Ten-Thirteen

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Zine
Title:	Ten-Thirteen (also "10-13")
Publisher:	Cat and Dragon Press
Editor(s):	Terri Beckett and Chris Power
Date(s):	1980-1981
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Starsky and Hutch
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Ten-Thirteen is a gen (with one slash story in each issue) Starsky and Hutch anthology edited by Terri Beckett and Chris Power.

The submission request for it in S and H #15 (October 1980) said: "Deadline December 1st for submissions. Art, poetry, fiction -- all themes considered, no vetoes."

The Title's Origin

From S and H #17:

According to my sources, 10-13 means 'assist m.o.f.' or translated, 'Help!' ... If it has since changed or means different things in different states, then -- sorry -- but a 10-13 is still a 10-13. We liked the title, and it stays. Thirteen is a nice number. Could be worse.

About the Zine

a 1981 flyer advertising the two issues of "10-13" as well as One More Mountain

The editors write in S and H #17:

We hereby announce that we have all the material for the [first issue of the] zine, and if the printers are willing, it will be available at Dobey Con in February. I am not able to set a price yet, as I have yet to find out what the increased postal charges will be, but I hope to keep it $10 or under... May I say, here and now, that I am proud to present so much talent? And being a British zine, 10-13 is predominately British in content. However, for you xenophobes, we also offer a Faddis cover and fiction by Donna Hutt and Roy Smith. How does that grab you?

The editors place an ad in S and H #30:

We are now accepting submissions for future projects. Would-be contributors, please note, we hold no vetoes. If you do not wish your material to appear with death stories/s/h/alternate universe/cross-pollination or any other material we may wish to print, we would rather you did not submit to us. If, on the other hand, you have no bias in these directions, we will welcome your fiction, poetry, or artwork for consideration.

Issue 1

cover of issue #1, Connie Faddis (xerox copy) -- A fan writes: "Honour...like my all-time favourite of SH zine covers -- '10-13 (i)' with its twin swords of strength and justice." This cover was the winner of an Encore Award

Ten-Thirteen 1 was published in very early 1981 and contains 165 pages.

It has a cover by Connie Faddis. Other art by Jane Davis, Marie Patrick, T'Vas and T'Dex.

Though officially a gen zine, it contains a very early piece of non-explicit slash: Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn. This inclusion caused quite a bit of controversy.

• Editorial (3)
• Ten Commandments by Sue S. (4)
• A Statue for Starsky by Julia Bentley, poem (5)
• The Amphibian by Jane Davis (6)
• Cause For Complaint by Paul Veres (15)
• Déjà Vu by Jay Felton, poem (16)
• Midnight Movie by Sue S. (17)
• Somebody Up There by Terri Beckett and Chris Power (20)
• small filler: "Every Boy's Guide to Camping" -- humorous "ad" for a book: "The information-packed reference book for Campers Everywhere. Featuring - Ten Easy Ways to Tow a Travois. Desert Survival. First-Aid for Frostbite Sufferers. Symptoms of Spleen Disorder. The Best Methods of Conserving Body-Heat.The Ins and Outs of Sharing a Sleeping-Bag. The Importance of Knowing Where Your Woggle Is. How To Identify a Park Ranger - he's the one in the pretty uniform but don't take his word for it." (77)
• Introducing the Squad Room Door (78)
• Opening Night by Anonymous (79)
• Nature Study by Julia Bentley (80)
• Lemonade, Five Cents a Glass by Donna Hutt (81)
• Survival by Chris Power, poem (86)
• Howzat! by Sara Crispin (87)
• Five by Theresa Lebrande (89)
• Haiku by Jay Felton, poem (89)
• Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn ("first in the 'Wild Talent' series") by Pamela Dale (slash) (90)
• Dear Abbie (104)
• Holding On by Sara Crispin (107)
• Credo by Terri Beckett, poem (119)
• The Goy Can't Help It (120)
• A Brother Helped is a Strong City by Roy Smith (reprinted just a few months later in Syndizine #2) (This story was the jumping off place for the zine Decorated for Death.) (122)
• Before I Sleep by Terri Beckett, poem (164)

• 

  from issue #1, T'Vas (photocopy)

• 

  from issue #1, Jane Davis (photocopy)

• 

  for "Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn" from issue #1, T'Vas (photocopy)

• 

  from issue #1, T'Vas and Marie Patrick (photocopy)

• 

  from issue #1, from "A Brother Helped is a Strong City" (photocopy)

• 

  from issue #1, from "A Brother Helped is a Strong City" (photocopy)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

See reactions and reviews for Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn.

