Southern Comfort (multimedia zine)/Issues 1-1.5
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Issue 1 (Southern Lights, multifandom)
Southern Lights 1 was published in August 1985 and contains 329 reduced print pages. There were 200 copies in the original print run.
The art is by Suzy Sansom, Mary Otten, Katrina Snyder, Ann Larimer, Leah Rosenthal, Jenni, Danaline, Barbara Frances-Simon, Laura Virgil, Dani, Ciane McAuliffe, Vicki Brinkmeir, Mary Ann Dean, Wanda Lybarger, Cheree Cargill, and Guy Brownlee.
From the editorial by Annie Wortham:
Hello and welcome to the very first issue of SOUTHERN LIGHTS. This issue started out to be about half of its present size but everybody responded with such marvelous and diversified material that it was impossible for me to say no to any of the stories! Well, naturally, I did finally have to put a lid on it (so to speak) and, as a result, I ended up taking stories for Issue Two. That issue is now full but I'm going to be crazy and offer to take submissions for an Issue Three. In spite of words to the contrary, Laura Virgil will be on board for at least the second issue. Please ignore the disclaimer in her editorial—lots of this zine is HER fault.
I hope everybody enjoys the great variety of material in SOUTHERN LIGHTS; I hoped to publish a true multi-media zine. In other words, all universes were welcomed. However, this did result in one editorial problem — I'm not familiar with every fandom. So, I hope you'll forgive me if there are any mistakes I've missed. I've had to rely on the author of the piece in the case of a universe I don't know and I'm sure that any errors on their part are purely unintentional.
We've got two very special art portfolios in this issue—Laura Virgil's SIMON & SIMON family album and an ANYTHING GOES portfolio by various artists. I'd like to personally thank all the artists who participated in this feature. If you enjoy their work please write to say so — they need encouragement just as much as the writers do and the artists seldom hear any feedback about their work. Besides, if enough people like it, maybe the artists will be inspired to do the same thing for the next issue!
[extensive "thank you" statements snipped]
This one's for a lot of people but most of all it's for Leah—a fine artist, a sparkling wit, and a true-blue friend!
Oh, incidentally, the hieroglyphs on the front cover really do say 'SOUTHERN LIGHTS'. How 'bout that?
- A Word from Our Sponsor: Editorials by Annie Wortham and Laura Virgil (4)
- Paybacks Are Hell by Susan Hall (Miami Vice) (6)
- Out of My Dreams by Annita K. Smith (Scarecrow & Mrs. King) (9)
- Casualty by Liz S. (Fantasy) (13)
- Starting Over by Jeannie Webster (Indiana Jones, OSS series) (14)
- Things Change in Two Million Years, Rick by Jacqueline Taero (Simon & Simon) (16)
- Hero by L. A. Adolf (Simon & Simon) (17)
- Impressions by Jacqueline Taero (Miami Vice) (19)
- Unconventional Procedure by L.A. Carr ("Hooker knew that Judson was just crazy enough to kill Romano, who was trapped with the ]unkie. Would Hooker deny proper procedure in order to save his partner and friend?") (T.J. Hooker/Star Trek) (20)
- Tempo Fugit by Liz S. (Dr. Who) (28)
- Marion's Bantu Wind Song by Marci Erwin (Indiana Jones) (31)
- Temple of Doom Maze by Marci Erwin (Indiana Jones) (32)
- Geas by Liz S. (Fantasy) (34)
- A Simon & Simon Art Portfolio by Laura Virgil (35)
- Darkborn by Carol Regine and Danaline Bryant (Star Wars) (49)
- The Mermaid by Diane Farnsworth ("Captain Crane is kidnapped- -by a mermaid!") (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) (54)
- Sailor's Poetry or Images Painted in Moonlight by Linda Terrell (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) (70)
- Vengeance is Mine by Linda Knights ("Rick Simon knows he and his brother live a dangerous life, but that knowledge doesn't make things any easier when A.J. is shot by their client's brother.") (Simon and Simon) (71)
- Asteroids, game by Lynda Vandiver (Star Wars) (84)
