Romulan Wine

Zine
Title:	Romulan Wine
Publisher:	Cara Sherman
Editor(s):
Date(s):	1972-1975
Series?:
Medium:	print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Romulan Wine is a gen Star Trek: TOS anthology of fiction and articles.

The first issue of this zine series is actually Vulcanalia. This means that "Romulan Wine" starts with issue #2.

The fifth issue was called The Porno Issue and is explicit het.

About the Comic Strip: "Mort III, A Vulcan"

Cara Sherman and Dave Puckett wrote a comic strip called "Mort III, A Vulcan" in the fourth issue.

Years later, after learning of Sherman's passing, Puckett wrote:

Cara was a very independent person, somewhat of a feminist and pretty much a devoted Zionist. Her interests surpassed merely artwork and writing and she was well-educated. Her letters were always uplifting, caring and humorous. Her paintings were excellent. We "swapped" paintings one time (the above pictured of the Vulcan woman). That painting she sent me has always had an honored place somewhere in every house or apartment that I've ever lived in since I obtained it 30 years ago.

Cara published a fanzine called Romulan Wine which was basically dedicated to Star Trek, of which she (and I as well) were big fans. [...] We even collaborated on a comic strip that was published in two issues. She had asked me if I was interested in writing and penciling a strip, and she'd revise and ink it, and we wanted something in the Star Trek fashion. I wrote a story about Ancient Vulcan, the main character of which was a chieftain named Mort III. Cara loved it, but was afraid that Gene Roddenberry might not approve, so she wrote him several times, and eventually, he did indeed approve of the script and even gave his blessing, making it an authorized part of Vulcan History. She published it in two-parts in her fanzine, and, to my knowledge, it was the first time anything in comic strip format referring to Ancient Vulcan was ever published. The one precedent we set in the storyline? The sun on Vulcan rose from the West.

But... even close friends drift apart...

Issue 1

There is no Romulan Wine 1 as the first issue in this series was Vulcanalia.

In "Romulan Wine #2," Sherman wrote that "the biggest change [for #2 of her zine] is the title."

Issue 2

Romulan Wine 2 was published in 1972 and contains 91 pages.

front cover of issue #2, Cara Sherman Tereno, the Romulan Commander -- reprinted in The Despatch #17

back cover of issue #2, Cara Sherman

It was published September or afterwards; the Munich Massacre was discussed.

The front cover is by Cara Sherman, the interior illos by M.A. O'Toole (Maryann O'Toole, aka Legolas) and J.P. Toole.

The editor wrote about this second issue and said "the biggest change is the title," a reference to Vulcanalia.

The cost:

35¢ per ishoo, three for a dollah, ten for three dollahs.... Contributors and other innocent bystanders get the damned thing for free. Your copy will limp its way to you in an envelope, second-class maill, unless hijacked or otherwise impeded by general adversities, such as if some nefarious personage comes in and blows up my mimeograph machine or holds my envelopes for an outrageous ransom.

From the zine:

ROMULAN WINE #2, still protected -- though God only knows why -- under the limited-circulation statue which says that you not only can get away with murder under 200 copies, but it's all yours. Scooby-dooby-doo!

The zine, like all the issues, contains MUCH chatter and commentary by Sherman that is not represented in the table of contents.

• Editorial by Cara Sherman (2)
• Peter Sunn: The Fiendish Offendie Affair, conclusion, fiction by Cara Sherman (4)
• Quack by Cara Sherman ("...my inane ramblings on everything and nothing..." The title of Sherman's column comes from a philosophy professor at the university she was attending. It is used to describe a long rambling presentation that is boring, gets in the weeds, and may be condescending. ) (23)
• art portfolio by M.A. O'Toole (24)
• High Council (30)
  • essay by Bruce Westbrook (the topic: the Planet of the Apes films) (31)
  • poems (33)
  • letter (a long, long, LONG one from the Carl Gafford, editor of "Minotaur" - the topic: very detailed comments about the first issue) (34)
• More Quack (48)
• Star Retch by Paula O'Keefe (48)
• Sakenn - Quadrangle, comic by Cara Sherman (original sword and sorcery) (62)
• High Council, article by Cara Sherman
• Johnny Banana Seed, comic satire (78)
• Still More Quack (81)
• Jayne West of Motor City, text and illos by Cara Sherman (82)

• 

  from issue #2, Cara Sherman, from The Fiendish Offendie Affair

• 

  from issue #2, Cara Sherman, from The Fiendish Offendie Affair

• 

  from issue #2, Cara Sherman, from The Fiendish Offendie Affair

• 

  from issue #2, Cara Sherman, from The Fiendish Offendie Affair

• 

  from issue #2, M.A. O'Toole

• 

  from issue #2, M.A. O'Toole

• 

  from issue #2, M.A. O'Toole

• 

  from issue #2, Cara Sherman, "It ain't easy growing up Jewish in essentially stoic neighborhood."

• 

  from issue #2, Cara Sherman, "Has anyone ever told you you're revolting in the nude?"

• 

  from issue #2, one of the three Daves that contributed to this issue

• 

  from issue #2, from Sherman: "Anyway, that's SAKENN. I asked a friend of mine what he thought and he replied simply, "It's Just Conan with pointed ears." SIGH. Since I created Sakenn as an attempt to get away from my late tendencies to over-complicate my characters, and created him before I'd read Conan (though after the comic came out), he'll probably diverge from, the stereotypical barbarian swordsman in some ways. I hope so. I hate the stereotype."

• 

  from issue #2, Cara Sherman

• 

  from issue #2, from Jayne of Motor City

• 

  from issue #2, from Jayne of Motor City

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

ROMULAN WINE #2 was interesting to despite the heavy amount of satire.

