Frienz/Issues 17-18

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

Related terms:
See also:	Frienz
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Issue 17 (February/March 1992)

Frienz 17 was published in February/March 1992 and contains 20 pages.

cover of issue #17, "Meet Me Halfway," by J. Jones

• TOTM: "FRIENDSHIP... Fan friends. What meeting other fans has meant to you. Friendship SH style."
• "Confrontation," fiction by Alison Wilson

Issue 17: Sample Fan Comments

A fan writes about nice fans:

Every new fan I've ever talked to has been struck by the sheer open-hearted niceness & welcome of SH fans, & I certainly found that true. And in the last year, year-&-a-half, every serious discussion I've had with anyone on the state & future of SH fandom, one opinion has been unanimous—[April Valentine] has kept this fandom going single-handedly. Her energy & enthusiasm & generosity are what SH fandom is all about, & I can't imagine where we'd be—if we'd be—without her.

Another fan finds this fandom friendly:

I've found people in this fandom to be far more warm and generous than most other people I encounter. Perhaps some of S&H's relationship has rubbed off on all of us too. Most everyone is ready and willing to help however they can, whether it be with something material or mere advice. I've already received some of the finest, most constructive editorial comments on a story I've ever had in all my writing life.

A fan, Martha, continues the mini-feud with another one:

So now we're down to comparing which species has better barf? Okay, you can prefer cat barf to dog barf, and I'll agree with you. One comment on the slash question: if you had to convince yourself that a slash relationship would happen before you could write it, why do it at all? For me, I write slash because I see the characters that way. I don't have to be convinced. If someone isn't convinced, it is kind of difficult to write it convincingly. Fan writing is something you do because you want to, why force yourself to write something you don't believe in? That's why I didn't write K/S, I just didn't see it. Never did, still don't. But I saw it with Starsky and Hutch, so that's what I often write.

Another fan, Terri, continues the mini-feud with another one:

I agree with your statement that there will never be enough SH... I was looking back through some of the old l/zs. In S&H #29, just ten years ago, there were nine proposed zines, thirteen available zines, and three forthcoming. Unless my maths lets me down, that's a total of twenty-five. In the last year, we had your two, and the FIXs. (I am not ignoring FRIENZ or the APA -- but I am talking fiction here.) This is why I am bewailing the lack of zines. I am in no way denigrating the people who are producing. I just wish there were more of them.

Is this a crime against fandom? Of course there are people working at keeping fandom going — I'm one of them. If I didn't acknowledge that, I wouldn't be writing this letter. What I don't want is for us to get complacent.

If I may quote from BETWEEN FRIENDS, November 1984, '...let's have more stories published, and more zines!' And from WHO DO WE TRUST TIMES, March '87, '...In my opinion, we have precious little being published in this fandom...' your words, Martha... I'm glad you have a pile of stuff for TLC — enough, I hope, to fill it, so we'll see it in 1992? As I recall, it was advertised as a 'proposed' zine way back in '87...

A fan announces a proposed zine:

And now -- an experiment. 10-13 Enterprises Rides Again! (Son of 10-13? Revenge of 10-13?) Taking up the gauntlet of [April Valentine's] challenge, I'm going to ask for submissions for a zine. The theme is to be what they do best—policework. The fiction can be straight or slash, of any length, crossover universe or mainstream, but it must be primarily concerned with the job they do and how they do it. I'm not asking for police-procedurals. We don't need to know the ins and outs of departmental practice. The provisional deadline—October '92, but that can be flexible. I will even rewrite the cat-and-dog story (yes, Tabby, you remembered the opening!) tor it. Unless I get a better idea, anyway. New writers will be given encouragement. Artists -- if you are willing to illustrate specifically or generically, let me know. All submissions considered! If we like it, we print it. (Guess what - - that's just what I said in S&H #30, back in '82...) SAE with 2 IRCs for guidelines, if necessary. Provisional title? How about 'Once More, With Feeling'!

A fan is in some distress:

Fan friends, what meeting other fans has meant to me. Well, I would say what meeting other fans has meant to me is having real friends for the first time in my life, feeling loved & understood (& loved in spite of that understanding), of being able to say anything, being able to tell the truth & be who I am without being afraid of losing that love I need so much. I wear my heart very much on my sleeve on fandom because I want to be found, I want to be read, I want to be loved. For a woman who's spent her whole life feeling like she was on the outside looking in, fandom has become my "inside." The "Innest I've ever felt — & one of the best times of my life — was MediaWest about three years ago. [April Valentine] & I had just met at the 1st SHareCon, & I was looking forward to seeing her again. I ended up spending practically all my time in [April] & Lorraine's room, watching episodes, & talking, & laughing a lot which made it no different than any other con or fan get together.

