K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits)
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | Central Mailers: Bobbie Hawkins (#1-#12), NS (#13-), Dawn Montell (1988), LB (1993), BA (1997-1998) |
| Type: | APA, letterzine |
| Date(s): | 1982 until at least 1998 (as print), however, it also moved online in 1996 to become K/S Circle |
| Frequency: | supposedly every two months but was more erratic than that |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) is a Kirk/Spock Star Trek: TOS bi-monthly apazine. They were published between 1982 and 1998. Issue 41 was published around July 1992. Issues 61-65 were published in 1993.
In 1992, a member explained the APA to other K/S fans:
As a long-time member of "K/S and K.S. (Kindred Spirits) the APA" I am happy to comply. As the title suggests, our APA is for K/S fans; those who are active in writing, illustrating and publishing zines as well as those who read them. The discussions cover different aspects of K/S, STAR TREK in all its forms, plus a myriad of other topics. One thing leads to another, and this adds up to a rich and varied mix of interesting, insightful talk. Everyone is free to add to the discussion. Members often include short stories or segments of longer ones in progress, in the APA, inviting reactions and suggestions. A new member generally gives a short bio as her intro-zine. She tells about her life outside of fandom and how she became interested in ST and K/S. She may comment on anyone else's apazine or bring up subjects that she'd iike feedback on. It may seem a little overwhelming, at first, to jump in on the ongoing discussions, but by contributing regularly, you soon get addicted to it and can't wait for the next issue. The ground rules allow members to contribute as little as once in three issues, but the secret to getting the most- out of the experience is to contribute often, the only cost is postage and making copies of your trib which can be any length. These go to the CH (Central Mailer) who collates and mails out the issues every two months.[1]
Some Testimonials
From a fan in the second issue: "Just when you think that you're the Only One in fandom that feels a certain way about something, you discover that there are... kindred spirits."
From a fan in the second issue: "A K/S APA: what a great idea! — if for no other reason than to be able to discuss K/S without being called a pervert, or worse."
From a fan in the third issue: "This has been like sitting around in someone's living room and talking K/S. The next best thing anyway."
From a fan in the third issue: "Isn't this APA an excellent example of IDIC? The differences in each contribution combine to make the whole greater than any of its parts."
From a fan in the third issue: "It's a joy to see so many people getting into this apa with something to say about Trek. I used to be involved in a Star Trek club where the members were more interested in talking about Pigs in Space and the refreshments than Trek."
The Issues
See these subpages for details about some individual issues.
| K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) Issues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues 001-002 | Issues 003-004 | Issues 005-006 | ||
| Issues 007-008 | Issues 009-010 | Issues 011-012 | ||
| Issues 013-014 | Issues 015-016 | Issues 017-018 | ||
| Issues 019-020 | Issues 021-032 | Issues 033-054 | ||
Some Topics Discussed
- why do fans write and read hc and slash?
- sociobiology, Ayn Rand, the Trek novels by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath
- many comments about Interstat
- debate about The 1985 Great Australian Radio Show Fiasco
- many comments by/about the fight club of fans who supported Gene Roddenberry and those who supported Harve Bennett
- feeling jerked around and manipulated by TPTB regarding the Star Trek movies: "As a K/S fan, I sometimes feel I've struck a Faustian bargain with the moviemakers: 'Bring Spock back to life and don't destroy the K/S premise, and I'll accept any other schlock you dish out.'"
- views on Harlan Ellison, views on David Gerrold
- just how "gay" are Kirk and Spock?, discussions about We're Not Gay, We Just Love Each Other
- views and comments on various stories and zine
- how did you find fandom?
- why does Spock have hair on his chest?
- Beta vs VCR?
- what music goes best with Trek?
- privacy and access: who gets to read the apazine, can you talk about people who are not members?
- why are fans often overweight?
- is K/S an alternate universe, or do you see it in aired Trek?
- what is the place, if any, for violence in fan fiction?
- the pro book Dreamlovers, the zine Black Star, and Pete Fisher
- is enduring the dismal, and often offensive, show T.J. Hooker worth it for watching William Shatner (also known as Mary Sue)?
- MUCH discourse and challenging communications between some members
Policy Statement and Postage Fee
APAs are supposed to be made up of contributing members. There is no minimum number of pages one must submit to retain membership. The requirement is that you must contribute at least once every three mailings. That amounts to about twice a year. Anyone who can't meet this must have lost interest in K/S & K-S. If you have not contributed for two issues you will receive a reminder that you must contribute to the next issue. If at that time you do not send your zine, your name will be dropped from the mailing membership Iist.
Every issue of the APA is free. You must have a postage account to set the APA. Each new membner is asked to give $5.00 dollars to start them off. When your postage account runs down, I will drop you a note to let you know how much you have left.
Beginning with the sixteenth issue, due to concerns about the APA being sold at several cons, the Central Mailer added this statement was added:
REMEMBER LETTING OTHERS SEE AND READ YOUR COPY OF THE APA IS FINE. JUST, PLEASE DON'T SALE THEM. PASS THEM ON.
1997-98 Description
From the 1997-98 description in The New Moon Directory (an apa directory) : "bimonthly; copy count 14; 13 members; minac 1 pg/3 issues; no maxac; dues = positive postage account; open roster, no limit; no waitlist; spec copies available for postage; back issues available for postage. Long-running apa devoted to K/S and classic Trek. Issues discuss the series, movies, fanzines and cons at an adult level. Members must be over 21! Introducing or contributing thoughts on Trek-related topics for discussion is the official format, but other topics such as ST:TNG, different fandoms or personal news is also permitted." [2]
The age statement was added in later years; while the publication was meant for adults, there was no age limit in the early years.
The Move to Online
In 1996, the members of this apa became part of K/S Circle, the first online K/S forum:
I had been a member of the K/S & Kindred Spirits Amateur Press Association (APA), which had been running since the mid-1980s. It was a private correspondence group that put out a print publication every other month or so, which was (snail) mailed only to the members. Around 1995 and 1996, a few APA members acquired accounts and began emailing one another, individually. At some point it occurred to me that it might be fun for all of us to be able to participate in one another’s conversations, as we had in the APA. We kicked around the idea, discussing the pros and cons. The first “pro” was that we wouldn’t have to wait two months to hear back from the others. However, some people were quite leery about what such a group would mean to an individual’s privacy. We decided that the K/S Circle would be a private group, similar to the APA. Any current member could propose (and vouch for) a new person for membership. All members had to agree to the ground rules, which included using our real names and not allowing anyone outside the group access to the group’s postings. [3]
References
- ^ comment from The LOC Connection #40
- ^ rec.arts.startrek.misc posted April 22, 1992, accessed March 11, 2012
- ^ from Laoang in Legacy #5