Frienz/Issues 09-10

Frienz · Issues 01-02 · Issues 03-04 · Issues 05-06 · Issues 07-08 · Issues 09-10 · Issues 11-12 · Issues 13-14 · Issues 15-16 · Issues 17-18 · Issues 19-20 · Issues 21-22 · Issues 23-24 · Issues 25-26 · Issues 27-28 · Issues 29-30 · Issues 31-32 · Issues 33-34 · Issues 35-36 · Issues 37-38 · Issues 39-40 · Issues 41-42 · Issues 43-44 · Issues 45-46 · Issues 47-48 · Issues 49-50 · Supplements

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Frienz is a gen and non-explicit slash Starsky & Hutch letterzine.

They contain letters, want ads, con reports, clippings, flyers, and occasional fiction.

Issue 9 (May 1990)

Frienz 9 was published in May 1990 and contains 20 pages

cover of issue #9

• LOC TOTM: Should we lift our G-rating? Should Beckett be allowed to finally give us that sex scene? What episode have you recently RE-viewed? FIC TOTM: "Spring Fling"—write an outdoor, off duty scene or vignette.
• "You Can Take this Backpack and...," fiction by Cinda Gillilan
• "Minnie's, fiction" by Oyella Dean
• another installment of "P.O.V." by MRK
• "A Special Place," vignette by Alison Wilson
• "Sometimes Spring," vignette by Pat Massie
• there are a number of con reports for SHareCon, see that page

Issue 9: Sample Fan Comments

The editor writes:

"CONTROL, THIS IS COOTIE-THREE!" I just had to use that. Someone came up with that saying at Sharecon 1990 this past March and made it up for me as a button. Somehow it seems to summarize ALL the fun and madness we had at that mini-con. It feels so good to be with other SH fans and friends and live together for a week-end that the post-con letdown is fierce at times... kind of like being separated from a co-joined twin, I think. If you've never gone to a con, you really ought to sometime to MEET and GET to KNOW other fen. You're ... none of us ... are alone out there. I have been getting the feeling lately of a bi-coastal fandom in S&H. The Westcoasters get together often and the Eastcoasters do so as well. That's great, but let's not get so cozy in our coastal groups that we forget there's a lot of other fans who are NEW to S&H, and NEW to fandom in general. Why not reach out to them when you see a new name in these pages? You can say hello in that letter you've been MEANING to write since #4. Also, some of our new frienz need episodes... desperately!!! These fen would be able to write US stories IF they had some episodes. And, with the show not being in any regular syndy market that I know of, we need to co-ordinate our efforts to get them at least several of the BEST ones. I am working on getting some kind of cloning network together. My problem is that my tapes are Beta and I have one VCR.

A fan ponders exclusivity and IDIC:

Some interesting topics came up that last afternoon at SHareCon. One in particular is probably worth debating in these pages. Should SH fandom remain small, or should we be making an active effort to reach out to new people? It's already clear to me that one of the aspects of this fandom that nearly everyone likes is the special feeling of community that comes from belonging to a fandom in which everyone knows everyone else.

I felt it myself at SHareCon. I felt like a long-lost sibling being welcomed back into a very large family. You don't find that a lot these days—it's definitely something I treasure.

On the other hand, while SH fandom seems to be a prolific producer of zines and other products. I've read in these very pages about the lack of LOCs to zines, about low participation level in this letterzine, about too few submissions to proposed zines. Some new blood might help.

Also, there is some concern among us that we are being deliberately exclusive. As we say in the computer biz is this a feature, or a bug? This growth issue is somewhat related to the TOTM: whether this letterzine should lift its G-rating. I've been a fan of K/S since the late 70's. Even though I wasn't into SH slash back then, to me it's a natural outgrowth of their evolving relationship. I think I've been comfortable with the idea of slash for so long that I no longer have a good appreciation of just how shocking the notion is to someone who has never considered it before. (Best response I've ever heard from an outraged neofan when the concept was explained: "Oh, leave it to Beaver!")

In a larger fandom. those of us interested in slash have learned to be cautious about we say in mixed audiences. We have lost some of our freedom of expression. One of the things that impressed me the most at SHareCon was how well the pro-slash and anti-slash fans (if I may use those somewhat bellicose terms) co-existed and respected each other's views. Never have I seen a better example of Trek IDIC. I think one of the reasons it works in SH fandom is because it is so small; everyone is valued as an individual. Thai's something that tends to gel lost in larger fandoms.

