The Handlink
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Handlink |
| Publisher: | Quantum Fire Press |
| Editor(s): | Leah S. |
| Type: | |
| Date(s): | mid 1990's |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Quantum Leap |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Handlink is a slash Quantum Leap informational zine with an unknown number of issues.
The cost was $3 and three SASE for three issues.
It won a 1995 STIFfie Award.
From Media Monitor (which refers to it as both "The Hand Link" and "The Handlink" in the same issue):
Find out where to submit, locate those Sam/Al stories in multimedia zines, get in touch with other fans... if it's info about Sam/Al, we have it.
From the first issue:
Need to keep updated on what new zines are coming out? Want to find out which ones are seeking submissions? Or maybe you're just looking for pen pals, or have some used zines to sell. Whatever you need or want, the Handlink would like to be the marketplace for it.
This is our first issue, and as such, many of the listings are taken from information I obtained from flyers and my own personal zines. All ads are free. I strongly encourage that editors write with current/updated information on their projects. If I'm not sure about an ad, it will be deleted from further issues of the Handlink unless I hear from you! Feel free to send flyers, if Ihave enough room I'll include the whole flyer, if not, just the pertinent information.
Details: Ads should deal mainly with the slash (S/A) side of QL fandom — they've got their own info-zines, this one is for us! At this point in time, information doesn’t change too fast, so the Handlink will come out every four months: May, September, and January.
Issue 1
The Handlink 1 was published in August 1995 and contains 12 pages.
- ads for available zines
- submission requests
- a timeline of the history of S/A slash fanzines
- various flyers
- a ballot for the 1995 Slash Talent In Fandom Awards (STIFfie Award)
from issue #1, a chronological list of Sam/Al zines, the first in May 1992, up to June 1995. (Note: the dates for "Living Year to Year" on this list differ from the dates on the some of actual zines.)
Issue 2
The Handlink 2 was published in January 1996 and contains 9 pages.
From the editor:
Also look for: Lovers, Tacs Calendar, Wild Cards. I've heard these contain S/A stories, but don't have any information at this time. Anyone want to help complete the list? I’ve taken the addresses from my zines, and have no idea if the zines are still in print, write the eds, for info. If you’re an editor—or you know of an editor—whose zine has any S/A stories in it and is still available for sale, please send the information along. It's hard for us to find these stories, and we'd like to read them! If you're an editor—or you know of an editor—whose zine is out of print, whether it's an S/A zine or a multi-media with S/A story/ies in it —let us know if there's any way for Qslash fans to get copies of this material (i.e., if you're willing to authorize the copying and/or provide photocopies of the zine/stories).
If anyone finds an out-of-print zine with an editor willing to allow photocopies of the S/A stories, let me know. If I could post a letter-of-permission here, fans would know which stories they could share among friends.
For the record: I, [Leah S], give permission to anyone wishing to copy any of my out-of-print zines for a friend. Current OOP zines are: DreamChaser, Leaps From Hell, (Quantum Fire #1-4 will follow shortly). This does not apply to large-volume copying for bootlegging purposes, only to sharing among friends without profit involved.
Public Notice: If you don't like something in a fanzine —as well as if you do —it's important to write the editor an LoC. This is the only way anyone will know what you want and don't want to see. I know many of you have expressed displeasure with the overabundance of dark, violent material that’s been in S/A fanzines of late. For those of you who like it, there is plenty around. For those of you who don't, there's plenty around. Susan Gibel and myself do not accept any material that glorifies or eroticizes physical and/or sexual violence in any of our zines. Bingo, Bango, Bongo is looking for light-hearted material. To each his own.
With 41 fanzines already and more on the way, there's something for everyone.
Also from the zine, a note from JAM:
Songtape Fans: All music videos with piano logo titles are done by 'JAM'. Nth gen copies are passed around with no idea who did them. Please do not copy! This is bootlegging my work. If interested in copies, SASE ONLY (no $$); JAM aka Alana Marcus [address redacted]. I tend to be slow, so send no $$ until AFTER you receive your tapes.
Handlink note: I re-printed this ad from the "Starsky & Hutch Adzine & Newsletter." I know JAM has some great QL and S/A videos, that she also might be willing to copy if you ask nicely.
- a continuation of the list of published Sam/Al zines.
- submission requests
- zines in print
- Sam/Al stories in multimedia zines
- a short list of circuit stories
Issue 3
Was published June 1996 and contains 11 pages.
Some of the editor's comments in the zine reflect the tensions in the fandom regarding slash and/or explicitness, and other content.
