Voyage II
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Voyage II |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | Abraham Rodriguez, Jr. |
| Date(s): | October 1977-Dec 1977 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | |
| Genre: | gen |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS and Science Fiction |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Voyage II is a Star Trek: TOS and science fiction zine published in the mid-1970s.
The plan was for it to be published every two months. It appears there were two issues created.
From the flyer:
Hey there! Ever search for a fanzine that has a bit of Star Trek, and a bit of Science Fiction, with perhaps a tingle of humor? Well, search no more!!! . "Voyage II" is a Star Trek/Science Fiction fanzine that tries very harrrrd to cram into each issue as much trivia, fan-fiction, news, poetry and artwork as possible!! Issue #1 has 84 beautifully offset pages.
The Story Behind the Title
Oh, by the way, a small story lies behind our title, and whether you want to know or not, here goes; about a year-and-a-half ago, my first attempt at a Star Trek fanzine failed immeasurably. My second, entitled "Federation Post", was also a failure, to put it mildly. The first issue saw print, the second never even got off the black-board (jungle?). So, I schemed and toiled all through the summer until I came out with a ditty called "Federation Post Voyage II". Later, it was cut down to "Voyage II".
Issue 1
Voyage II 1 was published in October 1977 and contains 86 pages. It has a Star Wars cover by Cynthia Case.
The interior art was by Cynthia Case, Bill Bow, Andy Currie, Ruben Dominguez Jr., Robert Doremus, Gray Morrow, and Abraham Rodriguez Jr.
The story "No Quarter" was dedicated to Robert Plant. It is a also a very, very early songfic:
- Janis Joplin's "Kozmic Blues
- Led Zeppelin "The Song Remains the Same," "Stairway to Heaven," "No Quarter"
From the editorial:
HiLo!
Welcome to the first issue of "Voyage II". It took a long time and it was alot of work, but it's finally here! I never thought it would see print] But now that it is, I want to tell you about the groovy stuff packed within these covers, an explanation or two and some other stuff Editorials are crammed with:
Ta wit: This is our first(and may turn out to be our last) and you'd never believe these Offset prices! Ouch! Ouch! Never thought I'd see this thing in print due to the fact that everybody wanted a trillion million umpteenth dollars just.for Offsetting the thing! Collating doesn't count! And the staples Jeez, you'd think they were coated in gold! Well, eitj (Hey, there it is! This issue's first typing mistake!) either way, let's hope this li'l venture works out. If anyone ever tells you how easy it is to publish a fanzine, slug 'im for me!!!! As if living in New York isn't hard enough sniff...
[...]
September 2-5. ST AMERICA was the best convention yet! Blew alot of money, met some other Editors, blabbed alot. What I also noticed was that there was alot of Star Wars stuff. Shudder shudder. I also noticed, alarmingly, that there were alot fewer tables this year.
- Captain's Log (4)
- "Star Wars: How Was It made?" by Abe Rodriguez, Jr. ("A comprehensive and very interesting look at the special effects from "Star Wars"(all of 'em!) plus interviews with George Lucas, Mark Hamil and Harrison Ford.... [This article] was a verrry hard task!! There was alot of researching involved, and I can truthfully say all of it is fact, not conjecture! Thanks Starlog. NY Times!!") (6)
- Rumors of War by Abe Rodriguez, Jr. (introduction to "No Quarter") (15)
- Star Wordz ("galactical puns") (27)
- Science Fiction on Television: Logan's Run (review and synopsis) (28)
- Star Wars: Science Fiction Masterpiece ("a review of the movie of the year") (29)
- Speaking of Celluloid (movie reviews of non-science fiction films) (30)
- Books (science fiction book reviews, includes Star Trek: The New Voyages #1 and Spock, Messiah!) (32)
- To Seize the Gauntlet by Crystal Ann Taylor ("A very young James Kirk is given the legendary starship Enterprise to command. Can he live up to the expectations planted on him?") (34)
- Sandy's Toy by Bill Bow ("A science fiction story with a twist, as Sandy must battle an entire fleet of Outworlders singlehanded [sic] with just a small scuttle-ship.") (39)
- No Quarter by Abe Rodriguez Jr. ("The Klingons are on the attack, and what's worse, with a new secret weapon the can reduce whole planets into ashes in a matter of seconds! A Chris Robbins story dedicated to Robert Plant - We all hope you recover from your recent personal loss, the death of your son.") (45)
