Kirk (Star Trek: TOS zine)

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Zine
Title: Kirk
Publisher: Wishpress
Editor(s): Sonni Cooper, Vel Jaeger, Susan Stephenson
Date(s): 1982
Series?:
Medium: print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links:
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front cover, Doug Little
back cover, Teruyo Chayama

Kirk is a gen Star Trek: TOS 192-page anthology of fiction, art and poetry.

The art is by Teruyo Chayama, Suzan Lovett, Christine Meyers, Toni Hardeman, Vel Jaeger, Virginia Lee Smith, Lenore Kleeman, Sylvia Liske, Mel White, Melody Rondeau, LaVena Kay Kidd, Leah Rosenthal, Trish, Ann Humphreys, Russell T. Ross, Gail Bennett, Bonnie Reitz, and Mary Bohdanowitz.

a 1982 ad, printed in the last issue of The Center Seat

Pre-Pub Comment from Vel Jaeger: 1982

Long-time readers of fan fiction are used to interminable delays, so they won't be surprised to hear that we've hit a few snags on KIRK. We're waiting for one last rewrite on a long story, plus trying to reel in, er, find an artist who likes to illustrate 200 page manuscripts. But everything else is in, typed, and pasted up and waiting, and I'm fair bursting at the seams with pride at the final result. I'm particularly elated at the high quality of artwork, and I'm not just saying that because LaVena and I contributed drawings! Several other Trek-M's have gotten in on the act, such as Rose Eierman, Karen Hunter, Ginny Thorn, & Patt Demetri. [1]

The Editors and Contributors Hoped It Would Have Shatner's Eye

The zine was originally meant to have been published through one of William Shatner's official fan clubs, something that got complicated...

From Susan Stephenson in the zine's editorial:

KIRK is the final official publication of the William Shatner Fan Fellowship. Al though Sonni and I made the decision not to continue handling a fan club for Bill, both of us were determined to complete the projects we had announced when the club was in full swing. The WISH book came out earlier this year and has been very well received by fans and the Shatners alike. We have attempted to maintain the standards of that publication in this fanzine.

From Vel Jaeger in the zine's editorial:

... our purpose in assembling this zine was to show our admiration and affection for William Shatner, who created the character of Kirk. Knowing there is a strong likelihood Himself will read this has been an additional inspiration, one which I think is reflected in the contributions. You have all surpassed yourselves. The love and caring for Kirk expressed in each story, poem and work of art speaks far more eloquently than I ever could. Thank you, one and all.

Much Turmoil!

This publication was caught in the crossfires of the cessation of the fan club, William Shatner Fan Fellowship, and the turmoil that surrounded it.

Complications: A Letter in Interstat

An excerpt from a personal statement in Datazine #24 from one of the editors:

Anyone who wants to plow through the sordid history of 'The Making of KIRK' may have a copy of the statement I wrote for Interstat. It's two pages long, and I wouldn't dream of inflicting it on anything but a letterzine.

Caught in a Publication Snarl

This zine was originally to have been published by WISH, but the fan club folded before the zine was released.

Shortly after the fan club's closing, Vel Jaeger wrote:

To everyone who's asked "What's happening with the zine, KIRK, now that the William Shatner Fan Fellowship is no longer in existence?": KIRK will be published! I have been working on the copy editing - including numerous rewrites - since last summer. This is not intended as a plug for sales, but rather as a means of informing concerned fans, now that there is no longer an official WISH publication. Sonni Cooper will be the actual publisher (tentatively under the name of WISH Press), and will be taking the advance orders at the old WISH P.O. box address; please direct any questions to me. To allay some fears that have been voiced, I would like to make it clear that this is a fan publication, and all copyrights will remain with the original artists and authors. Neither Sonni nor I have the slightest interest in any negotiation with any professional publishers of Trek fiction. We're aiming for a spring release date but, as always, that's not an ironclad prediction.- KIRK was conceived with Mr. Shatner's sanction, and we intend to take all the time necessary to make this a publication he will be proud to read. [2]

