Frienz/Issues 31-32

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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 31 (July 1995)

Frienz 31 was published in July 1995 and contains 44 pages.

The cover is by Judy Jones.

cover of issue #31, Judy Jones

• TOTM: As the series ended with "Sweet Revenge" what do you think S&H might do later? Have you read/written any stories, novels that depict any likely possibilities?
• Guardian Angel, fiction by Courtney Gray (Hutch leaves Ollie the teddy bear at the hospital so let Starsky knows he's watching over him.)
• a con report by Linda McGee for SHareCon, see that page
• PLEASE READ THIS by Linda McGee and Barbara F, warnings to fans about fannish activity and descriptions being posted to "a public computer bulletin board" (this was the Prodigy TNT board)

By 1995, the instances of actual legal hassle for fanworks had been extremely low. Low or not, rumors and word on fannish streets had a chilling effect on fans and their fanworks. See some notable C&Ds sent to fans.

Ironically, despite the emphasis on the fear of "outsiders," non-fans, and network executors causing trouble for Starsky & Hutch fans and the things they created, ALL KNOWN THREATS to fans came from OTHER FANS harassing each other and squealing to TPTB because they were unhappy with fans writing, reading, and viewing slash fan fiction and art: some examples are harassment includes the zine, Code 7 and why the first issue was printed after stripping out all of the author names, the reason Leslie Fish published Pushin' the Odds with hard to read type, slash content torn out of zines and sent back to the editors, inflammatory essays such as the 1996 GARBAGE LIKE THAT HAS NO PLACE IN FANDOM, letterzine tensions that became high enough to be a factor that caused publications to fold (this eventually included various letterzines such as Frienz, APB, and others. For more, see tensions between gen and slash fans.

Issue 31: Sample Fan Comments

From the editor:

TO REFRESH EVERYONE’S MEMORY: Letters sent to FRIENZ need to be typed. Please SINGLE space NOT double space your letters OR stories. Space in FRIENZ is in short supply! Please leave 1/2" margins on all 4 sides - otherwise your words will gallop off the right margin & never be seen again! Thanks.

From [K H K], who includes a small comment about being present at a convention room party with "X-rated videos":

So much for me not contributing to the letterzine; it seems I’m hooked. Oh well, at least it gives me a chance to thank en masse all the kind and wonderful people who made my first MediaWest Con so memorable. Ruth Kurz, Martha Bonds and Jean Holmes - it was a pleasure to meet you all after hearing so much about you! Robin - welcome to the fandom! Linda and Nancy - loved your door decor and I am forever grateful for my first look at the uncut “Fix” (didn’t know what I was missing!)... only next time, warn me about the X-rated videos, huh? I think I left some of my innocence back in your room party...

S&H are still "together" in the fourth season:

I keep reading comments that they are less 'together' in the fourth series. Perhaps watching the episodes out of order has concealed this a little, but I’m not sure I agree here. They don’t fool around as much; they seem less able to throw off the unpleasant realities of their job which sometimes makes them intolerant with each other; they are even a bit jaded and in need of a break; but they are still always there, ready to provide support and comfort. They still make eye contact when it matters and move physically closer when needed, What could be more 'together' than the way H climbs into S’s bed in the final episode? Neither Dobey nor Huggy turns a hair at this - why? -because they are "StarskyHutch" to everyone who knows them.

This fan had a super time at the London Fanday:

Had a great day out in London recently when we (Janice and I) joined the SH group for their twentieth anniversary get-together. Once again the special magic of fandom wove its spell. Within minutes it was as if we’d always been part of the group. There was no initial stage of feeling 'new’ and wondering what to say or talk about. Thanks, Lorna and Sue, for bringing all those beautiful photographs of DS with you and for the goodies you have sent since. Thanks, Tabby for bringing the tape with the Bloopers, interviews, etc. I could watch the clip when DS is on stage to sing and PMG comes on and says to him "I want to tell you you're beautiful" all day long! There was only one thing wrong - the time passed too quickly, and it was impossible to get around and meet and talk to everyone. However, we were delighted to discover that there is a DS gathering in October. Until I know the exact date, ALL the weekends that month are being kept free.

