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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 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.
Short Canon Description
From For Those Who Came in Late #1:
Simon and Simon is the story of two detective brothers who work in San Diego for their own company, Simon and Simon Confidential Investigations. Though very different in personality and style, the brothers have shared a lot throughout their lives, and, along with their mother, are an extremely close family. According to the events in "Pirate's Key”, which was originally supposed to be the pilot, Rick and AJ learned a lot about the detective business in Florida, where Rick did free-lance repossessing work and AJ worked for Myron Fowler. Myron was transferred back to San Diego, and soon afterwards AJ, then Rick, returned home. The guys were fond of taking fishing trips together, and Rick especially liked to go south of the border to Mexico. Both men occasionally drowned their sorrows in a bottle of Don Diablo. One of their favorite scams used for getting into places they shouldn't be was the Will Kill Pest Control Company. AJ kept the books and preferred doing things very professionally, while Rick didn't like to keep office hours or go by the book. Both were very compassionate, often taking low- or non-paying cases, though vowing never to take another divorce case. Their agency had its ups and downs, rivaled at first by Myron's Peerless agency, and later the Triple I investigation company.
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.
Some fans used the term "Simonized" when talking about the show. This is a reference to a brand name for a type of car wax which generated a lot of television commercials in the late 1970s and early 1980s. [1]
Pairings
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.
- Rick Simon/A.J. Simon, aka S/S, Si/Si or R/AJ
- het pairings
Slash and the Topic of Incest
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. [2]
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 was often explored. This sometimes 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, was a solid, good-sized man, but clearly the smaller man and rather 'sweet' looking.AJ was also often portrayed as fragile and wumpable.
Rick is often portrayed as very protective of AJ.
Both characters often accidentally end up in jail, which provides much drama.
This fandom is a rare one in that it featured Rick and AJ's mother, Cecelia.
There is also a lot of fiction with a focus of Rick and AJ's deceased father, Jack.
Most of the fanworks are gen, with occasional het. Slash fanworks are almost always between Rick/AJ, making this a fandom with incest.
Alternate universes are not very common, nor are female original characters created as love interests for either Rick or AJ.
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
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Vids
At the time the 1980s vids were made, incest topics were usually considered to be taboo. Therefore, it is likely they are gen or het.
- I.O.U. (Three Sisters - 1980s)
- Back to Back (Three Sisters - 1980s)
- It Might Be You (Three Sisters - 1980s)
- Take A Look At Me Now (Three Sisters - 1980s)
- 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
- ^ [1], Archived version
- ^ comment by klangley56 in The subject of slash, dated June 1, 2008; accessed Feb. 9, 2011; WebCite.