Passages (Beauty and the Beast letterzine)/Issues 003-004
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Passages |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | Karen Bates |
| Type: | letterzine |
| Date(s): | March 1988 to at August 1989 |
| Frequency: | monthly |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Beauty and the Beast (TV) |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Passages (March 1988-August 1989) is a letterzine with eighteen issues. It hailed out of Nebraska, US and was the first letterzine devoted to the Beauty and the Beast universe.
The letterzine had the attention and support of TPTB. In issue #16/17 (July 1989), the editor wrote: "I would like to thank Mr. Roy Dotrice and Mr. George R.R. Martin for their gracious support of this publication. A thank you is so little in return for their timely gestures."
From Datazine #54: "A forum for comments, critiques, discussion and exchange of ideas for anyone interested in The Beauty and the Beast universe."
The letterzine ceased just as fans were getting information that the last season was going to have a different direction and tone. These fans did not yet know the extent of these changes, and their optimism that TPTB would "do the right thing" was combined with their wariness. See the progression in the comments in individual issues. Also see Things Began to Heat Up: February 1989.
See List of Letterzines for similar fanworks.
The Issues
See these subpages for details about individual issues, including quoted opinions and summaries of fannish views on topics current then, and now.
| Passages (Beauty and the Beast letterzine) Issues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues 001-002 | Issues 003-004 | Issues 005-006 | Issues 007-008 | |
| Issues 009-010 | Issues 011-012 | Issues 013-015 | Issues 016-018 | |
Issue 3
Passages 3 was published in July 1988 and contains 14 pages.
It contains 6 letters, some reprints of articles, and a con report for Space Trek #5.
Excerpts from fan letters:
Like thousands of women, I am head over heels in love with Vincent. Fortunately, I have a husband who not only understands, but shares my interest (to a much lesser degree) in the series and in Vincent's qualities.
What a joy "Passages" is! Being able to read the ideas and visions of other fans makes me feel like I'm part of a special community family even if I don't live below.
Dear Editor, why not send a subscription of "Passages" to the Cast and Writers of Beauty and the Beast? They might enjoy reading what the fans have to say. Id be glad to help pay the cost.
By any chance is Catherine Woldow the Kitty Woldow who co-wrote "Lighted Doorways" with L.A. Carr? "Lighted Doorways" appears in "Dreams and Schemes #6" and is the first B&B story I've seen in print. The story is charming though short, only 5 pages counting a beautiful illustration of Vincent, and takes up where "No Way Down" ends.
I'm a life-long cat lover and it's true that Vincent comes very close to doing head bumps when showing affection. The idea of a young Vincent doing "murpboingeties" made me laugh. Love the images that thought brings to mind. Please God, yes indeed Vincent should purr!! Can you imagine anything as wonderful as having the person you love really purr with contentment? Cats are incredibly sensuous beings anyway. I can't imagine a more appealing combination than cat and man. The articles often written in the papers talk of Vincent being "horribly deformed"! What nonsense. I think he is the most beautiful, attractive being I've ever seen. I wonder if being a cat lover changes my viewpoint or if dog lovers find Vincent beautiful, too?
[...]
Your idea about Vincent going to a convention and fitting right in brought smiles of recognition from me. My sister and I have often commented that a con would be even better than a halloween party. Of course, our shy Vincent, would probably soon give up walking the halls, overwhelmed and embarrassed by the lustful attention of the female con attenders. I can see him being invited by the con committee to chair the costume panel.
ATTENTION ALL ARTISTS!! Just a note of concern. Beauty and the Beast is a rare realization of what the artists behind the scenes can accomplish when given the opportunity. The underground chambers are wondrous creations, brought exquisitely into reality by some very talented people. I've seen special effects on many a television production, but the imagination and patience required to put together a crystal cavern, or the pit of infinity by far surpasses all others. The problem is one of eventuality. What usually happens, is the age old argument of not enough money to fund such "extravagance" in the art department. My fear is one of a this-will-be-good-enough attitude on the part of the producers. In order to cut comers and "save" money — I'm afraid they will see the beautiful detail of the special effects as expendable, and do away with them, believing that it really won't matter to those of us who are hard core fans.
