DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Voice of the Imagination, whole no. 23, June 1942

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Voice of the Imagination, whole no. 23, June 1942

Page 10

VOICE OF THE    10 

" ... that candor of Hellenic race - which let them love the body without shame.    And thus she stands unrobed, with not a care - to whether nude or naked she appears, full knowing men will see her as       as they will, and quite despite 
her dress or deshabille: the satyr sees a nymph, the saint a saint, the youth a virgin and the pimp a bawd...' 

That "Halloween 42", so in keeping with the spirit of the cover, gave me a real shock.   For an instant I thought I had pulled a Rip Van Winkle.   

I prefer the tilde underscoring to the double parenthesis for indicating editorial comment.    (We too, but for previously explained reasons, the Dyktawoe dictates Dykta-whoah!) 

I've got you beat Acky, for hours-per-week of work. My average is 60 hours per week; you wouldn't believe me if I told you how many hours per week I work during the busy season. 

So Art Young, LeRoy Tackett, Bee Leeds, Art Widner et al, want to do something about world conditions? Everyone has ideas but no one expresses them. 

World conditions is rather a vague term, but I suppose that  by it they mean illiteracy, poverty, and war.

All right, we are going to do  something about the widespread ignorance, poverty and  war in the world today. In other words, our goal would be permanent peace and prosperity, and universal enlightenment.

 It seems to me that the thing to do, then,  is to determine what changes or reforms are necessary in our social, economic, and political structures before such a condition can be realized. After deciding what must be done to improve world conditions, the next step would be to select the course of action deemed most likely to bring about the desired results. The third step would be to decide how this course of action is to be prosecuted.
The fourth and final step would be the work of actually striving to institute or
establish those basic reforms chosen in step one. For the present then, let us concentrate upon Step One. To start the ball rolling, I propose the following
four-point program:

1- An universal auxiliary language.
2- A highly personalized medium of exchange.
3- A non-profit economic system.
4- Economic equality.

Come on you pacifists, idealists, visionaries, liberals and progressives, air your views; let's make this such a burning issue that Vom will have to be published on asbestos paper!"

DOUG WEBSTER. Idlewild, Fountainhall Rd. Aberdeen,  Scot, on 3 Mar 42 sent 6 typt
pgs, portions of which we quote, much of which we reluctantly must summarize;   To begin with (& he threatens "You'd better lift chunks of this dirt for VOM,,,or I'll mutter in my beard") he states most Vom pix stink.    Besides Hoffman monsters, to him but vaguely funny, what does he see—a collection of human & quasi-human figures, many nude. Doesn't know whether to take 'em seriously or not.    Considered seriously,  such as Nyx, #19, p15, is not only ridiculous but highly lafable. Anatomically, terribly poor: draftsmanly (or womanly) - puerile. Doug's the last fan on
earth to object to nudes qua nudes, but our sort show "so infinitesimal an amount of talent, such a waste of energy, such childishness, such ignorance of anatomy.
Oh, I keen, I keen.    Give me Petty, 0 Gods."   

Vomaidens Portfolio -#2 an all-time low in fan artistry.    Suspects whole thing a gigantic nat'l dif in sesayuma & outlook on life—must postulate such a theory or admit nearly every US fan artist (Rogers, Knight & Hunt being among the few exceptions) mentally a moron.    Yet finds American Widner agreeing with him completely:    Opinion of Art been going up long time & now rockets!    Doesn't object to good pornography—a French pic from time to time to briten up life—but Erman's unknown fem friend who described his nude efforts seemed exactly ryt: "Disgusting", "repulsive" &, to add one of his own, degrading if meant to be taken seriously. ((It was to be taken seriously, that is;
&, Truth knows, I've no desire to degrade my fellow fan; so must be poynta-vue.))

