MacGyverisms
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | MacGyverisms |
| Publisher: | Golden Lily Press |
| Editor(s): | Jeanne R. Weselinski Jeanne R. Gold |
| Date(s): | 1992-1999 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | MacGyver |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
MacGyverisms is a gen MacGyver anthology edited by Jeanne R. Weselinski and Jeanne R. Gold.
Issue 1
MacGyverisms 1 was published in 1992 and contains 150 pages.
It was edited by Jeanne R. Weselinski.
The cover art is by Doranna Durgin. The interior art is by Doranna Durgin, Phyllis Savacool, Denise Loague, Glenda Young, and Karen Pauli.
From the editorial:
Well, here it is. MacGyver’s first fanzine.
[...]
I’ve been a fan of Richard Dean Anderson since Dr. Jeff Webber walked the corridors of General Hospital. But of all his roles, MacGyver has touched me the most It was Mac who inspired me to do all the things I always wanted to do. Right in the middle of working on the zine, I took a scuba diving course, and received my certification after graduating top of the class.... What’s next? Who knows? Aikido, maybe. But I’ve always wanted to fly a helicopter...
- Introduction (3)
- Best Laid Plans by Laura Zipkin ("MacGyver's in a bit of a snit. Could it be due to some uninvited guests?") (5)
- Self Destruction by Glenda Young (15)
- Spirit of the Law by Gillian Holt ("Manny Lopez has stood trial, but now he's a marked man. Can Mac save his friend's life?") (reprinted in The Quicksilver and the Black and Black Ops #6) (17)
- Ice Cream, poem by Glenda Young (35)
- On the Job Hazards by Nancy and Doranna Durgin ("A rundown of the injuries MacGyver has survived over the course of the series.") (37)
- Laying Old Ghosts to Rest by Regenia Marracino (41)
- An Ouch Of Prevention by Elaine and Anne Batterby ("Why has Sam Beckett leaped into MacGyver???") (crossover with Quantum Leap) (51)
- Another Fine Mess by Glenda Young ("A tag to "On a Wing and a Prayer".") (57)
- Being a Friend, poem by Anne Batterby (59)
- Comfort by Glenda Young ("After a long assignment, Mac is glad to be home. But he didn't count on having a house guest...") (61)
- Self Destruction II by Glenda Young (65)
- Dead Giveaway by Krista Lebednick (67)
- Colorado Bound, poem by Elaine Batterby (89)
- None So Blind by Glenda Young ("A tag to "The Negotiator".") (91)
- A Matter of Pride by Karen Pauli (95)
- Faltering Steps by Laura Zipkin ("MacGyver isolates himself as he tries desperately to cope with the death of his grandfather.") (99)
- Winter Sorrow by Glenda Young (107)
- He Did It Again by William Cooper (109)
- MacGyver At Home by Karen Pauli (Floor plans of MacGyver's various homes.) (125)
- Desert Rats by Jeanne Weselinski ("Once again MacGyver subjects himself to Dalton Air. But crash landing in the middle of the desert is only the beginning of their troubles.") (131)
from issue #1, Phyllis Savacool
from issue #1, Doranna Durgin
from issue #1, Denise Loague
from issue #1, Glenda Young
from issue #1, floor plan of MacGyver's houseboat
from issue #1, Phyllis Savacool
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
Doranna Durgin's pencil cover is elegant. Although she's used a pose from a publicity still, it's well-executed and, combined with a simple background that balances it nicely, it becomes an interesting and affecting composition. Her interior art is also quite good. "Elegant" also describes some of Phyllis Savacool's interior work. Her style is sparse, rough-edged in spots, but effective. Her likenesses are good, and, although these are simple portraits, they're not run-of-the-mill poses, and they do complement the stories they accompany.The other art in the zine, while not outstanding, is not bad, either (and remember, I'm awfully picky about this stuff), and gives clear evidence that the artists are exploring techniques and styles, and striving for more than mere portraits, even though they may not always succeed.