Cover — beautifully drawn, Cara, a fantastic piece of art. Letter from the editor — nice heading.

PETER SUNN — too long, too dull. Satire shouldn't be so long as it quickly lo ses its punch. Sorry, Cara, but I didn't like it.

QUACK. A well-drawn portfolio. Legolas is a fine artist. Can't say I enjoy mimeo art but this was well done. Looking fcrward to more of her work.

HIGH COUNCIL Pt. One — Ho hum — guest editorial by Bruce Westbrook. I liked the Ape movies. Even ESCAPE which was overall just a filler supplying a lot of background info and drawing some interesting parallels between ape and human. An interesting film series. PLANET OF THE APES was better than the book ((lT HAD TO BE.. .THE BOOK WAS A SATIRE -- Cara)) (which I enjoyed to some extent). Poetry dark, moody, pessimistic, beautiful.

On Dwight's (Dwight Decker) blanket statement on fandom — I'm against the Viet Nam War. Who in his right mind supports the war? I am not liberal. (When I registered to vote I registered conservative). I wonder if Dwight's ever smoked pot? I have and I see no reason for its becoming legal. ((I HAVEN'T, BUT HAVE SEVERAL FRIENDS WHO DO. I DON'T SEE WHY POISONING YOUR SELF WITH ONE KIND OF CHEMICAL SHOULD BE LEGAL WHILE POISONING YOURSELF WITH ANOTHER KIND IS NOT. I AM NOT FOR POT, I AM AGAINST HYPOCRISY -- Cara))

Setting aside a section for non-fan talks (reminiscent of MITHRAS, no? Why not? Many sci-fi zines discuss all sorts of topics within a sci-fi framework. (Meaning the zine may be sci-fi-oriented, but its contributors are not always so.)

[snipped]

STAR RETCH started out okay but be came too long. Satire, especially text satire, should not be so long. It just stops becoming funny. Sorry, T'Pala and Legolas but please, Cara, no more.

SAKENN—well written and illustrated Vulcan adventure. Like the bit about expanding on the Vulcan marriage ceremony.

JOHNNY BANANA-SEED — the less said about this "tripe" the better. Sorry, David McDonnell, but I didna like it, if ye ken what I mean.

CARTON OF VULCAN — if handled right could be great!

PETER SUNN if canceled could be better. I am not being cruel, just honest. It is the way of my people.

((IF BY PEOPLE YOU MEAN VULCANS, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT VULCANS ARE NOT IN THE HABIT OF OFFERING UNQUALIFIED OPINIONS AS FACTS. BY "UNQUALIFIED" I MEAN "NOT STIPULATED AS BEING SUCH," NOT THE GENERAL MEANING OF QUALIFICATION. AS FOR PETER SUNN BEING CANCELED, FORGET IT. AT THE RISK OF BEING ORNERY, WHICH IS THE WAY OF MY PEOPLE) I MUST CONFESS THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THIS ZINE EXISTS IS AS A VEHICLE FOR MY OWN WORK. THAT THIS MAY OR MAY NOT INDICATE THAT IT COULDN'T BE PUBLISHED ELSE WHERE, YOU CAN INFER FOR YOURSELF. I'M SORRY YOU DON'T LIKE IT. DON'T READ IT -- Cara))

Jayne West strip section almost impossible to read! Automobile fetish and female chauvinism. ((MIMEO BROKE DOWN. AUTOMOBILE FETISH AND FEMALE CHAUVINISM? CONCEDED. REMARKABLE REMINISCENT OF BREAST FETISH AND MALE CHAUVINISM EVINCED IN MOST ASPECTS OF POPULAR AMERICAN CULTURE/LITERATURE, INCLUDING, UNFORTUNATELY, MANY FAN-PUBS -- Cara))

Less satire, more serious Star Trek and sci-fi material! ((TO USE YOU HAVE TO HAVE -- Cara))

[snipped]

Interesting back cover. Take care.

I've finished reading ROMULAN WINE. I must say it was bigger and better than your first issue. And it was a delight.

Peter Sunn's conclusion was, if possible, better than the first part. It is a delightful satire and I found myself nursing my Dr. Pepper carefully so I could get through it without collapsing. And some those risqué elements! I only retched occasionally (just kidding).

If there was a choice (involving the choosing of ONE or THE OTHER) between straight Sherman fiction as SAKENN, or Peter Sunn, I would choose Peter Sunn. SUNN is absolutely stunning, while SAKENN, though interesting, is not as brilliant.

Speaking of SAKENN, though I'm not actually that far up on Vulcanic society, I must say it did have a point. The over all outlook of the strip was awful, though Please, in the future — type all the lettering in the strip. Look at those two captions you did type (on pp. 14 and 36). They enhance the outlook of the artwork. Your lettering ("printing" that is) is somewhat illegible. True, it can be read — but it takes more than a little effort — and that lettering gives the artwork a more amateurish look. That is actually the only criticism I could levy on SAKENN.

The art portfolio was fairly well done.

[snipped]

Dave Belz's poetry was very good. Good poetry has always had more impact (Damn, there's that word again!) on me, since I write rotten poetry.