What the discovery of fandom can mean:

The comment about "finding supportive and empowering contacts with many other women and discovering and developing creativity" are spot on.

Any regrets about fandom involvement?:

I have a couple of questions to toss out before I close. A panel at MediaWest made me consider the question of hooking people into fandom. Does anyone ever have regrets about their involvement, maybe see it as kind of an addiction? I have gotten a tremendous amount out of S&H fandom (new friends, pleasure, fulfillment, etc.) and I wouldn’t take any of it back, but sometimes I cringe at all the money and time I spend on it. Well, just a thought.

Another appealing buddy show:

Have you seen Alias Smith and Jones? In it's own way it is just as good as Starsky and Hutch. Right from the pilot episode, they show more concern for each other than anyone else they meet, and the women who feature in the stories do no more than ripple the surface of their relationship temporarily.

Don't get attached to the women or guest characters:

As to Hutch's problems with relationships, he's just suffering from that common problem with TV series, namely get the main character involved with someone just to cause that character deep emotional pain. Personally, I think Anna [in the episode "A Body Worth Guarding"] was lucky to escape with her life. I know that a lot of scripts are required in a TV season and some cliches are really easy to use, but it can get quite ridiculous. I've noticed in most TV series that when a guest character is introduced as an old friend (who had never been mentioned before) or as a fiancee, the guest character is a) going to die within the next 30 minutes, b) turn out to be evil, or c) both. It makes it hard to get attached to the guest character or believe that the main character will either. On S&H, neither one of them seem to have any luck with any relationship besides the one they have with each other. Personally, I think that the characters will continue to have a series of failed relationships, with possibly a few more dead girlfriends along the way.

Instead of some women dying, how about marrying?:

What a lovely idea - Terry and Gillian marrying S. & H. and all becoming friends. And why not? Only because the script-writers decreed otherwise, in order to put our heroes through an emotional mincing-machine, But then, if they hadn't, we'd have missed out on some of the best scenes in the series.

This fan votes for more fantasy:

For me, the question of reality v. fantasy in S&H really comes down to why we watch the show. Do we really want straight reality? Coda is a good example of that (I just read it, so it’s fresh in my mind); the gradual burnout and disillusionment of the average street cop, with the added strain of a friendship so exclusive and interdependent, it drains out of life and becomes a heavy burden. A flame so hot, it consumes them both. That’s not what I want to watch and read! Personally, I prefer the unreality of an ideal friendship, one that sustains and renews, not one full of worries and what-ifs. And the more I’m around men, the more I realize the depth of emotion demonstrated by S&H (not just felt) is really a fantasy. So if we want to see that, (and, of course, we do!), it’s only fair to allow for other unrealities in the show.

Regarding possibly police brutality:

The guys do get away with a lot of un-police-like behavior (yeah, I know, that’s not a word), but perhaps we can forgive them because we trust their judgement of right and wrong and their ability to make the right choices? Does that make sense? We wouldn’t want all policemen to bend the rules like the guys do, but when the guvs rough up a suspect, we can be sure that the suspect deserved it. After all, with the system as difficult and corrupt as it is, “us against them” is conceivably the only way to get true justice sometimes. Fantasy, yes, but a nice thought.

No reunion movie, thanks:

It sounds as though the majority are opposed to an S&H reunion movie. Understandably. The past 20 years haven’t been terribly kind to either of our boys. Also. I think most of us want to remember them as they were in our beloved, original episodes, and I think its best left that way. Better to reunite David & Paul in some other, completely unrelated film project. Now, that would be a thrill to see!

