S and H (Starsky and Hutch letterzine)/Issues 21-25

Issues 01-05 · Issues 06-10 · Issues 11-15 · Issues 16-20 · Issues 21-25 · Issues 26-30 · Issues 31-38

Sneak Preview: The next four issues begin to lay the groundwork for the remaining year and a half. While a few fans struggle to keep the discussion of S/H m/m on somewhat neutral terms, there are also references to m/m being ‘tacky and dirty’. M/M fans become increasingly more vocal in their defense of the genre: “No one has the right to dictate to me what I think, feel or do… and no one has the right to tell me how to interpret Starsky and Hutch. If I choose to read erotic literature, that’s my business, and if I choose to write erotic literature, THAT’S my business.” Ironically, only one m/m has been published to date, although a few were just on the horizon.

Even the discussion of the H/C trope is examined using the m/m lens – with some readers finding that a favorable comparison and others finding it less attractive. The abrupt and unexplained cancellation of the m/m zine Code 7 is followed by a flurry of fans alluding vaguely to off screen threats, rumors of outings and lawsuits. No specifics are given, something which will cause even more strife in later issues as fans try to sort out their reactions to the possibility of internal and TPTB censorship. Code 7 will eventually be published secretly that same year but without author or artist names or publishers. And without any advertising.

The letterzine was transitioned to a new editor who immediately adopted a new editorial policy: no discussion of the actors lives or the actor’s opinions of the show, topics outside of Starsky & Hutch would be edited for space and fans who felt that they had been unfairly and/or maliciously treated in the letterzine were to write to their fellow fans privately instead of commenting in the letterzine. This latter requirement will prove difficult to enforce as some subscribers felt that the purpose of the letterzine was to publicly converse with one another, not engage in private offside communications.

The fanzine Graven Images received multiple reviews: most positive and a few negative. There seemed to be very little middle ground in terms of how the zine was received. And last, the first public mentions of Dirty Harry m/m take place with some fans worrying that the existence of the fandom was supposed to be kept secret, while others reassuring them: “It’s okay. Friends don’t need secrets, and H/J is for friends.”

S and H 21 (May 1981)

cover of issue #21, by C. Fashure

• contains 40 pages
• it was "Edited by Paula Smith, c/o Megadodo Publishing House, Ursa Minor Beta. Ask for Zarniwoop, and tell him Zaphod sent you."
• the writer of the zines Bird of Paradise and Then We Can Be Heroes says: "The author hasn’t done the rewrites. They’re on ‘hold,’ probably permanently."
• there are some short silly poems
• art by Connie Faddis, C. Frashure (cover), Ruth Kurz, Jan Lindner, Joy Mancinelli, Cheryl Newsome, Paula Smith, T’Vas
• a review by [P S] of Vermont Avenue, see that page
• from the letterzine’s original editor:

  We do not want to see the Litterzine die. What we want is for a another fan or group of fans take the zine for either a short period of time (three months or so) or perhaps permanently. Participants and subscribers are at an all-time high. Interest is soaring. New opinions are being stated. And we feel that is due in part to having Paula publish the Litterzine. You all got tired of us, which is only fair, because there were times when we got tired of you, too... If you are interested, drop us a note with your qualifications and equipment you have available. Or see [K H] at MediaWestEast*Con.

• a plea from the editor:

  We are trying to budget for forty-four (44 pages) because it weighs two (2) stamps. Another sheet of paper – four more pages—means another stamp. At 17 cents each, that’s a lot of money.

• a fan writes of ethics:

  Fan ethics bring up some interesting points. In fandom you do anything you want. There are no rules, laws, or marshals. But just try getting away with it. Everything from rip-off zines to rip-off (pro) cons to "friendly" fans who literally steal from you has been done. And will be done again. Fandom is like a family and our beliefs and love are the limiting and ruling factors. It is possible to make money once, on a con or a zine, but only once. Fans are not stupid, and not easily rooks. Once burned, they will stay away in droves.

• two zine editors take another to task for blaming someone else for all the mistakes in her zine:

  You may deny responsibility until Hell freezes over, but it doesn’t change the facts. Sign on the editor’s desk: The buck stops here.

• a fan comments about art:

  Fandom would be very dull without our art. Art is possibly the most honest medium in fandom. There is some rip-off possible in ‘famous’ and popular artists doing poor work and cashing in on it because of her name. However, on the whole, what money is to be made from fan art is honestly made. That is, in most instances, the work is seen first, then… bid on and the price finds its own level.

