S and H (Starsky and Hutch letterzine)/Issues 11-15
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Issues 01-05 · Issues 06-10 · Issues 11-15 · Issues 16-20 · Issues 21-25 · Issues 26-30 · Issues 31-38
Sneak Preview: The economics of fandom becomes a point of discussion as the letterzine publisher strives to keep costs down while handling an increasing number of longer letters. Zine publishers also discuss the impact that zine xeroxing is having on their publications. The first Starsky & Hutch slash zine is published in the UK (Forever Autumn) and the reaction is mostly favorable. A few voices express concern over what they see as an increasingly sarcastic and negative tone in the letters (but one writer admits to being privately amused by the heated rhetoric). There is a slight up-tick in canonical discussion as a few fans strive to refocus on plot and the characters.
S and H 11 (June 1980)
- contains 44 pages
- there is mention of Westercon
- there is a goodbye to Franny Moore-Kyle as well as a letter from her
- a con report for Mos Westly Con
- a review of One Shot, see that page
- art by Jane Davis (front cover), Jeff Dixon, Connie Faddis, Kendra, Ruth Kurz, Jan Lindner, Cheryl Newsome, Kenneth Ray, Liz Tucker, Linda Walter
- there is more discussion whether Hutch would be A: addicted to heroin as portrayed, B: able to kick it as portrayed, C: an addict forevermore
- there is discussion on whether Hutch slept with Kira to save Starsky from getting snared by a bad woman
- a fan wonders if Hutch’s move from the canal cottage to Venice Place was due to practical reasons and goes on to describe her visits to the cottage and the remodeling that was done on it, as well as the house built next door
- a fan weighs in on “do they or don’t they”: All mammals are, by nature, bisexual. But we, the homosapien species of the mammals, have the power of reason. Homosexuality is not productive and therefore useless to society. Eventually it was tagged as wrong and finally ‘abnormal.’ Touching, feeling and having sex comes from love and/or a physical need, not social standards or demands. So why wouldn’t it be normal for Starsky and Hutch, through their close and loving relationship, to express that love in the most fulfilling way possible?
- a fan says: I understand I haven’t missed a whole lot with [name redacted]: So what? If you don’t want to read it, don’t. If you’re gonna write it, be realistic.
- a fan comments on [name redacted]’s previous scolding about fan fiction writers who don’t “do enough research”: I should think that the sort of research regimen she recommended for fan fiction writers a while back would daunt a professional novelist with advance in hand, let alone a fan writer who had a thought of scene she wanted to share with other fans.
- a fan comments on zines: I wish there was a way to attach them together. Some of mine with brads, still come apart…” while the zines “seem to be maturing, much better background stories or this is the way it might have been. I just wish there was a simple, easy CHEAP way of putting them together.
- a fan says of reviews: Too many reviews have a gloating tone, as if the reviewer has forgotten what’s going on – informing the potential reader – and is wallowing in the Damn, I’m Good orgasm of enjoying her own words. In preference to that type of review, I’ll take a simple recitation of the table of contents, a quote of the price, and the editor’s address so I can send off and judge for myself.
- a fan wonders if: ST and S&H fans are the only ones being so completely creative. I mean, there are a lot of Elvis fans, but they only collect things and write love letters. I guess it has to take a story or TV series to engender such a participatory and creative freedom. The only one I can think of that precedes ST is the Sherlock Holmes story series. That has an active fandom who write stories continuing the life of Holmes. They pretend he is a real live person… I believe it is the longest continuing active fandom, at least in recent times, where believers participate.
- a fan comments on another fan’s letter in a previous issue that stated fan fiction should be as serious and well done as “Finnegan’s Wake": I don’t agree with degree of seriousness that you want a writer to assume to pleas fan reviewers and audience. It does indeed seem true what [name redacted] said about the standards of S&H writing being so much higher than those of ST, with its younger audience. I think those who have come into S&H from ST are rather spoiled by the high quality that was reached there. If a beginning fan of S&H writes a rather simple or silly-plotted thing, that you can’t stand, don’t snarl and kick the dog, just forget you ever read it. Perhaps you don’t need to take the whole reviewing business so SERIOUSLY. Of course, people always try to do the best they can, and it is nice that you are so concerned.