"He's seen pix in Vom he liked a lot:    Wilty's first drawing, of a quarter with spaceships around it; Bradbury's conception of himself; the Paule girl; several of
Damon's; but most've fallen awfully flat.   And - "oh, how unpopular I'm making myself!" - the Tomaiden, which was a very worthy attempt but didn't come off in his
estimation.    
Re the topic of "the Professor", he wonders why the devil the duel didn't make a more convincing attempt to seem a prof?   Whole style, opinions, mock dignity—all so transparent. No great objection to being kidded if it's carried out cleverly:    If Singleton could fool all fandom into swallowing his suicide, twas an impersonation in its way a work of art; the guy's sense of humor was there, & he did something successfully. This being, incidently, he says, English opinion on the matter in the main, not merely his own. So why does the Prof make such a poor, fool-nobody attempt?    

"Your pet protege Tigrina appears to be a little girl at heart, with the dickens of an inf. complex, who has omitted to grow up. You do find cases like that here & there - all too often, unfortunately - and in-
stead of encouraging her you'd be doing the wench a devil of a lot more good if you
tried to jerk her out of it & act her age.   

From which you'll infer that I Am Not Amused."    ((Beware the Concussion... Beware the CONCUSSION!    Webstergrina, or Doug vs Devilkin.   Can such criticism go Scot Free???))   —   Turning back the clock to Nov 41 Vom, pl5, thinks Croutch has wrong angle.  "Of course the whole
thing's unreasonable & cockeyed & just plain crazy.     If it weren't so grim & horrible I'd get a huge laugh out of this colossal nuthouse of a war.       But it happens to be serious, and it happens to be real - the only reality we have these
days."  And immurage in an ivory tower in this, the Charn Age,  is a fallacv.  Reality destroys first metaphysics, then its practitioner. He quotes the now-famous verse: "It was once decreed by superior powers - In a moment of wisdom sidereal, That those who live upon ivory towers - Shall have heads of the same material "~~ Emotionly can sympathize with Croutch, tho intellectually nothing is more certain he's wrong.    We must take care of what Taine called the Beast, or the Beast will
take care of us. "I'm as confident as you are that someday the planet as a whole will achieve cooperation rather than nationalism & intolerance;  but as yet it
isn't here, and we mustn't pretend it is.    See?" 

Feeling in the mood for gore

Saving...