The editor announced a change in listings:
In this issue you'll find notices with zines which contain an excess of material that some are sensitive to: rape, torture, S&M, etc. This is a decision that was made after much soul searching, but one I feel I have a responsibility to provide. It was not made arbitrarily; I've heard from many fans about this subject, and I am doing it for them. It is not in any way meant to be a criticism of those zines, merely to warn those who might be hurt by them (the last thing a rape victim may need to read about, for instance, is rape). For those of you who like this material, read and enjoy! Disclaimer: I cannot personally vouch for the content of every zine I advertise. I will attempt to give fair warning, but can't guarantee that every violent zine/story will be listed as such. I don't necessarily read every single thing that comes out. If anyone would like to help out by sending me info on violent content you've come across, please do!Also included with this issue is the new ordering info. The changes are to make it easier on this busy editor, and to allow for expansion. This adzine will be whatever you want it to be (with the emphasis on Sam/Al). If you want reviews, ads, trivia...have something to say...send it in.
There are no fees for ads; no contributor's copies will be given out. Flyers will be included as room permits. Certain information will not be repeated in subsequent issues, I'm attempting to put together a companion sort of thing--if you missed out on any info in previous issues let me know. Deadlines for ads will be the first day of February, June, October.
Also from this issue:
(Note: none of the Quantum Fire Press zines glorify physical or sexual violence. This does not necessarily mean there will never be any graphic situations, merely that they’ll be handled in as mature and responsible manner as possible. I'm against censorship, but I believe in letting people know what they're getting into. "Last Measure of Devotion" contains one brief scene that some have classified as rape — while others see as consensual.)
The editor also includes a separate section for het stories, and wrote:
The editor includes this listing, and adds a snarky comment:
The Thrill of the Leap: (since I never received a reply as to whether they’d like an ad printed, I won't do one. Some perverts are discriminating in regards to body parts...and I wouldn’t want to scandalize anyone. Beautiful color cover of our Sam in the throes of... ahem, you get the idea. Worth it for the rather slashy (in my sleazy opinion) Wiccan story included. [The editors are] supposedly working on a second issue.
The editor addresses zine editors: {{Quotation2| Public editorial: I would like to take a moment to address the huge communication gap between editors/publishers and fans. I've heard much concern from editors about bootlegging. Yet there are many of them who don't answer sases when fans want to BUY the zines! It seems to me if they really want their zines to be read by people — and don't want them photocopied — they’d respond. We all balance the mundane world with fandom, and situations beyond our control arise. I’m not talking about those editors with personal problems that prevent them from answering. Or mail which is lost.. But I’ve heard from fans who sold sase after sase, waiting up to a year...without getting a reply. If you can't handle being a responsible publisher, please be honest with yourself and don’t try. Know your limits.
The editor addresses fiction distribution:
I will be making some of the stories written by me and printed in multi-media zines available to those who want to read them. As the author, final right over the story is mine, as copyright laws in the U.S. now apply whether copyright has been formally sought or not (my rights applying only to those parts of the story which are original and not previously copyrighted characters), and in instances where I haven't signed away my rights. A few editors request that a writer not release their material for a period of one year; I will comply with that request. Also, as a courtesy, I will only share stories that have been in print for over a year and only in multi-media zines. These will be my original versions of the stories, not the edited ones that appear in the zines (although rarely will there be much of a difference in versions). If this offends anyone, I'm sorry. These are my stories, and my right to share them without profit involved — hey, let’s be honest — none of us really has legal rights over this material.
If you've been trying to get a hold of an unresponsive editor - feel free to photocopy this notice and sent it along to them! If you're having trouble getting in touch with me, let us know —maybe we can shame them into responding.
The Handlink welcomes rebuttals from any editors who feel they’ve been unfairly judged.
The editor ends on an encouraging note:
Get more involved!
Try your hand at writing. Go ahead and put out a zine! Want to make sure your LoC's are being seen? Send them to the Handlink. And I'm here for anyone with questions' on anything S/A related. I'll do whatever I can to help. My very informal count of S/A fans is: 105 (and I don't know everyone). We're bigger than we think.
Issue 4
Issue 5
Issue 6
Issue 7
The Handlink 7 was published in July 1998 and contains 8 pages.
This issue contains a continuation of the list of Sam/Al zines.
On the subject of posting stories on the net that have been in zines, there's a lot of differing opinions/practices. Some editors ask that you wait a certain amount of time (6 months & a year being the most common). Some prefer the zine be out of print—but some zines go OOP. Most need to make back the money put into it (it's a hobby, unfortunately we're not independently wealthy :-)), and many people won't pay for it if they can get it for free. I know fens who don't have access to the net who are worried that free net fic will make zines obsolete. They’re probably biting their nails right now. All the factors need to be considered, we need to balance the needs of the publishers with our own rights as creators of the fiction. For myself personally, I usually give it a few years even if the publishers specify less (you can tell I'm on both sides of this issue :-)). If in doubt you can always write and ask... which is probably the nicest way.
[...]
Quantum Fire Press policy is to ask for six months (but of course appreciates any extra time given). :-)