Man From Uncle - Gen

Title: CAN YOU GET CHANNEL D ON CABLE?

Publisher Info: Pigs in Peril Press

Review: Call this one The Zine That Almost Got Away. Somehow I missed CAN YOU GET CHANNEL D ON CABLE? at REVELcon. I glanced at the cartoonish computer-generated cover and thought it was a novelty zine or something, then got distracted before I had a chance to look at it closely. Fortunately my friend Leah McGrew was more perspicacious; she bought the zine, took it home, read it, and called me on the phone. "I'm coming over with this zine," she said. "You have GOT to read it." And you know what? She was right.

Like Illya, the zine is deceptively slight, but packed with surprises. It has just 71 pages and 5 stories. The first story, "Boyfriend," by Linda Cornett, was unlike any other M.U.N.C.L.E. story I have ever read. It was the story of a computer expert's brief involvement with Illya, told from the point of view of her teenage daughter. The story held my interest firmly, even though Illya is practically a minor character and Napoleon doesn't appear at all. The ending, which was both happy and sad, felt absolutely right.

"Farbror," by C. W. Walker, is a vignette written in the distinctive style of her St. Crispin's Day Society zines. This author has an unusual "take" on M.U.N.C.L.E.: she writes as if it were for real, with a serious and mature tone. This little piece offers us a glimpse of Napoleon, a few years after the original series, dealing with subordinates in a leadership position. Dry wit abounds in an excellent story.

"The Hawk Affair" by Jean Graham was my least favorite of the zine, though I normally enjoy Jean's writing. A dangerous mercenary being guarded by Solo and a new agent escapes. I simply could not believe the naivete and faintheartedness of the new agent; it didn't seem realistic for her to be allowed a position of such responsibility. Unfortunately, those unrealistic characteristics are necessary to the plot, which is set in motion by an escape that would never have happened had she been competent. That criticism aside, I did like the clever trap that the escaped mercenary set for his pursuers, and I enjoyed the Solo-Kuryakin banter, written with a light and accurate touch. In all fairness, I should add that Leah liked this story more than I did, and cited the good character development undergone by the new agent.

"The Missing Mistletoe Affair" by Jennifer Adams Kelly is a G.U.N.C.L.E. story that's better than most aired G.U.N.C.L.E. episodes. (Scarcely a term of distinction, I realize.) The story is just plain fun. My favorite part was the cliffhanger when Mark Slate was trapped in a life-size snowman mold about to be drowned in molten plastic! Very true to the flavor of the original series, with a lot more consistency of plot and cleverness of the agents. Some great lines, such as one Thrush underling to another: "Like you're Mister Bigshot because you get to deliver toilet paper to all satraps in a three-state radius." The Thrush's kindly, confused father was a funny and touching character, whose poignancy never degenerated into melodrama.

The authors of "The Worst Case Affair" have some impressive credentials - J. M. D'Agostino-Toney is an RN and Leigh Zavakos an EMT, and Terry L. Neill came up with a fascinating story idea. Although it features a desperate attempt to save Illya's life after horrible interrogation, it is not a simple "get" story, but a gripping and vividly detailed medical drama. A running subplot concerns Napoleon's resistance to an expensive pilot program of sending field medics out with U.N.C.L.E. teams - until he sees the program in action. Although technical, the medical parts of the story are explained clearly for the lay reader. Furthermore, the authors convey the sense of being trapped for several hours awaiting rescue in a realistic manner: even heroes get grouchy sometimes! The only objection I have is the age of the pilot program leader. I don't think a person can get a Ph.D. plus field medic training plus become a specialist in interrogation plus rise to the rank of Section Head by the age of "26 or 27!" Thirty-six I could buy. Maybe a workaholic thirty.

The editors, Terry L. Neill and J. M. D'Agostino-Toney, are to be commended for a thoroughly enjoyable fanzine, small but densely packed with delightful stories! I gave the one I had read back to Leah & bought one of my own; it's a definite keeper. It's cheap, too! It was $6 in person. The moral of the story is: take Leah to every zine convention! Uh, no, I guess the moral of the story is, don't pass by a zine too quickly - you may overlook a gem.

Reviewer: Anne Collins Smith