• a fan writes about hurt/comfort:

  I have to leap in on the discussion [name redacted] began last time, continued by [name redacted] and others--hurt/comfort and S/H. Many moons ago, before I knew fandom existed, my partner and I were writing all kinds of S&H. You name it, we wrote it—not particularly well, perhaps, but that's beside the point. And rarely did a tale get by without a good hefty dose of h/c. When you're gonna dent em, dent 'em good, was our motto—no way is Hutch going to cuddle him if he just tears a hangnail. Or vice versa. So Kick Hutch Week was followed by Stomp Starsky Week, and they and we got our jollies without any qualms of conscience on either side. Suddenly along came the Brave New World of Fandom, and we discovered there was a name for all this stuff. And we read 'Mojave Crossing,' and stopped writing h/c for a while, because we knew we couldn't top that. There from arose a problem—if no one gets dented, what happens to the emotional bits we love to write? So we were forced to stop and reexamine what we were writing and why, and the result of that was a step forward in the evolution of our writing. One thing, you might say, lead to another. Natural progression—h/c to S/H. And I bet someone is now going to jump on me for that...

• an update on Code 7:

  We are trying our damnedest to have the zine done by MediaWest*Con, and things are on schedule...so far...so if you're coming to the con, count on picking up your copy there. I won't be hard to find, and you can always track me through [name redacted], who'll have a dealer's table. There may be a few extra copies for sale at the con, but don't count on that. And I assure you all, there will be no reprint, ever. One more thing--we had originally planned to print C7 offset, but the prices we were quoted here in Chicago are just impossible. So, we're xeroxing. Not, I hasten to add, the artwork; that will be done professionally. And a good quality xerox looks just about as good as offset, anyway. Just so there are no misunderstandings!

• a fan mentions that David Soul is in the Trek episode, “The Apple”:

  He wasn’t very recognizable, at first, because of the way he was made up. The only thing he wore was a towel around his waist and a wig on his head.

• a fan at home with a new baby says:

  There is a kind of calm, sisterly give-and-take in S&H fandom that makes me itch for the typewriter, even when I'm dog-tired. Reading the Letterzine, with all its variety and even with all its faults, is like a comforting sniff of favorite cookies baking. Even though I'm temporarily out of action, it's great to see that you all are not, that there is a home to come back to, and that S&H fandom apparently has the depth and character to keep us all together—for years.

• a fan writes of shyness/Drawerfic/and criticism:

  I don't doubt at all that there are some wonderful stories hidden away by the fragile ones among us and God knows I'd like to read them too, but I don't see that there's much any of us can do about it. Much as we might like to, there just ain't no way we can change the world and all its diverse inhabitants in order to protect our own precious egos. Even in as select a group as this, there will always be those who dislike us, our opinions, or our brain children, and who will say so, sometimes at the top of their lungs. Sometimes rather cruelly. So what's to be done?

• a fan asks:

  Tell me the definition of S&H as it opposes S/H—please! Where's the canyon of difference that requires it to be labeled differently?

• a fan has another explanation of the S/H definition:

  I am an S/H fan that doesn’t insist that touching =S/H . I believe in S/H because they share a life, a dream, and probably a death. They are two halves of one thought and a sanctuary for each other's souls. Touching is momentary. These other elements span eternity. They have the souls of lovers. My vision merely allows them the physical manifestation of that love.

• a fan comments on a zine editor referring to another as a “rival:

  [name redacted] old thing, if you see the rest of the zine-publishing fandom as rivals, we really are in two different universes and there's no point in discussing it.

• a fan wonders about the Huggy Award:

  A general question—do the Huggys mean as much as the Oscars? Should they? After all, the voting population is limited, the competition very uneven (very few nominees for novella, as opposed to dozens for short/long story, no set cutoff dates for publication) --are we maybe putting more emphasis on these than they deserve? If it's going to cause hard feelings, maybe they should be dispensed with altogether, and replaced with honorable mentions for anything getting, say, ten+ nominations. Do we really need. competition?

• a fan comments on something some fans sent the actor, David Soul:

  One letter from Mandy to ‘All Those Who Contributed’ reads: ‘Just a note to let you know that David received the 1980 Love Book on March 11th and is still trying to believe that so many people could put so much love and hard work into something so beautiful just for him. Both Patti and David (and me too, for that matter) thank you with all our hearts and look forward to your cards and letters in 1981.’ I would like to add my own voice to Mandy's letter and once again thank everyone who donated their art, poetry, cartoons, gifts and letters to this once-a-year opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to David. It works! We are now busy putting together the 1981 book and would be delighted to include contributions from even more folks out there this time. Please join us.

• the author of a zine writes:

  Thanks, folks, for all the orders of "Son of Starsky & Hutch" (aka VERMONT AVENUE)—I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it.

• fan writes about H/J:

  I suppose it was I who first mentioned the Harry/Johnny stories in these pages [of the letterzine, S and H] -- only after they were mentioned by the authors during Zebra Con panels. I was asked point-blank when in England if I knew anything about them-- the grapevine had gotten that far, even if the stories hadn't by that time. It's hard to keep something truly secret in fandom; everyone seems to be someone else's best friend.