What was different was the fact Martha & Lorraine's room was on Dealer's Row, & people were stopping in regularly to buy zines. Most of you know the feeling of walking into a room where a bunch of people are talking & laughing, & feeling like you're intruding. Well, I was on the other side of that, not feeling like an interloper but like I really belonged...& it was sublime. I'm really scared right now...I feel like I'm losing my identity (ok, quit laughing, guys, I'm serious here). I've had a kind of writer's block...more like an inertia, an inability to move; it's not that I can't think what to write...it's more like I can't remember how to think about writing. I feel lost. I've never felt like this before, so alienated from myself & everything & everyone around me, like H in that awful isolation room in "Plague." Like I'm dying & not only can't anybody help me, they can't even touch me. It's very lonely; I'm very lonely....

Sorry, I seem to have drifted off. SH fandom. Every new fan I've ever talked to has been struck by the sheer open-hearted niceness & welcome of SH fans, & I certainly found that true. And in the last year, year-&-a-half, every serious discussion I've had with anyone on the state & future of SH fandom, one opinion has been unanimous — Martha has kept this fandom going singlehandedly. (That excludes conversations with Martha, of course) Her energy & enthusiasm & generosity are what SH fandom is all about, & I can't imagine where we'd be — if we'd be—without her. It's been theorized that SH fandom is as open & generous as it is because we're all looking for the kind of close, unconditional, unquestioning friendship S & H have (yes, I believe in /, &, no, that's not what I'm looking for in fandom; I'm happily married. But seeing S & H's relationship as becoming a sexual one doesn't lessen the friendship any) It may be an idealization, but what's the point in striving for imperfection? We all already have that. We aren't looking for perfect people, we're looking for symbiosis... we're looking for love, & a few laughs along the way. It seems natural to look for what we most desire among others who crave the same thing.

Regarding h/c:

I agree with your h/c discourse. The fact that S&H willingly displayed vulnerability, secure in the knowledge that his friend/partner could/ would be able to assuage the fear and not ridicule the weakness(es), is a marvel and special treat to view. It makes the men thrillingly alive and is a large part of their great appeal.

Regarding "interfering females":

An interfering female is one who gets in the way of what we want to see: S & H expressing their feelings for each other. Kate Larrabee is an interfering female because what we want to see is Starsky, not Kate, looking after an injured Hutch. Interfering females are those who think they should come first with S or H, when everybody knows that S comes first with H, 4 vice versa. And before I hear any arguments, the name of the show is "Starsky 4 Hutch," right? Not "Starsky i Hutch i The Women They're Involved With." And we're watching to see them together. Terry isn't an interfering female—no, not because she dies, but because she respects S's relationship with H.

Regarding "interfering females":

Here goes, for the last and final time. If anybody disagrees, or doesn't get what I mean from now on, so be it. I give up.... Sorry, but I don't sit around fantasizing about Starsky or Hutch being comforted by a terrific, strong, independent woman. Frankly, that's why I'm so surprised at all the confusion over calling a woman who interferes interfering. Is that what some of you are into this show for? If you want male-female hurt/comfort, why have two male leads in the show in the first place? Go for "Beauty and the Beast" or "Remington Steele" instead. But if you are into male friendship, male bonding, male hurt/comfort, Starsky and Hutch delivers. And when a woman gets to do what a partner should, I feel something is missing. I have no problem with love scenes with a woman — we aren't likely to see the guys kissing each other or kissing some other guy, so that's the only way we can enjoy the character's/actor's kissing technique. Okay, I'm off my soapbox and you can call me weird, but we're all still friends, right?

Regarding "frisson":

I hope always to feel that frisson when watching hurt/comfort. I used to worry about wearing it out, by watching the episodes too much. But every now and then, you look at something you've seen a zillion times and all that feeling is right back again. That's what's so wonderful about SH!

A fan says she came to SH fandom from Star Trek:

I'd met many other ST fans over the years, but they almost always made me squirm. Many of them really did remind me of that old SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE convention spoof. But SH fans are a totally different breed. I don't miss ST a bit.

Regarding A Plain Day:

So I'm not alone in believing that it is possible to write convincing SH without trauma getting in the way. There's plenty of writing to support that belief — for example, in one of my favourite stories, 'Shared Sunday', the first story in the first of the SHarecon ('Wanna Share?') zines. I enjoy reading about the times free from the fast-moving, action-packed scenarios. In fact, the first SH anthology I put together (it's a dozen years ago...) was called 'A Plain Day', for that reason. I wish there could also have been such episodes. Vain hope - they would never have fitted the formula. I don't, of course, mean that I reject trauma' as an important ingredient in fan-writing ...just saying it's possible to disregard or minimise it, yet still to write satisfying SH.