[zine]: Having just got my copy of 10-13, I think it's a great zine. Connie, the cover is beautiful - - loved it. You went overboard with that one. After reading 'Somebody Up There' and watching 'Target,' I find it fits in nicely, really done well. 'A Brother Helped' has to be one of the best stories I've read for a long time.

[zine]: The vital statistics for this zine are listed in the appropriate section. The listing notes that there are things in here that "you can't afford to miss." The listing is exactly correct. This zine is good. The only fault I could find was in the artwork, which--aside from the beautifully reproduced Faddis cover—was neither outstanding nor plentiful. I hope fandom's artists help to correct the problem in 10-13/2, because Terri and Chris deserve it. 10-13 reminds me of some of the earlier American zines, like Me and Thee or the first few Zebra Threes. The mimeo is legible, the variety of stories is excellent, the humor is absolutely delightful, none of the poetry woke the diabetes... and there's a warm, comfortably fannish feeling about it all, a sense that the editors were having a hell of a good time putting it all together and want to share the fun. The two long stories are by the Editors and Roy Smith, respectively. "Somebody Up There," by Beckett and Power, delves into the case that culminated in "Targets Without a Badge" and does a lot to explain why Hutch was so emotionally exhausted by the time Lionel was shot. It also managed to switch narration between Hutch and Starsky without making them sound like a pair of Britons —no small feat when writing in a foreign dialect. Roy Smith's "A Brother Helped Is a Strong City" examines what might happen to S&H in the not-so-distant future when the predicted earthquakes begin to hit L.A. Angelenos may not care for this one much, and I don't blame them. It's well-written, grim as the Reaper, but not entirely without hope. "Brother" also gives us a look at that rarely-seen inner strength that Hutch can have in a crisis, his concern for people-as-a-group that balances Starsky's personal survival instincts. Several stars to both stories. The shorter stories and vignettes—nine of them—range from a speculation on the origins of the Hutchinson Squash to a strange encounter between S&H and Merlin and Arthur. The humor is a bit different from your average US variety in places—Starsky trying to explain cricket to Hutch, secondhand and is completely international in others ("Every Boy's Guide to Camping" was a particular favorite -- it covers just about any emergency any fannish writer could throw at S&H, on vacation or off-duty, but it runs a close match with the "Nature Guide to the Homo Sapiens Corpus Delect! and the H. Sapiens Corpus Superbus"). Those who may be bothered by / in a story can skip pp. 99-102 and be none the worse for wear. Those who want to read that particularly can per use those pages first thing. Either way, it's a fine first effort by two writers who call themselves "a pair of complete amateurs," and well worth adding to any zine collection.

Issue 2

front cover of issue #2: "Knight of Cups, Knight of Pentacles" -- by Jean C.

back cover of issue #2

Ten-Thirteen 2 was published in February 1981 and has 140 pages. The editors referred to it as "10-13ii." and "10-13/ii."

The front cover is by Jean C., the interior illos by Chris Ripley, Tracey Heather, Casey, June Bushnell, Freda Hyatt, Ruth Kurz, Susan Wyllie, Marie Aranas, Joy Mancinelli, and T'Vas.

Ruth Kurz's illo was first printed in S & H #29.

Other zine credits: typing by Terri and Chris, collating by Freda ("who did it for love"), collating by P.J. ("who did it for money"), graphics and layout by Tabby, T'Vas, and Letrase. Sundries was by Terence ("for Transport"), P.K. ("for tea, coffee, and General Harassment"), D.A.V. ("without whom it would have been finished a lot sooner"), J.M.D. ("for keeping D.A.V. in line. Most of the time.").

