DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Le Zombie, whole no. 44, November-December 1941

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Le Zombie, whole no. 44, November-December 1941

Page 3

VISITING FIREMEN DEPT. 
we go to michigan

Five of us assembled Friday evening, Nov. 15th at Bloomington for the trip to Jackson, Michigan and the Michifan Conference. From Chicago came Walt Liebscher & Mark Reinsberg; from Champaign (Ill) came Erle [Karshak?]; and to round out were my wife (Jane) and I. Hereinafter, I intend to speak of these people by their first names to save space. After many hours of gabbing we bedded down for an early start on the morrow.

Came the morrow, Saturday, and Jane and I were heartily cursed as we dragged the others from their beds before sunrise. "Remember," we twitted them, "we want to be there first!" It didn't work, we were off for Michigan about 7:30 am. Nothing much unusual occured on the trip; there were the usual rotten puns and rottener jokes, sleeping, eating and the eternal search for "courthouses" and other odd places of human habitation. To be sure, there were some highly speculative imaginings on the appearances of the Michigan fans. Were they, we wondered, bug-eyed monsters, or what? Surely at least two of their number would be wearing horns! Some brave soul in the car boasted that he wouldn't be afraid to walk up and tweak a devilish tail, should he find one attached to a Michi-fan!

We rolled into Battle Creek about 4 in the afternoon where we were to pick up Evans. Curses, foiled again by Father Time! His landlady informed us we were too late, he had given us up for lost and had gone on to Jackson. When we crossed the Michigan state line we had been cheated of an hour of our life (into Eastern Standard Time). So we repacked our aching bodies into the car and continued to Jackson, city of Lensmen.

Maybe two hours later, and Jackson. Everybody stayed at the Otsego Hotel, located on the main stem. We tripped daintily in, and behold-- gaping fans rushed us in the lobby! "Oh, goody, goody," they cried in unison as they jumped up and down on the overstuffed chairs, "here's Tucker!" We remembered to blush in time. We checked in and went to supper; they had waited for us. 'Twas chicken in the rough at some establishment recommended by a book-writer or somebody; a famous joint anyway. I vaguely remember someone paying my check. I know I didn't. Then back to the hotel and the burning question: "what'll we do now gang-- burn down the hotel?"

To compromise, everyone went to Ashley's room for a gabfest. According to my book of autographs, the following were in that room that evening, in addition to Jane and I:

Al Ashley, Abby Lu Ashlet, John Millard, Walt Liebscher, Jack Hessmer, Jack Weidenbeck, Doc Smith, EE Evans, Leonard Marlowe, Erle Korshak, Mark Reinsberg, Alan Becker, Tommy Tompkins, Dick Muhn, and Lynn Bridges. The next day there appeared others so we may as well complete the roster now: Al Trestrail, Verna Smith Trestrail (The Doc's dawter), Morrie Jenkinson, Claude Dogler, Kay Becker, CL Barrett, Dorothy Tompkins, Alan Stanley, and Smokey, a feline. But no horns.

Some really beautiful cover painting from Palmer (via Mark) were shown and discussed, Erle was "pressed" into the role of auctioneer for next day's auction session, and so many people crowded onto the bed that a leg was shattered. (a leg of the bed). There is no truth to the rumor that Al Ashley ripped it off for firewood, or that Pong secretly loosed termites in the room. 

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VISITING FIREMEN DEPT. we go to michigan Five of us assembled Friday evening, Nov. 15th at Bloomington for the trip to Jackson, Michigan and the Michifan Conference. From Chicago came Walt Liebscher & Mark Reinsberg; from Champaign (Ill) came Erle [Karshak?]; and to round out were my wife (Jane) and I. Hereinafter, I intend to speak of these people by their first names to save space. After many hours of gabbing we bedded down for an early start on the morrow. Came the morrow, Saturday, and Jane and I were heartily cursed as we dragged the others from their beds before sunrise. "Remember," we twitted them, "we want to be there first!" It didn't work, we were off for Michigan about 7:30 am. Nothing much unusual occured on the trip; there were the usual rotten puns and rottener jokes, sleeping, eating and the eternal search for "courthouses" and other odd places of human habitation. To be sure, there were some highly speculative imaginings on the appearances of the Michigan fans. Were they, we wondered, bug-eyed monsters, or what? Surely at least two of their number would be wearing horns! Some brave soul in the car boasted that he wouldn't be afraid to walk up and tweak a devilish tail, should he find one attached to a Michi-fan! We rolled into Battle Creek about 4 in the afternoon where we were to pick up Evans. Curses, foiled again by Father Time! His landlady informed us we were too late, he had given us up for lost and had gone on to Jackson. When we crossed the Michigan state line we had been cheated of an hour of our life (into Eastern Standard Time). So we repacked our aching bodies into the car and continued to Jackson, city of Lensmen. Maybe two hours later, and Jackson. Everybody stayed at the Otsego Hotel, located on the main stem. We tripped daintily in, and behold-- gaping fans rushed us in the lobby! "Oh, goody, goody," they cried in unison as they jumped up and down on the overstuffed chairs, "here's Tucker!" We remembered to blush in time. We checked in and went to supper; they had waited for us. 'Twas chicken in the rough at some establishment recommended by a book-writer or somebody; a famous joint anyway. I vaguely remember someone paying my check. I know I didn't. Then back to the hotel and the burning question: "what'll we do now gang-- burn down the hotel?" To compromise, everyone went to Ashley's room for a gabfest. According to my book of autographs, the following were in that room that evening, in addition to Jane and I: Al Ashley, Abby Lu Ashlet, John Millard, Walt Liebscher, Jack Hessmer, Jack Weidenbeck, Doc Smith, EE Evans, Leonard Marlowe, Erle Korshak, Mark Reinsberg, Alan Becker, Tommy Tompkins, Dick Muhn, and Lynn Bridges. The next day there appeared others so we may as well complete the roster now: Al Trestrail, Verna Smith Trestrail (The Doc's dawter), Morrie Jenkinson, Claude Dogler, Kay Becker, CL Barrett, Dorothy Tompkins, Alan Stanley, and Smokey, a feline. But no horns. Some really beautiful cover painting from Palmer (via Mark) were shown and discussed, Erle was "pressed" into the role of auctioneer for next day's auction session, and so many people crowded onto the bed that a leg was shattered. (a leg of the bed). There is no truth to the rumor that Al Ashley ripped it off for firewood, or that Pong secretly loosed termites in the room. (next page)