Yes to a reunion movie, but with stipulations:

As to my opinion about a reunion movie, I'm for it with one BIG proviso: no S&H separated for years over some piddly little problem (or separated at all) and have to reunite in face of a threat to themselves and/or a loved one. That cliche has only worked in "Perry Mason" and only because it was handled well. Every other reunion movie that tried it really sucked. The S&H reunion should be handled like the "Rockford Files" reunion was - some changes had occurred, but Jim Rockford's life was mostly the same as in the series. I think that a S&H reunion movie, properly handled, would be wonderful. I don't think that we're going to get one, though.

No publicity for this fandom and its fanworks:

In Frienz #29, both [Barbara F] and I asked that information concerning the Lending Library not be published on any public computer bulletin boards. Despite this, a Frienz reader printed not only Library information along with my address, but titles of zines and names and addresses of people from whom to order them, on the Prodigy TNT board. I believe that the person in question was operating from purely good motives; she just wanted to be helpful. As soon as I heard what had been done, I called her to explain why I do not want my name published and to ask her to get it off the bulletin board immediately. She was very cooperative in honoring my request, but expressed surprise at my concern, which is why I think it might be a good idea to address the issue in the letterzine.

‘Bulletin boards’ are not like personal mail or a letterzine. They’re open to anyone who is on the computer network — children, TV network representatives (for example, TNT), right-wing activists, psychopaths, doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs -- not just the few people with whom one is ‘chatting.’ Network executives pay employees to ‘surf the nets’ to discover what is being said about different shows. I know this because an SH fan works for one of the networks and does this as part of her job! And ladies, writing stories using someone else’s characters is copyright infringement.

Do Spelling/Goldberg care that we’re writing about SH? I don’t know. Given that no profit is made (Believe me, no profit is made!), is it illegal? I don’t think so, but I don’t know! I do know that I don’t want to be the ‘test case’! And I don't think anyone else in SH does. People in several other fandoms — Star Wars , Miami Vice , and X-Files , to name three about which I’ve heard — have received Cease and Desist orders when the networks found out about fannish activities, including letterzines!

I’m not trying to exclude any genuine fan from enjoying the delights fandom has to offer. But I do think that we need to protect fandom by not rubbing anyone’s noses in the fact that we’re out here writing stories about ‘their’ characters.

Speaking purely on a personal basis, I do not want my name published in any public forum! I would suggest obtaining permission from the person involved before publishing anyone’s name in this manner. I’m obviously not talking about the letterzine, whose readership is limited to SH fans. I’m talking about anything that non-fans also read. I’m sorry to have had to go on about this, but I think it’s a really important issue involving both privacy and the protection of fandom as a whole. I am now climbing down off my soapbox.

Thanks for listening.

Another request to keep this fandom on the down-low from non-fans:

I'll have a separate page of Library news, but did want to emphasize again: PLEASE, folks, do NOT post information about the S&H Library on the open boards on the computer services where just anyone can read them. Linda and I have both said this in Frienz before, but one member did so anyway. Fortunately Linda found out about it quickly and the member did arrange to have the posting removed, but it still isn't a good idea. There is no way to know who all is reading those public boards, and what their agendas and motives might be. There are just too many weird people out there, and mundanes do not understand fandom. This is something we're doing on our own time and expense, as a service to the fandom, and we do not need the additional concern about the risk of problems from outsiders.

Library News:

Well, the S&H Lending Library is off to a flying start. As of today (July 11) we have 15 members, who presently have out a total of 26 zines. There is also

information out to a fair number of additional people who have requested it, but who have not joined as yet.

In away, I almost hope we don't get too many more, at least for awhile. Just in the last week or two we are beginning to reach the point of what I call "zine gridlock". That's where we have so many members with so many zines out, that people who only have 6 or 8 zines left on their want lists may have delays; I've had to drop postcards to several people telling them that all the zines they wanted are presently out! I've been trying for a one-day turnaround time on returns to next shipments, or at least next business day (when I would get to the Post Office). In part because I know people are anxious to get their next zines, and in part because I know if I let the orders pile up, the task will become overwhelming on the whole. Library operation has been very smooth, working just as we intended it to.

