Spock's Scribes (journal)

From Fanlore
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Zine
Title: Spock's Scribes
Publisher: Nimoyan-Spock's Scribes
Editor(s): S. Salkind?, Sarah Cornelie "Sam" Cole/"Sama Luna"
Type: newsletter
Date(s): early 1969-1972
Frequency:
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Spock's Scribes is the journal of the Nimoyan-Spock's Scribes fan club. The issues were not numbered, but we have seen these four issues bound together, in order, so it is likely that these were the only four issues, and almost certain that there were no other issues in between these four.

Winter 1969 (Winter Journal)

Spock's Scribes was published in Winter 1969 (around the Xmas holidays; it includes a letter dated Nov. 24, 1969, that was "received yesterday".) It contains 34 pages -- 30 numbered, plus 2 double-sided sheets inserted; one at the beginning and after p. 16).

It appears to be the first one.

On the cover: "I LOVE PARIS in the SPRINGTIME. I LOVE PARIS IN THE FALL" and an illo of Tom Paris, the character Nimoy portrayed in Mission Impossible. It also includes "HIGHLY ILLOGICAL," and a illo of Spock.

  • Introducing Melvin, a Real Honest to Goodness Computer, programmed by Steve Rosenstein, assisted by Eileen Becker ("The great-grandfather of HAL-9000 is alive and well, and vainly trying to learn about the 'Vulcan Mind Probe' from Mr. Spock.... the computer introduced a few issues ago, known to us as MELVIN, MELVIN stands for Multi-Executive Library, Variable Integration and Numerics, and is the nomenclature given to a Control Data Corporation 3300 Digital Computer. In charge of the MELVIN System aer the co-authors of this article: Eileen Becker, Master Library Compiler, and Steven Rosenstein, Systems Programmer. Hardware is composed of 85K core memory, video scanner, tape drives, printers, card readers, and main console (see photographs). Software includes various language assemblers and multi-programming capabilities.") (1)
  • illustrated joke by Janet Mortorano (17)
  • A Different Time -- A Different -- by Dr. McCoy (Jackie Hageman) (fiction) (18)
  • A Contest Just for Fun by Mary Kissel (crossword puzzle) (21)
  • What is This Thing Called Life? by Ronnie Salkind (poem) (22)
  • Once Upon a Star Trek by "Sam" and the LOCOS (chapter two, "What Went Wrong) (24)
  • Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year by Sama Luna and Popoki (cartoon) 30)
  • includes a reprint of an article from the Newark, N.J. The Star Ledger, July , 1969, called "Have TV... will photograph" -- about a fan named Lyn Riker who explains how to take photographs from the television screen, and how she made a business selling these images to fans and to fan clubs

  • front cover of the Winter 1969 issue

  • from the Winter 1969 issue

  • from the Winter 1969 issue, newspaper clipping

  • from the Winter 1969 issue, Once Upon a Star Trek

Mid-1971

Spock's Scribes was published in mid-1971 and contains 50 pages.

  • a long description of fan clubs and the formation and involvement of Spock's Scribes
  • many full-page cartoons
  • Love: It Comes in All Colors, testimonial and poem [This was also a National Urban Coalition PSA on television at the time: Leonard Nimoy was one of the 117 participants]
  • Leonard Nimoy biography
  • Once Upon a Shipment Shuttle, or How Now Doth Your Double-Bubble? (a story in teleplay form) Working with a visiting lady scientist, Dr. McCoy has found a cure/preventative for the common cold. In order to be effective it has to be chewed and blown like bubble gum. It also reduces emotional inhibitions for a brief "happiest crew in space" effect, even for Mr. Spock, who has a brief fling with said lady scientist.
  • Subversive Subspace Chatter, v.1 n.2 pages thirty-two, by "Mudd" (a self-insert that includes other characters that are fan personas, see image below for the cast) (reprinted from Anti-Matter #3 in March 1969; the first installment of this fanwork was in Anti-Matter #2 in December 1968)
  • A Time of Life, fiction, illo by Jennifer Stevenson
  • Hi! by Janet Morterane (a story in teleplay form)
  • zine and fan club ads

