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From: [g--l--n] at [bgnet.bgsu.edu] (Metroplex)
Subject: FTP 547
Sender: [j--r--y] at [pwa.acusd.edu]
Status: O

ADMINISTRIVIA:  I'd like to point out that the ftp address for FtP has
changed.  It's still being maintained by Jerry Stratton (thanks Jerry!) but
is now located at his personal site "Negative Space".  The new address is:
nspace.cts.com  Check it out when you've got some free time!

====

FIT TO PRINT
by catherine yronwode
for the week of November 27, 1995


THIS IS FIT TO PRINT NUMBER 547:  The X-Files and Star Trek will be the
subject of a wild parody in Soulsearchers & Company  #14, a comic book
written by Peter David and Richard Howell and drawn by John Heebink and Jim
Mooney. The publisher is Claypool Comics. The issue (with an obvious parody
of the Enterprise bridge on the cover) goes on sale in early November.

I know this because i work for Claypool and today, October 16th, i proofread
the issue. What follows may sound like an advertisement, but rest assured
that i will earn no money from any increased sales (i am paid a salary for
production work only) and, as a slightly hyper X-Files fan, i just want to
get the word out to my fellow 'philes.

Soulsearchers & Company is a black and white humour series about a team of
psychic investigators who take on weird menaces and generally mess up their
cases. It's a lot of fun. Despite Peter David's popularity as a writer and
the high quality of the artwork, the series usually has fairly low
pre-orders. I can almost guarantee that you will not be able to find the
X-Files/Trek parody issue at your local comic book store because they will
have ordered two or three copies, not knowing what kind of demand this issue
will have.

The parody begins with the disappearance of a bunch of "Cosmic Convoy"
actors. The Soulsearchers are hired to guest replace them and then to locate
them. As they begin their investigation, FBI Agents "Scudder and Molly"
arrive on the scene, also in pursuit of the missing actors. There are light
digs at Creation (which hosts both Trek and X-Files cons), at the propensity
of the FBI agents to not shoot their guns, at the weird lighting on the show,
at Fantagraphics Books, and at the prices being paid for X-Files memorabilia.

The "Convoy" actors continue to vanish, leaving little piles of ash (and
ashtrays!) where they've been. "It could be the work of CANCER MAN," says
Scudder - at which point, in a totally bizarre non-sequitor, a familiar
talking cigarette pops up in front of a blackboard displaying a "black-lunged
s.o.b." and complains, "There they go AGAIN, kids! Implying that CIGARETTES
cause CANCER!  Well, X-CUSE me!"

The best scene in the issue, in my opinion, occurs when Scudder tells the
Soulsearchers that he and Molly have a theory about the mystery, but refuse
to reveal it because they "trust no one." Baraka of the Soulsearchers then
says he has a theory too, but he won't tell Scudder because he doesn't trust
him. This goes on and on, each topping the other in the non-trusting
department. It's a great scene. I laughed out loud - and, like i said, i was
only the proofreader!

How can you get a copy? Good question. Ask your comic book store to up their
order on Soulsearchers & Company #14 (from either Diamond or Capital
distribution) and to put a copy aside for you. Explain that you know they
already placed their order, and that the upped order will have to be sent in
as a reorder, but as of October 16th the issue was not yet at press, and if
upped orders are placed with distributors now, Claypool might be able to make
a last-minute print-run increase and there will be enough copies printed.
Tell your retailer that if he or she will not stock the book, you will order
the issue directly from the publisher - but be advised that the Claypool
warehouse program only stocks a few hundred extra copies, so the supply will
be very limited.

Okay, now because i know that some of you will have uncooperative retailers,
here is the publisher's back-issue address to order from. This is no bargain,
due to an added shipping charge, but Comics Warehouse, P.O. Box 1099,
Forestville, CA 95426, (707) 887-1521, will take regular mail orders and
credit card orders by phone. The price is $2.50 per copy (cover price) plus
(here's the bad news) $4.00 for shipping. The shipping charge is a per-order
deal, so you could order a dozen copies and still pay only $4.00 for
shipping.

Retailers whose distributors can't supply copies may order C.O.D. for a
discount from the above address. Supplies will be limited.

Okay, like i said, i'm sorry if it sounded like an ad, but this promises to
be a hot little item, and i don't want anyone to  miss out.

====

Fit to Print appears in print each week in Comics Buyers Guide and is
available via e-mail.  Tell your friends!  To subscribe to Fit to Print via
e-mail send a request with the words "Subscribe FtP" in the subject header
and your address in the body of the message to [g--l--n] at [bgnet.bgsu.edu.]  You
will be added to the list and receive the next available issue.  Back
issues are available.  FTP to nspace.cts.com and look in the Comics/About
Comics/Comics
News/Fit to Print directory.  FtP is also available on the World Wide Web
at http://www.scar.utoronto.ca/~91mithra AND http://www2.csn.net/~searls.
Responses are welcome and should be directed to [g--l--n] at [bgnet.bgsu.edu.]
Fit to Print is Copyright Cathrine Yronwode.  All rights reserved.