More Misadventures

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Zine
Title: More Misadventures
Publisher: Lorraine Anderson
Editor(s):
Date(s):
Series?:
Medium: print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Quantum Leap
Language: English
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cover of issue #1 by Sherlock

More Misadventures is a gen Quantum Leap anthology. The title comes from "Catch a Falling Star," in which Sam asks Al, as they begin the leap-out that ends the episode, "More misadventures, old friend?"

Misadventures with "More Misadventures"

In 1993, the editor wrote about producing the first issue of this zine:

"More Misadventures" is my very first big zine. Oh, a friend and I had published a small zine in 1984 or so (circulation: 12), but that was my only exposure to the "business" until I started collecting them in 1989. To actually edit a zine wasn't my idea, since I was just starting to play around with the idea of submitting stories to zines. Also, to be honest, my command of English grammar is not all that it could be. I prefer to have other people edit my work.

But the woman who thought of the idea (and, for the record, came up with the title) couldn't do it, and I thought, wellll...why not? I had a couple of QL stories I could put in. And, probably, I could get some others, although my connections with the fannish world at the time were tenuous at best.

So she put an ad in "The Unseen Observer" saying that I was accepting stories, sent me her story to edit, and forwarded a poem from someone else that she couldn't use in her own 'zine. In return, I sent her one of my stories to be edited. With a lot of trepidation, I waited for stories to come. And waited. And waited. I begged for a story from a friend in Indianapolis, which she sent. And I waited some more. I wrote another QL story. And another. A year and a half later (!), I received a couple of stories. Fortunately, they were good stories, so I didn't have the unenviable task of returning them. By the time I received the artwork and the covers, I started to believe that a 'zine might take shape.

In the meantime, I had experimented with the zine format. I knew I wanted the print to be crisp and clean, I wanted the zine name and story name on the top of the page in a larger font, and the page number on the bottom...and, preferably, a two-column page. Easy, right?

I immediately ran into trouble. My Tandy DMP302 is a 24 pin dot matrix printer. It prints its own resident fonts beautifully, but Windows fonts? Forget it. Oh, the print will be fine for a page or so, but then the printer will get confused, squeeze a couple of lines together, and makes the page look like kitty litter. However, the only word processing programs I had that used the two-column format and multiple fonts would not use the printer's fonts. So much for two columns.

[...]

In May, 1993, when the zine was finally finished, I took it up to Kinko's in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I've since heard that this might have been a bad choice, but our local shops charge about twice the price. Besides, Kinko's should know what they're doing, right?

About as much as I did. Oh, sure, they knew how to run the machines, but I believe the age of the average employee is 18. Now, I have nothing against teenagers, but they tend to assume that the customer must know what she's doing, right? Especially if the customer has gray hair and looks competent. In my case, wrong, wrong, wrong! I had an approximate idea of what I wanted, but I figured they would know how to do certain things, like putting the table of contents on the first page and darkening the copy if things looked a little light. Wrong!

[...]

This was the week before MediaWest*Con. I took 100 copies - in retrospect, that may have been too many - to put on the Orphan Zine table. I immediately discovered why I should have bought a luggage cart to haul them into the motel. I also learned that Quantum Leap had gone "slash"... call me innocent, but I was surprised when a few people asked me whether my 'zine was "slash." (No, it's not.) Forty zines sold that weekend, and I was quite happy.

Since then, sales have trickled. I've sent MM to a couple of review 'zines...but they have yet to be published. Some nice anonymous gremlin placed an ad in the "Quantum Quarterly." I discovered the ad when I started getting checks for fifteen dollars. (This was three dollars too high.) But that source seems to have dried up, also. Six went at a "Dark Shadows" convention. In retrospect, I was probably lucky to have sold that many.

I suppose I have the disadvantage of publishing my first zine at a time when people are cutting out frills-like buying zines. Lucky me.

I know my experiences are not unique, and I'm sure most of you have worse horror stories than mine, but the experience has given me a great appreciation of what 'zine editors go through. I have not yet decided whether to do a second "More Misadventures;" I would like to do it right, this time. [1]

Issue 1

More Misadventures 1 was published in May 1993 and contains 174-pages. It has a cover by Sherlock.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

Although I enjoy watching Quantum Leap, I don't generally seek out the fan fiction. I suspect much of the show's appeal-for me, anyway-is the, er, scenery. (What can I say? Scott Bakula is gorgeous, even in a dress!) However, when More Misadventures, edited by Lorraine Anderson, landed on my doorstep, I thought I'd give it a try.

It leads off with "Starlight, Starbright," a Quantum Leap/Alien Nation crossover by Tracy Ann Murray. Sam leaps into a Newcomer on board the slave transport ship, and must act quickly to save the Newcomers, a task complicated by deadly radiation in the section of the ship where he must work. While it's a good idea, it doesn't quite hit the mark. It's written in the first person, always difficult to do well, and the plot seemed a bit disjointed. It just didn't convey to me the sense of confusion, claustrophobia, and just plain fear that I would expect to see in such a situation.

