One Shot (Starsky and Hutch zine)

Zine
Title:	One Shot
Publisher:	Jan Lindner
Editor(s):
Date(s):	April 1980
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Starsky and Hutch
Language:	English
External Links:
cover by Connie Faddis
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One Shot is a 193-page gen Starsky and Hutch anthology fanzine. It has art by Betty de Gabriele, Connie Faddis, Cheryl Frashure, Paulie Gilmore, Judi Hendricks, Ruth Kurz and Linda Walter.

From the Editor

For those who keep track of such things, the stories that follow each belong in their own universe. 'Reprise' for instance, is set in some timeline apart from Faddis' 'Mojave' or Teri White's stories. 'Lifeline,' on the other hand, is meant to fit into the episode, 'Sweet Revenge.' And 'Legacy' is set in an alternative universe a bit grimmer but more likely than most of us would want to accept. NONE of these stories are intended as The Definitive Way It Is. That's for you, the reader, to decide for yourself.

I don't plan to put anything erotic in 'One Shot' partly because nobody's contributed something so utterly compelling that it screamed to be printed, and partly because I feel that if people are writing, and willing to read, non-explicit stories, why open oneself to hassles from self-appointed censors?

Good grief, Lorraine. I can’t imagine anybody sending another fan to jail for Xeroxing a zine. I’d rather write fifty letters of permission than try to sort through stencils after rigor mortis sets in. In fact, once 1-shot’s sold out, I’ll happily grant permission… and on that happy day, I will put a notice anywhere that’ll print it. Besides, saying that there will be no further reprints of Wilderness means that anyone who can’t live without a copy has to turn to the photocopier.

Contents

• Editorial (1)
• Life in the Stalled Lane by Lorraine Bartlett (3)
• Reprise by Marion Hale (9)
• Hutchinson School Rejection Letter by Lorraine Haldeman (67)
• Siren by Jane Aumerle, poem (68)
• Cryptoquizzws by Lizabeth Tucker (70)
• One Man’s Dreams by Ruth Kurz (71)
• Wordfind by Lizabeth Tucker (109)
• Legacy by K. Gaitley (110)
• Lifeline by Jan Lindner (121)
• Black and Decker by Roy Smith (123)
• Cryptogram by Lizabeth Tucker (126)
• Crossword by Cheryl Newsome (127)
• Sonnets from the Japanese (courtesy of Mary Manchester) (130)
• Hide and Seek by Jan Lindner (131)
• Announcements/Other zines (182)
• Group Therapy — Cabrillo State by Jan Lindner (183)
• puzzle answers (186)
• Swine Song by Miss Piggy (188)
• Then Q’s by Anonymous (194)

Interior Art Gallery

The zine contains a substantial amount of interior art. Below is a small sampling of the artwork. The pages of the zine have aged and yellowed over time - a few of images have been slightly adjusted to address the fading.

• 

  A rare drawing of Huggy Bear by Ruth Kurz

• 

  woodblock style by Betty de Gabriele

• 

  a study in shadows by Connie Faddis

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  cartoon by Paulie Gilmore (image has been adjusted)

• 

  a rare pencil sketch by Connie Faddis, special zine insert

• 

  Cheryl Frasure (image has been adjusted)

• 

  more typical Connie Faddis artwork

Reactions and Reviews

See reactions and reviews for Legacy.

See reactions and reviews for Hide and Seek.

See reactions and reviews for Reprise.

See reactions and reviews for One Man's Dream.

Unknown Date

[zine]: A multi-story zine memorable for the heart-wrenching 'Reprise' and wonderfully-nice 'One Man's Dream.' In 'Reprise,' Prudholme escapes from the asylum and wreaks his revenge on Starsky by grabbing Hutch. This is a very intense story, with extreme h/c, but well-written and a shining example of the guys dedication to their friendship. 'One Man's Dream' is what happens when Hutch decides to quit the force in order to work the farm in Minnesota that he's inherited. Temporarily, Starsky comes along, of course, to help him get settled. And excellent, light-hearted story that also teaches us again how the grass *isn't* always as green on the other side of the street, as we think it is. Great scenes involving typical farm duties: gardening, canning, milking cows, and riding. Rounding out this zine is 'Legacy,' which is a permanent death story, I should warn you; 'Hide & Seek,' a post-Sweet Revenge story in which Starsky takes on his first case after recovering from Gunther's assassination attempt, trying to catch a thief who escapes the scene of the crime on a motorcycle; a great deal of poetry, artwork, humorous stories and puzzles.