A fan wants to know if remaining a small, closed fandom vs a larger, more well-known one is worth the challenges, and she brings up, for the first time in a Starsky & Hutch letterzine, the Internet  :

The growth question comes up in part because of an offer I made to Pat Massie to publicize this letterzine on the Internet, a wide-area computer network that reaches hundreds of universities and organizations world-wide. (If any of you are affiliated in any way with a college or university, there is a fair chance that you have access to the Internet newsgroups.) In the year or so that I've been reading the Internet newsgroups. I've never seen any mention of SH. But I'll bet there are plenty of people out there who remember it and who love the boys just like we do. If we do decide to grow, we face some challenges that other fandoms don't. Most people haven't seen SH in over ten years. It's difficult to remember the episodes in any detail. And since the show isn't being aired anywhere, it's hard to get people caught up with fandom as it exists here and now. Fan fiction demands an intimate knowledge of the episodes, whether you're a reader or a writer.

Fanfiction as modern folklore:

I picked up a new Beauty & the Beast letterzine titled Tunneltalk during a brief excursion I made to Fan-Out, the media con that was being held across the street from SHareCon. I haven't digested the whole thing yet. but I did read a really interesting letter from Victoria Clark (of ST zine Nome fame) on the nature of fandom. She proposes that television is modern folklore, accurately reflecting the society which created it, and that we, the fans, are folklorists who have accepted the responsibility of keeping it alive and nurturing it. Rather than be ashamed of our interest in a television show, we should be proud, for we are continuing a tradition that has existed for millennia. Food for thought the next time someone says "You're into what?" and a factor to be weighed as we consider the growth question.

A traveling suggestion: audio!:

Here's an idea to help make those long plane, train or automobile trips seem shorter: audio tape your favorite SH episode and listen to it on the car cassette player or on a Walkman. If you've never listened to just the audio portion of the show, you'll be amazed at how much of the video your mind remembers when prompted only by the sound. I'll be taking "Coffin" and "Shootout" with me as I drive the New Jersey turnpike this summer.

Aside from a few exceptions, fans equate "G-rating" with "straight" fiction:

I'd like to see the G-rating on the L/Z lifted, slash is a fact of S&H fandom and as such should not be ignored. However, I know there are those who would like to keep the G-rating - each to his/her own. Maybe we could settle for something half-way between the two. For example, Betsy's story in the Christmas issue was definitely S/H, but surely can't have offended anyone. S/H isn't just about explicit sex as some anti-S/Hers seem to think.

A fan weighs in on "G-rated" and "allowing slash" in the letterzine:

Should the G rating be lifted on this l/z? I thought that was done in #7, sort of, considering the slash story (which was fun reading even though I'm not into slash. Love Starsky's sweatshirt!). I assume that question is meant mainly to mean whether or not to allow slash references or fiction with explicit scenes. Well, since I'm not into slash, I'd prefer that this l/z stay straight. However, if the majority of votes go for allowing slash, I'll accept that. I do have two requests though. One: Can we eliminate explicit stuff? Two: Most importantly, in the interests of peace and having this l/z continue in a healthy state, if slash is allowed, let's be mature and "agree to disagree". I don't want this 1/z to turn into a war zone of bitter verbal hostility between those who believe in slash and those who don't (which seemed to happen to the original S&H l/z, from what I've heard).

A fan writes of slash in the letterzine, and offers one of her stories up to fans who would like to continue it on their own:

I imagine the G-rating may be a restriction for some, but I don't mind it. After all, there are still fans out there who don't subscribe to the S/H premise and don't want it rammed down their throats on every page of the 1/z... We've gone past the arguments, thankfully, as Carol says -- we don't need to thrash out the yes-they-do, no-they-don't possibilities. What do we talk about instead? Speaking personally, I just ramble on about anything that springs to mind. As for this sex-scene -- WHAT sex scene? To date, it does not exist on paper, and may never do so, so I hope no one is holding their breath... Likewise Part VII of VINGT-ET-UN. Anyone else want to take it up? Feel free.