MaGyverisms is comb-bound, which makes it easy to read at the lunch table. An attractive and readable typeface, clean, crisp print job, and neat, workmanlike layout, combined with Doranna's superb cover, make this an appealing package.
In the next issue, a bit more attention should be paid to catching typos. Also, a couple of pages were out of order in my copy (which gave me a sympathetic twinge after my experience with the editorial in the last issue of Wanna Buy.). However, overall, this is a zine that was created by people who clearly cared about it and made an honest effort to do it well.
Writing this review was difficult for me. (I found myself wishing for a real-life Mac to make it work, with duct tape and imagination; unfortunately, my p.c.'s an IBM-clone, so they're not compatible). Perhaps because my response to MaGyverisms is primarily on an emotional, not intellectual, level, it's hard for me to evaluate it analytically. I'll admit that, while I would highly recommend this zine to a MacGyver fan (probably to the point of being pushy and disgustingly gushy), I doubt that someone unfamiliar with the series would find it entertaining. Much of its charm lies in its evocation of what we've seen in the series. But, while my head tells me it should be rated a respectable three trees, my heart insists that four's the correct choice. The heart wins. [1]
Issue 2
MacGyverisms 2 was published in 1994 and contains 166 pages. It was edited by Jeanne R. Gold.
The art is by Doranna Durgin, Jeanne R. Gold, Denise Logue, Karen Pauli, and Star Urioste.
From "Con Job", MacGyver gets schooled on a bit of geek hierarchy:
"And I’ll bet EVERYBODY at your school watched that show every week. When it was canceled, you found something else. But within that group there would be a few who wouldn’t let go. This show touched something in them. Usually they were the ones who didn’t fit in with their peers, and quite often they were a bit smarter than their classmates. They were called geeks, nerds, whatever. Suddenly, here’s a show saying it’s all right to be different. It’s the ’different’ ones who can save the day. The geek with his head always in a book can figure out how to run the ship while the captain of the football team is just spinning in free fall. It gave these kids some self esteem they were lacking; of course they grabbed onto it and wanted to live it! For many of these kids, the show fired their imaginations. They wanted more, so they turned to science fiction books and magazines. They discovered the mainstream science fiction conventions. They started writing their own magazines and books. Some of them even became professional authors.
[...]
By and large, what all these people have in common are active imaginations and inquiring minds. Unfortunately there are also a few who didn’t know when to let go and come back to the real world. They’re the ’get a life’ fans. We call them that after a comedy skit parodying Trekkie-cons, where Shatner exhorted them to ’get a life’. You are going to find a smattering of ’get a lifers" at any con, but mostly these are intelligent people who want to explore possibilities and expand horizons."
- Introduction (3)
- Birds Do It by Eileen M. Jaecks ("Just why is MacGyver afraid of heights? (3)
- Silent Dreams by Jane Freitag ("MacGyver calls on Carrie Linden to help him interpret a strange dream.") (13)
- Discovery, poem by Melissa Mastoris (23)
- A Learning Experience by Laura Zipkin ("MacGyver learns an important lesson from a surprising teacher.") (25)
- Stubborn, poem by Joan Hoffman (44)
- The Challenge Conquered by Jane Freitag (45)
- Onus by Glenda Young (47)
- Con Job by Karen Pauli (MacGyver has a job at fan-run science fiction convention, and he finds out they're way better than the Star Trek con he went to as a high school student.) (51)
- Boyhood Dreams, poem by Melissa Mastoris (71)
- Intermezzo by Jane Freitag (73)
- Reactions by Laura Zipkin (77)
- Best of Friends by Glenda Young ("How Jack and MacGyver met Mike Forrester.") (87)
- Duality, poem by Jane Freitag (95)
- Pictures by Jane Freitag (97)
- Skin Deep by Joan Hoffman (101)
- Friendship, poem by Melissa Mastoris (103)
- Rescue By Committee by The MacGyver Imprompty Party ("Murdoc's back...and boy is he mad!") ("EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was created during the MacGyver Impromptu Party at Media West 1992. See what you can do when you put a bunch of MacGyver fans in a lobby together. AUTHORS: Judith Ann Caswell, Erika Frensley, Joan Hoffman, Jill Lundberg, Melissa Mastoris, Karen Pauli, Julie Shelly, Betsy Vera, and Sara Zettel. Edited by Joan Hoffman.") (105)
- Final Regret by Glenda Young (117)
- The Difference, poem by Jane Freitag (140)
- Reflections by Karen Pauli ("As MacGyver helps brace the Challengers Club against escalating L.A. riots [2], he can't help but worry about Sam -- who's right in the middle of it all.") (141)
from issue #2, Denise Loague
from issue #2, Denise Loague, portrays the character, Penny
from issue #2, Denise Loague, portrays MacGyver as a vampire
from issue #2, Star Urioste, titled "Winter Phoenix"
Issue 3
MacGyverisms 3 was published in 1996 and contains 177 pages. It was edited by Jeanne R. Gold.