• the editor of R and I says:

  I was surprised to find while compiling this edition of R&I that there was more published in 1980 than in all the years previous (1977-1979). At least, the index is four pages longer. Lots of new names, as authors, artists, and editors. The cover is not meant to be reminiscent of THE PITS II; it should serve to remind editors to be sure to have enough artwork available before going to press.

• a fan and editor writes about the absence of SH filksongs:

  It occurred to me at a recent sf filksing that there are no (or few) filksongs for S&H. We have come up with a multitude of regular songs that seem to apply to one interpretation or another of the show; but no new ones have been composed. Or are they hiding in the depths of someone's tape recorder, or scribbled on the back of first drafts?...fandom is complete without filksongs?

• a reader encourages male writers to write some SH fiction:

  It really would be nice to read a story written by a male. After all, Starsky and Hutch are males, but for the most part are written up by females in the zines. To get a male viewpoint on our heroes could be, perhaps, even needed.

• a fan speculates on the Soul and Glaser’s relationship:

  Out of pure curiosity, I'd like to ask something without offending anyone (if that's possible). Since there does seem to be two camps, S&H and S/H, I'd like to know if the S/Hers also feel/ think there was a David/Paul. That would be a topic for discussion. I once heard an insider to the theatrical profession remark that he'd yet to meet the actor who didn't swing both ways.

• a fan takes another to task for complaining about a lack in a certain kind of zine:

  So [J F] is ‘a little annoyed’ by the shortage of general interest S&H zines these days. Looking through the Available, Forthcoming, and Proposed section of S&H #20, I found 19 zines which can, in my opinion, be classed as of general interest. This is a shortage? Don't you people remember when Zebra Three stood alone? There's only so much that the writers and artists of fandom can produce in a single year, folks. If you're so desperate for something new to read, write it yourself.

• a fan quibbles with the idea of labeling S/H an alternate universe:

  S/H may be an "alternate universe" to you, honey, but it's the real world to me.

• a fan asks:

  And what the everlivin' hell does what DS or PMG or Naar or anybody else think matter to the writing of S&H? Spelling-Goldberg gave up on us, baby. They are all the outsiders in this fandom. The characters are now ours, to do with as we see fit. Who cares what Soul stammered out on the subject of homosexuality on the show? (I've seen the [interview] tape; he stammers.) Does he write LoCs? Can he or PMG or anybody else involved with the production really be bothered about a show that went out of production over two years ago? Soul is not Hutch; Hutch is not Soul. Same thing goes for Starsky and Glaser. Let's be serious, folks: interested they might well be; panic-stricken, they ain't.

• a fan comments on the popularity of H/C:

  A very simple reason lies in our social culture, where males are not supposed to show feelings, and homosexual relationships are frowned upon as unnatural and perverted. So, when is it acceptable to show emotions? Well, when someone is hurt, it is unkind to be unfeeling, so then real emotions can be shown, possibly pent-up ones saved from other times. I agree that most h/c stories are a bit overdone. I mean, if I were sick or wounded, I certainly wouldn't feel like expressing my undying love and devotion right then; I'd probably just lie there and suffer silently. Seriously wounded people are generally justifiably self-centered, unless they have some great responsibility for the safety of others, and then some can get up and keep on going. As for the rescuer, he is gonna be scared and out of breath and won't have much time for telling the hurt one how much he loves him, either. I've seen so much of that kind of thing in the ST stories that unless it is extremely emotional and well- written, it is rather unbelievable. Of course, they'll have time to talk when the injured person is recovering, but not right at the time of torture, shooting, beating, stabbing, etc.

• fan speculates about h/c and S/H:

  Why do the people who enjoy the hurt/comfort ideas not go for the gay theme? Possibly they don't like the graphic details. It is one thing to read about Starsky hugging Hutch and stroking his hair or his neck, but it to read of him stroking other things.

• a fan is looking forward to the letterzine going back to the original editor:

  There are a substantial number of us out here who are looking forward to the zine's going back home next month. We want the "i" back in "Litterzine" and welcome the return to an editorship that has never felt the urge to nursemaidly urge to save us from ourselves.

• about gratuitous H/C:

  …Stories which have no theme or purpose other than to fling S&H into a chaste embrace, and whose main emphasis is not on character or psychology but on the torture/humiliation aspects. That's pornography, just as S/H (or K/S or H/J) rocks-off literature is. And while we have yet to see a full-scale S&H SM epic a la Diane Steiner or The Rack, I daresay it's only a matter of time till we do.

• a con report for Dobey Con:

  [During a viewing of the episodes "Shootout" and "Survival"] "... the whole audience broke into spontaneous applause during the latter, when the Hutchinson Finger made its appearance. This had become something of a standing joke, with almost everyone giving impressions of Hutch's digit.