Issue 18 (April/May 1992)

Frienz 18 was published in April/May 1992 and contains 20 pages.

cover of issue #18

• TOTM: What aspect of SH fandom do like most, & why? (filking? watching the show with fen? music videos? zines?) What part of S&H do you remember to help you make it thru your day, or, a hard part of your life? (A story? Part of show?)
• a con report for Zircon, see that page
• a con report for SH:102, see that page
• "Story" by Tabby Davis ("From the Cutting Room Floor"... You know how it is. Some scenes the slot just doesn't have time for. Remember "Crying Child?")

Issue 18: Sample Fan Comments

Who makes fandom?:

Some comment was made this issue about those who make fandom. In my view, we all make fandom happen. Without the writer, the reader has no story to read. Without the reader, the writer has no audience. Without the editor, we do not improve as writers. Without the publisher, we do not have zines. Without Locs, we don't have a letterzine or feedback. Without the characters, we wouldn't have this wonderful relationship to spin stories about. And, without the actors, we wouldn't have the series. We all help create fandom and enrich, nurture and enjoy it. We all make it so.

Who makes fandom?

One fan does not a fandom make. While while I agree that [April Valentine] has certainly done her share, there are other people out there pulling just as hard, you know. Pat, for one. I can name at least half-a-dozen others without whom fandom would be the poorer. None of us can be credited with 'singlehandedly' keeping tins fandom going.

Who makes fandom?

While [April Valentine] tirelessly has done/is doing much to promote and sustain S&H fandom, she's not "single-handedly" keeping it alive. You can't overlook Pat's work for Frienz, nor my efforts for the APA (despite its current hiatus), or the countless writers - both published and not - of fiction. Locs, reviews and poetry, the artists and fans who gladly and eagerly copy tapes and zines for newer enthusiasts. We ALL contribute- to SH fandom and have made it the warm, vital club everyone knows it to be. 'No offense, [April].'

The "new" Snitch is starting up:

Monday, 6th April—memorable date—brought an 8a.m. telephone call from Illinois when Mary told me that SNITCH was on its way and should be with us in time for the SH Fanday in London on the 11th (coinciding with another SH event in Baltimore). It's great to have this very helpful publication restored; I'm really glad that Mary can take over what Carol and Merle started for us—THANK YOU to all three of them.

Regarding an underground story:

Oh, to those of you who are still quivering with shock over my comment last ish -- 'has there ever been story where Starsky gets crucified -- but haven't gotten around to writing to ask me about it. If you want to know more about it (and it is a good!) or you'd like info on the rest of our alternate universe, write to me or Jody Lynn Nye... and we'll fill you in. LemonAid is not a secret society, we don't demand signatures in blood, and we love to share what we write. It also helps our favourite charities, which is the gilt on the gingerbread.

Regarding song vids:

To watch music-videos is a delight, too, but - for reasons I don't quite understand myself - they make me feel lonely. It's the only aspect of SH-fandom, where I miss company.

Regarding "interfering females":

Sure the show is called Starsky and Hutch. William Shakespeare wrote a play called Hamlet, but there were a few other characters who took part in the proceedings. 'Nuff said. Like Martha, I'm passing on 'interfering females' from now on.

What fandom SH fandom means:

From time to time SH fandom has been described as "small". I'm not sure what standards of comparison are used, but its appeal to me has always been greater because of its smallness, if that is the word. The friendly approach, the feeling of closeness, of belonging, are things not always found in larger fandoms. Small or not, this one has stayed the course. I've 'belonged' right from the beginning, and in my experience, over the years, a great many people have contributed much to keeping SH fandom alive and kicking, sustaining the interest with zines, l'zines, artwork, Cons, fan get-togethers. It doesn't seem to me that too much has changed today. There may be fewer zines, but FRIENZ is currently playing a considerable part in maintaining fandom's viability, providing a forum for the exchange of views ,and keeping us in touch with one another. The list of its l'zine predecessors is a long and honourable one. My cupboards are overflowing with SH literature of all kinds. It's a sharing as well as a caring fandom. I think we should count our blessings. The output may not be as prolific as it once was, but what we get is always worth waiting for.

Regarding the TOTM:

In order of preference -- the people, the zines, the cons. Have to admit that music videos aren't my thing, and as my singing voice is rivaled only by Starsky's (Care for a duet On Blueberry Hill, sweetie?) then my enjoyment of filking would not be shared by those listening to filk..... Zines I love because I love reading. And writing. Simple, really.