While the first issue contained a very mild, subtle slash story (Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn), this issue contains a slash story, The Boxer, that is very much a m/m fic that does not beat around the bushes. The editors, who did not warn for the slash story in the first issue, did so in the second. From an early 1982 submission request:

10-13 Enterprises are now accepting submissions for future projects: would-be contributors please note, we hold no vetos. If you do not wash your material to appear with death stories - S/H - alternate universe - cross pollination or any other material we may wash to print, we would rather you did not submit to us. If, on the other hand, you have no bias in these directions, we will welcome your fiction, poetry, or artwork for consideration.

The editorial:

Well, no one can say we don't try! Since i/ most people liked something about 10-13-/I, if only that the typos made them feels superior. ii/ we went crazy and borrowed the cash to buy a 2nd-hand mimeo. iii/ we are obviously masochists. Here is 10-13/ii.

We think we have learned by our mistakes in 10-13/I -- we hope we have avoided some of them this time. Again, we have censored none of the themes -- we have both S/H and a death-story in these pages. Be warned, ye of faint or tender heart.

Some of you will know what goes into producing a 'zine. You know it isn't easy, that it's time-consuming, demanding, hard work. There are days when nothing goes right and you feel like chucking the whole lot and doing something sane and useful, like teaching penguins to roller-skate. Those days are out-numbered, fortunately, by the days when the sun shines, the stencils cut smoothly, typos are miraculously few, and your artists come up with glorious artwork. And finally it's done, and you're typing the foreword, and it's time to start wondering again -- is it worth it?

Yes. It is.

Thank you for making it worth our while.

• Editorial (3)
• Graven Mirages by Paula Smith (This is the skit performed at Zebra Con #3 and is a satire of Graven Images.), winner of an Encore Award. This skit includes mentions of several BNF fic writers and authors, such as Jean C., Linder, and Faddis. The original cast was: Starsky: Jan Lindner, Hutch: Paula Smith, The Princess: Connie Faddis, the Coroner: Amy Wisniewski, Rooster: Edith Crowe, Vargas: Ruth Kurz, other cast members included Jean C., and Laurie Haldeman.) (4)
• Hurt/Comfort by Lyndy Harding (A very suggestive, humorous dialogue vignette that suggests first time anal sex, but is really about getting a splinter out of Stasrky's butt.) (11)
• Counter Moves by Jill S. Ripley (Fiction: "The Blond Knight" and "The Blue Knight" battle a bad guy in a department store. The story is very stylized and action-oriented.) (13)
• Dear Abbie (26)
• a page written by the editors humorously explaining why it was included: it was an error and they didn't want to re-number all the pages and didn't want to leave it as a page of white space, and.... (28)
• The Rock by Judith Ashby (Starsky acquires a pet rock he believes is magical. Hutch whispers to it regarding Starsky: "Keep him well, keep him safe, keep him happy." Starsky tells the rock later that he knows Hutch told it something, that he trusts Hutch to make three good wishes, so Starsky wishes the same thing for Hutch.) (29)
• The Squadroom Door/Son of Bafflegab by Jan Lindner (35)
• Songbird, poem by Donna Hutt (36)
• Quiet Country Weekend, fiction by Terri Beckett and Chris Power (38)
• Once Upon A Night, poem by Teleny (82)
• Night Maze by Sandi Chapman (83)
• Crossroads, poem by Paul Veres (89)
• The Kosher Kop, two illos (90)
• The Closet by Marion Hale, a "vignette completing the tag to "The Game"" (92)
• The Boxer by Jane Aumerle (A slash fic, supposedly related to Graven Images. In it, Starsky is packing up his apartment and moving to a new one. He thinks about how how much he loves Hutch, but can't bring himself to admit it. Instead, he thinks about how he sleeps with a lot of women, and some anonymous men, to scratch his various itches, but in the end Starsky is terribly lonely. While the fic is not explicit in m/m descriptions, it is fairly graphic and leaves no question at all regarding Starsky's sex life. The fic includes the words "fuck" and "screw," which may have been jarring to fanfic readers at the time. One reviewer calls the fic "brief and inconclusive" [see rest of review below].) (95)
• page of in-jokes (103)
• Chemistry Set by Tabby Davis (104)
• Dreamer, poem by Teleny (110)
• Grey Smoke by Sara Crispin, winner of an Encore Award (Starsky dies in a car accident, appears to Hutch as a ghost, Hutch commits suicide so they can both be dead and be together forever.) (111)
• Snowman, poem by Jean Chabot (120)
• The White Knight's Lady by Joy Mancinelli (This story is about Hutch and Vanessa's terrible marriage. She is unhappy at his work hours, his job, and is jealous of Starsky. Starsky confronts her.) (121)
• Something Left to Lose, poem by Jean Chabot (137)
• 7:30AM, poem by Lyndy Harding (138)
• The Clockwork Cop, poem by Julia Bentley (139)

