Meg Lewtan's Camera Shy

[murphybabe]

Hi there,

Can anyone point me to a copy of Meg Lewtan's Camera Shy? I've just got to Stage Fright on the CD, which I'm really enjoying, but of course some of it doesn't make total sense. The CD just says it's withdrawn - anyone know why?

Thanks :)

Comments

Camera Shy

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

This question comes up periodically, so I'm cutting & pasting from an old reply of mine. *g*

Camera Shy was never published (as far as I know) as a what you might consider a traditional zine. It was widely available on the paper Circuit, and my ancient copy has a note saying "c. 1986 OZ X-PRESS" but I've never seen a version with any art/illos or even any evidence of "official" binding on other folks copies. So it was a circuit zine, but perhaps not what you'd think of as a traditional zine.

Anyway, Camera Shy used to be available on the Proslib CD, but was removed in 2003 when Meg decided to file off the serial numbers and publish it as original fiction through Wayward books.

Camera Shy is still available through Wayward for 5.99 pounds but using the pseudonym Matthew Parkes.

Wayward Books is run by Sara Slinn, who also runs two fannish zine publications, Gryphon and Peartree Press. Sara's in England. Sara's also got a fantastic reputation when it comes to customer service. I've never, ever heard any complaints about her in regard to any of the presses (Gryphon, Peartree, or Wayward).

REPLACE hXXp with http

Wayward Books:- look under Available Now
hXXp://waywardbooks.com/acatalog/index.html

In general, I'm not a fan of fan fiction turned into "original" fiction. For what it's worth, I always recommend that folk sread the original zines, even if they do read the revised versions as well. Much of the depth in good fan fiction comes from its draw on canon (at least in my opinion), and those are often the details most likely to be lost in commercial revisions, for obvious reasons.

I've read several of the Wayward Books versions of what were originally Pros fan fiction stories, and the differences between the two varies from essentially only a name change for the main characters to more substantial changes. I've not read the Wayward Books version of Camera Shy, so can't tell you to what degree it was changed.

If you are interested in a digital version of the original Pros version of Camera Shy I have a copy, as I save all my Proslib CDs and it was on several of my older Proslib CDs. I'd be happy to email you a copy. It's about 460 kb as a text file, and compresses down to about 180 kb as a zip file.

I know how frustrating it is when a circuit story is no longer easily available, especially when it is part of a series.

Anyway, if you'd like me to email you Camera Shy, just let me know and I'll send it off. Email me at my LJ name at AOL dot com

Re: Camera Shy

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Would it be okay if I cut and paste your answer (and the link to it) to Palelyloitering (with the current caveat of when-I-get-it-going-again)? It occurs to me that it might be a very good piece of information for people to find there! *g*

[hagsrus.livejournal.com]

You might add that a request for a copy will generally bring a response.

Re: Camera Shy

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Sure - I'm always happy to have useful info archived and Palely Loitering is a great place to do that! Plus, you're extremely concientious about crediting sources of info, which I do appreciate.

But if you give me until tomorrow I'll clean up and add to the response so that it is more complete.

Re: Camera Shy

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Camera Shy was never published (as far as I know) as a what you might consider a traditional zine. It was widely available on the paper Circuit, and my ancient copy has a note saying "c. 1986 OZ X-PRESS" but I've never seen a version with any art/illos or even any evidence of "official" binding on other folks copies. So it was a circuit zine, but perhaps not what you'd think of as a traditional zine.

My copy has the pictures of them in fatigues on the cover and then several other pictures interspersed through the story.

Re: Camera Shy

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

That sounds like the version I have up at Palelyloitering (http://www.palelyloitering.com/zines/camerashy.html).

I rather liked the thought of it as a traditional "zine" actually - a story bound together by an individual rather than any big corporate entity (not that most zine publishers are that! *g*) with the individual's "imprint" on it... *g*

Re: Camera Shy

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

I got my copy from one of the original editors and it has the illustrations.

Re: Camera Shy

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Oh, see my reply above to Gilda. Since you have a verified early original, would you mind checking it for me? I'd really, really appreciate it!

Re: Camera Shy

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Since kiwisue has offered to scan them, I'm going on the assumption that you no longer need the info. If by chance you still do, just let me know.

Re: Camera Shy

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

If it's not too much trouble, I'd be grateful if you could confirm the info with your copy. As you know, Circuit zines tend to be somewhat variiable, and having info on the various permutations is helpful.