A fan addresses another's letter from the previous issue:

You made a point when you said we don't have a Penny Warren. Not that I ever found her letters irritating or even off-the-wall -- but they certainly made you think! Whether we have another such in our ranks, as yet undiscovered, is something we'll have to wait and see... I'd rather not fight,however. I'm basically a pacifist-type.

Why so much slash? And if you must, take it somewhere else:

I think a "G-rated" letterzine is refreshing. [April Valentine's] "Fix" accepts "/" material, so those who relate to that, can send subscriptions and submissions there. I know the thought is that those who don't believe the slash premise can just skip over writings dealing with the subject, but why does "/" have to permeate every S&H publication? Regardless, Frienz will continue to have my support, for it's a perfect mix of letters and fiction and a vital lifeline to fellow S&H fans.

Issue 10 (July 1990)

Frienz 10 was published in July 1990 and contains 20 pages.

cover of issue #10

• FICTION TOTM: "HOT" (It's July; it's true love; it's a stake-out in the dessert; the AC is broken and you're feeling decidedly DC; Capt. Dobey's emotional state as he reads your latest 'flashy' report got it? WRITE IT!) NOTE: I will print '/' of a non-explicit nature and will let non-'/' readers know to avoid it. TV TOTM (SUGGESTED BY [M R K]:) Best Buns Shot from an episode use good journalistic style, WHO-WHAT-WHEN...ha!
• "Dessert Song," fiction by Oyella Dean
• "Caitlin," fiction by Alison Wilson
• "Castles in the Sand (Fall into the Sea... Eventually)," poem by Pat Massie

Issue 10: Sample Fan Comments

Moving on to better tech:

It's only in recent years that I've had a VCR and certainly know the enjoyment to be found in listening to audio-tapes of episodes, it's all I had for a long time.

A mention, and glimpse, into the future:

I'd love to get some info on internet from you, too!

A fan writes:

I certainly want FRIENZ to continue. It's just that with all our lives so busy it's difficult to make deadlines and keep up with all the necessary fannish correspondence. I always enjoy receiving FRIENZ in the mail and read eagerly keep up with all the news of fandom. I think that we've always discussed the size of this fandom and worried about whether it's dying out. But if the enthusiasm of SHarecon is any indication, to say nothing about the fact that I'm continuing to get stories to publish for my zines, we aren't in ay real trouble. Everything goes through stages. Right now, like Starsky says in "Missives", we seem to do more phone calling than letter writing. And those of us who live in areas where there are lots of other fen, as we do here in the Baltimore-Washington area, are lucky—we can hang out together, watch episodes and chat about the characters as much as we want. It's a shame some people are more scattered and don't have any local fan friends to share tapes, zines and talk with. That's why we do still need letterzines.

A fan was frustrated by the popularity and focus of ZCon:

I sent my money in for Zcon '91 and am told I am #11 on the waiting list. 175 people are already signed up, which is the maximum, and the editor of the S&H l/z gets her money in one year and several months in advance and I'm put on a waiting list. What I wonder is...who are those 175 fans, surely not all S&H fans? So, unless the folks ahead of me die or something, the S&H l/z will not even be represented at Zcon. I am somewhat...uh, disturbed by all of this and wonder if anyone else is on a waiting list? Also, has Zcon changed for you? Or, is it still fun? Why do you go? Surely not for the S&H programming, it gets worse every year. The people? And, if it is the people, why not have our own S&H only con established (like SHareCon) and leave Zcon to the professional con promoters and vendors. Yes, I'm hot, but that is the TOTM, isn't it?

A fan and zined describes LoCs and why feedback is important:

You're the one we're writing for! You are knowledgeable about the characters, you know what you like and don't like... as much as anyone who purchases and reads a zine. Everyone's opinion is valuable to us. And since we don't get paid in money for the work of writing these things, letters of comment are all the more desperately wanted. It's the only payment we receive. To know someone liked our story, to find out that they were moved by it, enjoyed it, even disagreed with it... that's the icing on the cake. For someone like me who does write, crafting a story is a pleasure in and of itself. I do it because I still have things to say about these characters and because I enjoy expressing those ideas on paper. I could keep all my stories in my bottom desk drawer, happy to have done them for their own sake, but that's somehow not enough. I publish them and then sit back and wait for some kind of reaction. And when it isn't forthcoming, it's a terrible disappointment. People are always asking for new stuff to read, but we don't know how our work is being received. If nobody sends letterbombs, we figure okay, it must not have been too awful. And we write the next story, and wait again. If there is silence, it begins to feel that publishing zines is a terribly thankless task.... You don't have to have a degree in literary criticism, just send your thoughts. We would get more out of it if you say a little more than "I loved the whole zine", but at least that's a start.

