The Adventures of Sherlock Bones
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Adventures of Sherlock Bones |
| Publisher: | The Intergalactic Corporation of Quadrotriticale Quirps (Querps?), Ltd. |
| Editor(s): | Elena Andrews, Sharon Gumerove, Karin A. Meyer, Margaret McMahon |
| Date(s): | 1975-1980 |
| Series?: | Yes |
| Medium: | print zine |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | gen |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Adventures of Sherlock Bones is a gen Star Trek: TOS anthology.
This is a sister zine to The Intergalactic Etcetera.
About
From the second issue:
...Sherlock Bones is a 22nd century Sherlock Holmes. He also doubles as the Chief Surgeon aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. He is helped on his cases by the head of the Medical Unit Irregulars, Ensign Pavel Chekov, Nurse Watson,and Sulu. Together they crusade against Spockiarity. (you know who,as you know what). In this issue,we are pleased to announce a new character, to help McCoy, whether he wants to or not. We hope you I enjoy reading about Sherlock's escapades,because we had fun writing them.
From one of the zine's creators in 2015:
Two of the earliest Sherlock Holmes-Star Trek Crossovers were created before Lt. Commander Data donned a deerstalker. The Intergalactic Etc. Sherlock Bones series is arguably the first Star Trek crossover character (1975), as it predates The Federation Holmes (1978). These stories represent opposite ends of the crossover literature; The Federation Holmes is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, while the Sherlock Bones series was a Star Trek parody....
Before the Holmesian Federation, the Intergalactic Etc. first published a Star Trek Fanzine in 1975. “Sherlock Bones” appeared in the first issue; his stories were a regular feature running in each issue. Due to their popularity, three special collections of the stories were printed: The Adventures of Sherlock Bones #1, The Adventures of Sherlock Bones #2, and Sherlock Bones Strikes Again.
With titles like “The Clandestine Adventure of the Arcane Tomato” and “From the Reminiscences of Doctor Leonard McCoy”, the stories were tongue in cheek, with Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy putting Nurse Chapel to work as his assistant, Nurse Watson. He created his own network of crewmembers to aid in his investigations, the Medical Unit Irregulars, headed by Ensign Chekov. Together they fought against the evil Professor Spockiarty. Some of the stories borrowed incidents from the Canon and adapted them to adventures onboard the Enterprise.
As an editor-author of the Intergalactic Etc., it would be difficult for me to objectively review these stories. Rereading them during the writing this post has proven entertaining as well as nostalgic. They were written during the editors’ years in high school and college, spanning almost a decade. An objective review that appears on Halliday’s Zinedex commented “they've grown on me and now I think they're pretty fun....
These crossovers influenced both universes. Tying Sherlock Holmes into the Star Trek universe was a way to increase the buzz about a canceled series and engage more fans. In those day, fanzines and conventions were the primitive equivalent to current social media.
When the first story appeared in the first issue in 1975, the series had concluded six years previously, leaving the fans wanting more. The Star Trek fan movement and the fanzines kept the franchise alive, and even influenced the naming the first space shuttle built for atmospheric test flights. At the time when these early stories were written, Star Trek’s fan movement may have influenced the Sherlock Holmes universes less dramatically, but it served as a way to keep the canon relevant.
The stories demonstrated that Sherlock Holmes can be part of any place, any time. The influence of Star Trek’s fan movement is more evident today, having laid the groundwork and demonstrated how fans can engage with the universe of Sherlock Holmes, where it is always 1895.” [1]
From a fan in the early to mid-2000s:
Apparently Sherlock Bones stories began appearing in "The Intergalactic Etc." and were collected, together with some new ones in the same vein, for these special editions. With the help of his Medical Unit Irregulars (Nurse Watson, Chekov & just about everyone else), McCoy pursues mysteries in a Sherlock guise, trying to track down arch-villain Spockiarty and driving the captain - who occasionally appears as Sherlock's brother Kirk-??? - crazy. Intership mail generally is pivotal to the stories somehow. They are pretty silly spoofs, and not the best-written zines around. At first I was very disappointed in them, having paid way too much for one on eBay auctions - but they've grown on me and now I think they're pretty fun. [2]
Issue 1
The Adventures of Sherlock Bones 1 was published in 1975 and contains 30 pages.
- The Mystery of the Devil's Foot, or, Did Spock Climb My Wall by S. Gumerove (also in Intergalactic Corporation of Quadrotriticale Quirps #2) (2)
- The Illustrious Acquisition of a Heroic Hero's Name by M. McMahon (7)
- The Great Bird by K. Meyer and S. Gumerove (11)
- Hail, Hail, the Mail's All Here or Is It? by M. McMahon (15)
- The 58.37% Solution by S. Gumerove (20)
- The Mystery of the Mysterious Editor by K. Meyer (23)
- The Case of hte Absentee Adventurer by M. McMahon (28)
Issue 2
The Adventures of Sherlock Bones 2 was published in 1976 and contains 34 pages.
- The Adventure of the Watermelon Seeds by Elena Andrews (2)
- The 58.37% Solution by Sharon Gumerove (8)
- The Adventure of the Artful Dodger by Elena Andrews (11)
- One Crewmember, One Vote by Margaret McMahon (16)
- The 39.62% Answer? by Sharon Gumerove (19)
- One of Our Starbases is Missing! by Margaret McMahon (22)
- The Medical Unit Irregulars Theme Song by Margaret McMahon (30)
- Percentage Remaining by Sharon Gumerove (31)
- Word Search (34)
from issue #2
from issue #2
from issue #2
from issue #2
Issue 3
Sherlock Bones Strikes Again was published in Winter 1980 and contains 52 pages. Cover: Kathy Rao. Artwork: Elena Andres, Kathy Rao, Sharon Gumerove.
- Nothing to Marvel At by Elena Andrews (3)
- Truth and Justice for All by Karin Meyer (10)
- No Man's Enterprise by Sharon Gumerove (18)
- The Case of the Effect of the Efficiency Expert by Margaret McMahon (26)
- MUI Notice by Karin Meyer (34)
- The Ad by Elena Andrews (35)
- The Game's Afoot by Margaret McMahon (board game with clues) (42)
- It's Only Logical by Kathleen Rao (46)
from issue #3
from issue #3
from issue #3
from issue #3
from issue #3
from issue #3
References
- ^ from one of the editor/authors: The Earliest Sherlock Holmes - Star Trek Crossovers - I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, Archived version
- ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version