• 

  from issue #21, Joy Mancinelli

• 

  from issue #21, Connie Faddis

• 

  from issue #21, Paula Smith, "Great Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor" --illustrates the "Kiss in the Alley"! Many fans in the British letterzine, APB, were very keen to see this sketch.

• 

  from issue #21, Cheryl Newsome

• 

  from issue #21, T'Vas

• 

  from issue #21, Cheryl Newsome

• 

  from issue #21, Ruth Kurz

• 

  from issue #21, Jan Lindner

S and H 22 (June 1981)

front cover of issue #22

back cover of issue #22

• many fans thank another fan for taking on the reins of the letterzine for three issues
• there is a fair amount of talk about Hill Street Blues
• the new editor submits an editorial that says in part: "I will print nothing which contains speculation on the private lives of Paul Michael Glaser or David Soul.” She will cut anything not having to do with S&H if the page count gets too long. “I will print, but with great sadness, letters which contain this fandom’s finely-honed form of one-upmanship... The scoring of points: I am as guilty as anyone. I take my share of the blame. The egos involved in this fandom – mine included—are enormous.” She encourages anyone with a beef against another to do it privately. “That’s why addresses are printed... I am sick of dreading the arrival of the Letterzine… because I am sick of wondering who will be sniping at whom. I am sick of heroin and kisses and S/H vs S&H volleys and snide remarks and willful misunderstandings and all the crap we’ve forcing on each other for months now. If this Letterzine dies out after #25, it’s our own damned fault."
• there is much discussion about what Starsky and Hutch would be if they weren’t cops
• fan just got the new Moody Blues album, “Long Distance Voyager” and says there are a lot of tracks that have '"great meaning for S&H and S/H fans."
• art by Linda Walter, T’Vas, Cheryl Newsome, Joy Mancinelli, Joy Linder, Ruth Kurz, Marian Kelly, Pat Harris, Jean C.
• there is an announcement that the gen zine “Pushin’ the Odds” is canceled “due primarily due to professional commitments.” [Name redacted] just got a promotion at work], a m/m zine by this title came out two years later under a different editor
• the zine Daily Reports has suspended operation due to family illness and moving
• proposed zines: Half You, Half Me (“combined Starsky & Hutch and Star Trek. No death or permanent injury and no OVERT S/H or K/S”), “Late Bloomer,” The Marv Box Memorial Zine” (“The 1st Hill Street Blues zine “), "Off-Duty" [see issue #23], “Gone to Texas” (“not associated with Wide Open Spaces”), Enigma #3, “Soapy Scenes,” 10-13 #2
• forthcoming zines: L.A. Vespers #2, Syndizine #2, Zebra Three #6
• available zines: Zebra Three #6, APB, Casa Cabrillo, Enigma #1 and #2, Judge and Jury, Menagerie #17, Mini-Zine, n!, Records and Information #2, Sins of the Fathers, 10-13 #1, Vermont Avenue, Zebra Three #5
• this issue includes a detailed flyer for Zebra Con #3 to be held November 13–15, 1981, cost was $15 plus three SASE
• and the big news, there is an announcement regarding Code 7: "Due to technical difficulties, Bound in Leather Press regrets to announce the cancellation of Code 7 and All Our World in Us. We will be reimbursing all subscribers to Code 7 over the next few weeks. Our apologies." This zine then went underground and was sold to only a select few. It is not mentioned again by name in the letterzine until a review of the second issue is published in the fall of 1982.
• a fan feels opposition for her use of the Bible and scripture in her comments
• fan in the UK describes the tape show she had at her place. Some folks showed up for the day and watched Starsky and Hutch episodes and some other shows, and she served lunch
• a fan answers a question from the previous issue:

  Part of the reason there aren’t many filksongs is that there are so many songs that already fit without alteration.

• a fan writes that Mojave Crossing is the fandom's first get’em and that get’ems, for one thing, "is that for the sheer practice in dealing with feelings, they can be extremely useful."
• a fan thinks about Starsky and Hutch being able to continue as cops after “Sweet Revenge,” (as Starsky was unlikely ever to have gone back to the streets):

  Well, the S/H subscribers sought a way to keep the two guys together by adding sex to the relationship. This allowed the partners to go their separate ways professionally (or continue on as cops with that respect of the story always dwarfed by the sexual relationship), yet still hold onto that closeness. The S&H people also saw this kind of a future, but they preferred to bypass it via another route – by focusing on stories set within or between aired episodes i.e. missing scenes, vignettes, extensions of aired episodes and stories of before/early partnership. We must consider, though, that both of these philosophies are limited. It’s only a matter of time before we run out of missing scenes and episodes; and there’s only so many times that they can romp in the sack together, whispering hoarse, ‘I love you’s’ before that, too, becomes anticlimactic.