The art is by Doranna Durgin (front cover), Janine Hickman, Ruth Morgan, Karen Pauli, and Denise Loague.
- Memories by Pauline Yea ("Pete sends MacGyver to Vietnam to retrieve a journalist with important -- and dangerous -- information.") (5)
- Strangers, poem by Melissa Mastoris (15)
- Someone to Watch Over Her by Jean Lauderback ("When MacGyver goes out to search for a missing autistic schoolgirl, he winds up trapped underground with her.") (17)
- Decisions, Decisions by Ruth Morgan ("A close call for Jack Dalton leads MacGyver to start thinking about marriage with Penny Parker.") (33)
- Gifts of Time, Bonds of Fervor by Krista Lebednick ("When Sam is badly injured trying to get the story on a murderous cult, MacGyver takes care of his son while Jack Dalton and DXS operative Craig Bannister finish the investigation.") (43)
- Risks Worth Taking by Margaret Krupp (71)
- The Valley by Jane Chase ("MacGyver has to protect an archaeologist who's discovered important artifacts on land that a corporation wants to develop.") (73)
- The Jack Dalton Guarantee by Melissa Mastoris (90)
- What Becky Saw by Becky Schie ("In an AU where MacGyver is the guardian for his orphaned niece, things get dangerous when she accidentally witnesses a mob hit. Can he keep her safe from the assassins after her until she testifies?") (93)
- A MacGyver Bibliography by Karen Pauli (111)
- Hopeless Romantic by Jane Freitag (118)
- Humanity, Pt. 2 by Jean Lauderback ("Alternate ending to the episode "Humanity".") (121)
- Mission City Memories by Melissa Mastoris (151)
- To Thine Own Self by Doranna Durgin (reprinted from Rerun #9) (153)
Issue 4
MacGyverisms 4 was published in 1999, and has 116 pages. It was edited by Jeanne R. Gold.
- Editorial (3)
- The Last Gasp by Jane Chase (5)
- No Place Like Home by Star Urioste (9)
- Farewell by Melissa Mastoris (13)
- Girl Trouble by Pauline Yea (15)
- Nothing Ventured by Star Urioste (23)
- The Life That I Have Chosen by Jane Chase (25)
- A Dark Tale by Star Urioste (27)
- A Helping Hand by Melissa Mastoris (32)
- Depth Perception by Star Urioste (33)
- Thicker Than Water by Julie Kramer (37)
- Mary by Star Urioste (39)
- A Guide Through The Darkness by Pauline Yea (43)
- All Night Long by Star Urioste (49)
- Hopeless Romantic: Going Deeper by Jane Chase (51)
- Safe by Star Urioste (57)
- The Encounter by Star Urioste (59)
- Father And Son by Melissa Mastoris (620
- The Pack by Star Urioste (64)
- The Phoenix Papers by Star Urioste (65)
References
- ^ from a much longer review by Marty Siegrist in Psst... Hey Kid, Wanna Buy a Fanzine? #4 The reviewer gives it "4 trees." The reviewers in "Psst... Hey Kid, Wanna Buy a Fanzine?" rated zines on a 1-5 tree/star scale.
- ^ This is a reference to the May 1992 Los Angeles riots.