[snipped]

STAR RETCH was another delight. Maryann O'Toole and Paula J. O'Keefe hit on a number of points and amused this maddened one very much, even if he's not a STREKKIE or a TRIPPER or whatever that term is. True, I've enjoyed Blish's adaptations very much (and in several cases recognized ST episodes I caught years ago) ((ABOUT ALL YOU CAN DO JUST TO RECOGNIZE THE EPISODES FROM BUSH'S HACKBUTCHERY -- Cara)), but you won't find me drooling over them. The books are good; the TV episodes I've seen pretty good; but I see no reason to make myself a fool (l do that often enough anyhow) over 'em. ((IF YOU LIKED BLISH'S BOOKS, IT'S OBVIOUS WHY YOU AREN'T TURNED ON TO STAR TREK. WE DISCUSSED THIS IN A LETTER I WROTE TO YOU. I THINK BLISH MANAGES TO EXCISE, WITH ALMOST SURGICAL PRECISION, EVERYTHING THAT MAKES STAR TREK MORE THAN JUST A SCIENCE FICTION SHOW. HIS DISREGARD FOR CONSISTENCY AND TOSS-OFF ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE PAINS THE STAR TREK PEOPLE WENT TO TO PUT TOGETHER A COHERENT, ABSORBABLE UNIVERSE, AND HIS JUST PLAIN CLUMSY WRITING RUINS THE MATERIAL HE'S WORKING WITH -- Cara))

Thanx for the copy of RW. I'm glad to see it for a number of reasons, one being its satiric content. There's really so damn LITTLE of it today in fandom.

Secondly, its friendly nature is something you don't see around, period. The big slickzines come off with an attitude like, "Go on, criticize me, I DARE you!" That bothers me.

I enjoyed your text piece, "PETER SUNN' but I especially enjoy your style of cartooning. It's one of the freshest I've ever seen.

The spot illos cracked me up... especially the first one for Peter Sunn... Although the ones for STAR RETCH didn't look a bit like caricatures, they pointed the jokes viciously — which were pretty vicious in the first place — in fact, some were downright cruel. But the plot (all in all) was a beautiful collage of Strek ad adventures. I liked the part of the Great Bird the best.

[snipped]

Peter Sunn was almost (but not quite) anti-climactic (Please, no puns from that!). After a slow start, the story picked up and moved uproariously to its end...I liked the touch of making the F.O. queer. My perverse sense of humor strikes again). The dinner scene was definitely the best part...not counting the illos. THE best part ((HUH?...C))

This issue is more attractively produced and better-planned than your first issue. Which usually goes without saying, but I thought I'd mention it anyway to give you the ego-boost.

Typoes, though not completely avoided, were kept to a minimum by good proof reading and several bottles of mimeo corflu.

[snipped]

Cover came out quite well, I thought. A simple little piece, rendered quite well, though I thought some of the detail on the character's scaled shirt looked a little sloppy. You must have done this before you did your Big Barda costume, because now you can write entire books on the preparation and wearing of scales ((MARK LENARD'S SHIRT IS CHAIN MAIL, NOT SCALE. THERE. IS A DIFFERENCE, YA KNOW. -- Cara))

[snipped]

PETER SUNN was just incredibly funny. Easily the second-best feature in the book (STAR RETCH wins first prize).

[snipped]

I'm afraid the art portfolio didn't thrill me at all. The work seemed very crude, perhaps because of the effect mimeo has in decimating artwork. Only the "'gardener" piece on page 27 really interested me. The others were typical S&S fare. Nice, but for a portfolio I'd like to see something different, something that doesn't fit into the standard mold of fanzines. Weird cartoons or figure studies, perhaps. Maybe even still life or printing experiments, like three-dimensional ditto. ((YOU KEEP YOUR THREE-DIMENSIONAL DITTO OUT OF MY FANZINE, CARL!!—I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE ART PORTFOLIO, BUT HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE TOLD HOW AND WHAT TO DRAW FOR IT? HMM? YOU DRAW WHAT YOU LIKE FOR YOURS — ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, TEN PAGES WORTH. THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT -- Cara))

[snipped]

Star Retch was fantastic, a real tour-de-Farce. I think you ought to feature ST satires on a regular basis, especially if they're all as good as this one. All the spot illos were great, too. I just loved it all

[much, much, much snipped about Planet of the Apes]

Issue 3

front cover of issue #3, Cara Sherman

back cover of issue #3, Maryann O'Toole

Romulan Wine 3 was published in 1974 and contains 85 pages. The front cover is by Cara Sherman, the back cover by Maryann O'Toole, the portfolio is by Brian Wenz.

Its creation was accompanied by "three pounds of granola, a half bottle of AB DICK mimeo correction fluid, brand new cylinder (YAYYYY), six gallons of TAB, several hangnails, two neurotic cats, and a threatening card from the Anti-Defamation Council of Pointed Ear People (REALLY! — I'm. still waiting for an explanation, Ray...)..."

[from the editor]:

I'd like to hear your reactions on this -- hell, I'd like to hear your reactions to everything. Mostly, however, I want STORIES and ARTICLES and ESSAYS and DRAWINGS and LETTERS and STRIBBs and — well, you get the idea. If you don't like what you see in these pages, write and tell me why, and then send me something better. It's in YOUR power to raise or lower the quality of what gets printed in ROMULAN WINE.

I especially need for RW#4 a good serious piece of fiction on any topic. The motif of RW#4 will be feminism, but that isn't intended to be a restriction. I said I'd print anything that's fairly literate and I mean it. So if I'm not printing stuff it means I'm not getting it.

I just may get it after that QUACK. I dunno, something takes hold of my mind, not to mention my fingers, when I type up these stencils — you people deserve better than wisecracks and typos.

Well, as the broken-down mimeograph sinks slowly in the west, and the whooping cranes shrill their haunting cry — WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP!! — this lowly fan bids you a fond adieu ...