From a 1982 ad:

Though the William Shatner Fan Fellowship is no longer in existence, Sonni Cooper and Vel are going ahead with the publication of this action/adventure zine, still aiming it for a Spring publication date. Confirmed contributors include: Mary Lou Dodge, Kathleen Sky, Ginna LaCroix, Karen Hunter and J.M. Dematteis. This is a fan publication and all copywrites will remain with the authors. To place an advance order: $7.00 + SASE to Sonni Cooper [address redacted] (write KIRK somewhere on the outside of the envelope). All questions should be directed to Vel, as she is handling the editing and other arrangements. [3]

The Cover and Lincoln Enterprises

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry and her very for-profit company, Lincoln Enterprises was entwined with the cover by Doug Little:

From the first issue of Communications Console (Jan/Feb 1982):

Lincoln Enterprises fans will be in for a pleasant surprise early in the new year. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry and her company will be introducing a brand-new catalog of merchandise for sale to ST fans. Included will be a ton new merchandise, along with the old favorites. One special item to look for is a selection of 10 color posters available, all copies of original work by Douglas Little, an ALLIES member from New Jersey. (Doug, as you will recall, had his work featured on the cover of KIRK, a fanzine by WISHpress. Doug states of KIRK. "I'm deeply honored to have my pastel drawing of Admiral Kirk on the cover of the KIRKzine first issue. I'm deeply honored again, in having such an important publication announced in the Communications Console by focusing on my drawing.") The 10 works are part of a collection of 21 drawings that Majel has commissioned and received from Doug over the last two years. We thank Doug and Mrs. Roddenberry for permission to relay this important news on to you, and know you join us in anxiously awaiting the new catalog's release. (Note: If any of you are serious collectors of ST art, you will want to add some of Doug's to your collection. He does work on commission, and you may contact him at the address listed in the membership roster enclosed this issue. Please send an SASE. Thanks!)

A Unique Dividing Statement

In the editorial by Stephenson, an "us and them" distinction was made between "professional" and "fan" creators, even when those "professionals" were long-time, well-known fans. This was quite unique, and part of the semi-pro aspirations and self-promotion (aka puffery) that had a bigger footprint in this zine than most others. The statement also contains a patronizing statement about fan creators, aka people who "write for free."

We were fortunate to have contributions from a number of professionals in the fields of design, art, and writing: Gail Bennett, commercial artist; Teruyo Chayama, graphic designer, Marc DeMatteis, writer at Marvel Comics; Mary Louise Dodge, mystery writer; Toni Hardeman, newspaper advertising artist; LaVena Kidd, portrait artist; Leah Rosenthal, children's illustrator; Russell Ross, commercial artist; and Kathleen Sky, SF and fantasy writer and co-author of The Business of Being a Writer (1982, Harper & Row).

It is a comment on the abilities of the fan writers and artists in this zine that their work can stand on its own in such company. One must never slight those who create purely for, the joy of the act of creation.

Contents

Sample Interior

Reactions and Reviews

Some time ago, when WISH was soliciting contributions for 'Kirk', the editors expressed the intention that this was to be a quality effort in all respects. As far as presentation is concerned, they have certainly succeeded in their aim. Great care has been taken in graphics, layout and overall design and as a result, the zine looks very good indeed.

The standard of artwork varies. The cover by Doug Little is a very attractive full colour portrait of the ST TMP Admiral Kirk and it makes a lovely start to the zine. As might be expected, there are a large number of other Kirk portraits, mostly concentrated in the art/poetry portfolio. Best were Trish's WoK Kirk peering uncertainly over his spectacles and Christine Meyers' series &irk with a beautifully smug expression on his face. My only criticism of this section is that the illos often do not match the poems. When a cheerful poem like "The End of his Watch" by Lois Kiper is placed opposite a thoroughly depressed Kirk by Meyers, they tend to cancel each other out. It is a pity more of the artists were not given the poems and asked to work from them. It might have given a beautifully presented section a greater unity.