"Quantum Fall," by Ann Raymont, attempts to tie the Quantum Leap universe in with...Quantum Leap; specifically, an incident that actually occurred on the Quantum Leap set. Sam leaps into an actor, and you'll never guess which one. I got a big kick out of the nickname for the show's creator.

Next, in "Letting Go," by the editor, Sam leaps into Al sometime after his return from Vietnam, and must prevent the murder of Al's ex-wife, Beth.

"I Put a Spell on You," by Mindy Peterman, was the first story in the zine that gave me those delicious twinges of apprehension for Our Hero, and kept me reading because I had to know how it would turn out. Sam leaps into a psychiatry student, and must try to save a classmate from a hypnotic professor with deadly intentions. There are rough spots in style and plotting, but the jeopardy and emotions here are authentic.

The next two stories are by Lorraine. "Just Another Leap" has Sam leaping back to the project base, where he must convince Senator MacBride to keep Project Quantum Leap alive. I've gotta admit that the multiple leaps started making me dizzy, but it's an interesting read. The author warns at the outset that this one was written before Mrs. Sam was introduced into the series, making this an alternate universe tale (which is okay by me - I never liked Donna Donna, anyway). And "Little Green Men" is a crossover with Star Trek in which Sam leaps into Our Favorite Vulcan, and gets to meet the Enterprise crew, some aliens, and a guy with a cat (you know the one), saving the day in the process (of course). Fun stuff.

In "M.M.O.C.," author Joseph E. Dzembo leaps Sam into a priest in the midst of campus hijinks and a competition for "Meanest Man on Campus." He must discover why, in the original timeline, the priest left the competition early only to die soon afterwards, and try to save a coed's life into the bargain.

The last story, Lorraine's "Put a Little English on the Ball," is set in the alternate timeline (come to think of it, isn't every timeline in this universe an alternate one?) that would have existed had Al been convicted of murder. Since Al's out of the picture, St. John is the Project Observer as Sam struggles to cope with the events presented in the series pilot. It's an engaging look at a relationship that might have been.

All of these stories suffer to some degree from grammatical glitches, and awkward dialogue and descriptive phrases that break up the narrative flow, and all would have benefitted from one more, ruthless edit. However (and this is a big however), the authors all demonstrate imagination, wit, and solid potential. There are limitations inherent in the Quantum Leap premise, but these writers have presented a diverse selection of variations on that theme. And their stories make for some pleasant reading.

The presentation (packaging of the product, as it were) is good. The zine is 174 pages, comb bound. Some of the text pages printed up too light, but they're still readable, and in her editorial, Lorraine vows that it won't happen again. (I think she means it, too!) The sans serif font is plain but serviceable. Art is reproduced well; some pieces are crowded together more than I generally like, but I suspect that's part of this thing's appeal. As for the art itself, there are no actual illustrations, but I didn't mind that as much as I might've, because it's chockfull of spot illos by Sherlock. Her drawings, which lean toward caricature, possess a unique, quirky charm, and her covers, front and back, are wonderful, both in design and execution. They make this zine look like a winner, and prepare the reader to be entertained. (Keep her happy, Lorraine-we need to see more of her work!)

As I riffle through More Misadventures again, it strikes me (thwack!) that what this zine has going for it is character, and a personality all its own. The folks who 'tribbed and compiled this thing tried to do it right, and had fun with it, too, and it shows, from the easygoing editorial to those terrific Sherlock covers. This is a strong first effort for Lorraine. I can't wait to see her next. [2]

“Starlight, Starbright,” by Tracy Mur- ray: This Alien Nation/QL crossover actually works because the reader doesn’t have to know anything about AN to follow the story. Sam Leaps into an alien on a ship about to crash into the sun, and he must re-direct the ship’s course toward Earth to prevent its destruction. I enjoyed Sam’s reaction to the alien environment and diet, and the plot was intriguing, although the ending seemed a little rushed.

“Quantum Fall,” by Ann Raymont: Sam Leaps into every QL fan’s favorite (or second favorite) actor just in time to cause him to sprain his ankle. The story has a cute premise, but the Leap element of the story fell a little flat, and the characters could have been fleshed out more.

“Letting Go,” by Lorraine Anderson: Sam Leaps into Al just after his return from Vietnam, and encounters Beth. Sam must prevent Beth from being critically injured by a gunman, while trying to resolve Al and Beth’s feelings for each other. The story includes some good interaction between Al and Sam, and an insightful view of Al and Beth’s relationship. However, a somewhat contrived triple Leap at the end muddies the story-line; the conclusion would have been neater if the story had finished up a few pages earlier.

