Obsession (Star Trek: TOS zine)

Obsession is a gen Star Trek: TOS fanzine devoted to the exploration of the character of James T. Kirk.
From a proposal in 1981: "'Obsession' explores the character of James T. Kirk in several stories... The zine will have right-justified margins, some half-toned artwork and a four-color silkscreen cover (of Kirk!)." from Universal Translator #10, and one of the first-known ads that specifically mentions "right-justified margins," ushering in word processing
In 1983, the editors placed an ad in the Proposed Zines section of Universal Translator for "Obsession X," a zine "of X-rated stories, art and poetry focusing on the life of James T. Kirk." This zine, however, never made it off the ground.
Art has been included on Fanlore with the publisher's permission.
==Works Inspired By==
In the 1980s, a filk group featured the fanzine in their series of Zine Melodies:
: OBSESSION
: (sung to the tune of "Painting Flowers On The Wall")
: Pasting flowers on Kirk's cock,
: So young fans won't get a shock.
: Printing stories of seduction
: And Kirk's deviant reproduction.
: In the center find a picture of a naked Kirk,
: Now don't tell me, this zine's PG!
==Issue 1==
Obsession 1 was published in July 1981 and contains 90 pages.
It has art by Mary Lowe, Camille Richmond, and James Doyle.
From the editorial: 
* Afterthoughts, editorial by the Editors (7)
* Earthbound, poem by Amanda Wesley (9)
* First Love, story by Katharine Scarritt and Mary Lowe (11)
* Edith, poem by Amanda Wesley (36)
* Miramanee, poem by Amanda Wesley (37)
* Reflection, story by Katharine Scarritt (39)
* Kirk, story by Mary Lowe (44)
* The Face of Agony, story by J. Pat Reck (45)
* Enemy Within the Mirror, story by Mary Lowe (47)
* Free to Choose, story by Katharine Scarritt (63)
* I, Captain Kirk, filk to the tune of "I, Quixote" from "Man of La Mancha," by Katharine Scarritt (70)
* Dreamer from the Dream, story by Mary Lowe (75)
* Unchained, poem by Amanda Wesley (89)
File:obsession1-1.jpg|from issue #1, Mary Lowe
File:obsession1-2.jpg|from issue #1, Mary Lowe
File:obsession1-3.jpg|from issue #1, Mary Lowe
File:obsession1-4.jpg|from issue #1, Camille Richmond
File:obsession1-5.jpg|from issue #1, James Doyle
File:obsession1-6.jpg|from issue #1, Mary Lowe
File:obsession1-7.jpg|from issue #1, Mary Lowe
File:obsession1-8.jpg|from issue #1, Camille Richmond
File:obsession1-9.jpg|from issue #1, James Doyle
File:obsession1-10.jpg|from issue #1, graffiti page
File:obsession1-11.jpg|from issue #1
File:obsession1-12.jpg|from issue #1
 
==Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1==
==Issue 2==
Obsession 2 was published in April 1982 (2nd printing in 1985) and is 112 pages long.
The art is by James Doyle, Pat Kilner (back cover), Mary Lowe (front cover and fold-out), Marie A, Barbara Gordon, borders by Caro Hedge.