• 

  from issue #2, first page of Graven Mirages

• 

  from issue #2, Chris Ripley, from "Counter Moves"

• 

  from issue #2, Chris Ripley, from "Counter Moves"

• 

  from issue #2, Casey

• 

  i from issue #2, Maria Aranas from "Kosher Kop"

• 

  from issue #2, Freda Hyatt for The Boxer

• 

  from issue #2, sample page from The Boxer

• 

  from issue #2, T'Vas for "White Knight's Lady" -- a rare illo of Vanessa Hutchinson

• 

  from issue #2, Marie Aranas from "Grey Smoke"

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

See reactions and reviews for The Boxer.

[zine]: As a writer with three contributions within the pages of Ten-Thirteen #2 under various pseudonyms, I wish to dissociate myself entirely from this zine. I further wish to make it perfectly clear that I had no idea that S/H material was going to be a part of this publication. Had I known, I would have withdrawn my contributions… [My pen-names]… were done for fun and not because I am ashamed of what I write. I have never made any secret of the fact that I have contributions in 10-13ii, therefore a number of people know that I am in there somewhere. It is this knowledge that has forced me to write. In the last month’s letterzine, Terri said that ‘from the first, we said that 10-13 would have no vetoes.’ Despite this statement, I have received private, written assurances from both editors that 10-13 would contain no S/H material. Chris' letter to me advised me that this zine would be G-rated and ‘strictly straight.’ Terri's letter to me states quite categorically that the S/H story I knew she had in her possession at the time was ‘definitely’ (her word) not gong to be in 10-13ii. BUT IT IS…When 10-13i came out in February 1981, I made it very clear… that I was worried about the fact that an S/H story, however innocuous, had been included in it. I stated at the time… that if S/H material was to be used in 10-13ii, then I should consider withdrawing my contributions. It was after I had voiced my concern that these written assurances were made to me. I did not, incidentally, know that there was to be an S/H story in 10-13i either. I let it go by without public comment because I thought it was partly my fault for not having made my views clear enough. I cannot do this a second time… This raises a vexing question… does a contributor to a zine have a right to know if that zine is to contain material that might possibly considered controversial, or might possible offend?

