Quantum What?
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Quantum What? |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | Constance Avino, Catherine W., Darlene Lewis |
| Type: | newsletter/letterzine |
| Date(s): | 1992-November 1993 |
| Frequency: | |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Quantum Leap |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Quantum What? is Quantum Leap newsletter.
The issues included lots of episode commentary.
There were 15 issues.
The series won a Fan Q honorable mention in 1993 for best QL non-fiction.
From an ad in issue 7/8 of The Observer: "Comes out every six weeks and is filled with fan comments, some news and photos, and a large helping of humor and good fun."
Fan Campaign
In 1993, the zine's publishers supported a fan campaign to bring Quantum Leap back to the air.
one side of a 1993 flyer for the fan campaign
second side of a 1993 flyer for the fan campaign
another flyer
Quantum What? Room Party
a flyer for a 1993 room party: "No alcohol or Donna Debates, please."
Issue 1
Quantum What? 1 was published February 2, 1992.
From this issue:
"A Single Drop of Rain" is a metaphor for life. Clinton says in his infectious manner, "Water vapor is ALWAYS in the air. I know it seems impossible, but it's true. It's here right now. It's all around us. The problem is getting it to form into little drops and fall to the ground."
Yes. That's the problem alright. All around us are miracles just waiting to happen. But too often we don't believe so they don't happen.
This show is about going against conventional wisdom, putting our eggs in one basket and going for broke. This show is about risks and about faith. Most of us don't dare the first or chance the second often enough. But Sam Beckett does. Facing droughts all over the place - Ralph and Annie's dried up marriage, Ralph's shriveled relationship with his brother, the lack of information from Ziggy to help him, and even Al's certainty that it would not rain -- it seemed like a hopeless situation, but Sam says "No!" to all these droughts. He says, "Don't look with your eyes. Look with your hearts. The rain is gonna come."
Most of us could see ourselves played out in this episode. We waste time and we waste miracles accepting things as they are ("This drought has dried up a lot of souls, Billy. It's not gonna take a whole lot of your hot air to blow us all away"); waiting for Someday ("Some day this whole thing's gonna work and then you'll turn over the whole shootin' match to me"); settling for something less ("They won't be any worse off than they were before, Sam... and they'll have a nice party to remember". But every once and a while we rise to the occasion, and we grab that miracle out of the air, and watch it played out in the choices we make. We see the miracle in our husbands, our wives and our children. We see it in our friendships, old and knew [sic]. We watch it in a sunrise. We feel it when we remember all the special moments of our lives. And at those times we're a lot like Sam because we *know*, "The most important thing is you gotta have faith. If you believe, miracles can happen."
But be careful. Miracles can overwhelm so "you better learn how to swim! - Darlene Lewis
Issue 2
Quantum What? 1 was published March 16, 1992.
Issue 3
Quantum What? 2 was published April 27, 1992.
Issue 4
Quantum What? 3 was published June 5, 1992.
Issue 5
Quantum What? 4 was published July 20, 1992.
Issue 6
Quantum What? 6 was published August 31, 1992.
Issue 7
Quantum What? 7 was published October 12, 1992.
Issue 8
Quantum What? 8 was published November 22, 1992.
Issue 9
Quantum What? 9 was published January 4, 1993 and contains 12 pages.
Issue 10
Quantum What? 10 was published in February 1993 and contains 12 pages.
Issue 11
Quantum What? 11 was published in 1993.
Issue 12
Quantum What? #12 was published May 10, 1993 and contains 12 pages.
- Editorials by Darlene Lewis and Constance Avino (topic is the cancellation of the show) (2)
- a short blurb [1]: ("Dear Fans Of QUANTUM LEAP: Your tremendous efforts on our behalf are deeply appreciated not only by us, but by our staff and crew, and everyone at Universal Studios as well. Please know we are all working as hard as we can to see that your heartfelt support is not in vain, and that May 5th is not "The Last Leap Ever." We commend you, and we join you, in your faith and hopes for another season for our favorites: The Fans of QUANTUM LEAP. You're the best...and we will keep in touch. Donald P. Bellisario, Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell") (2)
- Episode Talk: The Leap Between the States, review by Dana Rae Pugh (3)
- Episode Talk: The Beast Within, review by Adam Sears (4)
- Convention Memories (con reports with photos by Cathy M, Cathy C, Sally, Gary, Debbie, Dana of Leap Con at the Universal Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on February 13 & 14, 1993) (5)
- Letters, Comments, Opinions (9)
- News and Information (10)
- transcript of conversation among three fans after viewing "Memphis Melody" (11)
- full-page photo of Scott Bakula playing a guitar (12)
Issue 13
Issue 14
Quantum What? 14 was published August 30, 1993 and contains 12 pages.
Issue 15
Quantum What? 15 was published November 30, 1993 and contains 40 pages.
It was the final issue.
Fan Comments
This little publication is, in my opinion, one of the best things to come out of Quantum Leap fandom. A cross between a newsletter and a letterzine; its strongest selling point (and one of the things which makes it unique), is that it's published every six weeks. This means that the news and opinions it contains haven't had a chance to go stale before we can read them.
The zine has a nice look-layout is clean, and the pictures they use are sharp and easy to see. The contents are entirely written by fans, under such sections as "Episode Talk," "Continuity Corner" (much needed in this fandom!), "Perspective," and "Quantum Musings." The quality of the writing is usually very good, too.
If it sounds like I'm sold on this zine, well, I am. Every fandom should have a publication like this, where fans can get together to rave about their favorites, complain about what didn't work, or simply exchange thoughts. It's just plain fun to read - and, after all, isn't having fun what fandom is all about?[2]
Quantum What? is an "interactive" newsletter available by writing Connie Avino... The first two issues are available free of charge, while they figure out how much to soak people:-) [3]
References
- ^ It is unknown if this was specific to this newsletter, or a general blurb published in many places.
- ^ from A Writer's Exchange #3 (June 1992)
- ^ from QL: A Single Drop of Rain (Mar 20, 1992)