I think we all have to admit part of the romance is due to atmosphere. The rock and pipe tunnels are not just forgotten parts of the city above, but an entirely different world and home to an unusual race of people. The tunnels accentuate the romantic figure of Vincent, their maze-like quality adding to the suspense and mystery. I believe it would be very damaging to the image of the show, should the "higher-ups" decide to take away some of the magic supplied by the artists. Of course, I may be jumping the on the gun here. After all, I should first be congratulating the producers for putting together such an exceptional program, one that doesn't insult our intelligence - at least not often and not in too obvious a fashion. Also, I have to admit they have managed to bridge the gap between fantasy and reality to the extent that when walking by a grate in the street, I am tempted to glance down and wonder!
Beauty and the Beast is a show really worth watching for those of us with even just a single drop of romantic blood running through our systems!
Still, I have to pause. In the past, just about every show on television has gone the same way, as indeed does most any product produced in the U.S., whereby quality is reduced once the product proves to sell well. Will B&B be next on the list of things to go through cuts in quality? I hope not. Somehow a scene with Vincent literally sweeping Catherine off her feet and whisking her off through a cardboard backdrop of a tunnel lacks romantic appeal!!
I am a Star Trek fan, so it's hard for me to get engrossed in such things as bodice-rippers, horror, gothic and fantasy. I delight in "those" shows; revealing shows like Geraldo and male dancers, Donahue and male dancers and so forth - except the thought of Kisses and Tips and the Hat Dance live. I don't know who Alexis is rolling with in the sack, or care what celluloid poetry Don Johnson attempts, but I know what I like: Wiseguy, Equalizer, Hooperman. There is no reason that the year Star Trek: The Next Generation shows up, that anyone could possibly usurp Star Trek's El Numero place in the constellations, there is no reason that I should become enchanted by a show hinged on the romance of a gun-ho attorney for a street, well, sub-street person: that I should think him the hunk of the decade, yet not care that he keeps the dreamy shirt on and scintillates with a woman worthy of him. This whole scenario goes strictly against the grain. There is absolutely no reason why I should wait 22 episodes for a bondkiss...and be totally contented. I am never supposed to think that a hunk's love object is worthy of him or particularly care whether or not she's on the screen with him. I'm not supposed to, but it's turned out that way.
"Down to a Sunless Sea" convinced me that Catherine is a virgin. She could have almost floated to the top of the trees she was so happy with Steven, and Vincent is pleased when she says she feels delighted by the intimacy they once had. He's prouder of her, in my book, and that they are both virgins suits the myth just fine. They are people with the strength of character to wait for total commitment, however long we will have to wait! In my book, the Chinese couple was permitted to enter the Underground until their wedding, then compelled by its laws to leave. Not only Vincent must change, the Underground must change before Catherine could permanently join him. But happy bi-coastal marriages exist, Donahue and Mario shuttling back and forth. Some such arrangement will have to evolve for Vincent and Catherine, but there is still a very fragile ego in Vincent where love is concerned. As things are, Catherine does in many ways live only in his heart, because she is a waking dream he has yet to convince himself is true. "Down to a Sunless Sea" in convincing Vincent that she is a virgin, convinces him that she is prepared to lead his celibate life. That characteristic of gothic romances must change.
Romance and courtship before marriage is nothing new to us, although they honor the grandest traditions, but a real romance lasts after marriage. You cannot mention willy-nilly women's commitment to occasionally faithful men in comparison. That's sheer travesty. Vincent and Catherine are strong individuals committed to ideals. Their relationship is fully capable of fulfilling the intellectual demands of love as well as the physical and emotional. In my book. Father did not tell his son who he was until he saw the toll it took on him; silence was Father's self-imposed punishment, possibly for his violations of the Underground's laws in having a physical relationship. Another way to separate the Underground from us.
Tm supposed to like the actors best or the characters; my passions always polarize. This is the first time that I can't make a choice...and I refuse to to. They are all too good at what they do. I watch commercials now, only on CBS: I might miss a promo. I watch [Dan] Rather and ignore Wheel of Fortune until the commercials come on. When I could flip a coin over programs, I just watch CBS. This is the first time a show was so good that I had to see even the station break promos.