I, and I expect most readers, very much appreciate the many members who return their zines well before the due date. I know, you're just eager to get your next zine fix, but it also makes them available for the next borrower sooner too.

Running the Library does get time-consuming, but it's also fun to share the pleasures of these good, older zines. Reader comments have been most encouraging. Now if some of them would just start writing stories of their own...

Well, easy come, easy go, as they say. We've had to remove the zines BLOND BLINTZ BULLETIN, DIRTBALL DISPATCH and PARTNERS from the Library. Linda McGee has found out that all three are being republished in one volume to be called PODNUZ [sic] (I know, sounds like a bad Western). Since established Library policy is that we carry only zines that are out of print (so far as we know), Linda has written the publishers, advising them 1) that we are pulling the zines from circulation and 2) that they should contact Jean Holmes to get the announcement of the new zine in both Frienz and the S&H Adzine.

A couple of the newer members have sent their transaction fees in the form of $1 checks. Unless there's a problem on your end. I'd rather have that in cash. Eliminates having to schlep over to the bank, sort out what's my moolah and what's the Library's, etc. Simple and direct, sez I. I know this sounds complicated, but we need your $25 security deposit in a check, your $1 transaction fee in cash, and a stamp(s) for the mailing.

Also, I need a SASE with inquiries about Library membership, but not with each transaction once you are a member. If I need to pass anything along. I'll just put a note in your next zine shipment, or drop you a postcard (covered by transaction fees).

The lending library boosted interest in older zines, which was exciting for new fans, but it also may have had the by-product of generating enough interest for some fans to re-issue their older zines -- which in turn may have made them ineligible to be included in the library (as the library did not include currently in-print zines). One example:

I'm pleased and somewhat surprised at the renewed interest in the zine I published in 1983, "Who You Know, What You Know, and How You Know It". I’m giving tentative thought to offering it for sale again, as there seems to be so many new fans out there. As Kendra mentioned in her letter, we met a lot of new and enthusiastic fans at FriscoN in both 1993 and 1994, and they want to get their hands on the older out-of-print zines. With the quality of today's color copiers, it'd be easy to copy the gold-framed covers. Any comments? Are new fans happy having a3rd or 4th generation (or worse) xerox copy, or would there be a market for a sharp clean copy with color xerox covers?

Regarding TOTM:

Topic for discussion: Possibilities beyond Sweet Revenge? It would depend on whether Starsky was able to recover enough to resume being a street cop. I also still think that whole episode would not do much to alleviate Hutch's burnout problem. If they stayed in the P.D. they would eventually be separated (how many Captains did we see with partners?), and with not sharing the working part of their lives, I think they would drift apart, at least to some degree. Do we really want to see them growing old? I don't think they'd do it well. I think I would almost rather see them go out 'in a blaze of glory', a la Butch and Sundance — together, of course. After the lives they've led up to this point, any other alternative seems depressingly mundane.

About this fandom's history:

At [the 1993] Friscon, there was an SH panel which we attended, I was amazed at the number of new fans, many of whom did not know the history of the fandom and were not familiar with many of the older zines. SH fandom has a rich history and probably some of the best fan writing in the history of fandom. There was a fiery passion in those of us who produced stories, artwork. zines, cons, etc., in the late 70's and early 80's. Maybe it was our first major break from Trek fandom and maybe it was that we were inspired by the relationship between Starsky and Hutch that David Soul calls a love story every time he talks about the show, Maybe the way David and Paul cared about the show, the way they put their all into it, the way Paul directed David, maybe all those things made us, the fans, care as well. I only know that without laser printers and desk top publishing, SH fans produced a body of fan literature that is outstanding. And I'm glad to see much of it in the library.