• Editor's Usual Blithering (1)
• Table of Contents (2)
• The Origin of Peter Sunn by Cara Sherman (reprinted in Eel-Bird Banders' Bulletin #1) (3)
• Quack by Cara Sherman (article) (24)
• Art Portfolio by Brian Wenz (two of the pieces are R-rated) (25)
• More Quack, review by Cara Sherman of Genesis II, a film by Gene Roddenberry (31)
• Crony the Barbarian by Dave McDonnell (33)
• High Council (HIC!!) by Cara Sherman (36)
  • Women's Rule (or Lack of Such) in Comics, essay by Darbi Penney (37)
  • Three Gloomy Poems (38)
  • Kraith Review (Whap! Crunch! Ow!) by Cara Sherman (40)
  • Letters and other (44)
  • DTFFCONVENTION Report by Cara Sherman, see that page (58)
• Sunn of Star Retch, fiction by Paula O'Keefe (63)
• The Pusher by Bill Rupp (fiction) (78)
• Still More Quack (83)

• 

  from issue #3, Cara Sherman

• 

  from issue #3, Cara Sherman

• 

  from issue #3, Cara Sherman

• 

  from issue #3, Brian Wenz

• 

  from issue #3, Brian Wenz

• 

  from issue #3, Brian Wenz

• 

  from issue #3, Cara Sherman

• 

  from issue #3, Cara Sherman

• 

  from issue #3, Cara Sherman

• 

  from issue #3, Cara Sherman

• 

  from issue #3, Cara Sherman

• 

  from issue #3

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

THE ORIGIN OF PETER SUNN. ..I love it, at least I loved the first half of it. It was a tad long and would have made a good two-part story. The section of Peter's stint at the university was complete in itself and should hare been run as such. Moving onward to his work for F.I.N.K. it got a little tedious.

Art Portfolio was nice, especially Big Barda.

CRONY THE BARBARIAN was hysterical. One of the best things in the zine! I look forward to more! And, oh, that truckin' Romulan! Loverly!! Just about my favorite illo. Must send picture of the black light poster I did of Spock truckin'. Stole! it out of the MONSTER TIMES, who stole it from R. Crumb. Anyway, my version is much better than that run in TMT. More colorful.

Not being into comix, couldn't really get into the editorial on women's rule in comix

KRAITH review was good and informative, considering that I haven't read much Kraith and haven't liked what I have read.

Ah, here's my absolute fave illo—the mad tribble. Hysterical!! I rolled when came to it!!!

Thought I'd never get through all those letters, though. ((MAYBE YOU WILL HAVE BETTER LUCK WHEN ONE OF THEM IS YOURS, NO? -- Cara))

Aha - third fave illo—"NEVER kick a Vulcan in the crotch during Pon Farr!"

The DTFF Con report was very good and very funny. The most refreshing con report I've read in lo these many days. David Gerrold cartoon was very funny and very true; I found all Houston people in 100% agreement with you. Gerrold has become anathema!

Didn't like THE PUSHER, Too conventionalised. Knew how it would end. Well, actually I thought the pusher would turn out to be Charlie Brown, from the ilo.

Bacover was gorgeous. Fantasy equestrian stuff appeals to me.

Don't you think things are being overdone with this "Let's go lay a Vulcan" routine? I mean, the whole reunited PETER SUNN series is based on his sexually arousing nature driving ladies up one side of the asparagus tip and down the other. ((BRAVO! GIVE THE MAN A CIGAR!! -- Cara)) But, we also have the makings of a seduction scene in the Star Trek parody ((NATURALLY, SINCE IT, TOO WAS AT LEAST PARTLY ABOUT PETER. -- Cara)). In short, I think that it is debilitating the whole thing in that I became jealous of the famed attractiveness of the Vulcans. Which in uncommon common terms translates out to boredom. Probably much the same boredom you feel when the sans-attire lady shows up outside James Bond's window with a ladder. (I wonder what possibilities exist in effecting a Vulcan disguise?) ((I THINK IMPATIENCE IS MORE THE WORD THAN BOREDOM WITH ALL THIS SEX-APPEAL OVERKILL. IMPATIENCE WITH THE TINY MINDS WHO WOULD TAKE JAMES BOND'S — OR THE VULCANS' — FATAL APPEAL TO WOMEN SERIOUSLY. IF YOU BECAME IRRITATED WITH PETER SUNN'S GETTING FUCKED SIX WAYS FROM SUNDAY BY WOMEN WHO COULDN'T KEEP THEIR HANDS OFF HIM WHETHER HE LIKED IT OR NOT. IF BY THIS YOU UNDERSTAND WHY FOR EXAMPLE SOME OF "US FEMALES" GET ANGRY WHEN SOME FAT-ASSED SIMPLETON PROPOUNDS HIS THEORY ON WHAT WE LIKE AND WHY WE LIKE IT, EVERYTHING FROM RODDENBERRY'S SNAKE-EVE-APPLE THEORY ABOUT SPOCK'S EARS TO DR. REUBEN'S INSULTINGLY PATRONIZING PRONOUNCEMENTS IN EVERY WOMEN CAN, THEN YOU GOT THE POINT OF PETER SUNN. THE OVERKILL, OVER PRESENCE, OVEREMPHASIS ON SEX IS DELIBERATE. THAT'S PETER'S WHOLE REASON FOR EXISTENCE (SOUND FAMILIAR?) AND ONE OF THE LEVELS OF SATIRE IN THE SERIES. --Cara))

[snipped]

The art portfolio. You can't really judge an art portfolio by the stuff before your eyes. It's rumored that mimeo has a sort of side-effect on the reproduction of

drawings. ((CONSIDERING THAT THEY WERE HAND STENCIL JOBS, THEY WERE PRETTY ACCURATELY REPRODUCED --Cara))

RW #3 was your best issue yet though the lack of strips made it a little too text—heavy. The Origin of Peter Sunn was his funniest yet; I just love to read about oversexed misfit Vulcans. I hope to see LiLilith and Judy again, maybe in "Son of the Origin of Peter Sunn"? Also look forward to FROM KLINGON WITH LOVE and PETER SUNN MEETS CONMAN THE BLABARIAN. SUNN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES could be quite interesting. Sorry to hear about the QUADRANGLE, because I was beginning to get used to yer art. ((!? -- Cara)) (That's easy because I really like it) The Brian Wenz portfolio looked a little stiff.