- Alone by Linda Knights (Rat Patrol) (reprinted in The G-2 Files #8, New Links in the Chain, and Rat Patrol Compiled) (85)
- Bedtime Story by Valerie Alidina and Laura Virgil (Star Trek) (86)
- Cockpit Conversation by Carolyn Golledge (also in Auzwars Chronicles (1985), Rogue's Gallery #21 (December 1985), Alliance #1 (January 1995)) (Star Wars) (93)
- Adventurer for Hire by Laura Virgil and Cheree Cargill ("Indiana Jones has the greatest adventure of his life--while working registration! Art by Wanda Lybarger and Dani Lane, shorts, poetry, etc. by Marci Erwin, Lynda Vandiver and Jeanne Webster.") (Indiana Jones) (96)
- Painfully Obvious by Leah Rosenthal (Miami Vice) (102)
- Memories Set in Concrete by Linda Terrell ("The LIBERATOR is under attack and Blake doesn't want to leave.") (Blake's 7) (105)
- The Final Act by Linda Terrell (Blake's 7) (107)
- Terminus Ex Sominum by Linda Terrell (Blake's 7) (108)
- Beautiful Replicant by Marci Erwin (Blade Runner) (111)
- Crossroads by Annita K. Smith (Scarecrow & Mrs. King) (112)
- Chance Encounter by Susan Hall ("Rick thinks he's seeing a ghost--but he isn't, only a ghost from his brother A.J.'s past.") (Simon & Simon) (116)
- The Office Affair by Cheree Cargill ("Something very strange is going on with those folks at WKRP'") (WKRP in Cincinnati) (119)
- Ben Faces Vader, game by Lynda Vandiver (Star Wars) (126)
- One Lonely Knight by Lorraine Bartlett ("Michael Knight is ready to make a new start in a new home but something still doesn't feel quite 'right'.") (Knight Rider) (127)
- Tulips Bloom in the Sixth Quadrant by Linda Terrell (Blake's 7/Dr. Who) (135)
- Sweet Revenge by CarolMel Ambassador (Wizards and Warriors) (141)
- The Thousandth Man by Louann Qualls ("Some people wild just do" anything to get their hands on Airwolf. Unfortunately, the people who kidnap Domini Santin in the hopes of blackmailing Hawke don't count on his resourcefulness.") (Airwolf) (142)
- Falling Star by CarolMel Ambassador (Star Trek) (159)
- The Night of the Peon's Death by Lorraine Beatty ("When Artemus Gordon goes undercover at a sugar cane plantation, James West has a frightening premonition -- that he may never see his partner alive again.") (Wild Wild West) (160)
- The "Anything Goes" Art Portfolio Spotlighting: Leah Rosenthal, Jenni, Danaline, Suzy Sansom, Vicki Brinkmeir and Ann Larimer (Orlando Vice (cartoon), Remington Steele, Star Wars, Don Johnson, T.J Hooker, a Los Angeles map) (187)
- The Lessons of History Raid by Linda Knights (Troy and Tully argue bitterly on the eve of an important mission.) (Rat Patrol) (reprinted in Rat Patrol Compiled) (203)
- Hogtown Hustle by Susanne McGhin (Miami Vice) ("Crockett and Tubbs are in for a big surprise when a small town prostitution bust starts to turn into something much more complicated and dangerous.") (215)
- A Wink of God's Eye by Katrine Snyder (Star Wars) (248)
- Time In Its Flight by Christine Jeffords ("A Mother's Day dinner with Cecelia inspires Rick and A.J. to flashback on their boyhoods.") (This was originally planned to be in The Brother's File #2) (Simon and Simon) (288)
from issue #1, Suzy Sansom, Miami Vice
from issue #1, Dani, Scarecrow and Mrs. King
from issue #1, Suzy Sansom, Miami Vice
from issue #1, Laura Virgil, Simon and Simon
from issue #1, Laura Virgil, Simon and Simon
from issue #1, Laura Virgil, Simon and Simon
from issue #1, Ciane, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
from issue #1, Vicki Brinkmeir, Simon and Simon
from issue #1, Mary Ann Dean, Star Wars
from issue #1, Wanda Lybarger, Indiana Jones
from issue #1, Leah Rosenthal, Miami Vice
from issue #1, Cheree Cargill, WKRP in Cincinnati
from issue #1, Mary Otten, Airwolf
from issue #1, Danaline, Star Trek:TOS and ET
from issue #1, Danaline, Remington Steele
from issue #1, Jenni, Star Wars
from issue #1, Vicki Brinkmeir, T.J. Hooker
from issue #1, Suzy Sansom, Miami Vice
from issue #1, Katrina Snyder, Star Wars (crossed with original characters?)
from issue #1, Katrina Snyder, Star Wars (crossed with original characters?)