“ Put a Spell on You,” by Mindy Peterman: Sam encounters a sinister hypnotist who specializes in past-life regressions. Sam has to prevent the mesmerist from taking advantage of one of his female subjects, while also trying to keep the doctor from wheedling his way into Sam’s subconscious. This suspenseful and neatly plotted story is the best in the collection.

“Just Another Leap,” by Lorraine Anderson: Sam Leaps Home--or does he? Ziggy deduces that Sam’s return is just another Leap, and that Sam’s mission is to convince the Committee to continue funding Project Quantum Leap. This story seemed rather flat. Both plot and characters needed to be developed better, and there wasn’t really enough tension built up around Sam’s dilemma to hold my interest.

“Little Green Men,” by Lorraine Anderson: This Star Trek crossover doesn’t work at all. Sam Leaps into Spock during the Enterprise’s journey back in time to 1968 to rendezvous with Gary Seven. The story is confusingly developed, with a lot of references to events that aren’t sufficiently explained. (I must admit that I don’t remember much about the Gary Seven episode, other than that he had a bad suit and a black cat, so readers more familiar with that plotline might not be as lost as I was.) Sam doesn’t get to do much except act bewildered, and in the end, Picard and the Star Trek Next Generation crew inexplicably appear to save the day, so Sam’s presence is completely irrelevant to the plot.

“MMOC,” by Jason Dzembo: Sam Leaps into Father Manuel Gonzales, a campus chaplain who’s involved in a “Meanest Man on Campus” contest to raise money for charity. Sam learns that he has to prevent the suicide of a young coed, while somehow helping Father Gonzales win the contest. This story could have been improved by giving the characters more depth. The idea of Sam, of all people, trying to play the role of MMOC was neat, and it would have been fun if the author had done a little more with it.

“Put a Little English on the Ball,” by Lorraine Anderson: This “parallel history” story shows Project Quantum Leap through the eyes of Edward St. John V, the Observer who briefly replaced Al in A Leap for Lisa. While the story’s premise is intriguing, it is, unfortunately, poorly executed. The dialogue sounds stilted, and the relationship between St. John and Sam doesn’t work very well. Neither do the changes St. John makes to Sam’s first Leap.

The collection also includes poetry by Candyce B. Nathanson-Goldstein and Lorraine Anderson, and artwork by Sherlock and Lorraine Anderson. Anderson’s stream-of-consciousness poem, “In Between Times”, is a nicely done, bittersweet piece. The front and back cover illustrations, by Sherlock, are cute renderings of the closing scene from Catch a Falling Star.

Overall, this was an uneven collection, with a couple decent stories, some that might be improved with a little more work, and some that just didn’t work at all. If you’re really hungry for QL material, More Misadventures might be worth getting just for Mindy Peterman’s story, which is the best of the bunch. I only wish the rest of the stories in this volume were as good as “I Put a Spell On You”. [3]

Issue 2

cover of issue #2, Sherlock

More Misadventures 2 is subtitled: "More Misadventures Lite." It was published in May 1995 and contains 42 pages. It also has a cover by Sherlock.

  • Why MM Lite? by Editorial (i)
  • Junior by Lorraine Anderson (sequel is Flying Dutchmen) ("A Leap has gone horribly wrong, and a stranger who says he is Sam's brother shows up. With Sam's life on the line, should Al believe him?") (1)
  • A Life for a Life, poem by Melissa Mastoris (15)
  • 'Twas the Night Before Leaping by Lorraine Anderson ("Sam's lonely on Christmas Eve, and Al tries to cheer him up with an unex-pected visitor.") (16)
  • The Calm Before the Storm by Mindy Peterman ("A quiet story of loving and letting go.") (18)
  • What They Should Have Said But Probably Didn't #1 by Anonymous (20)
  • Steering Him Away by Lorraine Anderson ("A Project guard comes into Al's office with an incredible story of changes in his life. Was Sam involved?") (21)
  • Who Are You, poem by Melissa Mastoris (24)
  • Whatever It Takes, poem by Melissa Mastoris (25)
  • What They Should Have Said But Probably Didn't #2 by Anonymous (26)
  • I am the Toon by Tracy Ann Murray ("Sam has to deal with a crabby duck and his irrepressible ward while trying to defend the city from a megalomaniac. How did he get here, and will he survive the trip?") (27)

References

  1. ^ from A Writer's Exchange #8 (December 1993)
  2. ^ from Psst... Hey Kid, Wanna Buy a Fanzine? #5. The reviewer in gives it "3 trees." The reviewers in "Psst... Hey Kid, Wanna Buy a Fanzine?" rated zines on a 1-5 tree/star scale. See that page for more explanation.
  3. ^ from The Hologram #10 (January 1996)
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