1980

[zine]: Although an infinite number of minor variations are possible, there are basically only two was to ruin a story; faulty execution and faulty conception. While ‘One Shot’ has its share of technical bobbles – hyperkinetic pov’s, a few passages of less-than-fluent-prose, inappropriately drawn-out pacing – none of them crippling. The problems are toher; and they are, unfortunately, pervasive.

‘Reprise’ uses the Third Coming of George Prudholm – recycle! recycle! – for what purports to be an examination of human vulnerability and guilt. Prudholm kidnaps Hutch and tortures him, wringing from him a statement that he would allow Starsky to take his place if he could. Starsky, meanwhile, rises to the bait, follows Prudholm to Utah and is himself taken. more torment ensues, with rescue delayed just long enough for Hutch to be flogged into critical condition. Later, in the hospital, he can neither face Starsky nor his betrayal. He lapses into unconsciousness every time he tries to confess, but is ultimately absolved when Starsky admits to a similar lapse. If the theme sounds familiar, it is: ‘Reprise’ echoes Dotty Barry’s ‘When All Else Fails’ even to the near-exact repletion of specific dialogue. If the treatment sounds familiar, yea, verily, that is, too. This is the formula get-‘em of the Contact school, wherein A suffers horribly, B watches (and suffers horribly) and C stands by and sneers, not omitting the opportunity to suggest that the getees’ friendship is less that pure and noble. So far, so bad. But what drops the story below the level of simple bathos is its dishonesty. Prudholm does not break Hutch. Hutch does not betray Starsky. When Hutch is present, when Hutch’s pain is at its most intense, when the choice is real, Hutch refuses the exchange… [It] simply vitiates the story, reduces the beginning to an exercise in SM-flavored titillation and the denouement to a wallow in cheap sentimentality. Worse, yet, Starsky’s vindication of his partner and himself is the precise equivalent of the ‘devil made us do it,’ not an acceptance of moral responsibility but an abdication of it. Beside this, the excruciating make-cutesy of the Star Trek con and the Standard Wacko #2 characterization of Prudholm fade into insignificance. Not once does the story confront flawed humanity….

By contrast, ‘One Man’s Dream’ is almost refreshing. It is an essentially naïve account of Hutch’s attempt to work his grandfather’s farm, told and illustrated in correspondingly unsophisticated style. The redeeming feature here is the female lead, a fully-realized woman who knows her own mind and capabilities, knows what she wants and how to get it…. Unfortunately, this level of characterization is not maintained. Kurz apparently intended to give us Hutchinson-the-ultimate-White Knight, an idealist constantly disappointed by harsh reality. What she has given us instead is a prepubescent choirboy who is ‘genuinely shocked’ that a woman of his own age is sexually active, who requires constant shepherding by partner, superior, parents… There is a hazy light-of-former-days aura over the who story… as serious contemporary fiction for contemporary adults – as a delineation of purpose and motivation – it fails.

‘Legacy,’ on the other had, succeeds so well it’s painful. Understand: I don’t like the story. I will be perfectly happy if I never see another piece of fiction on this theme again. But by damn, it’s good! What have here is Starsky’s refusal to a accept the idea that there can be life after Hutch, his retreat from human contact, and eventual redemption by another isolate. Characterization and psychology ar of a very high order… Not for nothing has love-and-death been called the Great Theme; it’s notoriously difficult to do well. Gaitely, though, handles is with insight and honesty… ‘Legacy’ takes the best-of-zine handily.

Most polished of the four major stories is the editor’s own ‘Hide and Seek.’ In style and construction, it’s exactly the kind of competent-or-better work one expects from Lindner. But… there are two interwoven plots here… the first is logical, meticulously out and ultimately boring. The second – the real story—is obscured under police procedural, so that the characters’ problems never genuinely engage the reader’s emotions… This Starsky and hutch are curiously distant from themselves and each other, form without substance. If this is intentional, the awareness of loss that would have given the characters life and depth is missing. If it is not, one can only regret that the author of Bomb Scare is herself content with the gestures: the power is lacking.

Of the minor features, ‘Lifeline’ is best, well-done but obvious. ‘Life in the Stalled Lane is possessed of something other than sparkling wit, while ‘Black and Decker’ is actively offensive…. Let’s hope ‘One Shot’ has no Black readers…. Art ranges in quality from the K-3 coloring-book pieces to Faddis at the top of her form. Most, though, show signs of being done in haste, and is simply undistinguished.