In a brief discussion with Jean, we talked about sharing the history of SH with the readers of Frienz. I‘d be happy to do that if there is any interest. Others of you in Issue #30, like Terri Becket

and Tabby Davis, have been involved in this as long or longer than I have and could certainly help fill in the stories. It might be fun.

About a older zine publication:

Jeanne Sullivan's absolutely wonderful Starsky and Hutch Concordance: published in early 1980. These 64 pages are full of really detailed episode descriptions and an index to the shows that will knock your socks off. I don't have a current address on Jeanne or any rights to reproduce this work, but if anyone knows where she is, maybe we can get the okay for copies. Otherwise, I'll see about donating it to the library so you can at least see it.

Kendra Hunter wrote:

From those early days, some wonderful people come to mind. I was living in Europe in the late 70's, catching news from the fandom world because my neighbor was in the military and allowed me to use his US mail facilities. This was really important because as civilians, we were required to use the Greek postage system. Early in 1979 the Greek postal workers went on strike, After 90 days, the strike was settled and all the undelivered mailed was burned. It was a total nightmare. Anyway, Diana did manage to keep me apprised of the happenings in Trek and SH fandom. She started the first S&H letterzine in 1979, and I joined her as editor in 1980, when I moved to Sacramento.

For ZebraCon in 1980, which I think was #2, Diana and I and Terry Adams produced what I think was the first music videos in fandom. That was great fun and a great deal of work.

It was a privilege to be a part of that group of people who worked hard to produce high quality stories, art, cons, and lasting friendships, As for Starsky and Hutch, it is a show unique unto itself. There is not anything else like it anywhere, and God knows I've watched enough cop shows and other shows looking for the specializes that is Starsky and Hutch.

I would like to thank Jean and all the rest of you who have kept this fandom alive and well. I hope the future is bright and sunny for all.

Issue 32 (September 1995)

Frienz 32 was published in September 1995 and contains 28 pages.

cover of issue #32

• there are 23 subscribers
• TOTM: When the guys rough up a suspect, can we be sure the suspects "deserved" it? What mistakes have Starsky and Hutch made? Do they ever get too vigilantist in their work?
• includes a letter by Jane of Australia (her first to this zine)
• Breakfast With Starsky, fiction by Linda Cody and Jean Holmes (A fan in the next issue wrote: "Don't do that to me!!! Dog stories always make me cry! It was really good, I hate to think of them as homeless animal! Gotta get the Kleenex! Was a brilliant idea! Good job, next time make 'em a couple of cockroaches, I won't get so upset!")
• Last Dance, fiction by Theresa Kyle (A fan in the next issue wrote: "Hey that was a good short story! Really makes you think. I like slash, never read it until I got into S&H!")
• there are several letters from fans discussing the fact that another fan talked about The Starsky & Hutch Lending Library on the internet somewhere

Issue 32: Sample Fan Comments

From the editor:

The latest issues have been really stuffed with letters! Nice, long reads. However, a twice-as-big zine pushes the printing costs & postage costs beyond the amount that the subscription price brings in I use some of the bit of extra money leftover from a few of the earlier issues to cover the additional costs. About future subscription prices? I don't know. We want Frienz to be able to print all letters & the occasional story received without discouraging anyone from writing.

About a ZebraCon plan:

It's hard to believe ZebraCon is only about a month away. Where has the summer gone? Looking forward to seeing many of you there. Speaking of which: FOR THOSE WHO WILL BE ATTENDING ZEBRACON: I have learned via the fannish grapevine that, as I expected, my request to do an informal Starsky & Hutch story plot brainstorming session as part of ZCon programming has been rejected. So, as mentioned previously in FRIENZ, I will be putting up a notice at the con for this and we'll do it on our own. We'll find a place to meet, possibly a designated corner of the hotel lobby. Working title is "Yes, But BESIDES the Relationship..." This is NOT intended as a story critiquing session, you don't have to bring a written story, you don't even have to be a writer! The object is to toss around story ideas and have some fun with them. But if you are a writer, with a projected plotline that's somehow maneuvered itself into a corner, or a general or partial story idea that you don't know where to go with, or one you'd just like to run by some other fans to get their input — this is the place. Let's just play with story ideas, see if we can help somebody get 'unstuck' or maybe inspire new writing and consider available information resources. If you're going to be at the con and this sounds appealing, watch for the notice and join us!