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
Just a note to congratulate you on SOUTHERN LIGHTS 1. It is a great zine, and although I was not familiar with all the universes it contained, I did enjoy each and every story and poem. I especially liked Annita K. Smith's "Out of My Dreams", "A Wink of God's Eye" by Katrina Snyder, and "Time In Its Flight" by Christine Jeffords. Both the front and back covers were excellent, and I really en joyed "The Anything Goes" art portfolio.
Enjoyed all the poetry, especially Liz S.'s "Tempo Fugit" and CarolMel Ambassador's "Sweet Revenge."[1]
I loved SOUTHERN LIGHTS 1. The cover was great. Suzy Sansom's and Laura Virgil's art was also great. "Paybacks Are Hell", "Vengeance Is Mine", "Chance Encounter", "Hogtown Hustle", and "Time In Its Flight" were my favorite stories. And I also liked "Hero" and "The Thousandth Man". The artwork in the SIMON & SIMON portfolio was excellent. It was about the best S&S art I've seen. The "Anything Goes" portfolio was also good, especially the map of California.
You did a great job; I can't wait to see #2.[2]
I'm halfway through SOUTHERN LIGHTS 1 — yeah!!!! — so far not a dud in the bunch. A couple were a LEETLE predictable. Maybe I've read too much fan fiction. I find "Paybacks Are Hell" fascinating, "Out Of My Dreams" interesting, was I supposed to understand "Starting Over" — the references to Indy threw me — don't tell me, it's EXPLAINED in another story. "Hero" is a GOTCHA story — and I can't say I care for those. "Darkborn" is in the same vein, but is less obtrusive and carries itself well despite that. Interesting pemise. Be sure to thank Ciane for me for my artwork, her illo on page 158 is really good.
"Vengeance is Mine" was excellent. Good characterization, especially Town. "Bedtime Story" was a little 'too' cute for my tastes, but well written. I laughed over "Adventurer For Hire" — I've worked registration here at the University. Poor Indy. Linda Terrell's trio of BLAKES 7 were terrific as was her WHO/B7 crossover. She really knows her characters, particularly Blake and Avon, AND Vila, too.
"Crossroads" was a new one on me, having never seen the episode in question, but it's a good story. "Chance Encounter' made sense— that episode I SAW and the follow through was well done. "The Office Affair" was hilarious. "One Lonely Knight" was great, although I'm not much a KNIGHTRIDER fan. "The Thousandth Man" really captured the 'feel' of AIRWOLF, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
"The Night of the Peon's Death kept a good level of suspense through out—it was nice to read a different universe for a change. Ditto for the "Lessons of History Raid"—it was nice to see some of the guy's lives beyond the raids. Of course, "Unconventional Procedure", "Hogtown Hustle", and "Wink of God's Eye" are favorites. All have a certain flair and style. Good jobs all. Haven't read "Time in its Flight" yet, so more later.
Good zine.[1]
I wanted to drop you a note to let you know that I really enjoyed reading SOUTHERN LIGHTS. It was a great zine and I had a good time reading the stories, especially the ones on SIMON & SIMON because it's my favorite show. Can't get tired of reading any stuff on the guys. All the stories were so beautiful. I loved them all. You sure had good writers and artists on that zine. The art portfolio was so nice. Every artist really did it in that one, it was a really well done job.
Well, thanks again Annie for this sweet, beautiful zine. I'm already anxious to hear about SOUTHERN LIGHTS #2.[2]
If you'll remember, my sister, Teresa, ordered issue #1 of SOUTHERN LIGHTS, but we both shared in the expense. And I'm happy to say that it was well worth the price!
Your zine was quite beautiful with some of the best artwork I have ever seen in a zine and the size of this tome was awesome!
Anyway, I've been elected to write the LoC. I'm not quite finished reading it but I've read mostly the stories of the universes that I am familiar with. So I will only comment on the stories and poetry which I found to be the most outstanding.
"Hero" by L.A, Adolf was a sweet story and a nice ending for the episode of SIMON & SIMONS "Marlowe Come Home."