[snipped]

The KRAITH review was the most interesting short article of the issue. I'll have to buy it soon as I can scrape up the 3 bucks.

[snipped]

I thought I would tell you of two great characters I have devised. It's the story of two Vulcans who lived in ancient Vulcam Or, to sum them up from a recent letter I wrote to HP LOVECRAP ... "The Adventures of Fathead and the Black Rat" is the story of two Vulcans who wander through ancient Vulcan raping, pillaging, plundering and generally having a good time. About the two — Fathead is always in a state of pon farr and spends most of his time with prostitutes (yep, they had 'em on Vulcan back in those days). The Black Rat is a part-time female impersonator who likes to go around sword-fighting while wearing nothing but tennis shoes." I don't know very much about Vulcan's ancient history so any information you could give me would be appreciated. ((WHO? ALL I KNOW IS WHAT I'VE MADE UP ABOUT IT. EVERYBODY SHOULD ALWAYS MAKE UP THEIR OWN, SAYS I. ALL YOU NEED TO ENOW IS THAT THE PLACE WAS WALL-TO-WALL DESERT WITH A LITTLE SAVANNAH AND SAGEBRUSH THROWN IN ALONG WITH SOME VOLCANOES, AND THAT VULCANS WEREN'T LOGICAL BACK THEN, AND YOU'RE ALL SET -- Cara))

FRONT COVER: Ahh, offset, zipatone and all. Very funny, too, with Cyyl's claw gripping Peter's unfortunate skull, the tribbles, the cross-eyed Vulcan girl in the background. Who is that unhappy soul, incidentally, and how did Stunn rope her into considering marrying Peter? Or do we find that out later? (Sunn-coming-out-all-over. AUGH, awful pun) I love your overpopulated group portraits...I'm not crazy about it as a drawing, but as a cartoon I like it a lot, I prefer serious covers like the Mark Lenard drawing on last issue, though, if you want my opinion.

[snipped]

ORIGIN OF PETER SUNN — Roll out the red carpets, toss the rose petals and blow a few fanfares. This is fan-freakin'-tastic!! YE GODS! Got to be the funniest thing I've read in months. ES)). Lord, I'm already READ it, even, I knew what was going to happen and STILL I was rolling on the floor laughing. While it had numerous funny moments — the running gag about the faithful mother "flzwxrp." the seduction scenes, the brief rundown on Sunn's misfit childhood (pity that wasn't longer.. .SO THERE, VINCENT!!) The best scenes in the thing have to be the two taking place in the computer room.. As if the idea of the Vulcan Academy having a bank of oversexed dirty-minded computers wasn't bad enough,... AAUGHH!... you had to throw Peter to them! That bit where the things immediately freak out as he enters and grab him while spewing dirty jokes all over the place...incredible — probably the first recorded description of a computer experiencing orgasm ("subject respond priority urgent RESPOND PRIORITY URGENT" — AAAGH!) —oh, brother! But the best scene in the thing — hell, the best scene in the whole zine, to my taste -— is that monstrous climactic freakout wherein Vhan Sred bursts in to find BOTH girls and Sunn going at it on top of the computers which are having the time of their horny-obscene-riddle-riddled lives, strewing filthy computer confetti and going hysterical — dear lord, what a killer! I hope you're adequately proud of it — I just loved it all as you've no doubt gathered.

[snipped]

The Brian Wenz portfolio—I wish I could have seen the originals of these. Pity the repro didn't do them justice.. .they seem to be quite good. I'll even forgive him his nipple fetish for that drawing of the Vision... also the Barca cover.

[snipped]

When are comix people going to realize that there are intelligent female fans out here who don't need or want to be catered to, but to be accepted as intelligent readers? Speaking for myself, I don't NEED an 'allegedly "feminist" plotline, or a female writer, to attract me to a comic -- in fact if I did, I wouldn't be reading the things. I can tell good writing from bad and I love Steranko and Frazetta and Adams and Wrightson and Kaluta like any fan with brains — why does Marvel feel they have to condescend to me by ostentatiously doing "feminist-oriented" comics? Damn, that makes me so mad — I don't want to be regarded as a "female fan" who has to be written at — just as a fan among fen.

[snipped]

The KRAITH review. Hmm. Can't really disagree with you much here, Cara, since what bothered you seems to be pretty much what bothered me -- the super-perfection of the Vulcans, the cloddishness of the humans, and JL's attitude. Not necessarily in that order. I fact, JL's attitude bums me out the worst of a all -- I hate having it assumed that I'm not intelligent or open-minded enough to understand something, which the KRAITH preface seemed indeed to assume. Infuriating. Sort of "We have the Truth here for you, kiddies, if your little minds can encompass the farout radical new concepts of it all." Granted KRAITH has some stunning brilliant and new ideas in it, but not so stunning or so new that numerous thoughtful reading can't bring it to you.

But, Lord, is it lovely stuff -- intricate, complex, beautiful in many places -- so I'M hardly going to bitch too much over JL's presentation. The whole feeling , the "Vulcaness" if you will, of it is carried over so well. I especially liked the idea of tokiel as the highest form of the language -- lovely idea, that, as well as the structure of the Affirmation and the Kraith itself, not that I pretend to understand THAT yet -- I've only read it three times. I think the instance on the human unpronouncibility of kraith and the family name of Spock's house -- I defy anyone to handle THAT! ((JL CLAIMS SHE CAN... I BELIEVE HER -- Cara)) - is over-doing it a little, but it does serve to draw the line between the superlative Vulcans and the rest of us clods... ((A LINE WHICH DOES NOT HAVE TO BE DRAWN -- Cara)).

