Led Zeppelin

:You may be looking for Letterzines, sometimes referred to as Lzs. 
 
Led Zeppelin is a band formed in 1968, consisting of four members: Jimmy Page (guitarist and founding member), Robert Plant (singer), John Paul Jones (bassist), and John Bonham (drummer). 
==Shipping==
Within the fandom, the most popular real person ship is Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (Jimbert or Page/Plant) — some of the initial inspiration for RPS slash originally written in the late 1970s. One of the reasons the fandom and ships are so strong is because of the strong relationships formed by the band members themselves. They broke up after their drummer, John Bonham, died in 1980. After that, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page broke off into their own solo careers with the occasional reunions that the fans speculate to be emotionally based. Many fans, (non-slash fans included) believe that the Coverdale-PageWikipedia page for David Coverdale (David Coverdale and Jimmy Page) musical collaboration in 1991 was used as a way to get Robert to come back (professionally or emotionally); and in 1994, there was a Page and Plant reunion and album release. 
== Initial Fandom and Today's Fandom == 
Interestingly, there were Led Zeppelin fan videos made throughout this period, and, of course, they used footage of Led Zeppelin and solo footage of Page and Plant without qualms. 
In 1992, fans at Cornell University created a Led Zeppelin listserv, known as Digital Graffiti, or DG for short. The name Digital Graffiti comes from the album name Physical Graffiti. 
The Led Zeppelin fandom (led heads, not to be confused with dead heads) is still strong today. Much of the fandom is fueled by: the 1973 concert film "The Song Remains The Same," other concert footage released from the Led Zeppelin DVD released in 2003, Celebration Day (2012), interviews, and more. 
In "The Song Remains The Same," the fans are given brief experts of footage for each member called “the fantasy sequence.” This gives the fans a more visual aspect rather than lyrical and musical way to see their favorite members since they created the sequences themselves. Jimmy Page is the wizard on top of the mountain, Robert is the prince going to save the prince, John Paul Jones is the mystery masked horse rider, and John Bonham is the simple farm dad. 
Within most concerts footage (official release and bootlegged), there are brief bits of footage of Robert Plant talking to the the audience and makes little jokes. These are often called “plantations” by fans, and they better show the relationship between all the members and provides references for fans to make to each other.
==Casted in Fanworks==
===Tris and Alex, Derek and Allyn: Coded RPF===
At the time that fans were beginning to slash Plant and Page, RPS was both uncommon and strongly stigmatized. RPS in Star Trek, Starsky & Hutch, and The Professionals was never published in print zines, but instead passed hand to hand. 
To show respect for the real people and to avoid possible legalisms, the writers in this fandom often changed the names of the real Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. 
From a fan in 1996: 
One pair of writers, Nancy Arena and Pam Rose, named them Tris and Alex in their short stories and in their novel For All the Gods Departed. These names caught on, and other people in the small fandom used those names as well. A fan in 1993 wrote: "I came back from the con to 298 unread messages, and let me tell you, my devotion to Robert/Alex and Jimmy/Tris is being tested: 111 of them were from the Led Zep list... Sandy Herrold, from Virgule-L, quoted with permission (Sep 20, 1993,) 
Bird of Paradise is a similar fanwork. It is an explicit slash crossover with Starsky and Hutch/OCs (Derek Quinn and Allyn Sterling) who most fans believed were based on Led Zeppelin. According to the author, however, the OCs were instead based on real people in a lesser known band.Gloria Galasso. Email to gardeners list. April 13, 2010.
Unlike media fandom Tris/Alex fandom did not have TV episodes to create their canon, but fans used live footage that as one fan explained: "Some of which could be called good hair/pants days, and other concerts/interviews that even their mothers...do not show them at their best." Sandy Herrold posting to the Virgule-L mailing list September 13, 1994, quoted with permission. Still slash fans, like fans before and after, happily persevered to create their own fanon.
With such a small fandom struggling to swim upstream against the tide of fans dubious of RPS, all fan fiction, even unfinished stories, was greeted with joy: "In fact, back in my Tris/Alex days I had an entire 3-ring binder of unfinished stories by all sorts of writers. Megan Kent started it, and called it "The Binder of Pain." There was so little *finished* fiction in the fandom, sometimes I just had to reread these little unfinished pieces, even though I knew I'd be a wreck afterwards..." Sandy Herrold posting to Virgule-L mailing list June 22, 1998, quoted with permission.
However, now, if one were to look up any slash fic for Led Zeppelin, they are sure to find plenty without shame or name changes. Led Zeppelin at Archive of Our Own 
For more on this topic, see Tris/Alex.
=== The Eroica Connection and Other Allusions ===
In 1976, Yasuko Aoike began Eroica manga (From Eroica with Love), which stars an art thief whose character design is based on Robert Plant, and who has employees named James, Bonham, and Jones. The references and connections go on and on as a homage to the influential band. See Eroica for more information. There are also several Zeppelin cameos in Aoike's manga Eve no Musuko Tachi.
Many Led Zeppelin fans watch the works of famous director, Cameron Crowe, just to spot the small Led Zeppelin references he will make (as he is a big fan himself and a friend of the band).