  • front cover of mid-1971 issue, Karen Flanery

  • from the mid-1971 issue, the cast of "Subversive Subspace Chatter"

  • from the mid-1971 issue

  • from the mid-1971 issue

  • from the mid-1971 issue

  • from the mid-1971 issue, cartoon by Diane Marchant

  • from the mid-1971 issue

  • from the mid-1971 issue, Karen Flannery

  • from the mid-1971 issue

December 1971

Spock's Scribes was published in December 1971 and contains 53 pages.

cover of the December 1971 issue
  • rules for a "futuristic costume design contest"
  • poems
  • DeForest Kelly sends in answers to some fan questions
  • the entire script of Star Date 3113.7
  • ads for zines and clubs
  • a form for fans to fill out and send back saying what they like most about this newsletter

This issue contains a very long letter from Bjo Trimble that discusses the Star Trek fan campaign, her daughter's mental disability, the earthquake that shook her house on February 9, 1971, her housemates George Barr and Alicia Austin (plus a lot of cats), the Star Trek Concordance, a carton of fannish goodies meant to be auctioned off for UNICEF has been "stolen" by a fan, the Trimbles' "falling out" with Gene Roddenberry over "the sales company now known as Star Trek Enterprises, and much more:

ON HEARTQUAKES & EARTHQUAKES...

Introducing the Trimbles; John Griffin Trimble, sales, renresentative for a rope and twine mill, and night college student; his wife of 11 years, Betty Jo (also known as Bjo—"BEE-jo"), full-time college student, freelance commercial artist and barely part-time housewife. Kathryn Arwen, age 6 - our Elf Child and Lora JoAnn, age 4, future dictator of the universe, make up the rest of the family, except for Kei-tu (K-2), our elegant, spoiled "tabby-point" almost-Siamese cat.

The other denizens of Mathom House are George Barr, freelance artist with covers on Ballantine and Ace books to his credit, and Alicia Austin, professional cytologist and freelance illustrator (and her 4 cats: Koko, Oedipus, Greyley, and Pootie). Mathom House is any place we happen to live, named after the "museum" in J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT; a 'mathom' is something which is too good to throw away, but something for which you have no earthly use. We collect things...

We've been in science fiction fandom for over 15 years, going to conventions, publishing fanzines, running an art show. Our connection with Star Trek is because V7e were enthused about the first sequential TV show which made science fiction look at least slightly adult. There have been many fine anthologies of this type, both on radio and TV, but until Star Trek, science fiction suffered badly in weekly shows. It is part of our nature to "become involved". So when Star Trek was in danger of cancellation in its second season, John and I organized a letter-writing campaign to save it; most of you know how successful that was. By the end of the third season, the scripts had become so badly muddied, and characterization had been blurred too much for the show's most mature watchers, and as you well know, another campaign (not handled by us) was a failure.

During the show's run, we were friends with Gene Roddenberry, and answered the fan mail, at one point. Later we helmed set up the sales company now known as Star Trek Enterprises, though we left when we did not agree with some of the business decisions being made. We still enjoy the show, and feel that if nothing else, it put us in contact with many really wonderful fans whom we'd not ordinarily have met. So in spite of the heartbreaks, the pettiness, the squabbling, and the back-biting which goes on in Star Trek fandom at times, the people with whom we have made friends have made it all worthwhile.

[...]

We have had almost more trouble than it is worth, trying to get that Supplement put together! First, our printer has problems with his love life, and loses interest in printing, and then Dorothy Jones finds that real men are loads more interesting than TV heroes, and gives me this paper bag full of notes, see...which is all the work done so far on the Supplement. I cry a lot when people do that!

[...]

Sadly I note that not all ST fans are Good People. An entire carton of goodies meant for raffle for UNICEF has been held for over a year by the person to whom I entrusted it. No letters have been answered, and we've - reluctantly come to the conclusion that nothing is going to be done, and the material is lost both to ST fans, and for the benefit of hungry children somewhere in the world. I've been sending out film clips from my own collection to various fanzines, to be given FREE to members of clubs, and subscribers, only to find that the person to whom I've made this friendly gesture has been selling the film clips for their own profit! It sorta makes one not trust eager young ST fans, you know?