One fan corrects another's statement, no, they were not that "raunchy":

Lest you have given people the wrong impression, the X-rated videos at the MediaWest room party consisted of one segment of one song tape. The whole event wasn't all that raunchy!

From a fan who is certain who the good guys are:

I seem to have put my foot in it (again) in my last letter, prompting this month's TOTM.... So be it. I guess one should use certain words, such as "sure," "never," and "always" with care, and it is not wholly accurate to say "we can be sure" that the guys' above-the-law decisions were always right, After all, they were only human. Episodes like "Bust Amboy" and "The Monster always bothered me a little, no matter how much Amboy and Solkin might have deserved what they got. But what I meant (I know, I should say what I mean next time) is that if we're going to have a show where the police aren't always by-the-book, and if our two heroes believe in meting out justice a little more liberally than the law might allow, at least the show provides us with two heroes who have high moral standards and take advantage of their position only in the interests of justice. None of the shades of gray that Miami Vice was heavy with; we could believe in and trust S&H to at least strive to do what was right, and usually their actions were justified. After all, there's a big difference in how our guys bend the law and, say, the way Iron Mike or Dan Slate did.

Be careful who you root for:

While I can understand the "us against them" mentality, the notion of any cops taking the law into their own hands still makes me profoundly uneasy. Let's face it, the folks running the Inquisition were firmly convinced they were doing a good and moral thing! As was, I imagine. Hitler; he was twisted and evil, but somehow I don't doubt that he believed in what he was doing. Tho speaking of fantasy, I have often wondered if real cops watched S&H, secretly wishing that they could get away with the free-wheeling approach that Our Boys used.

More on police brutality and S&H:

TOTM Perhaps S&H have made mistakes when roughing up a suspect but none have been glaringly obvious. I’m sure they never tackled anyone who was entirely innocent. Ungentle treatment is almost essential. If they are to find out what is happening within the violent world of crime they have to 'talk’ in the language understood in that world. A polite, 'excuse me, would you tell me who shot Mr X last night’ would be utterly useless!

O.J. Simpson trial as a cultural marker:

I can hardly wait for the OJ trial to be over, as well. As to TOTM, I don't really remember a lot of incidences where S&H roughed up a suspect who hadn't committed a heinous crime. The one that I do remember is the father in "The Crying Child"; they really went after him when it was the mother who was beating the children. One thing that has come out of the OJ trial, with Mark Fuhrman's testimony and the audio tapes is that S&H were angels compared to what LA cops were apparently doing at that time. S&H seem to follow the rules, respect the law and are more aware of the suspects' civil rights than actual police officers of that era. Also, S&H definitely aren't bigots. They do seem to disregard police procedure though, and [L] is right in the episode "The Snitch". Starsky should NEVER have left the guy alone, even if Hutch was blown up. I'm sure that if they hadn't resigned, Starsky would have been in deep, deep trouble, especially since that was the only witness to the case. Oh well, as with all TV series, everything worked out for the best in the end.

A reunion film, no thanks:

Oh, if they did an S&H reunion film, I certainly couldn't NOT watch it, but I'd be real surprised if they came up with something I’d like.