- a fan responds to earlier letters from [name redacted]: Okay, I’ll admit it, you are quite obviously the most literally sophisticated reader in S&H fandom. You are also one of the best writers and a frequently brilliant poet. However, your literary preeminence doesn’t mitigate the fact that you’ve been subtly denigrating any opinion that doesn’t coincide with your, ‘counting coup’ with your formidable verbal agility. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad – we could learn a lot from you if you would deal with us as fellow adults. By going into each letter as though it’s a battle, you’re alienating the people you seem to want to enlighten…. There’s also the option of being compassionate and encouraging, and using humor that doesn’t inflict pain. We know from your poetry that you’re capable of Beauty as well as Beast. Please try to share your insights with us instead of clubbing us over the head with them.
- a zine editor says: Thanks for bringing up xeroxing in-print zines. Didn’t know anyone was doing that – hey, folks, zines are usually copyrighted! No, I’m not likely to sue anyone, but if I find out anybody’s done it, I’ sure as hell won’t sell to her.
- a fan says she has never seen “Survival” but has heard the audio tape: It makes me wish I could see the action to go with it. There are a lot of silences and squealing tires… but it isn’t the same as seeing it.
- a fan says write of m/m: Regarding S/H vs S&H – I don’t care either way, it’s something that is so much a personal thing that its sole purpose in fanfic is to stimulate the imagination. I has provided an interesting experiment for fanfic writers – Forever Autumn, the first S/H zine I’ve read, handles the idea sensitively and with good taste, and will certainly provide more. Any concept that stimulates a writer to write more is worthwhile.
- a fan says she doesn’t believe in “the premise” of S/H or “as the British call it, “S stroke H.” But the she has this opinion: I could almost be made to believe it is this: Starsky LOVES EVERYTHING about Hutch. He has given most of himself to Hutch so that this extra step is really nothing. He already loves Hutch’s body as well as his mind, his personality, the things that go to make Hutch HUTCH. Therefore, under some circumstances, it would not be hard for Starsky to take the extra step of physically loving Hutch. However, I do not see them as gay. There should be a distinction made. I cannot see Starsky making love to another man. He loves girls. They satisfy him Hutch is something special and only Hutch is… It is only an accident that Hutch happens to be male… All of the above applies vice-versa – H/S… However, I think it would detract from the relationship for it to become homosexual. It did degenerate in some of the K/S stories so that it read K only wanted S for his body, and with S (especially in pon farr – supposedly—from The Rack) Spock ended up in another man’s bed after Kirk’s death. NO WAY!
- a male fan writes in to assure folks that not all fans are women: It isn’t easy being a fan when you’re male, at least to the extent that one might get involved without some people assuming you must be gay or weird.” He says “Mojave Crossing” is the piece of fiction that got him hooked. He says that as far as S/H goes, “It is my opinion they didn’t through mid-third season and probably don’t now, although I can’t completely discount the possibility. A well-written and convincing story could make me reexamine my views. But then, that’s what well-written and convincing stories should do, isn’t it?
from issue #11, Cheryl Newsome
from issue #11, Ruth Kurz
from issue #11, Connie Faddis
from issue #11, Cheryl Newsome
from issue #11, Jeff Dixon
S and H 12 (June [actually July] 1980)
- contains 44 pages
- fan offers up her house for “crash space” before or after the upcoming Zebra Con
- art by Jane Davis, Jeff Dixon, Greg Franklin, Betty de Gabrielle, Sheiler Nichols, Gloria-Ann Rovelstad, Kendra, Joy Mancinelli, Cheryl Newsome
- NOTE: there is no ad for Bird of Paradise or Then We Can Be Heroes in forthcoming zines
- there are a couple of references to “dead alligators,” a reference to “Hutch sleeping like a dead alligator” (a canon reference?), along with some alligator cartoons and in-jokes. This may explain the later, oddly-named references of the subtitles in the zine Tagging Along.
- a fan says: The S&H-visit-England idea has really taken root and some stories are already going the rounds. If there are enough, I’ll collect them in zine form.”