"Impressions" by Jacqueline Taero was a very good poem. It captured the spirit of MIAMI VICE quite nicely.
All the artwork by Suzy Sansom was terrific. She sure is one talented lady! Especially the back covet of Tubbs and Crockett and the portraits of Sonny on pages 8 and 19.
"Unconventional Procedure" by L.A. Carr was an interesting idea though I'm not familiar with the T.J. HOOKER series. It was the same kind of idea which inspired my sister to write a Bennu/Joachim story!
The SIMON & SIMON art portfolio was very handsome. Especially the last page, the sketch of Rick Simon by Laura R. Virgil was a perfect likeness!
"Vengeance Is Mine" by Linda Knights was a very good S&S story. I liked the way the author nicely captured Tim Reed's Downtown Brown character.
"Hogtown Hustle" by Susanne McGhin. A very good MIAMI VICE story. Better than some of their episodes! But I'm afraid the author gave Castillo too many lines. Even when he's on the phone, he rarely utters two syllables at one time. I don't know how they manage to have such few lines for someone who is supposed to be the boss! And I loved the Billy Joel joke!
"A Blink of God's Eye" by Katrina Snyder was certainly very different. She gave a lot of interesting back ground for the characters, more than usual. But unfortunately there were so many male characters that I found it hard to keep them all straight. Nevertheless, I couldn't stop reading it, wondering where it would all end! Tell Katrina she did a good job.
"The Thousandth Man" by Louann Quails. First off, Hawke does not have a phone in his cabin; he only uses a shortwave radio set. And he would never tell Archangel in such a cruel way that he couldn't take the mach speeds of Airwolf. He may resent Archangel for dragging him into dangerous cases but he would never insult the agent in such a degrading way. Besides, Archangel has ridden in Airwolf on a number of occasions. In "Bite of the Jackal", Archangel even takes Dominic's place in the weapon's station. Other than that the story was quite good. On second thought, Hawke is a lot like Castillo of MV. His answers are always short and he seldom seems to want a close relationship with anyone. Odd, they're both different but in a way the same!
I plan to keep "Tulips Bloom in the 6th Quadrant" for a later date. Hopefully, I will someday see BLAKES 7. But at the moment I'm only familiar with DOCTOR WHO so it's hard to appreciate only half a story.
"Bedtime Story" was a very cute STAR TREK story.
"Time In Its Flight" by Christine Jeffords is a novel that must have been a labor of love. Even though all the memories don't jive with all the show's episodes, it's fun reading.
The artwork: Laura R. Virgil out did herself with the front cover of Indiana Jones. The art by Mary Otten for the AIRWOLF story used very sparse lines yet she caught the likeness of all the actors she drew.
It was also very helpful that the index included both the titles and the universe the story involved. This was especially helpful when a cross universe piece was involved.[1]
Loved everything in SOUTHERN LIGHTS #1...the art, the mixed bag of stories, everything, but nothing even comes close to Sansom's gorgeous back cover of Sonny and Tubbs and Laura Virgil's moody portrait of Indy on the front. I have only one question, though...if Chris Jeffords was so all fired determined to tell us the entire life story of Rick and A.J. Simon, she was seriously neglectful in leaving out what A.J. wore on the morning of July 14, 1957, what Rick had for dinner at 8:45 PM on October 5, 1961 and what precise stage of development Dr. Spock says A.J. was at on the morning of January 2nd, 1955. Also, no mention was made of Rick's knee boo-boo on Halloween, 1953. Shame, Chris![2]
The covers of SOUTHERN LIGHTS are really nice. I like the color combination, it's classy. And the size of it! That really made for a lot of variety. I liked the fact that there were a lot of shorter pieces—this made for even more variety, and it was a pleasant change to have a story you can read through in a few minutes rather than set aside more time for. (Not that I won't read until the wee hours—it's just a nice change of pace.)
Stories I particularly liked: "Darkborn" had an interesting premise, one I'd like to see developed more fully. It never occurred to me to wonder about Obi-Wan's past, but now I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it first! That's a chilling last line!