- "Mace: 1999" written by Abe Rodriguez Jr. (Written in 1975. "Hello there, Trekker! Let's talk about...Puke, When you see that word, three things come to mind: Smelly, messy, and Space:1999! Alot of controversy has popped up around this dull, hospital-atmosphere-like show." -- "An amazing fully-illustrated spoof of "Space:1999"'s first season, in which, after reading, you will ask the question: How can a fanzine get so ridiculous?") (76)
- Contest (Star Trek trivia, the prize was a 1978 Star Trek Calendar) (83)
- Next Time... (84)
- Our Lovable Survey (85)
- Last Words (86)
from issue #1
from issue #1, Cynthia Case
from issue #1, Bill Bow
from issue #1
from issue #1, Bill Bow
from issue #1, Cynthia Case
from issue #1
from issue #1, Garry Morrow
from issue #1, Garry Morrow
from issue #1, Garry Morrow
from issue #1, survey
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
As first issues of new fanzines go, this one is not bad at all. Not great, but not bad, either. It seems to be designed for a basic audience in the age range of about 16 to 21, when one is standing on the doorstep of young adulthood, harboring a lot of fears and unanswered questions about the murky "new world" about to be entered. This seems to be a format-thread running through almost all of the issue's fiction, especially the stories written by the editor.
"Rumors of War" by Rodriguez gives us a Federation Rocketship that gets caught in no-man's-land when a Federation-Klingon war breaks out (No causes, no warnings, no Organians. Just WAR!). The main characters are a guy named Brad Davies and a girl named Jan, and I call them 'a guy and a girl' because that is exactly what they are, not a man and a woman, even though they refer to each other in the latter terms. This is the usual courting-by-screaming-at-each-other set-up, and the characterizations are right out of the author's (and reviewer's) neighborhood, the South Bronx. Brad and Jan are a couple of street punks in a starship, using gutter language and carrying something called 'Z-guns' rather than switchblades (or even phasers, for that matter).
"Rumors" is a short introduction to a longer and stronger story, "No Quarter", which takes place in the same war situation. Here, the format works a lot better because the 'hero' — a rebellious young medical ensign named Chris Robbins — is contrasted by the mature setting of the Enterprise, where snide remarks to superior officers and angrily throwing chewing gum at Captain Kirk are not tolerated at all. This kid consistently winds up where he belongs: on report...until the grim realities of war casualties and death help bring about some very realistic changes in Robbins' character. No masterpiece, this, but it more than compensates for "Rumors of War".
"To Seize the Gauntlet" is a Young Kirk story, acting like a high-schooler headed for the prom as he is about to be given command of the Enterprise. But author Crystal Ann Taylor has a couple of nice twists here, including a rather plausible explanation for why so young a man was given command of so prestigious a starship.
And Bill Bow's story "Sandy's Toy" gives some very lyrical treatment — heading toward the style of Bradbury — to a very simplistic tale.
Most of this zine's artwork comes across as cartoons rather than illustrations, even though the artists try very hard. And there are lots of photographs here, most of them in a re-hash article about STAR WARS' production values, and they are about as clear as the ones in PROBE 11 (no offense, Win!). The only visual thing of real note here is a "Space: 1999" satire (really funny) that uses — with permission — panels from the old "Space: 1999" black and white comic books.
For writing that is making approaches to maturity, this zine is nothing spectacular, but headed in a good direction. I am looking forward to the next issue. [1]
Issue 2
Voyage II 2 was published in December 1977 and contains 76 pages. It is "our serious issue." Offset printed. It has a cover by Signe Landon (featuring McCoy) , as well as art by Cynthia Case & Bill Bow.
- continuation of the Chris Robbins series which began as "No Quarter" in the previous issue ("much more somber than installment")
- History Reconsidered by Matt Perry (A rebellion on a far-off planet brings back memories of hostility for an ensign whose ancestry died in the Vietnam War.)
- The Spectre by Crystal Ann Taylor (Kirk's evil side is back inside Kirk, so why does Kirk still feel vulnerable? A K/S relationship story - and a follow-up to "Enemy Within".)
- "a comprehensive look at "Man from Atlantis"
- "a science fiction story about a small pocketship stranded behind Klingon lines"
- a Logan's Run satire
- some poems
- some book reviews
- Speaking of Celluloid (movie reviews)