- the editor of Zebra Three says she has “4 regular male customers” and was glad to see the letter in the previous issue that was written by a guy. She also says that she will "reprint Wilderness in July and August (probably July since the guarantee on the mimeo runs out July 30th, and if it’s going to break down, I’d prefer it does so before I have to pay for repairs.)" She is going to run off 100 copies, "then Laurie and I are going to burn the stencils." She mentions that the reprint of Sins of the Father will be a slightly different version than appeared in The Pits)
- a fan says she broke down and bought a typewriter, one she is using to type the second issue of The Holmesian Federation. She also mentions the vampire story she submitted to Dracula.
- a fan disagrees with the “vitriolic” review of One Shot in the previous issue. "I feel that referring to any story as ‘actively offensive’ is going to far."
- Doing the math shows how close these editors came with money. The editors explain they are going to have to cut the art or limit the letters, due to expenses. A writer replies she'd prefer to have them raise the price, or "charge enough to at least make a little profit for yourselves, and may give the front cover artists a free issue... " The editors' reply: "We appreciate and understand this reasoning, however, our budget simply doesn't allow contributor's copies."
- a letter talks extensively about how fiction should follow the characters that were created by William Blinn, David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser, that any other interpretation may be enjoyable but if hey differ from the main creators’ views, they are of a completely different animal. The editors insert: "What about Spelling? Goldberg? ABC? The censors? All the directors? All the script writers? The crew? The cast of each show? The film editor and his trusty scissors? Lynn? [1] Elizabeth? [2]" pointing out that it is difficult to determine the original creation.
- there is further discussion on whether Starsky intended for Hutch to really fall down the stairs in “Blindfold” or if they were both pranking each other
- a fan says she’d gladly pay an extra fifty or seventy-five cents a month for an issue of this letterzine. “I figure it’s the least we can do to pay a little more since very few of us can stop ourselves at two pages.”
- a fan says it is much easier to get into a story that’s an alternative timeline when she knows in advance that it will be different than canon
- the writer of Forever Autumn says of Star Trek and choice with love:
The pon farr element reduced the whole choice factor and made the relationship inevitable in most stories… For it to work for either K&S or S&H, it must be a conscious decision, made with all the facts known, otherwise it becomes invalid… Think of the elements of sexual desire is secondary to the love involved… This partly explains the lack of explicit detail in ‘Autumn.’… The other part of explanation [names of people who have asked/complained] is that I knew I was not equal to the task of writing it, and rather than make a mess of it, I left it out altogether.
- a fan hates Starsky in the gold lame suit from “Golden Angel.”: In GOLDEN ANGEL I sure hope that isn't Glaser in the gold lame suit all the time. The pot belly non-physique is an insult not only to him but to his stunt double, Charles Picerni. If that's Glaser he must have foundered on lunch that day.
- a fan responds to a letter in the previous issue: Sounds to me like you’re confusing ‘gay’ with ‘promiscuous.’ The two aren’t mutually exclusive, but talking about S/H that isn’t ‘gay’ is like talking about a vegetarian who ‘only’ eats bacon. You’re sketching a bisexual relationship that’s heterosexually open but homosexually exclusive. As to such a situation being an extension of a loving relationship… well, they’d be pretty stupid to get into it just for a giggle. And if someone tries to print S/H that’s on a level with some of that half-witted K/S crap, I hope the duplicating machine self-destructs and blows it all to atoms. Ditto any heterosexual garbage, equal opportunity curse.
- the next letter writer doesn’t agree: Valid point. If I were ever to accept a sexual relationship between S&H, it would definitely be on this basis. Good explanation.
- another writer also doesn’t agree: For someone who doesn’t believe in the S/H premise, you’ve sure got it right. That is the only conceivable way to explain it. It’s just another way to express their loving relationship – they are not homosexual in any other way!
- a zine publisher complains about fans xeroxing copies of Wilderness and giving them to friends:
It’s made 50+ people who’ve been waiting for the reprint wait up to close to another year longer before I was willing to tackle the job again. It’s very easy to reprint a mimeo zine, if the stencils are intact, BUT how many of the readers actually realize the time/effort that goes into printing/collating/punching/bradding/stuffing envelopes/taping envelopes and taking an hour every week to have the zines individually weight at the post office? Why should I go through the trouble of printing/collating etc. for 10 people?