Which is my next complaint-- the humans of KRAITH are indeed dolts. Some of them are oversexed dolts, like Chekov -- his assault on T'Zorel is disgusting -- and some of them are jealous dolts like Christine Chapel (AAGH!) But they are all markedly inferior to the Vulcans involved. This is a viewpoint I can fully comprehend and empathize with -- I don't like humans myself -- but I think it tends to detract from what KRAITH and the KRAITH Spoke could be if their brilliant

Vulcans could Interact with if-not-egually-brilliant-at-least-somewhat-advanced-humans. With the notable exception of the Uhura-S'darmeg scene in THE DISAFFIRMED!' (ALSO THE SPOCK-KIRK SOME IN THE SAME STORY), humans and Vulcans are lightyears apart in all respects in KRAITH, and next to the cultural, artistic, logical and near-magical superstardcm of the Vulcans involved the humans come out just plain boorish. YECCH. ((ONE OF JL 'S COMMENTS ON THE REVIEW I DID WAS THAT I HAD IMPROPERLY CHOSEN HER CHARACTERIZATION TO PICK ON INSTEAD OF HER PLOTTING. PLOTTING MAY BE A PERSONAL BUG-BEAR WITH THIS LADY — I DON'T KNOW FROM PLOTTING — BUT THE FACT THAT THOSE DREADFUL INSTANCES OF REVERSE-XENOPHOBIA WERE DELIBERATE DOES NOT MAKE THEM ANY LESS DREADFUL. MAYBE THE WRITERS JUST WEREN'T AWARE OF HOW EXTREME THE DICHOTOMY IS -- Cara))

(I was deeply grieved by the death of T'Rruel, who struck me as a remarkable character, incidentally, sensitive, dignified, wise and exquisitely talented. A tragic thing, that —though it made possible the completion of her motek by T'Antyeh, a splendid moment. It is all for the best, I guess...)

Still, in the scenes like those in Spock's home ("that you may never know confusion in my house" — the peace of Vulcan, a beautiful thing), an almost all of SPOCK'S AFFIRMATION and characters like the Schillian Ssarsun, delightful soul that he is, and T'Aniyeh and T'Zorel and T'Rruel.. .I'd feel a little silly bitching any more. KRAITH is marvelous stuff, attitude or no —in spite of my noted objections I really do love it.

Issue 4

Romulan Wine 4 was published 1974 and contains 114 pages. The front cover is by Cara Sherman, the interior illos are by J.P. Moore and M. Coburn.

cover of issue #4, Cara Sherman

The editorial:

SIGH. Here we are again. It's been almost a year since tne publication of Romulan Wine #3. There are reasons for that (aren't there always?) which I plan to go into as soon as I've got the strength, but I'll give ya a hint — MONEY. Yeah, I thought you'd get it.

You will notice that this is being typed on a different typewriter. My old friend, who has seen me through hundreds of pages of manuscript, dozens of term papers, and three and a half fanzines, has finally bitten the dust. Condolences are appreciated — those of you who hated my scrip type anyway are requested to hold down the jubilation to a dull roar — SNIFF — .

Ahem. In spite of what the cover say's, the Quadrangle isn't all hero. It's HALF here, though. More about that later. No STAR RETCH! (SOB!) But Jayne West is here, as is Peter Sunn (good ol' Peter' Sunn). You will be pleased to note that a lot more typos went, to their reward (having died of acute corflu) than ever before. I didn't get 'em all, but the disgraceful condition of RW#3 will not be repeated. I hope.

Apologies on the price hike. It truly was necessary. Next ish will be the one I'll have to bribe the post offal to not look in the envelope so I don't get busted for trying to corrupt youth across state lines: the Pon Farr Anniversary Ish.

There's a lot of changes that have been happening to me — I'll quack about 'em later. All I can say now is, I hope Romulan Wine was worth the wait for you. If it was, then almost everything I've been through is worth it.

Almost.

Excerpts from the author's notes for "The Maltese Vulcan":

Thrill to the valiant efforts of Peter Sunn and Cyyl as they struggle with a problem that has vexed the finest analytical minds in the Federation of Planets. Would you believe the finest minds in the Maltese Quadrant? How about a couple of mail-sorters in the sub-basement of the Federation Memorial Library? Oh, well...it was a nice try, anyway.

Special note to readers. Those of you who are likely to be offencied by semi-raunchy material are politely requested to avoid the spot illo on page 10. In fact, you might do well to avoid this whole story. Actually it isn't really that raunchy, but if anybody IS offended, don't say I didn't warn you!

Getting serious for a moment, there's a lot of things about this story that disturb me. It's an experiment, for one thing... unlike all the other PS stories thus far, it has a plot...sort of. Also, in spite of determined attempts to keep it short, it seems to have gotten out of hand and has started sprawling out probably past thirty pages. To those of you who feel Peter Sunn is too long (COUGH!) I know there's no such thing as Peter being too long—shut up, Cyyl), I can only tender my apologies and hope that be sides being boring, rambling, badly constructed and not very funny you don't find this epic also too long. Excuse me—that sound you hear is the noise of an editor going quietly frou-frou.

A call for action, but only the proper kinds of action:

The Star Trek movie is still alive as a possibility. Write to Frank Yablans, president of Paramount Pictures.

Don't put Gene Roddenberry or STAR TREK on the envelope. Be polite, be courteous, be eloquent, but concise, and tell them why a Star Trek movie or ANY science fiction is a good idea. If you want Star Trek to come back, support the cartoon keep it alive, and write about getting it put on Saturday nights at 7:30 instead of its present deadly slot. If they know we're out here-and we're not going to go away, they might start thinking about it seriously.