"Bedtime Story" really gave me a chuckle—I could just imagine Spock with a baby. Being a mother helped me envision it all. All the most amusing scenes were wonderfully understated. I really wish the charadter of Peter Kirk would show up in the movies--the logical thing to do, since they killed David so uselessly. "The Thousandth Man" was a good, solid, well plotted story. The characters rang true and it was satisfy ing to see a strong female character like Jessica. Likewise, "The Night of the Peon's Death" was also well plotted and and consistent. All the 'character' scenes were woven so tightly into the action of the plot that they didn't seem like unnecessary padding. Even the 'sex scene' was necessary to plot and characterization! Of course, I knew Artie wouldn't die, but this story was gripping and it was my favorite.
"The Lessons of History Raid" set up good conflict between the main characters as well as against the Germans. By now you can see that I prefer action stories to more introspective pieces—just my bias, I guess. Of course, I loved the cartoons, the sicker the better. (Amanda, add the fabric softener!) And Laura Virgil's SIMON & SIMON portfolio is excellent (as always).
I'm avoiding commenting on my own story and those of relatives and friends, notice. I don't think it's quite fair, since I've seen so many of them in earlier drafts and have already lodged whatever complaints I have. I wish I could say more about the BLAKES 7 stories—they read well but I don't know the universe, and Susanne's explanations only made me more curious. I must see this show somehow. [I did arrange that (take heed Sue Ann and Teresa!) and Katrina now writes her own series of BLAKES 7 stories...look for them in the upcoming SOUTHERN SEVEN, ed.]
The art for "Hogtown Hustle" was first rate—that's Sandy Chestnut, alright! And even my scribbling looked good when enlarged or reduced and cut to fit.
And so—congratulations! The first issue is truly hours of reading pleasure, more bangs for the buck. [1]
...the covers alone you are to be commended! Of course, I've admired Laura's work for years but Suzy Sansom is new to me. WOW! I hope to see lots more of her in future issues. I can think of a few gorgeous men I'd like to see her try her hand at. Does she just limit herself to MIAMI VICE? I plan to order some of her stationary for friends of mine who love VICE. I'm not a special fan of it myself, however. I think the art portfolio idea is a good one, especially if it can be expanded to include many universes (as it did in this first one) and different artists. Of course, artists have their favorite shows and actors and may not want to try anyone they aren't particularly fond of.
Among my favorite stories were "Vengeance is Mine" (I've admired Linda's RAT PATROL things before), and "Adventurer For Hire". That was a real scream! "Crossroads" was very good. I'm a big SCARECROW AND MRS. KING fan and like Lee's slightly wary personality. It brought back memories of that episode, too. I hope to see lots more S&MK fiction and poetry in future issues. Also liked "Lonely Knight", "Tulips Bloom...", "Hogtown Hustle", too, though I'm not a fan of any of those universes. As a big WWW fan, I loved Lori Beatty's "TNOT Peon's Death". It was good to see Jim West with a somewhat tender side (and god forbid, a conscience!) and a little of his psychic abilities. I understand Lori's not the only one to give Jim West strange dreams and psychic abilities.
Linda's "The Lessons of History Raid" was the biggest surprise. Hurt/comfort in Northern Africa. I like to see my heroes spar a little because sometimes a good quarrel will bring out things that would otherwise be hidden or denied, emotional things and little chinks in the psychological armor so many men put on. My only criticism in the whole zine is about the last two stories. I think Katrina should have introduced the STAR WARS universe earlier...though her original characteres were very interesting (Kerrie Keane? Does she know that Kerrie Keane is a real person? A Canadian actress?). The original characters reminded me a bit of the gang in BUCKAROO BANZAI especially Bruce who seemed a lot like Buckaroo. [Uh, Jill, they were supposed to remind you of those characters... ed.] However, I think the STAR WARS part of the story could have been present from the beginning, should have been, sort of a parallel development. While Bruce was doing such-and-such, Han could have been doing something else. I'm not a watcher of SIMON & SIMON but Christine Jeffords' story went on forever and after a while read like a list of behavior characteristics from Dr. Spock. She is a very talented writer and I've loved lots of her other things, but I think there's a point where an author can say too much and I think she did. The premise was good and very interesting the flashback style, but... She does know her little boys, though. The paragraph on page 324 starting "Death isn't anybody you know..." stands out and slaps you in the face with its beauty and power, it's that good, but the rest just didn't hold up (stand up?) to it. I've been criticized in my stories by readers who weren't up on the episodes. Did you find anyone objecting to that among your LoCs? I was told that it was better and politer to give a brief description of the episode rather than just title (or title with airdate and author). ...