Here's what I currently have:

Title: Camera Shy
Author: Meg Lewtan
Type: Novel
Genre: Slash
Year: 1986
Publisher: OZ X-PRESS - Circuit Zine
Pub Location: Australia
Publisher/Editor: Meg Lewtan
Status: OOP
Distributor: Circuit Zine
Pages: 140 pp (137 text)

Notes:
c. 1986 OZ X-PRESS on Circuit version
B&W Photo front cover (B&D in camouflage) on ORIG Aussie version
Illustrated w/B&W Xerox Pros photos (10 D, 1 B, 1 B&D)
Pub with Pros names changed by Wayward Books using pseudonym Matthew Parkes
Pulled from Proslib (2003)
Stage Fright by Meg Lewtan is sequel
AU w/Bodie in CI5 & Doyle as model/actor. CI5 wants assassain Hale, ex-lover of Doyle. Sent undercover as advisor for Doyle's movie, Bodie is to use Doyle as bait.

Re: Camera Shy

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

See, that's what I get for cutting & pasting from an old reply rather than double checking my zine database. *sigh*

In my database, I do note that some Circuit copies had a front cover with a B&W Xeroxed photo. But I wasn't sure if those versions also had interior illustrations and if so, were they drawings or Xeroxed photos as illustrations.

Would you mind checking and confirming that the interior illustrations are B&W Pros photos that have been Xeroxed? Or are the photos from other roles played by Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw? And how many there are? And while you have the zine out, could I get a page count? And what exactly is the text on the cover, other than Meg's name?

Demanding ain't I? *BG* But seriously, it would be great to have confirmed info for my database. As I said, my Circuit copy is one without the front cover/title page and has no interior illustrations of any sort. It's also on letter sized paper, so I'm sure it was copied in the US for the US Circuit.

I'm betting that the ORIGINAL Circuit version first printed up in Australia by Meg Lewtan (OZ X-PRESS) not only was on A4 paper but had the photo cover/title page and interior illos.

As time went on and multiple copies were made, the Xerox photos would have been virtually unrecognizable, so I can imagine someone just decided to omit them at some later point on the Circuit.

Re: Camera Shy

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

I should be able to scan them - they're pretty reasonable quality in my version. They are all Bodie or Doyle photos, mostly from promos or magazine cut-outs.

There are 137 pages, plus a cover sheet printed on 1 side and the back of page 137 is blank.

I know from my friend K who was one of the producers (mostly J did the copy editing, K coordinated the production/copying) that copies of Meg's work were sold at cons in the States, by some dealers for significantly more than the copying charges would have been!

Re: Camera Shy - OZ X-Press

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

You're a star! Thank you so very much - I truly appreciate the info!

I know from my friend K who was one of the producers (mostly J did the copy editing, K coordinated the production/copying) that copies of Meg's work were sold at cons in the States, by some dealers for significantly more than the copying charges would have been!

Unfortunately, that doesn't surprise me at all. Infuriate, yes. Surprise, no. It also angers me when I see people selling Noel Silva's Circuit theme zines - the ones that CLEARLY state on the zines themselves that they are NOT to be sold but only copied and passed on.

With a few glaring exceptions, I've found Pros fandom as a whole to be better about ethical practices when it comes to zines than many another fandom. (Due in part, I'm sure, to the legacy of the Circuit.) But those glaring exceptions really, really piss me off.

Back to more pleasant things. Do you mind sharing the names J&K used when working with/running OZ X-PRESS? That's assuming they put their names (fannish or otherwise) on the zines. And any other info you might have on Oz X-Press?

You can email me if you'd prefer. Actually, I'd prefer email just because LJ posting can be iffy and the threads collapse, etc. But whatever works best for you.

I ask not only because I'm always interested in Pros fannish history, but because I try to keep zine publisher info as accurate as possible in my zine database. And for OZ X-Press, I've only very sketchy info.

Again, thanks for the zine info!

Re: Camera Shy

[murphybabe]

Thank you! I had a quick look round LJ but couldn't see any references, so I thought a note on here would produce results *g*

I have to agree about Wayward - I haven't ordered much but it arrived swiftly and Sara made the whole process very easy, for a newbie.

Cut and paste is always good!

Re: Camera Shy

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! I know the info is out there somewhere, though it might be on the Pros-Lit mailing list - in fact, I know it has come up several times on Pros-Lit. I thought it had also come up on LJ, but I could be wrong.

Anyway, it never hurts to ask and having info repeated is far better than not having a question answered.

Yep - Sara's one of the gems in Pros fandom. Do you know that she's been publishing excellent Pros zines since 1990! AND she's kept her zines in print with very little in price hikes over the past 23 years. Can't say enough good things about her and her presses!

Re: Camera Shy

[murphybabe]

Thank you very much for the info. Cut and paste is always good!

I thought I had just replied to this, and sent you an email, but for some reason LJ is fading in and out so I think my previous response went into the ether.

ETA Aaarrgghhhh! Sorry for the double reply. Tried to delete and couldn't do that either.

Re: Camera Shy

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

No worries. Sometimes you just have to roll with the weirdness of LJ. *G*

And I got your email and replied. Enjoy!