- a fan is taking requests of making cassette tapes of David Soul’s album, “Band of Friends":So many stores are reluctant to deal with such a small company and are not stocking the album… usual old circle… if the album is selling well they will stock it… BUT as they are not stocking it, it’s is not selling.
- there is more discussion on the definition of the word “sensual.” If you want to tell me that Starsky and Hutch love each other, and that because of that love, they might someday become lovers, fine. I can accept that as one possibility. Please don’t try to tell me, though, that because S&H have a very caring, a sensual relationship, that they must obviously be lovers. I just can’t buy that.
- several fans are bothered by the tone of some letters in previous issues: Come on, people! Let’s try to get this thing back in perspective. Remember that ‘to tear flesh’ [a reference to a prior quote] and think about it for a moment. Do we really want to do that to each other?
- a fan is putting together a survey (She adds that you can also get the survey if you send her a SASE) which is to be included in Zebra Three #5. She figured this would cover all S&H fans: After due consideration, I felt that almost every one who is ‘into’ S&H fandom orders this one [Zebra Three], that was why it was included in the package.
- a fan asks for more fanfic that isn’t based on episodes as well as for some OMCs: Surely our boys must have some male friends they see socially… and the ladies – I’m sorry, friends, but I refuse to believe they don’t date anyone. There must be a couple of gals out there that would be willing to go out with either of them. I can’t believe that every lady they meet gets bumped off or goes back to hooking.
- a fan writes that she loves Starsky and Hutch for many things, not just their beautiful bodies:
Their fantasy relationship is the ideal we rarely reach in reality, or if reached, cannot maintain eternally… So bring on the fiction and fantasy. I don’t care if it is the aired S&H universe which rightly has restrictions, or alternate universes including ‘what if’ situations that negate the series, S/H stories that begin, continue, fight against, fight for, walk away from the century’s most sizzling love affair, or pre-S&H stories that have one or the other rich, poor, orphaned, step-mothered or fathered, in med school, law school, or the school of hard knocks, or gay since puberty or before. I’ll read and love them all, and cherish a few… Let’s all enjoy the variety. Fantasy is for fun.
- a writer takes a shot at another fan who sent in a criticism to the letterzine for a story she had written: What you saw in Any Major Dude is of great interest to me, especially as I wasn’t aware that you had a copy of the zine, and I would appreciate a LoC if you are so inclined.
- a fan looks forward to the decisive letters: It is a nice feeling when in the middle of the month the letters start to come in. We sit here and giggle over them or when we know that a letter will cause a strong reaction. We sit around with evil little grins and wait for the explosions. Without all of you out there writing to us, this would never be possible, so thank you all, and please keep them coming.
- there is discussion about the term “groupie”: I couldn’t agree more, the term is derogatory in the same way trekkie now seems to be. ‘Fan’ is still the safest term for those who still have their heads screwed on the right way.
- the author of Forever Autumn responds to those who:
...took me to task for not referring to ‘Sweet Revenge’ [in my story]. I, too, feel that ANY episode can be a jumping off point for a ‘what-if.’ If the events of the story take a different course from the established series events, it automatically follows that they do so in a different reality/universe…As I see it, no one has the right to say ‘you can’t write this.' The only judge of what one can publish is public opinion… and even then it’s not so much what you can publish as what you can sell. But the permutations are endless, and there are no boundaries.
- a fan writes of the acceptance of differing opinions in this letterzine: I honestly feel that the people who are writing in the letterzine at the moment are about as far removed from the backbiting Trek correspondence-zine crowd as you can get. Here you can say anything outrageous, and we’ll still love ya.
- the editors say: We’ve decided to take the month of August off. So, there won’t be a letterzine the 1st of September… We’ll have the July issue out the first of August, then there won’t be another one til the 1st of October.” They also say that they are closing the letterzine to future subscribers. “Since the future of this thing is up in the air, we don’t want to end up with extra money we have to send back.
- a review of Partners: Not even an outstanding zine, but most every piece within it is passable and a some are even delightful.