All in all, I enjoyed SOUTHERN LIGHTS 1 very much and look forward to #2 with anticipation.[2]
I received SOUTHERN LIGHTS and it is grand! You should've warned me about the MV back cover— my heart nearly palpitated itself to death! Suzy Sansom is a wonderful artist and captures Sonny and Rico wonderfully, as well. SL's front cover is a delight and imaginative—way to go! I'm only a little way thru the zine—so far, the stories are top quality and the illos superb. Good job so far, Annie—Congrats.
I can tell that, a lot of care and thought was put into the zine and I'm glad I got it.[1]
I finished SOUTHERN LIGHTS and I have to admit it's a great zine. Some really good stuff
in it. Was the character in "A Wink of God's Eye" meant to look like Buckaroo Banzai? [Yes! ed.] That was a different and interesting tale. The details were well thought out. I liked the reference to the umpteenth incarnation of Doctor Who. Cute. I think my least favorite was the long SIMON & SIMON at the end. It was very well done, though, just less to my taste. As for favorites, there were several I liked much, including the AIRWOLF, KNIGHTRIDER, and a few others. What a wealth of material. You did a great job.[2]
I received SOUTHERN LIGHTS #1 and my husband has regretted it ever since! He put up with me curled up in the papasan for two nights in a row, before he finally threatened to throw a DR. WHO tape at me if I didn't stop giggling! Of course, after I showed him what I was reading, he relented; in fact, he's appropriated it and I haven't seen it for a week now! Just last night Kent asked me (oh, so casually!) "Number 2 comes out when?" So now you have two addicts on your mailing list! [I think this is the nicest compliment I've received in a long time... ed.]
If I tried to comment on everything I liked about SL#1, I'd be here all day...so I'll just hit the high points. "Painfully Obvious" had me snickering for at least five minutes.
"Tulips Bloom in the Sixth Quadrant" was sheer delight. Leela has always been my favorite of the Doctor's companions, and throwing her and Avon together like that was great (WTTW has just started 2nd Season BLAKES 7; now I understand the 'Captain Midnight' reference—Avon is delicious in black leather!).
Reading "The Office Affair" was like watching a new episode of WKRP minus the commercials; and Spock as a babysitter was just too much!
I admit I prefer light fiction when reading; if I want serious soul-searching literature, there's always Dosteovsky (sp.?). I did enjoy the characterization in the KNIGHTRIDER story, with the emotional confusion and uncertainty of starting a new life; and the T.J. HOOKER/STAR TREK story was an interesting idea...it certainly was a surprise.
I'm looking forward to SL#2...Avon and Vila's TRUE vocations?
Please...keep up the fantastic work![1]
Suzy Sansom's MV art is absolutely fantastic! She really captures Sonny and Rico very well. Great back cover (especially Sonny!) Pg. 8 and pg. 19 are quite good. Rather different style for her illos for "Hogtown Hustle".
I enjoy Annita Kaye Smith's S&MK stories. (I must since we have her "Put Not Your Trust in Chocolate" in OUR FAVORITE THINGS #2!)
Lisa Adolf's "Hero" is adorable!
It was fun reading a VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA story. I used to really enjoy watching that show, and I had a tremendous crush on Lee Crane! (Too bad David Hedison only plays baddies these days!)
"Bedtime Story" was funny!
Leah Rosenthal does great cartoons. "Vicetide" sounds intriguing. And I love the premise for "The 'V Team"! (An imaginary pet flamingo?!) I wish I could see a BLAKES 7 episode some time.
Lorraine Bartlett does well with Michael Knight and KITT.
Louann Quails did well with "The Thousandth Man". The 'map* of Los Angeles is fabulous!
Someone told me Susanne McGhin writes good MV stories. They were right. Except I think she had Castillo a touch too loquacious.