Star Trek can came back, BETTER, if you can accept the idea of other persons playing the roles if the regulars can't make it, — I could see James Coburn as a captain and Martin Landau as Spock — say so! Possible unavailability of regulars plus non-acceptance of alternatives by fans is one of the obstacles to considering the movie. If the movie, or a series of movies, is made, we have taken care of one big financial obstacle (reconstruction of expensive sets and stock shots) to the return of the live-action show, IF YOU WANT STAR TREK TO COME BACK BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER, WRITE! !IF YOU WOULD RATHER KEEP IT AS A HALCYON MEMORY, DISREGARD THIS PARAGRAPH!!

In any event, don't waste your time bandying about words like "boycott Paramount." Boycotting has considerable clout at a supermarket but we are not 80 million housewives sick of paying through the nose for beef. We are a minority, a small but vocal minority of the total media — consuming audience which patronizes Paramount's "products" — we can hurt only our cause and the image of fans by boycotting, which is a weapon you use for extreme situations and only if you have enough mass to be significant. Bringing back Star Trek and good science fiction to the tube requires our letters, not our silence.

Again, don't put GENE RODDENBERRY OR STAR TREK on the envelope or they'll just forward it as fan mail and NBC will never see it. And, again, keep it clean, neat, courteous and intelligent. Nasty letters don't impress anyone.

The editor (Cara Sherman) includes an unsourced quote from D.C. Fontana (also printed in The Nimoyan #4) about fan merchandising and legalities, and includes Sherman's response:

Despite what anyone has said, no one has ever objected to the sale of film clips for charitable causes, as swaps, or even reproduced as photos or slides for sale at conventions. There is NO great profit in it for anyone, least of all Paramount, who could not care less about someone's couple of bucks extra selling clips.

What is unethical, illegal, and in violation of Paramount's right to license and merchandise is a situation where someone has reproduced scripts and is selling them, or the situation which arose wherein items were bought from STAR TREK ENTERPRISES (the only licensed Star Trek souvenir dealer) and then resold to fans at some 25 % more. And if I were a new fan who had been taken in such a deal, I'd be as mad as Paramount and Star Trek Enterprises were! Also illegal and unethical are the mass producing of phasers, communicators, tricorders, etc. which are all copyright by Paramount. One such item made for display, entry in an art show, as a costume prop, or for one's own enjoyment is obviously not a violation. Making a number of them and turning it into a business IS a violation. Another violation is the selling "bootleg" blooper films. The film is the property of Gene Roddenberry, allowed him by Paramount. I don't think I have to lay out the impropriety if the selling such films. I might stress that Star Trek episodes legally obtained from outlet houses are ALL RIGHT. It is fhe bootleg prints that are a violation. (Usually they have been stolen to begin with.) Any tapes made on a home television recorder and sold are also on very shaky legal ground — the same goes for sound tapes which might be sold.

REPEAT: Any item you obtain for your own pleasure or perhaps as a swap is fine. But turning it into a business and profiting from other people's work without a license or permission from Paramount is at the very least unethical, if not illegal.

[The editor of the zine, Cara Sherman, adds this: "Now, some questions; in response to the outrage at Paramount over the bootleg blooper films, have any of those bright-eyed boys come up with a means of legal access to said articles? Bootlegs must be cheaper, better or easier to obtain than legal versions or the black market wouldn't exist. How about it? Anybody know about this?"

More commercialization and comments from Cara Sherman:

DAVID GERROLD ALL OVER THE PLACE, or The Man Who Solded Himself David Gerrold is DAGE CO. (Obviously an acronym of DAvid GErrold), and is vending all kinds of books and other things. [snipped: list of books for sale] He is also still selling those... tribbles. Short haired, small (about the size of a hairy ping pong ball), large (about the size of a hairy tennis ball) and immense (about the size of a hairy soccer ball), 2, 4 and 8 dollars a piece; long-haired (same sizes but shaggier), 3 dollars each, 2 far 5, large 5 dollars each, 2 for 9, and immense 10 dollars each or 2 for 16.

I'd tell you what I think, but greed speaks for itself.

• Peter Sunn and Half the People in the Galaxy in The Maltese Vulcan (Part 1) by Cara Sherman (3)
• Quack by Cara Sherman (article) (22)
• JP Moore Art Portfolio (23)
• What Else? More Quack by Cara Sherman, includes a con report for Equicon, see that page (30)
• High Council by Cara Sherman (31)
  • poems by Legolas (Maryann O'Toole) (33)
  • poem by Ed Newby (the nudzh) (34)
  • letters (kisses, curses, relevant and trivial) (35)
  • Book Reviews by by Cara Sherman: "Feminism in Science Fiction" a review of "Star Rider" by Doris Piserchia, a review by Carla Sherman of "Walk to the End of the World" (no author cited) (46)
  • Blurbs, commercials, etc (49)
  • Dracula illo by Linda White (52)
• More Quack by Cara Sherman (53)
• Half the Quadrangle and No Excuses (Sakenn has no page numbers, you can't type on E-STENCILS!) (54)
• Mort III, A Vulcan, comic strip by Dave Puckett and Cara Sherman (64)
• Tanel of Darthang by Michael Coburn (77)
• Romulus: The Empire Papers -- Entry One: Kirlana by Katherine Nickel (Comments from the zine's editor regarding this story: "I went to the Equicon, and I consequently have become more involved with Star Trek fandom than ever before, doing a lot of Trekkish writing. One of the results of that is the EMPIRE PAPERS series. Everyone who has a story about Romulans, please let me see it. Longish stories — KIRLANA is a novella; I'm half-tempted to run it as a supplement and stick a new rom story in next ish.") (82)
• Jayne West of Motor City by JP Moore (95)
• Last Quacko by Cara Sherman (106)
• Peter Sunn on the Planet of the Frogs by Dennis Rexrode (107)

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  from issue #4, detail from a page, commentary on the Kraith series

Issue 5

front cover of issue #5, Cara Sherman

Romulan Wine 5 is explicit het and called The Porno Issue. It is undated, but published in January 1975, and contains 100 pages.

back cover of issue #5, Cara Sherman

The front cover is by Cara Sherman, the interior illos are by Amy Falkowitz, Paula Smith, and M.A. O'Toole.