- a review by of Zebra Three #5: Zebra-3 has fallen on hard times. The proliferation of S&H zines has meant that not all the best stories are offered to the first Press of Fandom. Indeed, I think #5 is Z-3’s worst issue so far…I don’t recommend this zine.
- a review of One Shot: Fannish stories tend to range in their emotional impact from shelf paper to Art. shelf paper is that stuff written purely for it’s thrill, shared with your best friend, and then hidden under a stack of zines. In between is entertainment. The farther along the spectrum towards true emotional art, the more levels the entertainment engages, but the harder the reader has to work to enjoy." She declares this zine has a bit of all of these kinds of stories. "For the money, a moderately good zine.
- a review of Paladin: Media fandom rides again. And it is a life-saver… It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a zine whose contents are so uniformly good.
- fan posts an ad about two zines:
Does anyone out there have a copy of Currents #1 or Me and Thee #1 that they would be willing to either sell or at least Xerox for me? I’ll gladly pay the fee for copying them and the postage as well as paying ½ the original cover price to the editor of each zine. I think that’s only fair.
inside art from issue #12, Gloria-Ann Rovelstad, Paul Michael Glaser as "Houdini"
from issue #12, Greg Franklin
from issue #12, Greg Franklin
from issue #12, Cheryl Newsome
from issue #12, Greg Franklin
from issue #12, unknown artist
S and H 13 (August 1980)
- contains 44 pages
- the letterzine was no longer open to additional subscribers
- they lost access to their regular printer
- the editors remind folks they are skipping next month but to keep the letters under two pages so the typing and length doesn’t kill them. They also are pretty excited that Tabby Davis is coming to the UK for a visit in August.
- a con report for Minicon, May 23, 24, 25, Australia. They watched some movies, some episodes, then retired to the caravan in the back garden for discussion and sleeping. Then, they watched some more eps, made black bean soup, and went shopping. That night, they snuggled in sleeping bags, drank hot cocoa and watched some more eps.
- A second plea, complete with art, to “Put the ‘M’ in Kala azoo!... Bring [name redacted] to Z’Con.” This is a bid for donations to make it possible for a BNF to the next Zebra Con. It is organized by Paula Smith, Connie Faddis and others.
- a fan is selling miniature portrait busts of Hutch and of Kirk. They are $24 plus postage.
- art by Anonymous, Jane Davis/Don Hunter, Betty de Gabriel, Greg Franklin (cover), Terri LeBrande, Joy Mancinelli, Cheryl Newsome and Sheiler Nichols
- WesterCon was declared a success
- Some folks are thanked for donations of $, stamps and envelopes. It was suggested, as well, that some of the art used in previous issues be auctioned off and the proceeds used to make the letterzine more financially solvent.
- Zebra Con organizers give an update on hotels, dates, panels and number of participants. Note: There will not be a “Do They/ Don’t They” panel: "What there will be is a small, private discussion probably Friday in my room for those people SERIOUSLY interested in the subject.”
- a fan agrees that “Starsky vs. Hutch” belongs at the beginning of the fourth season, right after “Partners.” “Just one-too-many-prove-you-love-me-games.”
- a fan says she found Forever Autumn "enjoyable and the S/H was handled with very good taste. One thing I don’t think would ever happen is for Starsky to give the Torino to Hutch." She did think Starsky was a little feminized in the zine as he ended up making the coffee.
- a very long, thinky letter by a fan on S & H as heroes with feet of clay
- several fans beg/ask Juanita Coulson to continue writing her insightful letters
- fan says the script to “Satan’s Witches” has Starsky complaining he’s missing his Star Trek reruns. It is a line that didn’t make it onto the show.
- Partners is sold out: We didn’t expect it to happen so darn fast, but it did. Reprint? Well… we’ll consider it IF we get 50 SASEs asking.
- a fan wanted to: speak freely about common but little admitted facts of female viewing habits of males… Do you really think Starsky and Hutch’s bodies are that great? They are just male bodies to me, nothing that new or exciting that I can see.
- a fan says: Seven years of experience in Star Trek-related writing has taught me this: people will write whatever they damn well please with the characters on any show. And since there’s no way to stop them, there’s no use in getting upset about it. If a story bothers you, don’t read it.” She says she remembers some Han/Chewie stories in ’77 and ’78. “Mostly funny, at least they turned out that way, and several that had Vader with being Luke’s father. ‘Course all the reviewers said how crazy that idea was...