• Regarding the TOTM:

  I like ALL aspects of SH fandom, and it's almost impossible to say what I like best. Zines do come high on the list, videos of course, and it gives me a lift at any time, just to sit and watch a favourite episode. Preferably by myself - no distractions! Likewise, re-reading a favourite zine or story, can transport me momentarily from the humdrum everyday routine, to the infinitely more entertaining SH universe. A form of escapism? Of course it is, and I love it.

Regarding the TOTM:

What aspect of SH fandom do I like most? If any other tv series I know had been the issue, I would have answered this question with an unhesitating 'reading zines', because no screened picture had ever been able to match what my own or other fan-fiction writer's mind could conjure up. With S&H it's different, though, and so I have to name as a favorite aspect a combination: I most of all enjoy to watch an episode, and then to read a story connected to it. My best examples: "The Plague" and "Solitaire", or "S. Rev." and the zine LIFELINE.... What part of S&H helped me through a hard part of my life? I have joined S&H-fandom only about one year ago, so I have no tales of death, disease or natural disasters lo tell. But every year in late Fall and towards Christmas, I use to suffer from severe feelings of homesickness (Germany is not my home-country), and during this time I lend to eat too much, to cry too much, and to question too much the soundness of decisions I made more than a decade ago.

Regarding the TOTM:

Without a doubt it's the exchange of letters and making so many wonderful new friends. It's neat to be able to compare notes with someone else who enjoys the same things, especially when that "thing" is as vital to our lives as S&H. Of course, a close second would be all the wonderful zines we have. I think I'll still be trying to catch up reading all of them at this time next year. I have quite a large collection of them now, and love them all. Just wish I could spend my entire summer doing nothing but reading exclusively that.

Regarding the TOTM:

What aspects of SH fandom do I like or enjoy the roost? That is a really hard question to try and answer. I enjoy watching the shows because you can see them. I am in my twenties and am part of the M-TV culture. I know this will sound terrible for a librarian to say, but I spend more time watching T.V. than reading a book. The majority of reading I do is fannish literature. I keep up on the current literature by listening to the abridged tape version in my car. When I was a new fan I enjoyed watching the show with other people because they could always out new items to roe. I still enjoy watching it with fans. But I find myself discussing different things such as camera angles, lighting, and the story lines. I love music because you can get so many feelings into it. Again I am of the generation where music means a lot to me. I always have a tape of CD playing. I guess what I am trying to say is I enjoy watching the shows, filking, and reading. All three of the items combined makes S&H more meaningful and special for me.

Regarding the TOTM:

My favorite aspect of S&H (and other) fandom has always been personal letters, letterzines, and zines. I've always loved letterzines, finding out others' reactions/opinions. Through personal letters I've made several good fandom friends, and discovered some other non-fandom interests that we have in common. It's a way to get honest but tactful feedback on some of the fanfic efforts that I share, and discuss possible story plots. Since I can no longer hear on the phone, letters are often my only way of keeping in touch with long-distance friends.

Regarding the TOTM:

What aspect do I like best in SH fandom? Zines — definitely zines. I'll sit and read a zine (in ANY fandom) sooner than watch on episode, if I have to choose. 'Course, reading and listening to an episode at the same time is double the pleasure.

Regarding the TOTM:

I guess my very favourite S+H activity is zine reading as it is something I can do almost anytime.But then again I also loved Zircon as it put me in touch with so many other members of our very special group.And then again to return home from a very frustrating day at the office and be able to pop in a tape, has got to be one of the most cheap, legal and delicious ways to recover ones sanity! So there you go a really decisive answer for you - I love it all!! and yes, I do also find that the show helps me thru rough patches of my life, I just remember how S+H deal with difficulties and that makes me a stronger,more confident person.

Regarding the TOTM:

My favourite aspect of fandom has got to be the zines, I think, but an extremely close second would be watching the episodes. The zines are slightly in front because of the slash aspect which is very important to me. Having said that though, I have to see and hear the guys too. After that comes discussing the show with like-minded people, sharing my ideas and feelings and learning from them too. I also enjoy discussing the show with other fen as this can be very rewarding and amusing. Fandom is great and I'm glad I discovered it and all the good friends it has brought me, but I think as long as I had the videos and the zines I could just about manage without all the other bonuses.

Regarding the TOTM:

Watching episodes with other fans is my very favorite way of experiencing/ enjoying/sharing S&H. The ideas/observations/comments exchanged are priceless.