On the good side, fans like Kathy Surgenor and Mickey Malkin took film clips from my collection to various Eastern conventions, to sell for the Cancer Fund (and I’ve got the notes from the Cancer Society, saying thank you). And Ruth Rigel, hearing of this project, added a large box full of her own film clips to go for this Fund, too. Sam writes to tell me that a certain fan doesn’t have some certain film clips, and is if OK to share the ones I sent her? This kind of willing work and sharing is what makes me love Star Trek fans!

Luckily, my faith in fans has been more often bolstered than harmed and I keep finding that there are more fans willing to trade or share than just to sit back and play "gimmee". I've been trading film clips for trading stamp books, and often send out the film clips before I get the books (or mineral specimens, or 'recipe book's, or whatever we've agreed to trade). So far, I’ve only been stung twice , and while I regret that, the only answer is to stop trading with them.

This issue also contains BEM, a screenplay by David Gerrold:

February (or maybe March) of 1968, a certain science fiction TV series began buying stories for its third season. A certain young writer, D___d G______ d met with G__E R__________Y, the the producer of that series. The producer told the writer he would buy two stories. One was entitled MORE TRIBBLES, MORE TROUBLES. The other was entitled BEM, Following is the original version of BEM. These are the writer's original thoughts. In no way are they to be considered either a finished or final version. This is an outline, and is meant only to give a gneral idea of the basic story. One of the things that we hope that man will soon outgrow and not take with him into space is racial prejudice. So far, we have seen none of it on the E_______e because the crew of the ship is so mixed that it is a great melting pot. Faced against a vast galaxy of strange and alien races, no human could possioly be prejudiced against another. But what of nonhuman races? There is already one nonhuman member of the ship's crew and it is possible that there could be others assigned to the ship. An ew member of the crew always has a difficult time adjusting, and when he is an alien, the job is just that much more difficult, What would happen if the E________e took on a crew member of a race that is so alien that he is not even humanoid? Would the crew of the ship accept him? Probably, most of them would, after the initial strangeness wore off. But what would K-rk do if a prejudicial reaction showed up — and worse what could he do if the prejudiced officer were Sp-ck?

  • from the December 1971 issue, script of fan play Star Date 3113.7

  • from the December 1971 issue

  • from the December 1971 issue

  • from the December 1971, an example of Spock Smiles

November 1972

Spock's Scribes was published in November 1972 and contains 60 pages.

cover of the November 1972 issue, Claire Mason
  • Interview Between Leonard Nimoy and Keith Fordyce on Late Night Extra, BBC (1)
  • Creativity and Individuality, a talk given by Leonard Nimoy (3)
  • Dinah Shore Show, Transcription of Leonard Nimoy's appearance (5)
    • Sketch by Karen Flanery (10)
    • Dateline: Beverly Massachusetts ... Subject: Fiddler on the Roof! (11)
  • Sketch by Nina Nickoloff (11)
  • Dateline: Milwaukee!! "Oliver" (12)
  • Hobbithole N.W. by Knutt (Karen Flanery) (14)
  • Leonard Nimoy Interviewed by Judith Wills (15)
  • Reflections of a Middle Aged Fan by Denny Arnold (18)
  • Poetry Corner:
  • In Transit, fiction by Linda Lawson (24)
  • Editorial by Sam Cole
  • Fiddler on the Roof, uncredited review (32)
  • Tomorrow's Beginning (Part 1), fiction by Leonard Stanislowski (Mission Impossible) (38)
  • Counseling by Leonard Nimoy (54)
  • True Confessions or C'mon Mrs. Flanery, Why Did You Really Decide to Join a Fan Club? (55)
  • Subject of Our Honorary Dr. A. (Isaac Asimov) by Karen Flanery (58)
  • Selene's Pen Pal Column by Selene (60)

  • from the November 1972 issue, Karen Flanery

  • from the November 1972 issue, Karen Flanery

  • from the November 1972 issue, Linda H. Lawson

  • from the November 1972 issue, Jackie

Retrieved from "https://fanlore.org/w/index.php?title=Spock%27s_Scribes_(journal)&oldid=2401890"