• a fan comments on her recent departure, now temporary, from fandom:

  Rumours Of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated. My partial gafiation lasted about as long as Frankie’s retirement. At this rate I’ll have more comebacks than a diet of radishes. I’ve been drawn back into the arena by a remark in the latest l/z which I think deserves a full reply…. That of the fifty recipients of APB only twenty replied does not indicate anything fundamentally lacking in fandom. Not necessarily. If I were you I would be questioning rather your letterzine yourself, and asking whether it is what people want. THIS letterzine, S and H, has been immensely successful because it provides a free, frank and totally unbiased exchange of views. We all contribute and float the wackiest ideas without fear of editorial intervention. APB would benefit from that kind of editorial philosophy. I know that there are several people who have decided not to contribute or subscribe to APB because you have made your own standpoint clear. You will not discuss S/H and refuse to entertain ‘aliens’ even for the save of comparison… Also, you should try to resist the temptation of interjecting your own remarks into other people’s letters. If the S&H l/z editors do that, it’s for a reason. They exercise a great deal of restraint. Naturally, it is your right to make comments as and when you will, but it does distract from the purpose of the letterzine if it merely becomes a parade of your own witticisms.

• a fan mentions Dobey Con:

  I know there was some controversy because some people who attended had the audacity to discuss subjects other than Starsky and Hutch in the meal breaks… I wholeheartedly apologize to the several people who objected to my sullying the purity of S&H with a mention of that scandalous and muckraking production, The Professionals.

• one of its creators, Ruth Kurz, reassures a fan about her mentioning Harry and Johnny:

  It’s okay. Friends don’t need secrets, and H/J is for friends.

• a fan writes:

  S/H is accepted by at least as many who reject it. Actually, I tend to reject the hurt part of h/c, preferring love in any form to violence, but others enjoy it, so I’m glad someone can write it for them.

• a fan asks for submissions for a zine:

  What I want is stories about shows that don’t have their own fandoms. If anyone sends me S&H, I’ll consider it, of course… The first zine will probably be a general media zine but, if I get the material, I want to make later zines more specialized, like one for cop shows, one for sf shows and so on. I’m particularly interested in Battlestar Galactica material for the first specialized zine. I know the production quality on Judge and Jury wasn’t very good (it was very much a home-produced zine) so I’m looking into the costs of professional printing for later zines… By the way, I’ve no objection to S/H and K/S type of story (I even enjoy reading them) but please bear in mind that I”ll have to put off printing these until I have enough to fill an ‘adults only’ zine.

• a fan comments on h/c:

  It’s a time-honored plot device, of course. Under the duress of danger, injury, the possibility of never seeing each other alive again, a writer can get his characters to show emotions they otherwise wouldn’t. It’s part of the ever-popular Inarticulate Relationship Syndrome, where characters care very much about each other but for one reason or another can’t show it or say it unless they are in the throes of some sort of crisis, one or both is at death’s door, or they’re drunk.

• about the line between characters and actors:

  I give a damn, in the abstract, what Soul, Glaser, Naar think about the writing on S&H. I don’t see that they’re outsiders in fan fiction now, since they created the characters, and they’ll always be their characters. And I don’t agree that the characters are now ours to do as we please… I think the only characters a writer is free to do with as she sees fit are the writer’s own characters.

• a fan writes:

  What Soul and Glaser feel about homosexuality is completely irrelevant. S&H belong to us now, and the only obligation we owe these people is to portray their characters as honestly and with as much love as they did when they created the. I think most try.

• The original editor writes a farewell editorial:

  I want to thank each and every one of you out there who encouraged, participated, supported, and assisted me. I love you all, and the S&H family means more to me than you will ever know.

• 

  from issue #22, Jan Lindner

• 

  from issue #22, T'Vas

• 

  from issue #22, Ruth Kurz

• 

  from issue #22, Ruth Kurz

• 

  from issue #22, Joy Mancinelli

• 

  from issue #22, Katherine Robertson

• 

  from issue #22, Cheryl Newsome

S and H 23 (no month noted, 1981, though it appears to be July)