A bondkiss. I guess it's because they give us what we want when we don't know what we want Let Koslow become the "[Aaron] Spelling" of CBS. Forget the foreplay romances. This is the only love story on TV. It is probably the best of them all. Score: in the top ten shows of a lifetime that began with...The Shadow.
I have my own theories about Vincent's restraint in the relationship, and I disagree as to the extent to which the relationship needs to 'go' next season. Some touching, indications of the intimacy between them, would be nice, but their relationship has been developed so that their minds already are intertwined. This interesting concept and the depth of their relationship have been portrayed as growing stronger.
I believe the tension between them is what appeals to, but tortures, us. When programs like Remington Steele and Moonlighting (albeit much poorer shows) allowed this tension to evaporate, they seemed to disintegrate. We don't want this to happen. The program might easily devolve into a version of Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, or I Married a Witch.
A solution to this dilemma which might please the viewers would be to have more of the excellent dream sequences which peppered the first year in somewhat of a supernatural nature. Anything can happen in a dream...
Ron Koslow stated that next season would explore the difficulties their relationship causes in both their lives. I personally have no desire to experience heart rending tragedy through V&C, or to see their joyous appreciation of each other slowly destroyed. There's enough of that in the "real world". I feel that the time they spend together would naturally increase, and they could begin to explore their relationship emotionally as well as physically. The love they share is so unequivocally special and unique, that I consider it a crime to keep them so physically distant and even more heinous to consider making their lives MORE difficult. Thrill me with their adventures and inspire me with their love; it hurts me every time I watch the scene where Vincent tells Catherine ("A Happy Life") that she must use their love as an example to find someone else to love.
The other nasty rumor I heard concerns Catherine "a few romances" for her next season. You've got to be kidding. I called the production company way back in November to complain about Catherine falling in the arms of every male co-ster on the show. Way back then, it was unacceptable, making her appear shallow and weak-willed, but somewhat understandable in the in the very beginning of their relationship. There's no excuse for it now.
The third and final nasty rumor I would like to address here was broached in a fan's expression of hope that something could be done to make Vincent 'NORMAL". VINCENT IS VINCENT, Vincent is not Mark Harmon or Bruce Willis. Alteration of that beautiful face through plastic surgery, drugs, or sorcery is totally unacceptable. Do I deny him the chance for a "normal life" with Catherine in her world? No, not at all. Where would Vincent fit in there, even looking like carbon copy of every other male in the world? He stated in the pilot, "I never regretted what I am, until now." I would guess that he likes the way he looked, before Catherine. So if he altered his looks, and began seeing a different face in the mirror than the one he had gotten along just fine with for the first 37 years of his life, when would the resentment begin to creep in? When would he begin to question the love of this woman who wouldn't be happy (in his mind, of course) with him as he was?
Probably never... Just the possibility exists.
I feel that the eventual consummation of their love must come with all parties intact, else the satisfaction be dimmed and diluted. Anybody else seen the Cocteau version? It was quite a letdown when the Beast turned into a Prince. I wasn't the only person who felt that way, there was a consensus of opinion from the celebrities of the day, that expressed the same dissatisfaction I felt I don't want to see the show stagnate through lack of growth. I say that love is the answer. Slowly, gradually, but inexorably, love will prevail. What do you think? I'm anxious to know! (looking for pix, posters, etc.)
Issue 4
Passages 4 was published in August 1988 and contains 25 pages.
This issue contains 7 letters, a transcript of Howard Gordon's talk at the Creation Con on June 18, 1988 in Los Angeles along with a short description by Pam Igo of the con, and excerpts from books, newspapers, and magazines. Some letters mention Space Trek.