There is a foldout of a nude Kirk by Barbara P. Gordon, which is mentioned in the editorial (and by the author in another zine, see the image gallery): 
* Editorial (1)
* Double Play, fiction by Pamela Rose (3)
* More Than You Know, poem by Crystal Ann Taylor (21)
* Eclipse, fiction by Mary Lowe (23)
* Absence, poem by Linda Neel (35)
* Timeless Night, fiction by Katharine Scarritt &Mary Lowe (37)
* Games, poem by Sharon Fester (52)
* Graven Image, fiction by Mary Lowe (Spock has summoned McCoy to Vulcan to ask his help in cloning a duplicate of the deceased James Kirk.) (reprint from Deck Five Digest) (54)
* Graven Image, Part 2, fiction by Lezlie Shell (Jamie, the genetic duplicate of Jim Kirk is now a young man. He has a close, loving relationship with McCoy, but is in constant conflict with Spock. He has not grown up as Spock envisioned and McCoy, nearing the end of his life, strives to bring them together.) (59)
* Delta Vega, poem by Amanda Wesley (73)
* Who Marks the Sparrow's Fall, fiction by Cynthia Lockwood (75)
* Through Different Eyes, poem by Crystal Ann Taylor (99)
* Betrayal by Instinct, fiction by Katharine Scaritt (101)
File:obsessiongordonnude.jpg|from issue #2, Barbara P. Gordon. In February 1985, Gordon wrote: "The Kirk foldout, done a year earlier (and not as good [as the one I included in K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) #10, though I still really like his face, with the dreamy expression, and his curled-up big toe) was run in OBSESSION #2 with a removable orchid pasted over his genitalia -- and still prudish fans objected. One refused to buy the zine, though the editors offered to remove the illo. The prude said no, that she'd still know that it had been there! Ah, well. Even K/S fandom has its prudes... "—from K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) #12
File:obsession2-1.jpg|from issue #2, Mary Lowe
File:obsession2-2.jpg|from issue #2, James Doyle (a jab at Kirk's (who looks a lot like Gene Roddenberry) belly fat)
File:obsession2-3.jpg|from issue #2, Marie A
File:obsession2-4.jpg|from issue #2, sample text
File:obsession2-5.jpg|from issue #2, Mary Lowe
File:obsession2-6.jpg|from issue #2, graffiti
File:obsession2-7.jpg|from issue #2, James Doyle, a same actor crossover with T.J. Hooker
==Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2==
==Issue 3==
Obsession 3 was published in April 1984 and is 104 pages long.
The art is by Barbara Walker, James Doyle (not credited), Pat Kilner, Paula Mathai, Barbara Gordon, Barbara Walker, Kathy Jolly, and Mark Dowman.
From the editorial: 
* Afterthoughts (1)
* Starman, poem by Shona Jackson (3)
* Captain Wesley Test for the Best, poem by Sharon F (5)
* Beginnings, fiction by Richard Pollet (7)
* Class Dismissed, fiction by Sharon Hyler (19)
* Images, poem by Sharon Hunter (20)
* Prophecy, fiction by Pamela Rose (21)
* Before the Battle, poem by Patricia Demetri (29)
* After the Battle, poem by Patricia Demetri (32)
* The Unanswered Question, fiction by Dawn Law (33)
* Things To Remember, fiction by Tere Ann Roderick ("McCoy is troubled by Kirk's apparent inability to grieve for Spock and by his own failure to keep the Vulcan from sacrificing his life. The bottle doesn't help, maybe reaching out to Kirk will.") (37)
* Afterthought, poem by Sharon Hunter (42)
* Summon The Future, fiction by Jan Beckworth (45)
* Untitled, poem by Rhea Brainerd (48)
* Star Captain, poem by Wendy Rathbone (50)
* Priorities, poem by Crystal Ann Taylor (51)
* Jahoda Blue: A Price To Be Paid, fiction by Jeanne Noga (53)
* Even To Captains, fiction by Kay Crayton & Denise Walters (64)
* Captive Audience, fiction by Mary Lowe and Katharine Scarritt (69)
* Ruth's Song, poem by Shona Jackson (73)
* Betrayal By Instinct, Part 2 (Conclusion), fiction by Katharine Scarritt (75)
* Plea, poem by Teresa Sarick (95)
* Cul De Sac, fiction by Mary Lowe (Spock with emotions) (97)
* On the Bridge, poem by Wendy Rathbone(103)
File:obession3-1.jpg|from issue #3, Barbara P. Gordon, reprinted in K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) a few months later
File:obession3-2.jpg|from issue #3, Paula Mathai
File:obession3-3.jpg|from issue #3, Kathy Jolly
File:obession3-4.jpg|from issue #3
File:obession3-6.jpg|from issue #3, Pat Kilner
File:obession3-7.jpg|from issue #3, not credited, but by James Doyle
File:obession3-8.jpg|from issue #3, Barbara Walker
File:obession3-9.jpg|from issue #3, Paula Mathai
File:obession3-10.jpg|from issue #3, Barbara Walker
File:obession3-11.jpg|from issue #3, Kathy Jolly
File:obession3-12.jpg|from issue #3, Barbara Walker
File:obession3-13.jpg|from issue #3, Pat Kilner
File:obession3-14.jpg|from issue #3, Barbara Walker
File:obession3-15.jpg|from issue #3
==Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3==
==References==
Category:Star Trek TOS Gen and Het Anthology Zines
Category:1981 Zines