- a fan writes about fanfic and “rules”: Digressing from known facts? What if stories? I think that was one of the things wrong with Trek. If you digressed just a little bit you got pounced on like white on rice. Personally, I love ‘what if’ stories… If we stick to every single itsy bitsy fact and put up this big metal wall around different ideas, it will become tiring, dull and listless, sort of like what Trek has become.
- One zine editor tells another editor: Good grief, [name redacted]. I can’t imagine anybody sending another fan to jail [a reference a letter in the previous issue about copyright] 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.
- about Mos’Eastly Con: It was terrific… There were a lot of Trek people who didn’t care which art went for what, but there was a small, vociferous clump of Trekkies (yes, I know the difference) who were insulted by S&H, Star Wars, Alien, Dr. Who and damn near anything that wasn’t dyed-in-the wool T-R-E-K..
- the editors remind folks that they do not publish anonymous letters: If you wish to use our zine to publish items you cannot put your name to, for whatever reason, contact us directly and we will give it all the consideration it is due. This zine is a hell of a lot of work and takes an enormous amount of time…. We do it because we enjoy it. But we do NOT enjoy some of the crap that we’ve been receiving lately. When it quits being fun, folks, is when we quit.
- fan says: S&H as opposed to S/H? Tilt! Forget the latter, not only doesn’t it feel right, but it’s a great way to total four years of characterization and interviews. All these are personal opinions, of course, and I look forward to some spirited debates at Z-Con.
- the authors say about their zine: Reader reaction to Autumn? In a word, phenomenal. We’re all sold out, and those who bought it, liked it. Andy S/H could do much worse than an initial print run of 200-250. Inquires are still coming in… In conclusion, Forever Autumn is totally sold out. FOREVERANDEVER, and I can’t say that I’m sorry. Anyone who wishes to make a photostat copy, please feel free do do so. I have no copies to lend out, and there will be at no time any reprints.
- a fan says of the S/H premise: Which I don’t believe it) has made me more tolerant of homosexuality. Last night, I watched a interesting documentary called, ‘Coming Out.” It featured five gay people from London, all women talking about their lives and how they had ‘come out.’…One thing that came across to me was that they had had homosexual feelings from puberty, and it wasn’t something that had suddenly appeared overnight… All in all, a very real and sensitive programme. It was accompanied by the music of The Village People. Are they a gay group or have they been adopted by the gays? Whatever, really enjoy their music.
- the author of “Nightrun” in Zebra Three #5 says there will be a sequel called “Riders on the Storm” that will appear in Me and Thee:
It more or less takes off where ‘Nightrun’ left off. Although the events of ‘Nightrun’ most certainly figure into the ‘Riders on the Storm,’ they didn’t fit into the telling properly. So, rather than cheat all of you by having us present a series of fuzzy flashbacks, I thought I’d bring you the who thing in vignette form, and Zebra Three was kind enough to print it. That’s why ‘Nightrun’ reads the way it does – it’s an isolated incident that has not yet been resolved, but will be later. There is no ending. If you wanna find out what happens in the desert, ya gotta read the next part.
from issue #13, Betty Gabriele
from issue #13, Betty Gabriele
from issue #13, Sheiler Nichols
from issue #13, Cheryl Newsome
from issue #13, Joy Mancinelli
S and H 14 (October 1980)
- contains 44 pages
- this issue was called a "litterzine" rather than a "letterzine"
- a fan provides a hugely detailed scientific essay on heroin addiction
- a con report for Zebra Downes, a tiny, house con with Ruth Kurz
- a con report for ‘Couvercon #1, a tiny, house con with Lisa Adolf
- a con report for Clam Con, a tiny, house con with Dyane Kirkland
- a con report for Mini-Con, a tiny, house con with Pamela Dale… Dead Alligator jokes were told, and the stencils for Forever Autumn were burned
- some proposed zines are announced: All Our World in Us (in the spring), Code 7 (“accepting submissions until December 31… This will be predominately an S/H zine, but I will take a look at non-S/H stories, too, as long as they are on an ‘adult’ theme. Publication, hopefully next May.”), Pushin' the Odds, "Off Duty" (not the gen zine by the same title), and Ten-Thirteen.