Excerpts from fan letters:
Space Trek was a memorable experience. I have memories of Martia and me hitting the dealer rooms like sharks going through chummed water. It was literally a feeding frenzy of buying Beauty and the Beast mugs, shirts, photos, fanzines, letterzines, newsletters, etc. There were also many serious moments discussing character development and logical plot directions. Memories of Kay Simon and her original poetry and plans for starting an appreciation group here in Colorado not five miles from my home (talk about luck). And, of course, memories of the personal appearance by Ron Perlman. I've attended conventions before, but I enjoyed this one more than any I can remember and it was due entirely to the people I met. There were so many articulate and knowledgeable fans. Each one different, bringing differing backgrounds and expectations to the convention, but each of us united by a bond forged by a strikingly different and beautiful television program.
On Beauty and the Beast Pilot Episode, Vincent stated that he reminded people of what they fear most-their aloneness. That was something of the way I felt about my reaction to Beauty and the Beast. I was literally swept away by this show and had no way of gauging others reaction to it. I was interested in the characters. No, that's not true. I was genuinely concerned for the characters, for their well-being and anguished over their problems. Now, to feel that way about real people is commendable, but feeling that strongly about fictional characters tends to make a person feel that reading ads for mental health clinics is in order. While I didn't precisely fear for my sanity, I did begin to wonder if I had somehow slipped over that "edge" we always talk about, (going to Space Trek dispelled my aloneness. Here was a convention attended by people every bit as enthused and enamored with the show as I. They all appeared more or less normal. How amazing! I was not necessarily convinced that my reaction was normal, but I was reassured by the number of people sharing the fantasy.
If you must go crazy, I suppose it is easier if you can get group rates.
One of the great things about Beauty and the Beast is the degree of involvement it commands from its viewers. People who watch this show really get involved. I don't believe that was planned by Ron Koslow or anyone else. I don't think you can plan magic. It is just a function of the wonderful
chemistry that Beauty has generated with its writings creative visual layout, casting and acting. [...] Every fan has a plot line and a different view of what should occur on the show. We don't so much watch Beauty and the Beast as much as we participate in both the tunnel world and Above. It is as if each of us were watching, unseen, from some tunnel entrance. What I also find wonderful is that most of us are putting what we see or more frequently what we would like to see on paper. I've done more writing during the past two months than I have in the past 15 years. All of this because of 43 minutes of magic seen each Friday at 7:00 p.m., MDT. It is truly amazing what can set people on fire, can stir up their creative urges.
At Space Trek V, and post-con, several people have presented me with a sheaf of papers in and, having tried that same hand at a B&B story of some sort! To this I must respond that it is an incredible experience to be able to read someone's early work. Yes, it is rough, but any author's first drafts always are. Yet, how special. To be privy to their first attempts is wonderfully gratifying. And that they trust me enough to show them to me in an unpolished state is fulfilling as well. These people must be encouraged to continue, for practice and education in the craft are the only true keys toward development of talent. A novice writer myself, the ability to share and critique each others' fiction is a method which allows us to improve our technique and understanding of the medium. That episodic television such as "Beauty and the Beast" has stimulated this surge of creativity and interest among its Fandom is indeed a rare and precious commodity. So thank you to all of you out there who have given me the opportunity to share the fruits of your imaginations.
May we not lose B&B's invaluable stimulus due to Writers' Strikes, Network Whims, etc., etc.
Space Trek V. Sigh. Their logo, "Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made Of was certainly appropriate in my case. This was my first big con, and I found (as many people told me I would) that it was put on by one of the warmest, friendliest bunch of people around!! This carried over to the fans, too. Of course, the fact that many of us were B&B fans probably had a little something to do with that atmosphere. I'm told however, that there's a tremendous difference in a fan-run convention and a "professionally" run con. The guys who are in it for money aren't always as thoughtful of the guests and guest stars as a fan would be. So I cut my teeth on the "beast" (oops) best con around!
