Russ Watkins
With all due regard to Mr. Veneble's paper I still say join THE CRUSADE TO CLEAN UP FANDOM. It needs it.
Why does it need it? Veneble's intentions to dissuade others from joining CCF is understandable in the light of his present fanzine. Thus far, I have not named any fanzines in particular that were the worst offending. But since Bill's attack on CCF came rather unexpectedly (I wish to take this opportunity to thank Lee Hoffman for giving me an advance copy of Bill Veneble's manuscript so that I might defend my stand and present the viewpoint of the CCF mambers. Mr. Hoffman is a fair-minded editor. May there be more like him.) I will now say that I think Mr. Veneble is against CCF because he is co-editor of FANVARIETY, one of the uncleanest fanzines to flow into the fan's mailboxes. Naturally, anyone who puts an unpure fanzine out does not like to be interrupted and told that his zine is filthy and to clean it up. Personally, I think that FV is as bad as INCINERATIONS, the zine that was banned from the mails recently. May I now go on record as saying that I did not make the complaint to the PO that caused its suspension nor did any of my CCF members as far as I know. I do not think that that is the method to use to induce editors of bad zines to turn toward the good side of zine publishing and put out material worthwhile to fandom. Why don't these fans do something to aid fandom instead of trying to tear it down?
I am not trying to rid fandom of bad fans, as Veneble suggested, but am instead attempting to persuade them to better utilize their many and varied talents toward furthering better and finer fanzines. As will be noted in the latest issue of DAWN AND THE IMAGINATIVE COLLECTOR, I am in favor of consolidating fanzines into 3 or 4 excellent ones. Fandom would really gain by this project if accomplished. The crud and squalidness of present day zines would be put to an end. Fans would get the information, news, and fiction that they would like to see in zines which they pay their good money for. Fandom could well afford to put out what would be called a "professional fanzine.". More fans would then be brought into the realm of fandom. And, most enjoyably of all, fans would still have lots of FUN.
But back to crummy zines; I am surely hoping William will clean up FV somewhat if not completely. Recently he featured an anti-religious article ridiculing religious beliefs that was completely uncalled for. I actually cannot believe that William and his co-editor are so downright ornery as these items in FV would make them appear to be.
But they can prove this to me by continuing to print muck in their zine; or they can prove otherwise by changing policy.
I cannot understand why certain fans will put out their money and time and then produce something that has no value whatsoever. What pleasure they obtain from seeking the indecency of their minds in print (I am speaking in general terms now, Bill.) is an enigma to me. After all, fanzines are not put out only just to please the owner (or editor) but also to please the general fan. Perhaps the editors' minds are polluted with filth but that is no reason for him to spread it around so that other minds are polluted likewise with his sewage from reading it in his magazine.
Bill says that no editor exists that has not been accused of publishing indecent literature or pornographic artwork. I believe that I am one editor that has not been so charged as far as I know. That means at least since I have been sole editor of Dawn, that I have not printed anything off-color nor of pornographic nature. (Now let the accusers come forward.) Dawn with its co-editors has published some items that might be considered bad taste but nothing similar to the smut that I've been seeing in present day zines. I am not so much against a zine that has occasionally let an item or word slip by but I am mainly in opposition to the zines that continually publish corrupt material. I don't see how they can persistently "pile up" such vileness in print and picture. If zines were judged according to the worst articles, material, etc., they would be in the Z list. But, I say, let's judge them ad valorem.
Eventually anyone's tastes differ from another person's. Tastes of literature as well as anything else. But doesn't decency mean good taste? That is, literature that is suitable in words? Would you call profanity decent language? I am for literature in fanzines that is moderate but competent in its treatment of "the King's English". Keep it respectable and it will fit the definition of the majority of decency.
As for Ray Nelson's "sexocracy", I can deem nothing more indecent. Once, Ray sent me an item in one of his letters to the MAIL AT DAWN section of my fanzine expounding the great benefits of "sexocracy" over marriage that was the most stupid piece of writing that I have ever seen and that I absolutely refused to print. Likewise I thought it and anything connected with it highly indecent and immoral. I believe that it was merely a juvenile idea that Ray had and could not repel from his mind. I am wondering if "sexocracy" still exists. Certainly Bill is right, that should be cleaned up too if found in fanzines. I can see no connection with stf topics there. Bill says that all of those different elements belong in fandom. I challenge him to prove this to me with a critique of different elements in fandom. We have fandom because we all possess the same tastes in literature and affiliated subjects. Outside interests should not be brought into the matter as far as I am concerned.
I can discern no appeal to other non-fans to become fans thru these outside interests nor thru any indecency that Bill may think lends color to fandom. Instead I regard them as turning away many new fans after their seeing this "color". I am sure that many talented fans are "lost" to fandom because of these low-lifers in fandom. It took several years for me to really enter fandom after discovering it for the simple reason that so many fanzines presented the foolish side of fans. I had begun to think that all fans were "nuts" or either "sexcrazy" until I joined the Louisville Fan Club and was introduced to the best in fanzines.
That is why I appeal to the decent-minded fans to join the CRUSADE TO CLEAN UP FANDOM and fanzines. It is known as the CCF. We have many members now that are only subscribing to the "clean" zines and are urging other zines to change policy and join with us. That way, fandom will be respectable and no one need be ashamed to be associated with it. Many more fans will be coming into fandom soon due to the popularity that stf is now enjoying and these fans will stay in fandom if there is something there worth working for and working with. Stf fandom can become the greatest of all hobbies to us and also the most enlightening. If any want more information or wish to join the CCF please write to me at 203 E. Wampum Ave., Louisville 9, Ky. Let's make the CCF list grow. Let's make fandom better.
(I apologize to Bill for being so personal in several places in this paper. I want to start no personal feuds but found it necessary to be personal in parts of this essay.)
-- Russell K. Watkins
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Data entry by Judy Bemis
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