[zine]: I have to admit, even at their most improbable, I generally enjoy Marion Hale’s stories. By any objective criterion, ‘Reprise’ has a lot of problems – a cartoon villain, improbable police procedure, an unlikely emotional resolution at the denouement, an immiscible Trekkie frame (though one could argue as an example that worked the equally lightweight tag and teaser of ‘Bloodbath.’) But it is consistent with its assumptions, and with the conventions of its genre, the get’em story. Fannish stories tend to range in their emotional effect from shelf paper to Art. Shelf paper, or dresser drawer lit or closet fiction, is that stuff written purely for its thrill, shared with your best friend, and then hidden under a stack of zines. In between is entertainment. The farther along the spectrum toward true emotional art, the more levels the entertainment engages, but the harder the reader has to work to enjoy the story, too. A struggle with a worthwhile story can be extremely rewarding; but sometimes all we want to do is stroll through a piece.

‘Reprise’ is not strenuous – it’s not even a Good Story because it’s too formulated – but it works on its own terms.

With ‘Legacy, the reader does have to struggle. And it is well worth it. More, the story is honest with its premise. When is Hutch is wounded to death, there are no miracles – he dies, and Starsky’s comfort must come from within himself. That it takes a year, a strong and understanding partner, are also a part of this piece’s honesty. One flaw in this jewel is Huggy’s speech patterns: too long and too precisely grammatical. It’s not impossible for a writer to reproduce a foreign dialect accurately, but it does entail extra effort.

‘Siren’ is another piece worth the struggle. It obscurity is seductive as its title-theme; the reader worries it over and over, hoping to shake out a meaning. But a poem doesn’t mean, it is. ‘Siren’ could be a suicide or a reluctant lover’s acquiescence, that’s not important. It is haiku; it is balanced in ambiguity.

‘Hide and Seek,’ on the other hand, is perfectly plain. In fact, too plain, too easy. In this post-Sweet Revenge walk, the ostensible story is a robbery investigation, and the real plot is how Hutch and Starsky return to a normal working relationship. But the first is action without much spirit, and the second emotion without context, plus the connections between the two seem superficial. The characters seemed tired, possibly the effect Lindner intended, but the story disappointed me. I had expected a tougher workout. Suspension of disbelief is the grace a writer asks of a reader to accept a few stretchers for the sake of the story. Some readers will swallow some postulates less readily than others, a caveat for the writer.

In ‘One Man’s Dream,’ S&H play farmers in Minnesota. This is cool, but when strawberry season, blueberry season, and wolf whelping time are set practically simultaneous, my sense of belief receives a severe jolt. Still, this would probably not bother most readers, but other discrepancies might: Starsky’s near-panic because he find out meat is dead animals, Hutch’s impossibly simple expectations, and both of them getting rid of a wolf cub that bit Starsky instead of keeping it for a rabies check. It becomes a struggle just to stay in the story, and this is a pity, for there were some well done scenes, particularly toward the end when Jo discovers the killer of her two friends; the contrast to her earlier attitude is revealing.

Lotsa filler games and puzzle – buy a second copy if you are a compulsive puzzler who hates to mess up an issue. For the money, a moderately good zine.

1984

[zine]: Whenever someone new to SH fanfic stumbles round the mountain, an avalanche of old fen descends from the aeries screeching cries of ZEBRA THREE! DECORATED FOR DEATH! CASA CABRILLO! etc., accompanied by an unspoken admonishment, that "Me and Thee" is just a phrase until you've been exposed to the classics. I agree; however, a newcomer might be hard pressed locating these gems, and since ignorance is rewarded with everything from enthusiastic photocopying to humiliating "You've never heard of Wilderness?" remarks, I propose a series of retrospectives be initiated, to provide the neo with info and insight into the zines that launched this fandom, and what it was that earned them such legendary status.

In the beginning there was ZEBRA THREE, which was my first choice to review. However, unaware such a creature existed back then, I decided to bypass this title, in the hopes some of the original subscribers/contributors will come forward with their impressions. This particular treasure deserves an "I was there" p.o.v.

My topic is ONE SHOT, a name I don't feel gets shouted enough (if at all), which is why I settled on it. With the exception of a couple of cryptopuzzles and conceivably, the worst paper I've ever seen anything printed on, this zine measures up to the best SH fandom has to offer. Several of our most prolific writers are represented, with Connie Faddis heading up a talented stable of artists. Layout is simple and straight-forward, typos are minimal, and you can actually see the margins!