- forthcoming zines: Blond Blintz Bulletin and Dirtball Dispatch #2, Casa Cabrillo, Graven Images, L.A. Vespers #2, Me and Thee #2, Paladin #2, Zebra Three #6
- art by Terry Adams, Jeff Dixon, Betty de Gabriele, Connie Faddis (back cover), Greg Frankin, Don Hunter (front cover), Kendra Hunter, Joy Mancinelli, Cheryl Newsome, and Sheiler Nichols
- contains “A Pome” by a fan, an excerpt: “Oh, I love to get the Letterzine, I can’t think of a better zine, To find inside my old mailbox--- Those many pages filled with LoCs…”
- from the editorial: You’re all out there waiting with bated (sic?) breath for the word, and I’m sitting here, giving it to you. Okay, we won’t keep you in suspense. We’re going to go on with this madness. My situation is getting better… So, S&H will continue as long as you want it to. That means, as along as the interest is there, and you keep writing letters.
- the editors note that: ...we will start taking subscriptions for four issues at a time again. That is $5 for 4 issues. No more discount, ‘cause we were losing money that way, but at $1.25 we just about make it on each issue.
- a fan responds to a previous letter asking if others thought Starsky was feminized in Forever Autumn: Male/female or consistent dominant/submissive role-adoption is rare among gay men, and the authors had obviously done their homework. The relationship as presented in ‘Forever Autumn’ seemed evenly balanced. (in ‘Murder One’ Hutch makes coffee for Vanessa. Does that mean his wrist needs starching, that that she wears a leather bra?)
- a fan comments: I’ve got a few words on the use of the term ‘alternative universes.’ I think the word is ‘interpretation,’ gals. After all, if the changes you make aren’t major enough to make a significant dent on the status quo, alternate isn’t what you are being. You simply see things differently, and that’s fine.”
- on being a dual fan: "I can remember a time when being a Star Wars fan meant you couldn’t be a Star Trek fan as well. Neither the twain shall meet. Sad. I opted to be the die-hard ST fan and missed out. Oh well, accept and avoid. If you can’t do one, the other serves the purpose.
- an update on some technology issues for the upcoming Zebra Con: The ‘official’ VTR, the one set up in the Film Room for showing episodes, is a Beta machine. Mine, as a matter of fact… We’d like to offer a cloning service, so we need a couple of more machines. If anyone is planning on bringing theirs, would you write to me immediately, please? And we can definitely use a VHS. Anyone bringing one?
- a fan comments on m/m and physical attractiveness: Some of the ideas like S/H turn me right off. Strikes me as very odd that female writers would want to do stories in which two of the best-looking, most attractive guys around are gay!
- about the Fan Q Awards: Having [tabulated] the Fan Q Awards, and having participated in a discussion on the future of said awards at Mos Eastly, I find there is a segment of Trek fandom that, for whatever reason, wishes to remain apart from other media fandoms. Thus, there were people who felt that there should be a separate writer, artist, and zine categories for each distinct fandom (can you imagine the number of awards that would entail!) and still others who felt that while Star Trek should have categories all to itself, the other media fandoms should be all clumped together.
from issue #14, Connie Faddis
from issue #14, Jeff Dixon
from issue #14, Jeff Dixon
from issue #14, Sheiler Nichols
from issue #14, Don Hunter
from issue #14, Betty de Gabriele
S and H 15 (November 1980)
front cover of issue #15, Pat Harris
back cover of issue #15, Signe Landon, "Could we have Hutch in a wreath of daffodils next time? Please?" a reader writes in issue #16. In issue #17, there is a response.
- this issue was called a "litterzine" rather than a "letterzine"
- contains 32 pages
- editor: Diana Barbour, co-editor: Kendra Hunter, staff: Terry Adams
- there is a mention of DenverCon, coming up September 1981 and WesterCon in Sacramento
- there are many positive reviews for David Soul’s movie “Rage”
- a fan who works at a record store in L.A. says she met Bernie Hamilton as he was plugging his “blues type record,” called something like, “Captain Dobey Comes Out from Undercover.” It has a small photo of P&D on the front and is dedicated to S&H.