[zine]: It's not the easiest thing, reviewing a zine in which one has a double vested interest, but here goes. There are more, but shorter, stories in 10-13 #2 than in #1 plus a goodly number of vignettes, and an international roster of contributors, with Canada, England, and the U.S. all heard from. Heavyweight of the zine is the editors' "Quiet Country Weekend." Beckett and Power always have a fresh and enjoyable insight into the characters, and a noticeable balance about the way they use them. In this tale of S&H's early partnership, the authors deal with honest, normal irritation without going overboard; they point up the competitive angle of S&H's relationship without making it into a war. The story itself is jam-packed with plot twists: our boys ferry a baddy toward Phoenix, never listening to the guy's claim he was set up and even now the Really Bad Guys want to kill him. He escapes; they go after him, and guess who they run into. Aside from some nickname etymology that sounds awfully strained ("Scarlett" from "Kirov"), the people are fully fleshed and interesting. Good stuff. Another good story, "The White Knight's Lady" by Joy Mancinelli, examines the breakdown of the Hutchinson marriage from Vanessa's point of view. Though early on in the story there's a certain flightiness to Vanessa that doesn't quite mesh with the international jewel thief we saw in HUTCHINSON: FOR MURDER ONE, at the climax the mixture of vamp, plotter, and hurt little girl rings compellingly true. While the conclusion is only implied, the reader can't miss it: Van loses her confrontation with Starsky. An excellent character study. "The Rock" by Judith Ashby is a small but gentle piece. I was charmed when Hutch, after denigrating Starsky's "magic" rock for four pages, once he's alone drops to it and whispers, "Keep him well, keep him safe, keep him happy." That, in miniature, is their whole relationship. In Tabby Davis' "Chemistry Set," Hutch turns down a promotion, getting in dutch with I.A. again, and then figures out by talking to Starsky why he did it. Telling a story backwards like this is unusual, but it can work, and does here. "Grey Smoke," by Sara Crispin, uses a romanticized, fantasy view of death, while ignoring some of its nasty realities. Hutch blows his brains out to join a dead Starsky (who's been hanging around Venice Place for a couple of hours), and finds everything is still terrific, only more so, because they're Together Forever. Meanwhile, who's gonna clean up' the mess? The difference between a story and a vignette is plot. In a story, things happen; action occurs; characters change from state A to state B. A vignette presents a single moment, or at best, a brief incident, with no explicit development. Perhaps the best constructed vignette in the zine is Jane Aumerle's "The Boxer," which presents to us the Starsky of Graven Images (who is rather similar to the Hutch of Graven Images). It would be interesting for that alone, but the fine rhythm and pacing are a bonus. Nearly as good is Sandi Chapman's "Night Maze," a tangle of switchbacks that lays out Starsky's life in perspective. Sometimes It's a little hard to keep track while traveling this linear path through a dream, but in the end it all comes sharply into focus. Marion Hale's "Closet" dredges heavily, and with no particular conclusion, into Starsky's background; it's a follow-up on the tag of THE GAME, Jill Ripley's "Counter Moves"' very sadly uses an intensified version of her DECORATED FOR DEATH style. A 300- page novel can support the ornate, overwrought phrases, but a ten-page vignette about catching a pair of crooks doesn't fare so well; the small plot is buried under the adjectives. The pov of Starsky, Hutch, and even the crooks, all sound alike, and the contrast between thoughts … and dialog is occasionally ludicrous. There's also (ahem) the entire script of "Graven Mirages," the play presented at Zebra Con III last November, by yours truly, and other fillers by way of poems and humor. Special mention goes out to Chris Ripley and "Casey" for their particularly well-rendered lllos, though in fact none of the art in this zine is bad. There is one graphics problem: the mimeo job Is far from satisfactory, which sometimes makes the print hard to read. But beyond that — well, I, think it's worth eleven bucks. Trust me, she said with a banked smile.