VOICE OF THE 10 " ... that candor of Hellenic race - which let them love the body without shame. And thus she stands unrobed, with not a care - to whether nude or naked she appears, full knowing men will see her as as they will, and quite despite her dress or deshabille: the satyr sees a nymph, the saint a saint, the youth a virgin and the pimp a bawd...' That "Halloween 42", so in keeping with the spirit of the cover, gave me a real shock. For an instant I thought I had pulled a Rip Van Winkle. I prefer the tilde underscoring to the double parenthesis for indicating editorial comment. (We too, but for previously explained reasons, the Dyktawoe dictates Dykta-whoah!) I've got you beat Acky, for hours-per-week of work. My average is 60 hours per week; you wouldn't believe me if I told you how many hours per week I work during the busy season. So Art Young, LeRoy Tackett, Bee Leeds, Art Widner et al, want to do something about world conditions? Everyone has ideas but no one expresses them. World conditions is rather a vague term, but I suppose that by it they mean illiteracy, poverty, and war. All right, we are going to do something about the widespread ignorance, poverty and war in the world today. In other words, our goal would be permanent peace and prosperity, and universal enlightenment. It seems to me that the thing to do, then, is to determine what changes or reforms are necessary in our social, economic, and political structures before such a condition can be realized. After deciding what must be done to improve world conditions, the next step would be to select the course of action deemed most likely to bring about the desired results. The third step would be to decide how this course of action is to be prosecuted. The fourth and final step would be the work of actually striving to institute or establish those basic reforms chosen in step one. For the present then, let us concentrate upon Step One. To start the ball rolling, I propose the following four-point program: 1- An universal auxiliary language. 2- A highly personalized medium of exchange. 3- A non-profit economic system. 4- Economic equality. Come on you pacifists, idealists, visionaries, liberals and progressives, air your views; let's make this such a burning issue that Vom will have to be published on asbestos paper!" DOUG WEBSTER. Idlewild, Fountainhall Rd. Aberdeen, Scot, on 3 Mar 42 sent 6 typt pgs, portions of which we quote, much of which we reluctantly must summarize; To begin with (& he threatens "You'd better lift chunks of this dirt for VOM,,,or I'll mutter in my beard") he states most Vom pix stink. Besides Hoffman monsters, to him but vaguely funny, what does he see—a collection of human & quasi-human figures, many nude. Doesn't know whether to take 'em seriously or not. Considered seriously, such as Nyx, #19, p15, is not only ridiculous but highly lafable. Anatomically, terribly poor: draftsmanly (or womanly) - puerile. Doug's the last fan on earth to object to nudes qua nudes, but our sort show "so infinitesimal an amount of talent, such a waste of energy, such childishness, such ignorance of anatomy. Oh, I keen, I keen. Give me Petty, 0 Gods." Vomaidens Portfolio -#2 an all-time low in fan artistry. Suspects whole thing a gigantic nat'l dif in sesayuma & outlook on life—must postulate such a theory or admit nearly every US fan artist (Rogers, Knight & Hunt being among the few exceptions) mentally a moron. Yet finds American Widner agreeing with him completely: Opinion of Art been going up long time & now rockets! Doesn't object to good pornography—a French pic from time to time to briten up life—but Erman's unknown fem friend who described his nude efforts seemed exactly ryt: "Disgusting", "repulsive" &, to add one of his own, degrading if meant to be taken seriously. ((It was to be taken seriously, that is; &, Truth knows, I've no desire to degrade my fellow fan; so must be poynta-vue.)) "He's seen pix in Vom he liked a lot: Wilty's first drawing, of a quarter with spaceships around it; Bradbury's conception of himself; the Paule girl; several of Damon's; but most've fallen awfully flat. And - "oh, how unpopular I'm making myself!" - the Tomaiden, which was a very worthy attempt but didn't come off in his estimation. Re the topic of "the Professor", he wonders why the devil the duel didn't make a more convincing attempt to seem a prof? Whole style, opinions, mock dignity—all so transparent. No great objection to being kidded if it's carried out cleverly: If Singleton could fool all fandom into swallowing his suicide, twas an impersonation in its way a work of art; the guy's sense of humor was there, & he did something successfully. This being, incidently, he says, English opinion on the matter in the main, not merely his own. So why does the Prof make such a poor, fool-nobody attempt? "Your pet protege Tigrina appears to be a little girl at heart, with the dickens of an inf. complex, who has omitted to grow up. You do find cases like that here & there - all too often, unfortunately - and in- stead of encouraging her you'd be doing the wench a devil of a lot more good if you tried to jerk her out of it & act her age. From which you'll infer that I Am Not Amused." ((Beware the Concussion... Beware the CONCUSSION! Webstergrina, or Doug vs Devilkin. Can such criticism go Scot Free???)) — Turning back the clock to Nov 41 Vom, pl5, thinks Croutch has wrong angle. "Of course the whole thing's unreasonable & cockeyed & just plain crazy. If it weren't so grim & horrible I'd get a huge laugh out of this colossal nuthouse of a war. But it happens to be serious, and it happens to be real - the only reality we have these days." And immurage in an ivory tower in this, the Charn Age, is a fallacv. Reality destroys first metaphysics, then its practitioner. He quotes the now-famous verse: "It was once decreed by superior powers - In a moment of wisdom sidereal, That those who live upon ivory towers - Shall have heads of the same material "~~ Emotionly can sympathize with Croutch, tho intellectually nothing is more certain he's wrong. We must take care of what Taine called the Beast, or the Beast will take care of us. "I'm as confident as you are that someday the planet as a whole will achieve cooperation rather than nationalism & intolerance; but as yet it isn't here, and we mustn't pretend it is. See?" Feeling in the mood for gore