Jane of Australia writes her first letter to "Frienz," gives fans a historical tutorial on Starsky & Hutch airing in Australia, thanks several fans for sending her tapes of the show, and plugs her zine, Double or Nothing:

It’s absolutely true that one only gets out of a thing what one puts into it; and since I've gotten such riches from this fandom in the last ten months, it’s high time I started ploughing something back! Zines, stories and art are a good place to start; I've also been copying videos for a startling number of people here, who love the show and have no tapes. I had no idea all those people were out there! Mention the magic words, ’Starsky and Hutch,’ and perfectly rational people foam at the mouth. Yes!!! Then, thanks to Linda McGee's help, I've managed to connect with a lady who will distribute zines for me in the USA. Please, please write to [H L in Georgia]. Why? Because it cost an unspeakable amount of money to print the zines, and I need to get the money back so I can print the next one!! But there's more. Thanks to Tabby Davis, I own a set of those gorgeous digest-sized magazines that were printed in the UK in the '70s, and are the richest imaginable source of photos of the characters and actors. They're the answer to a prayer! I don't know if these magazines are rare, but I suspect they may be, if only because they’re (gak) old. Now, just before Tabby got the mags for me. I’d said to her, words to the effect of, 'I'm so desperate for photos, it's painful. D’you know anyone who has a big collection, a good camera and a knack with photos?' Right now, it's me with the professional camera, the mags, and the knack! I'm copying the pictures steadily for several people here in Aus who are as desperate for I was for photos, and if there are any fans out there who missed out during the 'drought years,’ and are trying to play catch-up, remember, you can get the photos right here. I'm clever with that camera; it's a Nikon with a macro lens. Just pay the lab costs, and tell me what pix you want. The rest is my pleasure. Huge thanks to everyone who has made me welcome in this fandom!

When is projected secondary canon not canon:

I remember one article I read where a crew member had written a script, and it was considered, but was ultimately rejected because it would've introduced Starsky's illegitimate child, and the powers-that-be decided that the guys were too close for Hutch not to know such a major detail in Starsky's life (good for them!). So I guess anyone could try to write for them. But I keep reminding myself that scripts, and even filmed episodes aren't the Bible, and a particularly out-of-place episode could be dismissed as easily as a fanfic story, as just one person's view. (My particular candidates for this would be [the episodes] "Ballad" and "S v. H").

Comments on mundanes, real vs fantasy life:

I agree about mundanes: just 'cause they can't understand us doesn't make them ail bad. Most of my prolific pen friends are also in fandom, which is interesting - maybe we have more to talk about? But in general, I think mundanes are just sadly less imaginative, and I feel a little sorry for them. Having said that, your comments [in a previous issue about IDIC and comments about mundanes] gave me pause and provoked long thought (quite painful, I assure you). Must we so definitively divide real life from reel life? I may not have been in this fandom for too long, but fandom is not new to me, and I had to work this question out for myself once. I can't imagine it's good to live wholly in a fantasy life, no matter how much better or fulfilling it is than the reality, but perhaps we can combine the two? Like, the example of the ideal friendship in S&H is a good one, but not just to be lived vicariously, but also hopefully to be attempted and sought after in real life. And writing fanfic enables me to work out some of the longings and frustrations of my day-to-day life, thereby bettering it. Without being too cliched, I think finding the best in the two characters we have come to love conceivably brings out the best in us, no? And if nothing else, the sheer pleasure of the fandom does add positively to one's life. As long as one does live life, and not just dreams (something I, and surely many other avid readers or writers, are often guilty of).

About that concordance:

Kendra, I would love to see a S&H concordance. I'll be first in line if you ever gel permission to reproduce it, or if you make it available to the library.

Get a hobby:

I also read both straight and slash, love 'em both I have a friend in another fandom who's appalled that I m reading such filth! After telling her which way to screw her light bulb in, well as tactfully as a I could. Geeze, it's only a story! Get a life, or a neat car to work on.

Longer stories:

Hey nice to hear from fellow VTBS fan! I've written quiet a bit of stuff over the past years, maybe we can jam on something with that. I've got an 85 page story no one wants cause it's too long (that's one thing about SH, the longer the better!

Huggy Bear's role:

Huggy really did have a whole lot to do with S&H's success. He came up with the information that they needed, or knew who would know, time after time. He also pitched in and helped unofficially on a lot of their cases, like "Dandruff". Huggy did a lot more than a lot of civilians would or could be expected to do, even for a friend. I guess Huggy has a strong sense of what's basically morally right and wrong, although he is a little fuzzy on some of the fine points of property law.