In "Romulan Wine" #4, Sherman explained the focus of this issue and asked for submissions:

About the Porno Ish (Pon Farr Anniversary Issue): what you have to say on the subject of sex is welcome. I have a LOT to say about it—specifically, a lot to say about social attitudes towards it which make it either into a sacrament, a profanity, or something to be sniggered at, obsessed with and exploited. We do everything with sex but understand it—that's the thesis of the porno ish. (all in fun, too.) Art (as raunchy as you like as long as it's GOOD and raunchy), articles, stories, strips, cartoons, poems! Please send 'em! whatever). I'd even like to print a good juicy lay-Spock!

From the opening editorial in issue #5:

If you're under eighteen, don't buy this thing. Put it back or don't order it -- please. I'm in enough trouble already. How would you feel if your salacious urge to look at a book full of erotic pictures and explicit prose resulted in some innocent fan being slammed in the clink just because I had no way of knowing you were underage. (For god's sake, put that lollipop away!... oh, sorry, lt. Kojak, heh he. This? Oh, it's just a little magazine I put together ... SIR! I RESENT your saying that these drawings are dirty! Do I look like the kind of kid who gets off drawing dirty pictures and sending them to underage kids.... well... here, why don't you try one one of the nice green ones? They're corflu-flavored...)

From "More Quack":

... there's a long quack in here about the Lay-Spock phenomenon that I'm not sure I'll keep -- I had the eeriest feeling while I was writing the essay that it was dated two years ago and I had no business writing such a thing now, let alone printing it. It's for all those fringe people and comics people who looked at SPOCK ENSLAVED and then at me and shook their heads and asked "WHY?"

Also from "More Quack":

Being a junior-grade pornographer at the moment, I'm concerned with the meaning of everything that pertains to the issue, (For one thing, I'm worried about getting slammed in the pokey for selling this book to some of you,) For example, I don't consider the porno ish pornography, because in my biased opinion it does not adhere to the above strictly delineated definition,

I didn't put this book together just to get my rocks off, or yours, either — I don't know if I COULD, Look at the way THE MALTESE VULCAN falls apart at the end with the orgy to me, anything that has to be glued together with semen (or vaginal joy-juice) is a highly suspicious literary entity.

Maybe this makes me an effete intellectual snob (I really tried with O.G.M.L, — maybe it hangs-together a little better) The trouble is, anybody reading the thing might come to the conclusion that I DID write the stuff merely to get my rocks off, and off Cara goes to the slammer. Who knows?

• Editorial by Cara Sherman (2)
• The Maltese Vulcan, part two/conclusion, fiction by Cara Sherman (This is a Peter Sunn story. "Here is the story that finally answers the unanswerable question: Can a nice a 'Orthodox statue with a hard-on find its way into the homes, hearts and so forth of contemporary America? Or would the whole mess be better off packed in a box and shipped to Pizmo Beach?") (3)
• Quack, article by Cara Sherman (28)
• The Art Portfolio by Maryann O'Toole and Cara Sherman (29)
• More Quack, essay by Cara Sherman (what is pornography, how do you recognize it, how is it different than eroticism) (37)
• May You Always Have Interesting Dreams, fiction by Amy Falkowitz (A human female dreams of having sex with a winged, lizardy alien, but when she wakes, her alien lover is just Spock.) (From the editor: "Yep, that was a Lay-Spock story, all right, Amy Falkowitz says 'Highly tongue-in-cheek' -- perhaps in this case it would be more like tongue-in-ear -- to "poke fun at that type of story.") (39)
• Still More Quack: Anybody care to describe a typical lay-Spock story to me? Better yet, explain why anybody would go through the mental torture prerequisite to formulating a feasible plot to lay the bugger?, essay by Cara Sherman (55)
• Three Lay-Spock Trilogy by Paula Smith (59)
• High Council (species sex jokes) (61)
• long letter of comment by Melody Johnston (62)
• Why do people become fans? More specifically, why am I a fan?, long comments by Cara Sherman about "Why do people become fans? What would Star Trek fandom look like without fanfiction?" (64)
• long letter of comment by Ed Newby (much about the meaning and function of the character, Peter Sunn, about feminism and women's liberation) (66)
• a creative letter of comment written as feedback to Peter Sunn, but is actually a plug for the zine, Independent Entity (70)
• Star Sex, illustrated fiction in script form, by Greg Costikyan and Adam Kasanoff (71)
• You Guessed It, More Quack ("Christ, I started talking about what's so damn funny about sex and end up talking about women's liberation." -- topic is sex, men writing about women's sexual pleasure, sex as vulnerability, why is sex funny, and much more) (81)
• O.G.M.L., or Why Romulans Don't Take Prisoners by Cara Sherman ("Inspired by Chris Miller's "THE NIGHT BEFORE THE LAST DAY THEY FILMED STAR TREK" in the science fiction issue of THE NATIONAL LAMICON which occurred two summers ago. Having proceeded to rot my brain with cunnilingus fantasies spun off of that, I sent a pencil to paper and created a strip story ... If anything in this book makes me a candidate for a morals charge, O.G.M.L. is it.") (83)
• Last Quack, Likewise Last Page (100)

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  from issue #5, Cara Sherman