How incredible to turn to almost anyone around me and find an enthusiastic participant in a B&B discussion!! NIRVANA!! RON PERLMAN IS SO ADORABLE!!! His pictures and videotaped interviews did not prepare me for such gentle masculinity! I don't know what I really expected, but if you can imagine Vincent with a smooth deep voice and beautiful little boy smile, interspersed with frequent witticisms (he's really funny and relaxed), that's Ron. The man is soooo personable! He's very articulate, and gives as much thought to his replies as our beloved Vincent does, saying nothing just to "get through the moment" (well, maybe once or twice - Star Wars?). He uses words of more than one syllable in every sentence! Boy that sounds snotty, doesn't it? I didn't mean it that way. I just didn't realize how
most celebrities either talk down to us, or don't know how to relate to so many strangers that worship the ground they walk on. Ron appears to have a solid foundation as a person, and as a friend of mine recently said, he isn't letting the adulation affect his ego. How fortunate we are to have such a character as Vincent and his alter ego, Ron, to adulate. (He is so cute!) He had a bad cold, but appeared anyway, which impressed me tremendously (especially since I flew from Virginia to see him.) When women would bring him gifts, he didn't act as if they had some disease. He came around from behind the podium, and listened intently to the message that accompanied the item, accepting with a gracious smile and heartfelt thank you. Then he would step back behind the podium and show all the rest of us!
In matters of the heart, which is the crowning point to my contention that Vincent is not primarily beast with human qualities, but as worthy of the term human, with all its ramifications, as anyone reading this letter. ANY BEAST THAT WAS AS READY FOR A MATE AS FERVENTLY AS VINCENT LOVES CATHERINE WOULD NOT WALK AWAY FROM HER WILLING EMBRACE TIME AND TIME AGAIN, OUT OF CONCERN FOR HER WELFARE BEFORE HIS OWN GRATIFICATION!!!! When an animal wants to mate, there is no question but that it will be done. Yet, over and over, our noble Vincent leaves Catherine wistful for his nearness and touch, and returns to the tunnel world, physically unfulfilled and longing for the presence of his woman.
I think it's important that we get this matter straight in order that the relationship be allowed to progress in a logical and healthy manner. Gentle, loving kisses won't destroy the romantic tone of the show! If anything, the tension will be increased, not decreased as Vincent tears himself away from Catherine's ready acceptance of his hesitant forays into mild intimacy with her. Most people that I've broached this subject with are surprised that anyone would consider Vincent less than human; some offered that they felt that he is better than human!
I was surprised when I first heard of the storyline for the season finale, surprised they would address the issue of their never being together so early in the show's run. Especially in light of the "walking on eggs" treatment of the Catherine-Vincent situation. Having Catherine rethink her life and make a choice of commitment seemed too good to be true, more than I'd hoped they do. It brought to mind a story I'd heard about Remington Steele. When one of the writers was asked why the characters did such an about-face after "Red Holt Steele" and revert to sniping and bickering, he said they felt they had gotten the characters too close together in that episode. So, the producers spent the next few years back-pedaling as fast as they could, to the confusion and disappointment of their audience. I hope the cold feet and backing away from the this isn't an indication that Beauty and the Beast is heading down the same road as Steele.
I wish people wouldn't raise the specter of previous series that went down the tube after the characters got together. They were usually on their last legs, or else the quality of writing had slipped. A dwindling audience triggers a last ditch effort to save the show by putting the characters together. Never mind the fact that the production values had stagnated or viewers were tired of being led along, turning away from the show...that no matter what was done aside from bringing overall quality back up, the show couldn't be saved. Why do writers find it so hard to maintain the integrity and flavor of the characters after they put them together? Why do they change them into people they never were before, contributing to the impression that positive relationships don't make good TV fare? If characters are fiery, witty, charming, droll, etc., to begin with, why do those traits disappear because they become involved with another character? I've never understood why TV writers can't handle this, and I wish B&B would be the exception to the rule.
Other articles have centered on the romance, but no where have I read anything of the underlying philosophy of the show, as I see it. It's possible that I'm reading more into the program than is meant to be there. Be that as it may, I feel that just as the story deals with two worlds, the city above and the tunnels below; there is a surface way of viewing, and an undercurrent -a deeper perspective that has not yet been explored by many viewers, or the media. Perhaps I am sensitive to this because I'm an educator in a Catholic school, and every day I am reminded of the damage the wrong kind of TV can inflict on our children. I see a chance for B&B to teach some important values to our kids that they are certainly not receiving from other TV shows. As adults, we, too, continue to be influenced by what we absorb through TV.
[...]
