Rules Are Meant to Be...

From Fanlore
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Zine
Title: Rules Are Meant to Be...
Publisher: Trick Or Treat Press
Editor(s): Meg Bruck
Date(s): 1998-2002
Series?:
Medium: print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: MacGyver
Language: English
External Links: Publisher website & older version archived here
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Rules Are Meant to Be... is a slash anthology.

cover of issue #1

From an ad in The New Monthly: "Are you adicted to those seven episodes with the evil Murdoc? Did you cheer when MacGyver received that mysterious phone call at the end of 'Obsessed'? Have you noticed how sparks fly when the adversaries are in the same room? If you've ever wondered what could have been between the do-gooder and his foe, then this zine is for you."

Issue 1

Rules Are Meant to Be... 1 was published in 1997 and contains 101 pages. The zine has a color cover designed by Wolf, three black & white computer designed "photos", 11 short stories, two poems by Khylara and story fragments by Julie.

The zine is online here.

Issue 2

Rules Are Meant to Be... 2 was published in 1999, was jointly edited by Archen and Meg Bruck, and contains 114 pages.

front cover issue #2 by Wolf
back cover issue #2 by Wolf

The zine has a color cover designed by Wolf, two pencil drawings by Anna Morgan. It has poetry by A.J. and Archen, and an ongoing vignette series by Gwen McLeod.

The online links to the stories are broken and sadly not available through the Wayback Machine.

editorial:

Most of us have stumbled upon slash accidentally. You may have seen a zine at a convention with an "interesting" cover. Or you were chatting with a fannish friend about your heartthrob du jour and the close "friendship" he had with his roommate/partner/boss. Or maybe you happened on a web site devoted to slash for your favorite show. No matter how you found slash fandom, the sense of belonging, of finding a home in the community, is the same for all of us.

Four years ago, I had no idea what slash was. Then a debate on the MacGyver mailing list about an off-handed comment Jay Leno made about RDA’s sexuality spurred someone to de-lurk. Her comment to the list hit all my (good) buttons. I responded, we got to talking, and finally she asked if I read slash.

"Slash? What’s that?" I asked, naïve girl that I was.

"Oh ho! Let me tell you!" she said, and proceeded to explain the ins and outs of slash pairings. (Ok, she didn’t use those words, and she made a very cautious introduction of slash fandom, but the results were the same.) She wasn’t too keen on Mac/Murdoc because of the intrinsic violence factor, but she said, "I have a friend …."

The rest, as they say, is history.

Since last year, I’ve met so many wonderful fans at conventions (and plans to meet even more), made friends over the internet, spoken to people over the phone (albeit sometimes briefly), and even found a slash fan two blocks away from my home. Not everyone shares my passion for Mac/Murdoc, but our common interest in slash ties us together. I’ve had a ball, and I look forward to doing it again this year.

So here I am, publishing a second issue of an all MacGyver/Murdoc zine. This one is a bit different than the last: it’s content is more varied, containing a crossover, a Mac/Pete/Murdoc triangle, and a couple of … unexpected pairings. Some stories are hard core while others are sweetly romantic. There should be something for everyone. If you’re particularly squeamish about certain things, or if you want to know what you’re getting into before hand, please read the Content Warnings after the Table of Contents.

Please note that each of the writers is operating in her own universes. While I am a stickler for canon, Archen is not. The rest seem to fall somewhere in the middle. This is important only because certain canonical facts are ignored and I’d like all of you to be informed.

The next issue is already in the planning stages. I will refrain from predicting a publication date just in case it doesn’t come to pass. However, I already have two completed stories and a third one on the way. Keep your fingers crossed.

And now for the obligatory ‘thank you’s, which are by no means anything less than a deep felt appreciation for all the help I’ve received this year. Thanks to all the contributors (present and future): A.J., Archen, Diana, Gwen, Jane, Julie, Lori & Wolf; who make this publication possible. And of course I must thank the sixty people who bought copies of the first issue, and all of you who are reading this one.

Thank you Archen for helping me with the editing. You are far better at it than I am; if it weren’t for you, I’d be bald by now. Thank you Wolf for the (as always) beautiful cover art, the proofing, and for your help on the macslash mailing list. And Julie, my muse, who with a single phone call can give me five new story ideas, who has read and reread all my work in their various stages of doneness, and whom without I would be lost. You’ve given me more than I can ever thank you for.

(Sniff.)

Onward! Get to it! Read, write and be slashy

Issue 3

cover issue #3

Rules Are Meant to Be... 3 was published in 2001 and has 96 double sided laser printed pages. The zine has a color cover by Nancy Mayberry, seven short stories, several poems and two vignettes.

Some story excerpts are here.

  • The Lake Shore Limited by Meg Bruck
  • Mac's Pain by Leslie Massey
  • Cold Blue Eyes by Archen
  • Mac Chess by Leslie Massey
  • Deadliest Enemy, Dearest Love by Khylara
  • Murdoc's Muse I by Leslie Massey
  • Science Experiment by Laverick
  • Pictures by Khylara
  • Truly Madly Deeply by Gwen McLeod
  • A Message For Mrdoc by Leslie Massey
  • Murdoc's Muse by Leslie Massey II
  • No Problem by Jane Carnall & Julie Kramer (crossover with Star Trek: TOS)
  • The Enemy You Know by Laverick
  • Colombian Surprise by Nance McLeod
  • Murdock's Muse III by Leslie Massey
  • Musings on Murdoc by Khylara
  • Twas the Night before Christmas by Archen
  • Dead Time by Jane Carnall & Julie Kramer
  • Killer's Cry by Leslie Massey
Retrieved from "https://fanlore.org/w/index.php?title=Rules_Are_Meant_to_Be...&oldid=1377860"