front cover of issue #23, Greg Franklin

• contains 32 pages
• fan weighed in on the new editor’s editorial policy. About three fourths liked it, one quarter didn’t; one long-time fan wrote that she disliked it so much she would not be writing to the letterzine anymore as she felt, among other things, scolded for bringing up The Professionals
• for the first time, the there is a blurb in the zine section that says: "Please note: not all of the zines are strictly S&H. When in doubt, SASE." It should be noted, however, that the only zines available in this issue, aside from the conflicting info about Vermont Avenue and the single story in 10-13, there are no m/m zines being sold. Or proposed.
• a review of Graven Images, see that page
• the editors write that issues #26 and #27 will be published by two fans and issues #28 and #29 will be published by [M W].
• a fan says she is planning a second issue of “Late Bloomer,” even though the first one isn’t out yet. In the end, despite an impressive line-up of committed stories and art, neither issue saw the light of day. [It would be interesting to know which zines any of that material migrated to]
• there is no mention of the controversy regarding the recently canceled Code 7, except that it appears in “Cancelled Zines”
• Cancelled zines include: All Our World in Us, Code 7, “Off Duty,” “Pushin’ the Odds” (by [D D], and The Zine from UNCLE. Bird of Paradise is not mentioned at all.
• original art prints from Graven Images are for sale by mail auction from Connie Faddis. “Minimum bids: One-page drawings: $15 each, double-page drawings: $20”
• art by Greg Franklin, Jean C., Betty DeGabriele, Cheryl Newsome
• there is much chat about what Starsky and Hutch would do if they weren’t cops, was the disease in “The Plague” ever named, why did Starsky have Hutch’s gun in “Murder on Stage 17,” and why did Hutch fake amnesia in “Partners”
• a fan postulates about hankies in pockets, Starsky’s in “The Bait” and Hutch’s in “Tap Dancing”
• the editor of the new British letterzine, APB, says the third issue just went out and all 40 copies were sold. She says, despite what another fan said in a previous issue:

  I don’t put hardly any veto on the letters, nor do I write comments in between other people’s letters. I stopped doing that ages ago.

• a fan writes:

  Good point on h/c in fan fiction. It must be difficult for writers to capture the easy, yet so-real affection that comes across In the aired episodes because it is so often conveyed by visual means alone. It is possible, on the TV screen, to show with economy and subtlety what would need a great many words to describe in print—and still might not come out right. Added to which, of course, the aired episodes have the (in estimable) benefit of two actors whose rapport and affinity are tangible without the necessity of a word being uttered.

• a fan states:

  I'm perfectly willing to listen to anything David Soul has to say about Hutch. If he isn't the last word on the subject, he is at least an informed source. But actions speak louder than words and I'll write Hutch the way I see him. So far, I don't see him gay, but I can definitely see where the S/H people are coming from, or to quote DS himself, ‘Hutch could be anything’.

• a fan says:

  I have been fed up with this forum because I’m fed up with, and to blunt, bored with the direction it has been taking. What happened to the fun? It seems to me that everyone is taking this much too seriously.

• fan writes about h/c:

  What I object to in the excessive h/c stories, as well as In the hump-tup-thrip-foah numbers, is the exploitation of the characters. Starsky and Hutch are very real people. Reducing them to a pair of stick figures for the purpose of producing ‘tummy twinges’ of whatever kind is destructive of both their essential humanity and writer’s integrity.

• a fan says about SH and S/H:

  I don’t want to restart the S&H vs. S/H argument, but I do have a wee bit to say. Being one of the firm believers in the S&H theory, and not agreeing with the S/H side at all, I guess I’m a little prejudice in one direction. But this is not going to be an argument for either side. This is one debate that will never be solved one way or another. I offer the K/Sers as an example. The K&S vs. K/S controversy has been running the gambit for nearly fourteen years and is no closer to a resolution now than before. So let’s respect each other’s rights to believe what we will and don’t try to force our personal beliefs on others. I simply wish to say that it shouldn’t make any difference which side of the fence each of us is on; don’t we all like Starsky AND Hutch?

• fan speculates on the maturing nature of S/H fiction, which tells one about the amount of privately written/passed around fiction that was out there; the only m/m zine so far was Forever Autumn:

  Romps in the sack are nifty, but as we seem to agree, they become tedious when they remain the focus of a genre. In S/H writing, though, I see a shift away from the graphic aspects of their sexuality.... more and more I’m seeing S/H stories without graphic sex. The emphasis seems to be fast becoming a serious effort to document a love-relationship, and not just an exercise in how many clinches can be fit into a ten-page story. Instead of closing off fan fiction, S/H seems to be opening up a lot of new areas of exploration.

• S/H seems to be opening up a lot of new areas of exploration:

  There is a richness to the ‘gray and full of years’ approach to S/H that only a few seem to appreciate. I think it goes back to the idea that nothing can change in the perfect physical image of S&H. I think of Whitelaw’s [Peter Whitelaw in the episode “Death in a Different Place”]: ‘You see two men together and think, “How ugly…” and I substitute the idea of older men. It’s prejudice of a sort, and it’s sad.