"A Blink of God's Eye" lost me somewhere, and "Time In Its Flight" (except for a few cute scenes) nearly put me to sleep. Too much detail (re: child raising). I usually like Chris Jeffords' S&S stuff a lot, but I tpink this time she forgot that the point of research is so you sound like you know what you're talking about, not so you can dump it all on your readers. Oh, well. Jean Thrower told me she enjoyed it tremendously! [2]
I very much enjoyed SOUTHERN LIGHTS #1. I am a SIMON & SIMON fan and oh did I enjoy the stories in that one, especially "Time In Its Flight" by Christine Jeffords, and "Vengeance Is Mine" by Linda Knights. But some of the others I also enjoyed very much were "One Lonely Knight" by Lorraine Bartlett, and "Hogtown Hustle" by Susanne McGhin. And the artwork by Virgil was sensational, and I thought Suzy Sansom's artwork was very well done as well. [1]
SOUTHERN LIGHTS was a great first effort. In fact, it was fantastic! The covers were gorgeous, and so were the portfolios. I especially liked the idea of my favorite show getting a portfolio all by itself. Good work, Laura!
My favorite sotry in the whole zine was Chris Jeffords' "Time In Its Flight". It was a story that touched a responsive chord deep within me and reminded me of my own childhood with my little sister. My favorite scene was Rick sneaking in and seeing A.J. in the hospital. What a swwet, touching scene. I can remember my tonsillectomy and the overnight stay and can sympathize with A.J. Luckily I wasn't allergic to penicillin! Anyway, it was so typical of their relationship that Rick knew A.J. needed him. A.J.'s reaction of complete, intense faith that Rick could do anything, even bring him home, was a shining example of the hero worship A.J. obviously had for Rick when they were kids. Scenes like Rick reassuring A.J. after coming out of the principal's office revealed so much about the relationship, as when the principal, watching them, thought "Anyone who can inspire that kind of love and loyalty in his brother can't be entirely hopeless. This story had so many wonderful bits like these.
"Time In Its Flight" has a special charm and grace all its own. The images of A.J. as a baby and Rick's pride in A.J. looking up to him, delighting in his brother s emerging personality, were delightful in themselves. Chris hit on something very important here: how strong the link between the brothers is. Not only with Rick knowing A.J. needed him in the hospital, but when baby A.J. was frightened by sudden noises, he'd go running to Cecilia's side—or to Rick's. When he first learned to walk, he walked from Cecilia's arms to Rick's while Jack ran the movie camera. To A.J., his parents weren't the only ones to run to for security or protection. Rick's lack of complaint over taking care of A.J. was typical. Why, he even thought A.J. was cute! I noticed Rick was fearful about Jack after Cecilia got the fateful phone call about his death, but felt panic when he asked about A.J. Going to the hospital. Rick reasoned he could no longer help his father, but there was A.J. to help; "The fact that Dad was dead was somehow secondary to A.J.'s reaction to it. There was, after all, nothing he could do for Dad." Wonderful job, Chris.
Paybacks Are Hell" had that air of mysticism I like. Sonny's out-of-body experience was fascinating. Glad to see a lot of the guilts over the events in "Evan" were resolved for Sonny. "Hogtown Hustle" had nice elements of the developing friendship between Rico and Sonny. "Chance Encounter" (S&S) was as sad and frustrating as the end of "The List", the aired episode it was based on.
I really loved the whole zine. Keep up the good work! [2]
I really enjoyed SOUTHERN LIGHTS #1. I like media zines. A lot of times you can find stories involving fandoms that are difficult, if not impossible to find elsewhere. I'm not equally familiar with all of the fandoms represented in your zine, but I enjoyed it and them none the less.
My favorite story has to be "Time In Its Flight" by Chris Jeffords. If only for the impressive amount of time and rpearch that went into the story. I enjoy stories about SimON & SIWON when they were young. And Jeffords is one of the best, if not the best (in my humble opinion) SIMON & SIMON writer. She seems to have an excellent handle on both Rick and A.J., and all the characters who populate their universe. There hasn't been one story that she's written that I hadn't liked. So far, anyway. To be able to pull together all the references and hints made to their pasts over the last 4-5 years—very impressive.
I also enjoyed "The Lessons of History Raid" by Linda Knights. I don't always care for Linda's stories, I didn't care for her SIMON & SIMON story in this issue for instance. But she did a really good job in this RAT PATROL story. It was nice to see a Tully and Troy story. Usually it's Hitch and Troy or Moffitt and Troy or even Dietrich and Troy. She really has a good feel for both the characters. Tully doesn't say much or give a display of emotions easily, but when he does, it's with his whole being. All the members are similar in that aspect, but especially Troy. This similarity no doubt is the main reason they clashed so. Simi lar personalities in similar situations.