===Fan Casted in "Sea of Solaris"===
The band members appear in the original slash zine, Sea of Solaris. 
==Some Fan Comments==
==Notable Fanworks==
=== Fan Fiction: ===
==== Led Zeppelin ====
* Sledgehammer of the Gods by Lisa Marie DeCarolis (1995) - An AU crack fic for hardcore fans, "What do rock and rollers do when they're sick of the biz? Well, of course, they hit the mean streets of New York City to stamp out crime. That's what Robert Plant and Jimmy Page did, and they became the hottest crime fighting duo in the history of New York City justice. Here is their story."
==== Tris/Alex ====
See Tris/Alex#Tris.2FAlex Stories
==== Derek/Allyn ====
* Leviathon by Gloria Galasso
** Bird of Paradise (Starsky & Hutch zine) (1985)
==== Other Fan Casts ====
* Sea of Solaris one of three in a series by Robyn LaSalle (1996) - the band appears in the story "Heartbeat".
=== Vids: ===
*"Rock and Roll" by Sandy Herrold and Megan Kent (This vid appeared on Media Cannibals Tape 2. Liner notes: "This was a blast to do, but LZ is such a small fandom we figured we were the only two people who'd understand (or care...) Basically, it's about them missing each other, all they've done while apart, and the short reunions that finally lead to them getting back together as Page & Plant last year.")
*"Turn the Page" by Sandy Herrold and Megan Kent (This vid appeared on Media Cannibals Tape 5.)
*"Promises" by Sandy Herrold and Megan Kent (Appeared at the 1994 Virgule convention. Also appeared at the Escapade 1995 vid show with "Rock and Roll".) ("Bravo on your Led Zep vids. I love "Promises," and although I find it hard not to see Dorian where Plant shimmmies. I am pretty intrigued by the story behind them. How much video footage do you have to work with?" from Strange Bedfellows (APA) #9 (May 1995) 
* "When He Shines" (Vidder's name is only listed as "LB" aka Linda Brandt) - 1994 Virgule-L Memorable Songvids Survey (1994)
* "Guitar Man" (Vidder's name is only listed as "LB" - aka Linda Brandt) - 1994 Virgule-L Memorable Songvids Survey (1994)
=== Led Zeppelin Fan Art===
File:Lovebite.jpg|"Love Bite" - Jimmy Page, artist is TACS (1988)
File:Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant-1.jpg| Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant, artist is TACS (1988)
File:Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant-1.jpg| Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant, artist is TACS (1988)
File:Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant-2.jpg| Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant, artist is TACS - 10.5" x 13.5" (1988)
File:Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant.jpg| Jimmy Page and an elf-eared Robert Plant, artist is TACS (unknown date)
File:Jimmypageliltz.jpg|Jimmy Page, the artist is Barbara Fister-Liltz (1987)
File:Windsofthor.jpg|Winds of Thor Issue #1 cover by Freda Hyatt (1987)
File:Windsofthor2.jpg|Winds of Thor Issue #2 cover by Freda Hyatt (1988)
File:Windsofthor3.jpg|Winds of Thor Issue #3 cover by Freda Hyatt (1988)
File:Windsofthor4.jpg|Winds of Thor Issue #4 cover by Brian Allred (1988)
File:Ledzeppelinart1.jpg|By Shivluvzmusic (2007)
File:Ledzeppelinart2.jpg|by *wasawasawa, from Deviant Art (2010)
*Led Zeppelin - Flower by oazen2008 
*Led Zeppelin by JKorim 
*Led Zeppelin (Lions version) (Nov 2014) by julis-rocks, featuring the band as lions in the style of The Lion King
=== Zines ===
* Winds of Thor a Led Zeppelin zine by Sandi Chapman and Freda Hyatt (1987)
=== Challenges ===
* Xmas rocks (2006-2001 - gift exchange which included Led Zeppelin fics.
===Mailing Lists===
* For Badge Holders Only (1992-)
=== Meta ===
* Warp Speed Issue #3 (1976) - an article about Led Zeppelin reprinted from the North Miami High School Newspaper, "Pioneer".
* Tell Me Something I Don't Know! Issue #6 (Dec 1987) - contains an article re a fan's intrigue with Led Zepplin RPF fic.
* Companions in Chaos Issue 1 (1993) - The Eroica Connection, article by Kay Reynolds (shows how four characters in Eroica are based on the rock group)
* Companions in Chaos Issue 2 (1995) - More Eroica Connections, article by Jean Lorrah (about the connection between Led Zeppelin and identifying the inspiration for Eroica's nemesis)
* FANFIC NATION: I Was a Teenage Bandslasher by unknown (2002)
* Our Community, Our History: A History of RPF/RPS by Laura Hale (2005)
* On RPF/RPS, and Why Real People Are Just Better by phaballa (2006)
* History of BandFic, an overview by Laura Hale (2008)
==Additional Reading==
*Led Zepplin Fan Fiction Website (now in archive mode)
*"BandFic history and Led Zeppelin" on fanthropology dated September 6th, 2007WebCite for "BandFic history and Led Zeppelin"
*Led Zepplin Slash LJ Community
*Led Zepplin Tumblr Fan Fiction Blog
== References ==
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