- the editor of Ten-Thirteen says the stencils have arrived and that she’s hoping the zine will be unveiled at Dobey Con #2 in February 1981.
- there is mention of a proposed British letterzine called “Communications” (put together by Jan Daniels)
- a con report for Clam-Con 1 (Seattle, WA, September 26–28)
- art by Jeff Dixon, Betty de Gabriel, Pat Harris (front cover), Don Hunter, Signe Landon (back cover), Joy Manceilli, Cheryl Newsome and Sheilar Nichols
- there is another long, long rebuttal to the previous issue’s long, long letter regarding heroin addiction
- ZebraCon's organizer says as of Oct, they have 76 members attending and 14 supporting members. "Not too shabby, but we were hoping for 100 attending… There were only 49 last year, so we have improved."
- Karen B wants to make it clear that "Code 7 and All Our World in Us are publications of Bound in Leather Press, which is me, and has (have) nothing to do with Otter Limits Press, which is Paulie."
- it contains detailed illustrated instructions for binding the letterzine
- there is an update on Code 7: It is essentially filled, and my thanks to everyone who contributed. I can still uses poetry, short-shorts and anything humorous. And, of course, art. The zine will most likely be mimeo, 200 pages or so, but please don’t hold me to that… C7 turned out to be entirely S/H – why am I not surprised?
- there is a proposal for a zine called “Off Duty” from Franny Moore-Kyle: Accepting submissions of fiction, poetry and art. All universes, interpretations and orientations welcome. All submissions should reflect the zine’s title. [3]
- a fan writes: Enclosed is a subscription to your Starsky and Hutch letterzine. Had no idea they were so popular, let alone the interest in publishing Starsky and Hutch zines.
- a fan discusses the previous issue’s long letter about the medical facts of heroin addiction and recovery. She makes some observations that make Hutch sound like a physical and mental basketcase: In some ways, Hutch is a rather hypersensitive type. He’s high-strung and irritable, but there’s much more than that. He seems to have quite a low pain threshold, judging from how he reacts to injuries vs. their actual severity. He’s a fainter, too, and that isn’t entirely a direct result of sensitivity to pain. He gets rather shaky and weak-kneed and sick-looking after an adrenaline-charged crisis situation, especially if he’s had to shoot someone. He may have a somewhat unstable vasomotor system, and a relatively moderate amount of shock or pain or high adrenaline after a crisis can cause his blood pressure to take a nose-dive. Plus, he doesn’t like to be uncomfortable: he bitches and whines and fusses with his neck and generally carries on after minor roughing up; he doesn’t tolerate heart well and gets waspish and irritable...
- fans analyze the scene from “The Fix,” Hutch’s slide off the wall into Starsky’s arms and have varying views on whether or not they kissed/almost kissed. This fan says she will check her set of slides, her photos taken of the episode as it aired: We are seeing a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional event. That shorthand flattens the picture, making object A and object B appear to be moving on the same plane when in fact they are only a few degrees shewed – the way two planes appear to be on a collision course when they are thousands of feet away. In other words, if S&H were doing what they appear in stop frame to be doing, they would’ve continued the kiss or mashed each other’s noses. Since they would up on each other’s shoulders, I kinda assume they were headed that way all along.
- a fan says: Don’t want to review it in detail, but I’d like to recommend that anyone thinking of sending overseas for The Striped Tomato borrow a friend’s before spending that much on postage." Another fan says: "I finally got my copy of The Striped Tomato. It was DEFINITELY worth the wait.
- a fan feels that the term "alternate universe has been overused: Didn’t the term originate with ‘Mirror, Mirror’? It was actually a parallel physical universe, so what are we doing using ‘alternate universe’ so promiscuously?
- a fan complains about another fan’s “incessant haranguing” despite the fact she admires her fiction writing: "Why don’t you eds consider a WAHF (We Also Heard From) column and leave out such repetitive letters entirely, thus providing more space for all the things that have made the letterzine go over its limit in the past?
from issue #15, Betty de Gabriele
from issue by Cheryl Newsome
from issue #15, Jeff Dixon
from issue #15, Don Hunter
