McCormick by Ruth Kurz

  • inside issue #13, by Ruth Kurz

  • inside issue #13, centerfold is uncredited in zine, signature is unclear

Issue 14

Hanky Panky 14 was published in June 1986 after a very long hiatus. The original submission deadline was August 29, year unspecified. The art is dated 1984. The letterzine contains 30 pages.

cover of issue #14

One comment that suggests this long hiatus was a planned one is by a fan in the previous issue: "Whew, I just made it. Well, if I'd missed a chance to write to HP in the 'lusty Month of May', I'd have had to wait another whole year." However, the editor gave no indication in the previous issue that there would be a long hiatus between these issues.

  • TOTM: "What if Teri hadn't died, or if Gillian hadn't been a hooker? Would the partnership be enough?"
  • unknown content

References

  1. ^ from Frienz #12
  2. ^ from Frienz #13
  3. ^ From a transcript of a 2018 podcast where three Starsky & Hutch fans discussed a roadtrip to the University of Iowa Fanzine Archives -- MeAndTheeAndThree #2.
  4. ^ This zine eventually becomes Magnetism.
  5. ^ from Hanky Panky #8
  6. ^ Is that a word?
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