As noted above, the paper is ghastly, but in a way, this particular flaw is one of the things that endeared me to ONE SHOT. Maybe it's nostalgia, but when the race for "professionalism" took off, and so many amateur publications could only be designated as such by their non-profit disclaimers, something very precious was lost in the maze of justified columns and perfect bindings. I'm not sure how to describe it except to say, it felt good reading a fanzine for a change.

The core of this book revolves around four standout scenarios.

"Reprise" by Marion Hale, finds Starsky once again in the grip of George Prudholm's madness, as a simple overpowering of a prison guard lands him back on the streets, where he manages to kidnap Hutch and shuttle him off to Salt Lake City before Starsk is even aware his partner is missing. Blondie is, of course, the bait; instructions on where to find him arrive shortly at Metro, accompanied by a tape giving audible proof of the kind of torture Hutch has, and will continue to endure, until Curly gets his ass to Utah. Backed by Dobey and the Feds, Starsk arrives at the designated spot, is picked up by Prudholm, and taken to join Hutch in a deserted shack, conveniently surrounded by mountains, rendering useless the transmitter hidden in his shoe. Once there he is not allowed to see his partner, but is locked in an adjacent room and encouraged to "listen to the punishment," i.e., beatings, whippings, and assorted blond gasps and groans. Hurt/comfort fans - take note. Our heroes eventually triumph and Prudholm is apprehended; bringing to a close yet another "What's a Partner For?" adventure in the lives of S&H. Or so I thought. The focus suddenly shifts to Hutch, who is noticeably suffering from more than the after effects of physical abuse; withdrawing further and further into himself, until Starsk is confronted with little more than a zombie lounging in a hospital gown. The psychological scars run deep, and it isn't easy breaking through the barrier. But Dave Starsky has never been known to give up where his Blintz is concerned, and the fleshing out of these emotions brings this tale to a satisfying conclusion. I must confess, I had a little trouble believing Hutch would guilt trip so severely over something he really had no control over. However, while this point was not easily overlooked, it did not detract from ray enjoyment of the story. Situations are a bit fantastic, but credible in context; characterizations are true, and the writing is excellent.

Of all the "S&H move to the country" tales I've read, "One Man's Dream" by Ruth Kurz is undoubtedly the most realistic. Having inherited his grandfather's farm. Hutch splits for the Minnesota backwoods to fulfill his childhood dream of living off the land. Starsk is along to help him get settled; however, within days of arriving, the fond memories of fishing in the pond and rolling in the haystacks are forced to give way to the realities of actually earning one's keep from chickens and hogs. Our duo soon discovers that crime flourishes even on rural outposts, when an escaped con finds his way to a neighbor's house, holding her hostage while ransacking provisions for his continued journey on the lam. When SfiH attempt to rescue her, the confrontation is brutal and eye-opening for everyone involved—reinforcing the old saying, "Be Careful what you wish for. You just might get it." A true charmer of a tale.

Kathleen Gaitely has written one of the finest examples of SH fiction I have ever read. "Legacy" explores the depth of human devotion, as Starsk finds himself trapped in a limbo world of love and grief, following the death of Hutch at the hands of a knife-wielding punk. Despondent and uncommunicative, he shuffles his way through a succession of partners until paired with Sam Reynolds, a down-to-earth, black detective, who manages to crack the manic exterior to reveal the scared and lonely man lurking beneath. This story touched my soul. Frightening in it's realism—devastating in it's pain; Starsky's sense of hopelessness becomes a way of life, until life becomes "just something to do" while awaiting the end. But the path to salvation (contrary to what many SH writers would have you believe) is not a bullet in the head, but an acceptance of those things we cannot change, and a commitment to revitalizing the spirit that those who loved us cherished most. This is a somewhat darker, but no less valid definition of "Me and Thee." Thank you, Kathleen. Thank you.

Anchoring ONE SHOT is Lindner's "Hide and Seek," an episodic caper detailing the relationship between a hit 'em and run motorcycle bandit and his victims, who appear more willing to write off the loss than aid the police in tracking him down, When someone does come forward, the promised police protection fails to prevent another attack, leaving SfiH even more reluctant witnesses, few clues, and a wild man still on the loose. The supercops are temporarily shelved, as our boys are forced to solve the case by painstakingly following leads, investigating dead ends, putting 2+2 together to make 5, and good old-fashioned legwork.

This story fits the "crime drama" mode identified with the series, and could easily have been an episode. The emphasis is on catching the bad guy, comforting the innocent, and the routine drudgery of police work responsible for cracking most cases. And there is relationship—quiet, familiar scenes of S&H carrying out their duty to each other as well as the public. Not the most compelling of Lindner's tales, but good, solid work nonetheless.