The Sentimental Fool Special
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Sentimental Fool Special |
| Publisher: | Essay One Productions |
| Editor(s): | Sherry Adsit |
| Date(s): | 1983 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | print zine |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | multimedia |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Sentimental Fool Special is a gen anthology.
The art is by Jackie Dunster.
Contents
From the editorial: "As you may have surmised, I received sufficient encouragement to bring out this little Valentine's Day offer. (It's surprising how little encouragement that required -- or maybe not, considering how may fans go into the fanzine business at least once.)"
- Don't Steele My Heart Away (Remington Steele) (2)
- Target Practice (Greatest American Hero) (23)
- Occupational Hazard (Bring'em Back Alive) (30)
- Upcoming Specials (planned stories) (32)
Sister Zines
All in 1983.
- Irish Fool Special
- The Sentimental Fool Special
- The April Fool Special
- "Independent Fool" was planned but not produced
Reactions and Reviews
[a review of all three zines in the set]:
You know what's astonishing? To receive not one, but several unsolicited small zines in the mail — and they turn out to be terrific. Don't be misled by Adsit's "aw, shucks" attitude in her introductions; these stories are far from amateur. "Don't Steele My Hart Away," "Steele's Law," and "Over the Ocean" in particular could and ought to have been episodes on REMINGTON STEELE and KNIGHTRIDER. In the first, Laura is vouchsafing the security of a designer-jeans ad campaign while Steele seems to go out of his way to joggle her elbow, including appear to be a were-poodle. "Steele's Law" deals with topiary theft and why it's a big deal, while "Over the Ocean," the KNIGHTRIDER piece, is a thoroughly satisfying tale of spies, bombs, and code meanings in the international auto industry.
In every one of her stories, Adsit provides delightful, accurate, imaginative details that weave a seamless tale. It is a pure pleasure to enter her exegeses of these TV universes because the characters, the events, even the throwaway lines are real, proportionate, and human. In "Over the Ocean" not only the phrases but the landscape are accurately rendered, so it's like a quick trip to Germany with Michael and KITT. In "Triple A Service" (A TEAM) , the frenzied pace of events Amy calls "the jazz" is so integral to the story, the reader gets to feel the jazz herself.
Adsit gives plot. She's a regular Robert Heinlein for stories that overslop with plot. Even in the shortest throwaway vignette, such as "Christmas Goose" (TALES OF THE BRASS MONKEY), there is a story within a story. But best of all are the characterizations. Whether there's but two people in the scene ("Occupational Hazard"; BRING-'EM BACK ALIVE) or over half a dozen ("Postmarked: Cincinnati"; WKRP IN CINCINNATI), each is well and truly delineated throughout, behaving and speaking exactly as he does on the tube. That's talent. (So is the appearance of J.R. Dunster's art.)
Other shows heard from: M*A*S*H, TIME VOYAGERS, THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO.
[rated on a scale of 1-5]: Content -- 4, Graphics -- 4 $'s Worth -- 4 [1]
References
- ^ review by Paula Smith in Warped Space #49