• a zine editor writes:

  It is with deepest regrets that I must announce the cancellation of "Off Duty". There are two major reasons in a in addition to lack of time, energy and resources that prompt this decision. One: the lack of volume of acceptable works. Although some of the best writing I’ve seen in this fandom was submitted, a zine must, in my estimation, exceed three pages in length. If all the submissions I received had been of like quality (and to my liking; I rejected things that were well written or had potential that I just didn't care for) I would have had a small zine. Even though the submissions were better than Sturgeon's Law —90% of everything is crap—I just don’t have the feeling that I would have received enough in the short time left before my announced press date to justify printing… Two: recent occurrences [one is probably the trouble with Code 7 which is coming to a head] in this and other fandoms have connoted to me a lack of tolerance and faithfulness, a situation I regret. I no longer feel that I can publish anything I find worthwhile; I feel restricted and censored by others’ beliefs and moral. This I strongly resent. If I were to publish a zine that had rejected material solely on the attitude of some potential readers I would be condoning and encouraging that oppression… I cannot at this time afford the possible repercussions of the situation; therefore I feel compelled to stand down. These reasons, especially the second, are primarily concerned with the issue of homosexuality. When I received an otherwise acceptable story that I had to reject because of the orientation of the characters, I began to question my integrity as an editor. I also question whether the lack of submissions was due to my statement of tolerance [“All universes, interpretations and orientations welcome”.] at the outset and the general understanding that I would consider S/H stories for publication. Many writers, I believe, were hesitant to submit to a zine where their story may have appeared next to a homosexual story.

• A writer disagrees with an earlier statement in issue #22 about who “owns the characters”:

  I disagree that the ‘only characters a writer is free to do with as she sees fit are the writer’s own characters.’ The S&H of fan fiction are no more static than they were in the series. They are the writers’ characters as much as any new characters the writer creates. If this were not so, we would be limited to stories that were rehashes of the episodes… S&H’s continued life and vitality come about because of fandom and fan fiction… They are my characters now, and I have to write them as I see them.

• from the original editors:

  It has been pointed out to us by friends (and it takes real friends to do so) that issue #22 was the tackiest issue we have done. Alas, we must take their word for it because neither of us can pick the thing up. After two years we have had to face the fact that all the fun is gone. We no longer attack the stack of litterzine letters with enthusiasm, but with a sense of dread. That tells us it is time for other things. We have no plans to leave S&H fandom and or both of us will continue to participate in the litterzine, be we can’t publish it anymore.

• a English fan says:

  Here in London we used to have a nice, friendly monthly meeting group called 'The London Plus Group.' It started off as a Star Trek group but the "Plus" meant that we could talk about anything we liked as well as include people from outside London. I even discovered through the group that I wasn't the only one who liked S&H (we had a meeting after the BBC showed 'Shootout' for the first time.). There's been so much backbiting and bitching in the past five years that the group has now fragmented into a dozen or so little groups and meetings just aren't fun anymore… Don’t let S&H fandom get like that. PLEASE!!

• 

  inside art from issue #23, Betty de Gabriele

• 

  inside art from issue #23, Greg Franklin

• 

  inside art from issue #23, Jean C.

• 

  inside art from issue #23, Betty de Gabriele

• 

  inside art from issue #23, Greg Franklin

S and H 24/25 (August/September 1981)

cover of issue #24/25, Connie Faddis

• contains 68 pages

• a fan agrees with others that the Max Franklin novels are "emotionally arid"
• a fan says she will never write to the letterzine again as other fans '"pick holes in everything I say," and because she received an incredibly "rude and dogmatic"' letter from another fan; she proceeds to lob angry and dismissive parting shots at about nine other fans by name
• a fan complains about the crappy police radio use on the show
• a newspaper clipping about parking
• an essay/article, “A Brief Guide to Selected S&H Locales OR The Editor is a Native Angeleno, You Know OR Skip This Article if You’ve Been Here.”
• a very short review of Syndizine #2, see that page
• a review of n!, see that page
• a very odd review of Graven Images by Ima Fool, see that page
• a very, very long review of Graven Images, see that page
• another very, very long review of Graven Images, see that page
• a fan proposes a fannish camping trip, a mini-con for writers
• Code 7 and All Our World in Us are still listed as "cancelled," no other information listed
• "Soapy Scenes" is still listed as "forthcoming... still accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, humor, artwork, ANYTHING. At present, we have just over a hundred pages, but we'd like more. Any material reflecting the zine's title will be welcomed with opened arms. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we regret that we shall be unable to accept any material on the S/H theme. This is not our choice, but thus does poverty make cowards of us all. Hence, there will be only one version of Soapy Scenes. The 'Adults Only' version has been, reluctantly cancelled." [this is probably a reference to the recent threats that have affected "Off Duty" and Code 7]
• the zine "Late Bloomer" #1 and #2 is still being advertised
• artists: Connie Faddis (cover), Jean C., Betty de Gabriele, Greg Franklin, Marion Kelly, Cheryl Newsome
• a fan comments on Graven Images: {{Quotation|I have read it twice, and pick out new things each time… [about] the story, I can’t even describe my feelings which is one reason I have procrastinated and haven’t written to the author to congratulate her, but I will… [About] the illustrations.. I didn’t really understand them."
• a fan comments about Graven Images:

  Apparently quite a few people in fandom who have read this zine did not like it because it was a chore to get through. When you need to run to the dictionary to look up every other word, all the fun goes out of reading. I myself enjoyed the story and found it a refreshing change. I do not think it would have been as enjoyable if it weren’t for my extensive background in classical literature and religious symbolism.