As I stated earlier, it's possible I may be reading into the program more than is actually intended to be there. But, isn't this an element of all art? Shouldn't the viewer be able to interpret the work (in this case, the program), in light of his or her own background, personality, etc.? Because of this freedom, I offer a point of interest that I've never heard nor read before, but which never fails to strike me: I see Vincent as a strong Christ figure. Throughout literary history, we see many different Christ figures. In C.S. Lewis's Narnia. for instance, the lion, Asian, is most definitely a Christ figure (yes, a lion-look like anyone we know?).
The prophet, Isaiah, in describing the Messiah, states: "People were shocked at seeing him, he was so disfigured that he hardly looked human... A thing despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering; a man to make people screen their faces, he was despised and we took no account of him." Isaiah 53.
Doesn't Vincent fit this description? Vincent, the unconditional lover, who is so in tune with Catherine, he knows her thoughts, her fears, her needs, and never fails to come to her aid. This, also, is a Christian's concept of Jesus. I can see why some may call this idea contrived, a coincidence, or just plain ridiculous. Yet to those of us who believe in Jesus as a personal savior, who feel ourselves CONNECTED to him, the idea of Vincent being like Jesus is worth pondering. Why? Well, I can only speak for myself when I state that this thought has helped me in my relationship with Jesus. In times of prayer, Vincent has helped to make the image of a loving God more real to me. And I am grateful. So, for me, B&B is more than a TV show, more than a modern-day fairy tale. I consider it a form of art, and its potential has only begun to be tapped. I hope there are others who have discovered something of the deeper, underlying meanings beneath the surface of Beauty and the Beast.
What are we calling ourselves? Martia West Skelley has used the term Beasties, which I adore, but no doubt someone, somewhere, is offended. I hope we don't get into the Trekkies, Trekkers, Trek Fans type of fuss. I know words are vital - they're a primary focus of my life. I love them. And I know better than many people the damage that can be done by a wrong word. But come on, folks; we're talking about a fun thing here. Let's not get too hung up.
Incidentally, did anyone else notice whether Catherine's problem seemed to parallel the life of many a lonely fan? Who among us still remembers the early days of Star Trek, before Media Fandom as we know it, when no one else seemed to be a fan and there was no one we could talk to about our crush on Spock? Remember all the friends and great memories we began to gather with these mutual interests? And Catherine's visits to the doctor seemed very much like the kind of sessions a fan might go through if he/she got too involved in a show or fantasy figure. Despite Vincent's very real presence in Catherine's life, the separation of the two worlds had the same effect.
As for the ending, I liked the "kiss". Vincent and Catherine may have been ready for a kiss, but I wasn't, having felt that the end of the second season would be a better time for a physical kiss, if any. This is mainly because I feel it would be nice for fans to have a chance to speculate the first kiss through fanzine stories, before that trend in the relationship is decided once and for all. We would probably be greatly affected by what physical form such a relationship might take. The more intimate it got, the more fans would differ on how it should be clone. What would please some fans would destroy the romantic theme for others, and vice versa. For this reason, I feel the relationship should not be consummated; or at least not for a long time and then with a slow buildup starting as a subplot, to give time to explore as many areas as possible. Fanzines, on the other hand, since they are unofficial, could be more free with this theme and maybe give the creators of the show some idea of what we would want in general should they ever decide to take that route. I, for one, think a nice first physical kiss would not be on the mouth at all, but with Catherine either kissing Vincent on the cheek, forehead or even the nose, or Vincent kissing Catherine on the cheek, forehead, hand or scar on her temple ("Kiss it and make it well...").
Leave him alone! He is absolutely perfect (purrrfect!) the way he is. I get incensed when reading reviews describing him as deformed. He is not deformed, NOT in need of electrolysis, and I personally find those teeth of his sexy as hell!
Concerning the "nasty rumors" regarding Catherine having a few romances next season. After reading that, I immediately got out my trusty pen and wrote a pleading/indignant letter to Ron Koslow. Love means faithfulness, soul-deep, complete, trustworthy, faithfulness! NO romances for Catherine! Who could possibly compete with Vincent anyway?