[zine]: Beckett and Power ride again. This issue is a mixed bag — some things that I enjoyed very much, some that I'll probably never reread. One thing that is good to see, though, is the new names that are cropping up under story titles. The cover by [Jean C.] has nice portrait work in a dramatic but somewhat unsettled composition. No comment on Graven Mirages.... I enjoyed the spot of H/C. Countermoves, a writing/illustrating project from Jill and Chris Ripley, has one of the more unusual styles — S&H-as-gothic. It contains a kind of murky imagery that flows from one stop-frame to another; mood overwhelms the killer-in-the-dark story line. The continual references to 'the Blue' and 'the Blond' became distracting to the point of irritation after a few pages, but the air of unreality makes it worth reading. The title-page illo is too dark for the medium, but pages 16 and 23 are neat — stylized but alive. Dear Abbie's advice was timely and priceless. "The Rock." An author I haven't read before. This is an interlude between scenes of "The Committee." The story was a little long for what it had to say, but not a bad sentiment. "Weekend in the Country" — the editors' story, the longest in the zine, wherein they haul poor old S&H back to the desert. Or to the desert in the first place, as this story is set about three years after their teaming. And they are a team, but as Dobey says, a bit rough around the edges. The story has been done before — S&H transporting a prisoner — but the prisoner, Kirov (of the Ballet?) is much more likeable than the typical S&H baddie, as well as a little more resourceful. He's motivated entirely by self-interest, but seems to stand a decent chance of being rehabilitated. Starsky and Hutch are drawn as well. They're younger, more like the S&H we saw in early first season. The ESP is there, but not yet fine-tuned. The action starts slowly, but picks up once S&H are too far from Phoenix to call for help. And the finale is as fast and raucous as the end of The Set-Up. Most of the language is well-done; a few Briticisms creep in — at one point Starsky tells Kirov that he (K) is getting up his (S's) nose, a sinus condition that is apparently common in the UK but has not made the crossing. Still, I reckon such slips are unavoidable. They're not intrusive. I found Nightmaze rather confusing, which is probably appropriate. To say more would be to give away the ending. "Crossroad" was the only poem I really enjoyed, but I make no claims as a Poetry Appreciation reviewer. The theme sums up "Targets'" conclusion pretty well. "The Closet." Hmm. This isn't one of Marion Hale's better efforts. I can't buy the idea of Starsky as an abused child — Hutch, possibly. But this post-Game vignette never convinced me of its premise... I found Starsky's reactions inappropriate to a 36-year-old man, and his attitude toward his mother held none of the resentment one would expect a battered child to feel toward a passive but non-protective mother. I wish The Boxer had been written by anyone but Aumerle, as what I have to say is bound to be misinterpreted by at least one person. And, I don't see the point of including one brief, inconclusive S/H vignette in an otherwise PG zine — unless it was included as a figurative thrown gauntlet. The vignette says nothing that has not been said in unpublished work, nor is it said in a unique way. I think the only purpose it will serve is to discourage readers who would otherwise enjoy the zine very much. Ah, well. The Encyclopedia of Home Ec & Social Graces is from the Camping Guide person. Enough said. And the Pearls that follow are true gems. Chemistry Set... I like. The old Divide and Conquer ploy fails again. Now, if someone can just convince Tabby to tackle a full-length story, we might be in for a treat. Grey Smoke.... I knew what this had to be, but "Put the phone down" sent a chill up my spine anyway. I hate what Hutch decided to do, but think Crispin is right in saying he'd do it. The two final paragraphs add an unnecessary touch of cuteness, but it's an effective short story. White Knight's Lady, by Joy Mancinelli, is the best story in the zine. Her Vanessa is cool, manipulative, ruthless — but by no means 'evil' — just terribly unsuited to life as a cop's wife...or tragically attracted to the wrong man. The ambiguity makes an interesting story. Come on, Joy — gird your loins, put on your football helmet, and drag out your writing. It’s too good to languish away. Overall, I think 10-13 is worth ordering. The mimeo repro is excellent, and the variety is astonishing for a zine of 140 pages. Ignore or enjoy the / as you choose, but don’t let it stop you from appreciating the rest of the zine.

