Gerry Downes

Gerry Downes was an early Star Trek fanzine editor and publisher, and aside from being a prolific creator, is the author of the first standalone K/S fanzine: Alternative: The Epilog to Orion. 
Much later, Downes also did some beta work and editing for at least one fan in the Sentinel fandom. "She edits Sentinel
slash for the great writer, Toshua..." -- from slash writers, etc question from Joanne (August 19, 1999) 
Her daughter-in-law, Jane of Australia, wrote about her mother-in-law in the essay From Alaska With Love.
==One of the Lonely in Alaska==
In 1975, Downes sent a letter of comment to Logically Star Trek #3 which was published in Alaska, the state that Downes lived in: 
==A 1977 Bio==
From Who's Who in Star Trek Fandom (1977): 
==Interviews==
* Atavachron's Spotlight on Fandom: Featuring Gerry Downes (1978)
 
==Regarding the Sexual Relationship Between Kirk and Spock==
At first she was fairly vocal in her disbelief that Kirk and Spock would have a sexual relationship, writing letters to various letterzines stating this thought. Then in 1976, she published Alternative: The Epilog to Orion. That zine is a short presentation in poetry, art, and some prose exploring a slash between Kirk and Spock. The story idea flows from Gerry's gen story "Nebula of Orion", which was published in the first issue of the zine Stardate Unknown.
Gerry was the first recipient of the Trek Fan Fund, sponsored by the letterzine Halkan Council which raised money to pay for transportation and hotel fees to allow fans to attend conventions. She chose to go to Se*KWester*Con.
==Comments on Fandom==
Gerry wrote of her experience at SeKWester*Con Too. Among other things, she observed that: 
==Gafiated==
Gerry wrote a personal statement in 1979 saying that real life challenges were causing her to cancel the sixth issue of Stardate: Unknown, and that she "hoped not to leave fandom entirely; there are too many nice people in it for one thing, but of necessity it will be long time before you hear from me again. Don't worry -- I haven't forgotten you." from Scuttlebutt #14 
Gerry wrote a personal statement in 1980 to Universal Translator #1: 
Gerry, however, did not leave fandom entirely. In January 1998, she became a member of the Starsky & Hutch mailing list, Black Bean Soup as reported in Black Bean Soup v.4 n.1 
In the late 1990s, Gerry also did beta work and editing for at least one fan in the Sentinel fandom. "She edits Sentinel slash for the great writer, Toshua..." -- from slash writers, etc question from Joanne (August 19, 1999) 
==Fans Remember Gerry==
Gerry passed away November 22, 2000.
 
In her memorial editorial to Gerry, her daughter-in-law Jane of Australia, wrote: 
Another friend composed this memorial: 
From a fan in a letterzine: 
A month before her death, a fan on alt.startrek.creative.erotica wrote: 
In 2017, spockslash wrote: 
==Sample Art==
===1976===
File:Stardate1back.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #1
File:Stardateunart3.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #1
File:Stardate1art6.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #1
File:Stardate2.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #2
File:Stardate2art2.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #2
File:Stardate2art4.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #2
File:Alter-6.jpg|from Alternative: The Epilog to Orion
File:Alt art Kirk-1.jpg|from Alternative: The Epilog to Orion
File:Alt art Kirk-2.jpg|from Alternative: The Epilog to Orion
===1977===
File:Stardate3art3.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #3 
File:Stardate3back.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #3
File:Stardate4back.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #4
File:Stardate4art6.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #4
Image:rigelnude2.jpg|from Rigel #3
File:Ob1art7.jpg|from Obsc'zine #1
File:Ob1artten.jpg|from Obsc'zine #1
Image:Mahko_root_1.jpg|from Mahko Root #1
File:Mahko root 2 gerry downes.jpeg|from Mahko Root #1
File:Beren9art1.jpg|from Berengaria #9
File:Beyondorion2-14.jpg|from Beyond Orion #2
File:Contact3art5.jpg|from Contact #3
===1978===
 
File:Thrust-6.jpg|from Thrust
File:Thrust-1.jpg|from Thrust
File:Mahko root 2 gerry downes.jpeg| from Mahko Root #2
Image:Kinggrope-6.jpg|from King Grope
File:Idic678-11.jpg|from IDIC #7/8/9
File:Galdis2art1.jpg| from Galactic Discourse #2
File:Gerrydowesart-1.jpg|framed art from 1978
File:Gerrydowesart-2.jpg|back of framed art
File:Companionart7.jpg|from Companion #1
File:Starcant1art8.jpg|from Star Canticle #1
===1979===
 
File:Stardate5back.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #5
File:Stardate5art8.jpg|from Stardate: Unknown #5
File:Alternativeorion.jpg|from Alternative: Continuing the Epilog to Orion
File:Alternateinsidetwo.jpg|from Alternative: Continuing the Epilog to Orion
File:Alternateinsidethree.jpg|from Alternative: Continuing the Epilog to Orion
File:Alternateinside1.jpg|from Alternative: Continuing the Epilog to Orion
File:Rr9artdownes-1.jpg|from R & R #9, a illo for a caption contest
==Zines==
Gerry's fiction and art appears in many zines:
Alpha Continuum | Alternative: The Epilog to Orion | Alternative: Continuing the Epilog to Orion | Archives | Berengaria | The Best of... | Beyond Orion | Companion | The Compleat Alternative | Computer Playback | Contact | Enterprise Incidents | Enterprise Log Entries | Galactic Discourse | IDIC | James Doohan International Club Newsletter | Journey into Fantasy | King Grope | Mahko Root | Menagerie | Metamorphosis | Naked Times | Neutral Zone Outpost | Nome | Obsc'zine | Relay | Rigel | The Sensuous Vulcan | Star Canticle | Stardate: Unknown | Thrust | Warped Space
==References==
Category:Fanwriters
Category:Fanartists
Category:Zine Publishers
Category:2000 Deaths
Category:Deceased