Many of the stories are very well illustrated, although one story that cried out for artwork was rather neglected. Gail Bennet is well represented. She is one of the few Trek artists who seem quite happy with action sequences and her confident, accurate drawings are the perfect compliment to Bonnie Hoffman's "The Gift Horse" which is essentially action/adventure. Toni Hardeman and Virginia Lee Smith also employ their skills to good effect, "We Were All The Same Age Once", "Aftermath" and "Reality" are all carefully and sympathetically illo'ed.

By far the longest contribution to 'Kirk' is "The Infinity Factor" by Nadya Emanuel. At almost 70 pages, unillustrated apart from a couple of drawings that do not particularly relate to the text, it is too long. Ms, Emanuel has taken an ingenious plot and almost explained it to death. She has become so fascinated by the background to her story that she frequently loses sight of all else in her desire to describe it. Many of her ideas are interesting and her explanation for the rather odd moral climate of the 'Mirror, Mirror' universe includes reference to the Moslem conquest of Earth in the late twentieth century, family life abandoned in favour of embryo chambers and priming communes, alliance with the Vulcan Empire after devastating war... but embedded as they are in such a complicated plot and written in a style that makes few concessions to the reader, they prove to be too much of a distraction. It is a pity, for a great deal of work and original thinking have clearly gone into this story.

At the other end of the scale are two short stories that are simple, clear and very enjoyable. "Would You Believe?" by Rebecca Reeves is a harrowing tale of extreme boredom and a dragon named Fred/Ashton/Puff (precisely drawn by Lavena Vay Kidd). A dragon of wit and character. "Queen's Gambit" written and elegantly illustrated by Mel White is a confrontation between Enterprise and Romulans woven very effectively into a chess game. The viewpoint is switched rapidly between the players without .losing any of the suspense.

There are a few stories that follow traditional lines. Ginna La Croix's "Reality" reduces Kirk to a wonderfully squelchy physical and emotional state via Edith Keeler, Deneva and a human grill (!). "Aftermath" by Armanda Lazar is an Edith Keeler aftermath story that succeeds because of its restraint aid gives a fresh angle on the characters involved.

Earlier in the zine, there are several stories that focus on the very young Kirk. "Academy Cadets" by Karen C. Hunter is an exciting story of an orienteering exercise that turns into a survival test. "Family Secrets" by Mary Louise Dodge is an interesting explanation of the events surrounding Kodos and the crop failure on Tarsus, Again, it is an exciting story but while characters such as Kodos and Kirk's half-mad cousin Kerry are brought to life quite vividly, very little light is shed on the character of the adolescent Kirk. He is witness to the disaster but seems hardly touched by it. At one point Ms. Dodge describes him as "isolated from everything that was taking place...". It is a description that could perhaps be applied to the Kirks in many of the other contributions to this zine.

But if I don't feel that I learned anything very new about Kirk's character, I was still greatly entertained by 'Kirk'. If you enjoy well written adventure stories with a little humour thrown in, you will like this zine very much indeed. It is a pleasure to look at and very good to read. [4]

... KIRK "the most beautiful zine I've ever seen". That enthusiastic opinion was based upon a cursory flip-through. The zine instantly enchanted me with its artwork. Kirk's expressive face is one that is notoriously difficult to capture on paper, so I was rather overwhelmed to find dozens of accurate renditions within a single volume. I'll break with tradition and review the artwork first, since it is KIRK's major asset. The cover is graced by a color reprint of a Doug Little painting (first movie Kirk), while the back has a nice sketch by Teruyo Chayama (Kirk with "a tall ship" In the background). Perhaps the best of the many talents is Gall Bennett, who manages the delicate synthesis of action-illustration and portraiture. Her drawings of the adolescent Kirk on page is truly remarkable. She obviously had no photos to refer to, yet you know instinctively that Kirk must have looked like that as a teenager. Running a close second to Bennett is Christine Myers, whose most notable contribution is a devilishly grinning Kirk on page 151. Also not to be missed is Trish's ink sketch of the four Spocka: TV series, Spock-2 from "Mirror, Mirror", ST. TMP, and "Wrath". The editors of KIRK have set aside a special section for poetry and full-page artwork. The effect is like browsing through a Star Trek gallery.

