Simon & Simon
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Simon & Simon |
| Abbreviation(s): | SS, S&S, SiSi |
| Creator: | Philip DeGuere |
| Date(s): | 1981-1989 |
| Medium: | Television |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| External Links: | IMDB page wikipedia page |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Simon & Simon was a show about two very different private detectives, Rick and AJ, who happened to be brothers; it first aired in 1981, and to everyone's astonishment, lasted eight years. The only other character on the show to appear regularly throughout its period was their strong minded and classy mother, Cecilia.
From Pop Stand Express #16: "If ever a series could be considered tailor-made for fandom, Simon and Simon would be it. Not since the heyday of Starsky & Hutch has a crime-fighting duo sparked such intense loyalty from its fans, or inspired such massive amounts of speculative fiction... Although, there are no official totals, S&S currently [1987] accounts for 50% of the small fandom marketplace."
The Fandom
The show generated a fair amount of fanworks that straddled the divide between print and the new frontiers of the internet. It was also a fandom with quite a few letterzines.
While most of the fanworks were gen, there was some slash fiction. Gen and slash stories showed up in multimedia zines of the time; and there was one digest-sized slash zine from Almost Foolproof Press for four or five years.
Some slash fans were squicked by the incest issue. Some of these fans were more than 'mildly' squicked, and their reactions were along the lines of bewilderment, horror, and denial. From a fan in 2011:
I remember one of the original "incest slash" fandoms, from the early-to-mid-80s--"Simon and Simon" fandom. My friends and I were *so* bewildered by that and, when it was explained to us by proponents that "of course they're having sex, look at how much they love each other," it was (in modern 'net vernacular) a real *headdesk* moment for us.... I [also] find incest to be a preposterous concept and the public distribution....to be crossing a line that makes me want to deny being part of fandom if anyone asks. [1]
Fiction Tropes
The fiction tended to focus on the close relationship between the two brothers, and their relationship with their mother. Common tropes were various family dynamics, Rick's protectiveness of A.J., remembrances of their childhoods, case files, memories of their father, and Rick's experience in Vietnam. Much of the fiction was hurt/comfort.
Rick's service in the military during the Vietnam War occasionally led to stories where he had PTSD symptoms, along with secrets from his past suddenly appearing and intruding into the lives of the brothers.
AJ, though a solid, good-sized guy, was rather 'sweet' looking; Rick often got protective around bad guys, or when they accidentally ended up in jail (which happened a surprising amount).
Pairings
- Rick Simon/A.J. Simon, aka S/S, Si//Si or R/AJ
- het pairings
Gallery of Fan Art
from Osiris Files #2, Gennie Summers
from Hanky Panky #6, Ruth Kurz
back cover of the third issue of the zine, Echoes of Terror
cover of Details at 11 #3
inside page from Heat #1, Frank L. Liltz
Notable Stories
Vids
It is unclear whether the 1980s vids listed below are meant to be gen or het. However, at the time they were made, incest topics were usually considered to be taboo.
Three Sisters vids (1980s)
- I.O.U. - a Simon and Simon fanvid
- Back to Back
- It Might Be You – Simon and Simon
- Take A Look At Me Now – Simon and Simon
I Will Never Let You Down by lilly_the_kid (2019) AO3 link Gen.
Fanzines
Auld Lang Syne | Blondie and the Hat | Bloodlines | Bookends | | The Brothers File | Brothers in Arms | Brothers N Blues | Brothers, Partners, and Friends | Confidential Investigations | Crossing the Line | "crossing the line" collected | Details at 11 | Double Plan | Double Play | Echoes of Terror | A Family Affair (Simon and Simon zine) | Fate's Final Irony | Finish This Story | A Five Shake Case | Freedom and Slavery | The Freedom Trail | Gettin' Frisky With Simon/Simon | Gull and The Pawn | Instrument of Justice | Just a Couple of Jokers | Last Leaf | Magical Moments | More Than Brothers | My Brother's Love | Old Robbers Never Die | Past Sins, Future Sorrows | Pieces of My Mind | The Pirate & The Gentleman | Revenge Times Five | Roses and Bonbons | Second Story Simons| The Simon and Simon Chairside Companion | Simon and Simon Investigations | The Simon and Simon Special Gen Collection | Simon Squared | The Sins of the Mothers | Something to Love | Southhoming | Special Kind of Heroes | Till Death | Treasure Cruise | Who Says Truth is Stranger Than Fiction? | Simon and Simon Episode Guide
Fanfic Sources
Mailing Lists
References
- ^ comment by klangley56 in The subject of slash, dated June 1, 2008; accessed Feb. 9, 2011; WebCite.