[zine]: I'm tempted to begin this review by observing that yes, Virginia, there are books you can safely judge by their covers, and 10-13 is one of them. That wouldn't be quite right, though. a better analogy for this zine is a whisky bonbon: nice on the outside, tastier still once you get your teeth into it. Thish opens with Paula Smith's "Graven Mirages", the skit performed at the last Z-Con banquet. It's mainly a takeoff of Graven Images, but also manages to get in some well-aimed licks at the oh-comma-God-comma-Starsky syndrome, hurt/comfort and a few other fannish targets of opportunity. The cruelty and obvious contempt for her audience that have marred much of Smith's other humor are absent here, replaced by a light touch and a genuinely witty sensibility. If the piece has a flaw, it's a certain unevenness of approach. I think most readers will find GM funniest where it's most sophisticated: Hutch's speech beginning "The body is a house of the soul, says the Church", certain of the stage directions that comment upon the action as well as describe it. Even the more crudely vaudevillian bits, though—Starsky's cardboard "Q" and such-- probably play better than they read. On the whole, the piece is clever and nicely turned. Jill Ripley's "Countermoves", in contrast, is badly our of balance. The slight action-adventure plot imply will not bear the metaphysical and linguistic weight that's heaped onto it. Treating a shoot-out in a department store as Armegeddon reduces the encounter to an exercise in the absurd; the proportions are all wrong. It pays merry hell wih the characterization, too. One knows that The Blue Knight and The Blond are Starsky and Hutch because 10-13 is a Starsky & Hutch zine and because Chris Ripley is a fine artist. Certainly there is no indication of the protagonists' identity in their perceptions or thought patterns … A firmer editorial hand was needed here. Style is style and self-indulgence is self-indulgence. They're not equal to the same thing. "A Quiet Country Weekend" is action-adventure that does work. S&H are assigned to ferry a baddy from LA to Phoenix at the expense of their vacation, but various alarums and excursions along the way. Chris and Terri are natural story-tellers; the ability to develop a plot and spin it to its natural conclusion is one of their principal strengths. So, too, is the creation of interesting original characters. Kirov is a person, not a prop, a crook with a heart of—well, let's settle for copper—whose basic decency wins out in the end. Starsky and Hutch themselves start out a bit rough, with Curly behaving in an uncharacteristic and grossly immature fashion. Once the story is underway, though, they settle into the near-familiar personae of an S&H who might very plausibly preceded the men we saw in the pilot. The heavies fare less well, as reincarnations of the Cagney-Robinson thugs who populate late-late-show gangster movies. These authors do their best work when they're dealing with a individual villain whose motives are rooted in personality rather than circumstance—they've limited their own scope, here. The piece could also have used a more careful de-Brit, for sociology as well as language. Nonetheless, its lack of pretension lets it work as entertainment, and there are a couple of neat little in-jokes for the sharp of eye and ear. To the best of my knowledge, this is Sandi Chapman's first time out, and "Night Mazes" is quite impressive as a debut. She has a good grasp of her characters – relying here on Starsky’s characteristic reversion to hurt and trusting child that invariably calls for Hutch’s deepest strengths – and the beginnings of a genuinely sensual style. Not much control, yet, over the latter; she still goes for the scattershot description rather than a few carefully-selected details and heaps adjectives upon adverbs upon more adjectives. These are faults that time and practice will cure, and I look forward to watching it happen. ‘The Closet’ unfortunately has no such saving graces. It purports to continue the word-association sequence at the end of “The Game,” but reads like a letterzine description with dialogue added. The author persists in telling us what her characters feel, instead of just getting out the way and letting them feel it. I also have trouble with this perception of Starsky: Davy-boy as stiff-upper-lip ‘reserved’ is a bit of goods I can’t buy. “Chemistry Set” is well-served by a gentle touch. Hutch is offered a promotion by an IA bureaucrat who refuses to understand why he won’t take it; the contrast is deftly handled and never lapses into stereotype. Small but good. Wise editors that they are, Chris and Terri haves saved the best piece for last. Mancinelli’s ‘The White Knight’s Lady’ returns to the theme of “It Ain’t Me, Babe (Zebra Three #6), this time dopplered into a slightly different universe. This Hutch and Vanessa are harder, and harder-edged then their counterparts; they have less charity for each other, and very little real love…. Joy has a real gift for this sort of thing – the whole of the future delineated clearly at the moment of inception. Her technique here is economical and effective as always…. Graphics and art throughout the zine are excellent. Special mention goes to [Jean C.] for her front cover with its echoes of Durer’s “the Knight, Death, and the Devil,” and to Chris Ripley’s illos for ‘Countermoves.’ The latter are utterly striking; one doesn’t look at these pictures, one looks through them toward an alternate reality that is more than a little frightening. The eyes have a reptilian quality that subtly appropriate…I recommend this zine. It’s a pleasure to be able to do so.