• fan comments on Graven Images:

  I waited several months in eager anticipation for Graven Images. I was very disappointed when it finally arrived. I had to read it twice to fully understand the content… There was a lot of flotsam in the final draft and believe me, I’m familiar with undo divergence… It makes me wonder if GI was edited at all. One strong inconsistency… is that the author goes out of her way to find a medical term (contre coup fracture) for Starsky’s injury… that even the doctors… would conceivably be very familiar with the term because of their specialties, had to spend several minutes trying to recall EXACTLY what the term meant… Secondly, the description of the man Hutch killed taking a last gasping breath… let me say from experience, anyone hit in the chest area from the back with a round from a .357 Magnum wouldn’t HAVE any lung tissue or bronchial tree to gasp that breath through… Also in Nam when Starsky shoots the major, he falls forward onto Hutch therefore the bullet came from the back passing through the head. [she goes on to complain of a number of medical inaccuracies and other things she felt were errors about Vietnam, including geographical inconsistencies and terminologies]… One last comment, re S/H – everyone has the right to see what they want. That’s what makes America great! Personally, I don’t see the / but then I’m blessed with a friend as close to me as Starsky is to Hutch.

• a fan says:

  I appreciate fan writing for the pure richness of the stories, the unvarnished texture of the ideas. It is a pioneer spirit, of sorts, something lacking in day to day life.

• a fan complains about m/m:

  … the subject of homosexuality should be left out. It’s tacky, it’s dirty, it’s uncalled for!

• the creator of Harry/Johnny writes:

  I have often said, ‘I can write better than this,’ and in the attempt to prove it, accidentally created a whole, new universe!

• a fan writes about writing:

  Most of the time S&H fiction is worth the money, if only for the exposure to the ideas and fantasies of other people, even if it isn’t as well educated as it might have been with the help of more expert fans. I always try to see what it is the author is trying to say, even if she (or he) expresses it in ways that are grammatically unclear or deliberately obscure. I want to give him/her every chance to share a thought, and I try to appreciate the story as intended. With a well-written story, this is easy, but a less-skilled writer can be just as entertaining.

• a fan says the two stories she rereads:

  Two are Mojave Crossing "(the desert scene and the hospital scenes) and ALL of Solitaire. In my opinion, the two most beautifully written and moving stories in fandom.

• a writer takes other to task regarding off-screen/off-letterzine goings on regarding threats and legal action about m/m, probably alluding to the “cancellation” of Code 7:

  This next bit is… for those ladies [she -- a zine editor who cancelled her zine due to anti-m/m fans, mentioned in the previous issue] indirectly mentions in her letter, the ones who are attempting to bring the weight of ‘these precepts’ to bear in S&H fandom. I’m not going to mention any names. You know you are, and so do most of the rest of us… What I would like to do is suggest to you that you are hurting no one but yourselves. You cannot credibly threaten legal action against those who write or publish material not to your taste, whether it’s S/H, K/S, H/J or any other gay construction of a relationship. To win a copyright suit, a plaintiff must demonstrate that the defendant has impaired his ability to profit from his literary property – and there’s no way that 100-200 copies of a privately published, privately advertised and privately sold fanzine are going to put Fox/ABC/Spelling-Goldberg in the red…. And what satisfaction do you derive from making such threats in the first place? Is the prevalence of your own point of view so important that you’re will to do active harm to others to achieve it? If so, it seems to me that there’s a certain lack of proportion involved. I mean, we’re talking about a television show…And there’s something else to consider. You’re not going to stop the writing of S/H, or its distribution. You can’t. That’s a stone fact.

• a fan writes:

  No one has the right to dictate to me what I think, feel or do… and no one has the right to tell me how to interpret Starsky and Hutch. I personally enjoy either variety of story… and you can accuse me of being a fence sitter, but I sure have a helluva view from here. I get the best of both worlds and that’s how I like it… Fandom has deteriorated into a battleground, and there are only losers in a war… If I choose to read erotic literature, that’s my business, and if I choose to write erotic literature, THAT’S my business.

• a fan explains why she likes fan fiction:

  When the show went off the air… it was nice to read new adventures, new chapters in their lives, find out things I didn’t know before… [and] in a story you can go back and reread the portions that were good – the H/C scene for example. On TV it’s on, and then it’s gone, you can’t go back and savor it.

• 

  from issue #24/25, uncredited

• 

  from issue #24/25, Greg Franklin

• 

  from issue #24/25, a list of all known Starsky & Hutch zines as of August/September 1981

• 

  from issue #24/25, Connie Faddis?

• 

  from issue #24/25, Betty de Gabriele

• 

  from issue #24/25, uncredited