The zine is a cornucopia of delights for the Kirk fans. In addition to the art, there are at least a dozen stories, one novella, end uncounted poems and vignettes filling 192 pages. I wish I could give each contributor her due, but it is only possible to mention highlights. Of particular interest are the stories about Kirk's growing-up years. "Family Secrets" by Mary Lou Dodge is a fairly imaginative pre-quel to "The Conscience of the King". The 14-year-old Kirk is accurately portrayed, but his manner of speaking seems too sophisticated for his age. Karen Hunter shows that life for "Academy Cadets" wasn't all fun and games. Young Kirk proves he can stay level-headed in an emergency, and even at this age he doesn't hesitate to question authority. Bonnie Hoffman's "The Gift Horse" is not very readable, and the author often fails to get her ideas across. The Enterprise tries to rescue a population whose planet is being taken over by "corruptors" who want to mine it for a "living metal." Inexplicably, Spock saves everyone by building a duplicate Enterprise. Ginna LaCroix's "Reality" is definitely a get-Kirk. Affected by the deaths of Edith, Sam, and Aurelan, Kirk visits his mother and brings his nephew to stay with her on Earth. While there, he is involved in a secret mission and gets sadistically tortured, then is later coldly cross-examined by Admiral Komack. What saves both Kirk and the story is his sensitive relationship with his mother, a wonderful woman. KIRK's a longest piece is a novella by Nadya Emanuel, "The Infinity Factor". As science fiction, it ranks far above most ST fan writing, and is vaguely similar to The Entrophy Effect in that people are always popping confusingly in and out of alternate universes. Characters have been dragged In from many episodes--Halkans, Organians, Gorgons, and at least two versions of Saavik. A story of this nature requires the reader's full concentration, but unfortunately with this one you are distracted by the numerous unintentionally funny typos and misspellings. I found myself spending more time looking for errors than enjoying the story. The editors did a real disservice to the author by not proofreading her work. Two brief but excellent stories are told from the viewpoint of persons new to Starfleet. Admiral Kirk has become a legend in his own time, so much so that his case history is studied in an Academy course, "Command Psychology". Rosemarie Eierman has "transcribed" the lecture tape for us, providing insightful analysis into Kirk's character and public Image. In "A Problem in Supply" by Karen Hunter, an ensign who's just been assigned to the Enterprise writes home about her misadventures. The time is just after the V'Ger incident, and the letter is written in believably chatty style.

Those who have read Death's Angel by Kathleen Sky (I haven't) will want to read the missing chapter from that book which is included in this zine. I was intrigued by the concept of a "Green Room" for institutionalized sexual activity aboard a starship, but the author had Kirk dreadfully out of character.

Of the zine's collection of poems, the best is "The Inimitable Star" by Majorie Miller. In well-executed quatrains, she describes the link between Kirk and the actor who portrays him.

If you are a Kirk fan, you will certainly want to get KIRK. (Wouldn't we all like to get Kirk?) It doesn't come cheap, but considering everything it has -- 192 handsomely bound pages, quality reproduction and many glorious portraits -- it is worth it. KIRK's major flaw is its abundance of typos, but then there's no such thing as a perfect zine. To order, send $17.50 to Sonni Cooper... [5]

References

  1. ^ from TREKisM #24 (1982)
  2. ^ from Interstat #53
  3. ^ from Riders to the Stars #1
  4. ^ from Communicator #9 (1983)
  5. ^ from Communications Console (Mar/Apr 1983)
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