Television and personal values:

Interesting interview with David Soul from the newsletter, -- thanks Tabby, for sharing it. David's got a point about TV having "conditioned" values, but I was glad he stopped short of being absolute completely condemning everything in the system. I've had my values influenced largely by my parents and my religion, and TV won't change all that. I also know full well not to try to expect a complete reflection of my values/beliefs in TV characters, but I'm selective about what I watch. Ooops...got on a soapbox, didn't I?!

Comments on the "Internet Bulletin Board" incident:

Thought I'd kick off with a follow up to Linda’s PLEASE READ THIS page as care with Internet Bulletin Boards is such an important issue now. I’m totally convinced we have to be extra vigilant and avoid putting details of fannish activities on it. Who knows what is going on in the background. If network executives are employing people to surf and keep tags on what is being said they could just as likely be beavering away compiling a data base for interrogation at a later date. They don’t have to rely on internet either. Like the rest of us they can pick up information readily at any convention and through all sorts of fan publications and letterzines. All that is needed is one starting address to help them explore what is available. Just think how much information is contained in Frienz alone. Though it has a restricted circulation and is not advertised, I wonder if we are wise to publicise our addresses so freely. Think what could be done if someone like Paramount were to start a witch hunt, with customs, tracking down the movement of zine publications, for example. Envelopes with stickers which almost invite attention are not uncommon, the same destination addresses must crop up time and again, patterns would soon become obvious. Am I being neurotic? Perhaps? But having discovered fandom and everything it stands for I do think it is up to all of us to be discreet and protect it. It may be based on other peoples’ ideas but what we have made of it is our baby.

About online visibility:

I've found I wasn't alone, one among many, in sharing Linda's reservations on this fandom's featuring on the Internet. Could be ... injudicious ... a more complex situation than may at first seem apparent? Thanks, Linda, for taking some action there.

About that brief flash of unwanted visibility:

I assume that no harm came of the S&H library being briefly on a public computer board??

About some of the pranks the Hutch and Starsky play on each other:

I agree, male bonding seems to involve behaviour which, from a female perspective, looks exactly like cruelty. I must admit I don't really like to see it.

An appealing suffering Hutch:

Yes I've read one or two marvellous fan stories where Hutch's family background is shown to be wealthy, but repressed at best abusive at worst. No wonder he married the Ice Princess, poor young Kenneth had never seen affection before, so he didn't realise Vanessa wasn't giving him any. I love Hutch, but strangely, in zines, I'm happiest when he's SUFFERING. Two favourites I read recently were 'The Hostage Heart by [April Valentine] in 'It's Love Cap'n' and 'Just Love' by Charlotte Frost in 'Heart and Soul'.

Ahappy addict:

I do see my involvement in S&H as a kind of addiction, but since I don't attend cons, I haven't spent all that much money. I do spend a lot of time on it - watching shows, making videos, writing letters -but I've gotten so much enjoyment from it all that I've never regretted my "addiction."

Some push back for a German letterzine, Wanna Share??:

"Wanna Share” - my German l/z started well - but now there’s the very first problem lying ahead - I’ve got a really mad answer to a little, very cute - but "/"-story. Sigh, somehow I'm too tired of this discussion - but otherwise I’ve started something very new in Germany, and maybe I have to have a bit more tolerance and even time to listen to all of them who have or get problems with the "/"-idea. But really - I don't like to listen to insulting and hurting answers at all. I’m of course curious and in some kind even anxious about the answers the friends in Germany will finally find (or have) already. Oh dear - all over the world there are the same problems. When - tell me - when will it be possible to accept people with all their opinions - whether others do like them or not?! I think if - if this day will finally come - we’ve solved a lot of our problems at once. Hopefully this day will come - and hopefully soon.