Regarding slash and this letterzine:

Our G rating? I don't think stories in FRIENZ need to be explicit. There are plenty of places for that, and since this zine is read by all, we don't need another publication where we have to "warn" people about stories they might not want to read before they begin them.

As I've always said, if you don't read any slash at all, you miss a good portion of SH fiction. (If all you know of slash, by the way, is KS, you should know that it bears little resemblance to S/H fiction.)

Anyway, some people see the relationship as more intimate, others as simply friends, but we all care about the Relationship, don't we? So if someone writes a story that includes the slash premise but isn't graphic, I think it should be included in FRIENZ.

[M], I know you see it the relationship the other way, but don't say you wish "/" wouldn't "permeate" all our publications. It's not a matter of any "side" taking over. As much as I welcome non-slash material for FIX, I would like to think slash was welcome in FRIENZ, too. There should be both types of stories in this letterzine. (There are in THE FIX, too. Friendship stories are always welcome, though I do receive more "/". But hey, I can't print what I don't get, can I?) There's room for us all here — fandom would shrink if there were to be a big schism again.

A fan writes:

I hope I haven't ruined anyone's summer by not continuing with VINGT-ET-UN. I just ran out of ideas, I'm afraid. Printable ones, anyway. Once, very late at night, I did play around with some alternatives for Part VII... The Count pulls the trigger. A flag pops out of the end of the pistol, with 'BANG' written in large friendly letters thereon. The Englishman falls dead... Or -- the Count pulls the trigger. The gun fires. Hutchinson lunges, and the ball zips neatly through the fabric of his shirt, merely grazing the skin, and then he bears the Count to the floor under his weight and... Ah, yes, well, that's another story. As I said last issue, if anyone cares to speculate on what happens next, feel free. Betty -- Cinda -- I'm pleased you enjoyed it as far as it went, anyway!

A fan writes of her original character series:

I was deeply touched to see that our own Vas and Dex have made it into the 'featured fandoms' at the S&H 15-year Anniversary Con... The only team who aren't and never have been on the screen.

A fan tells another:

A word of reassurance for [A]. The arguments that once raged over '/' are, hopefully, dead and buried. The issue is no longer up for discussion in the sense that it once was. Over the years we have learned tolerance, and now agree to disagree in the nicest possible way. Fandom is certainly better for that.

Regarding the "closed" aspects of SH fandom:

...in the case of S&H fandom, small is beautiful. That's not to say we don't welcome new people. I'm sure we've never consciously sought to be exclusive. Yet, I'll admit a smaller, close-knit group attracts me more than the idea of a vast, impersonal fandom. However, there must still be fans of the show out there, who don't know we exist. They could provide us with a needed boost, even rekindle enthusiasm.

Random outreach?:

Should we try to expand fandom? Well, I often wonder how many people there are around who love S&H as much as us, and have never even heard of fandom. Knowing how much it's given me, I feel sad that they are missing out on so much. Fandom could bring so much to them and they could bring so much to fandom. On the other hand, I do feel special belonging to a group that people seem to enter by first knowing someone who's already discovered it.

Should SH fandom remain small?:

How small is small? Guess it should be as large as people want it to be, and it readily expands to welcome all who want to participate. And there's no single, definitive-type fan. And no password. Should we actively try to reach new people? Betsy suggested one possible way to do that. I'm not quite sure how it can be done otherwise than by publicising projects/interests/activities in fan publications and by extending a very warm welcome to anyone who's interested as/when we learn of their existence. There must be some sort of grapevine? I hear constantly from people who are discovering or re-discovering the delights of S&H and who want to know more. SNITCH does a great job there. Just one name, one address, is often the key to so much more for anyone who wants to know more. That was my own experience ... years ago... Maybe finding an address was just a lucky chance, but I think it was more a real interest which set me searching and asking.