I'm not realy familiar with KNIGHTRIDER (neat car!) but L. Bartlett's "One Lonely Knight" was super. I felt she really captured what it might be like for someone in his position. To have a fairly happy life one minute and for it all to be ripped away in the next. I'm not sure everyone could handle that, and he seemed to have the same feelings of self doubt and uncertainty. Not to mention a bit of self-pity—not that I blame him for that. Lorraine cpatured the ambivalence of such a situation well.
A VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA story. Now those aren't real easy to find. I liked D. Farnsworth's "The Mermaid". I haven't seen the series in ages. But I felt she captured the feel of the old show very ! well. And, of course, my favorite character, Capt. Crane, had a nice part. The concern and caring the members of the Seaview expressed were well conveyed. The men would have to had develop a close working relationship, considering their circumstance.
The MIAMI VICE stories were also good. I haven't seen a lot on that series in the zines. I understand the MIAMI VICE people weren't happy about having stories printed. I suppose that's part of the reason. I liked the stories. There was a nice relationship between Sonny and Rico, one which hasn t been capitalized upon this season. Which is disappointing. The relationship is the main reason I watch the show. My only complaint is with that last story, "The Hogtown Hustle" by Susanne McGhin. Tubbs kept thinking about all this tension and a wedge he was driving between himself and his friends, but that was never really explained or resolved.
The artwork was great, some of my favorite artists.
As you can no doubt tell, I really enjoyed the stories and look forward to future issues.[2]
Issue 1.5 (Southern Lights, Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Southern Lights 1.5 was published in August 1985, is 49 pages long, and has only Man From U.N.C.L.E. content.
All of the content are adult het and they are anonymous.
From the zine: "All photos in this zine were contributed by someone who wishes to remain nameless. Well, consider yourself thanked, stranger!"
From the editorial:
Well, welcome to the first issue of what I hope will become a tradition — SOUTHERN LIGHTS SPECIAL! This issue is an all-MAN FROM UNCLE one and features only ’adult' stories. All were written in the spirit of, uh, fun so please don't try to read anything deep and philosophical into them!
You'll probably notice that there aren't any author's names listed on the stories or in the table of contents. This is intentional, I can assure you. All of my contributor's are much too, um, 'well-placed' to let it be known that they associate with a low-life such as me—much less that they would write the kind of stories contained within these pages. Oh well, I know who they
are. - Annie
- An Anonymous Letter from the Editor (2)
- The Bad Day at Black Rock Affair ("Illya’s in a foul mood and Fate seems to determined to make it fouler. But the Russian’s timely rescue of a lovely damsel in distress could just change his luck.") (3)
- The Interlude Affair ("It was a routine stakeout assignment for Napoleon Solo and April Dancer until things start to ‘heat’ up a little bit.") (15)
- The ‘This Vacation Is Not As Incredibly Boring As I Thought It Would Be Affair’ ("It’s Christmas time and Illya is feeling homesick. He takes a vacation to get away from it all and things are pretty quiet—until Sarah Jane Smith skis over him.") (crossover with Doctor Who) (21)
- The Russian Physicist Affair ("Napoleon is intrigued by Larissa Petrov but not half as intrigued as he is about her relationship with Illya.") (40)
from issue #1, not credited
from issue #1, one of the photos
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1.5
[zine]: Lordy, lordy, lordy, what a lovely piece of naughty bits this zine is. Yes, SL 1.5 embodies all the wild day dreams we've envisioned about the sexual aspects of Man from UNCLE, and keeps it all... straight. All the stories in SL 1.5 are of a sexual nature, and they are genuine woo 'em and screw 'em tales -- something that had been missing from UNCLE fandom. Everything in the zine is anonymous, but that doesn't distract from the fun. These stories deal with very little plot, not hurt/comfort, and lots of action de lit. No mercy screws, no rapes, not gratuitous sex. These stories were written to be fun, there are no heavy plots and nothing to plague the little grey cells. Neat layout, lack of typos, good, easy-to-read all count in its favor. Aside from the one 'censored' illo of Illya, the zine is barren of artwork, but we all can create much more explicit pictures in our mids than any artist could put down with pen and ink. For the high level of fun, sex, and overall gratitude from this UNCLE reader, I rate SL 1.5 an 8. [3]