The first issue of Multiverse appeared in December 1979. Prior to that I'd been sending my articles and stories away to various zines both here and overseas where they'd always been accepted but I felt that I always had more than I could place, plus had started writing a series set in my own universe which used some of the characters from Star Trek and Star Wars as well as an original race, the Ensovaari. So why not do a zine of my own? This would be a no-frills fanzine (bit like this website) with no fancy borders and not much art. What it would have would be card covers, heavy staples and heavy tape along the spine. And unlike most of the fairly short Australian fiction zines of that time, it would be around 100 A4 pages long. It would also be one of of the few fiction zines devoted to more than one SF "universe" (Lori Chapek-Carleton's Warped Space was just about the only other one) and probably the only one with "mixed universe" (or "crossovers" as the ghastly term is currently) stories as well.
I went out and bought a second-hand reconditioned Gestetner mimeograph and a big, heavy office Ambassador manual typewriter with which to cut the wax stencils. Not having anywhere else to put it, I housed the Gestetner on the dining room table. The joys of wax stencils - trying proof read them, trying to correct them (and heaven help you if you jumped a line). The stinky pink correcting fluid; the stencil glue that smelled like rotten apples, both of which could give you quite a buzz ("No, officer, I've just been printing a fanzine..."), the duplicator ink that dried on the rollers on very hot days part-way through a run and tended to run out on a public holiday, anyway, the thermocopier which never reproduced art properly....I wrote all of the first issue and most of the subsequent few but soon was joined by other fans, most notably two South Australians, JJ Adamson and Jill Curtin in the second issue. Later issues featured work by well known local fans such as Sue Bursztynski, Susan Clarke (now Batho). Edwina Harvey, Christine Hawkins, Bryn Lantry and Shayne McCormack as well as the Adamsons, and included contributions from the UK (Jackie Marshall) and the USA (Eluki bes Shahar, Pat Dunn and Diana Smith being the best known). The first few issues came out roughly quarterly before settling down to twice a year until the 1990s when it became mor or less annual. MV was sold, exchanged or sent as a contributor's copy to all states in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Holland and Sweden.
In 1984 I traded the manual typer in for an IBM Selectric and started to use the Clarkes' electrostencil for reproducing art with far better results. Other changes saw the phasing out of SW fan fiction in favour of Blake's 7 in 1982. #21 (Dec. 1989) was the last A4 issue done on the Gestetner. During the 1990s the zine has been done A5 (digest) size on a desktop photocopier, initially with a TEC daisywheel typewriter, then a Brother word-processor and the final issue #30 (June 1999) was done on a PC using Word 97.
By this time the bottom had fallen out of the fanzine market, never a very strong market locally anyway which is why the zine had been oriented overseas so much. I had used agents overseas but they folded up shop and contributions practically dried up. This had little to do with the internet as things started to go pear-shaped in the mid-80s when it was still thought a pretty neat idea if the computer at the Library of Congress could talk to the computer at OCLC. At least in this country, it was a newer generation of fans with a different agenda coming in (a tendency to eschew the creative participative side of fandom - writing, drawing, costuming). So I cut the print run and the page count at the beginning of the decade.
Besides MV itself, I also put out two novellas, Incident on Ardnor and Life Was Not Meant to Be Easy featuring characters from my series (the latter was about Dracula). In 1982 I started Centero the first Blake's 7 letterzine/discussion zine which originally appeared bi-monthly and was free in exchange for the fannish usual (letter of comment, article, review or trade for another zine). In 1986 because of the aforementioned apathy, I expanded its area to cover any and all SF TV series, and also charged a nominal subscription to clear out the dead-wood. It is still going strong and is published quarterly.
Below is a simple version of the index that was published in MV#30. For those who are interested, of my two B7 series, The Ronin generally is about Travis and And Some Prefer Nettles is more about Avon.
#1 (Dec. 1979) Superman the Amalgam - Nikki White
The Logical Choice (ST) - Nikki White
My Universe and Welcome to It - Nikki White
New Boys in Town (SW/Original) - Nikki White
The Wild Corellian Boy (SW/Original) - Nikki White
Black Knight/Cyberslayer (SW/Original) - Nikki White
#2 (Mar. 1980)Attack (SW/Original) - Nikki White
Trek to America - Jill Curtin
Star Trek the 4th Season (review of ST:TMP) - Nikki White
Where No Corellian Has Gone Before (ST/SW) - Nikki White
Superman Strikes Out - Nikki White
Dr. Who In the 25th Century (DW/Buck Rogers) - JJ Adamson
#3 (June 1980)Sith is a Four Letter Word (SW/Original) - Nikki White
Ninja in the Belfry (The Samurai) - Nikki White
Red light, Green Light (SW/Original) - Nikki White
Nobody's Innocent Child (SW) - Nikki White
Fun, Profit and the Corellian Way (SW/Original) - Nikki White
#4 (Feb. 1981)The Body In Question (SW) - Shayne McCormack
Solo's End (SW) - Mick Avenhouse
Dark Jedi/Winner Take All (SW/Original) - Nikki White
#5 (June 1981)What Now, Mr Spock (ST) - Susan Clarke
Solo's End - Mick Avenhouse
Witch-child (SW) - Nikki White
Doing Vader - Eluki bes Shahar
You Might Have Been a Headache (SW) - Nikki White
Dark Jedi Winner Take All - Nikki White
#6 (Nov. 1981)Flash Gordon review - Dale Scott
First Encounters (SW) - Caren Perlmutter
Monkey Magic (Monkey TV series) - Nikki White
Reflections (SW) - Susan Clarke
Rescue Mission (SW) - Jenny McLean
Solo's End Mick Avenhouse
Fathers and Sons (Battlestar Galactica) - Jenny McLean
The Quest of Taelith Kender (SW/Original) - Nikki White
Star Trek Remembered - Linda McCarthy
#7 (Apr. 1982)Solo's End - Mick Avenhouse
Friendship (Battlestar Galactica) - Jenny McLean
The Superfluous Superman (Superman/SW) - Nikki White
Windows on Time (Dr.Who/Battlestar Galactica/Buck Rogers) - L. Tristy Spence
You've Come a Long Way Baby - Nikki White
Thoughts in the Night (Battlestar Galactica) - Jenny McLean
Galactic Noticeboard - Linda McCarthy
Mision on the Alkhmar (ST/Original) - Nikki White
#8 (Aug. 1982)Time Bandits review - Dale Scott
Zaphod Meet Marvin (Hitch-Hikers) - Edwina Harvey
Runt of the Litter (B7/Original) - Sue Bursztynski
Survivor (Alien) - Mike Adamson
How to Warm a Wookiee (SW) - Caren Perlmutter
The Broken Bamboo (Blake's 7) - Nikki White
Moment of Truth (SW) - Linda McCarthy
Animal Ship (ST/Muppets) - Susan Clarke
#9 (Nov. 1982)Star Trek: the Wrath of Khan reviews
Protection (ST) - Linda McCarthy
The Ronin (B7/Original) - Nikki White
Incident (SW) - Caren Perlmutter
Aftermath (SW/Samurai/Other) - Nikki White
Star Flight (Buck Rogers) - L. Tristy Spence
Outsider (Samurai/SW) - Nikki White
#10 (June 1983)Shakedown (SW/Samurai) - Nikki White
Tartarus Incident (B7) - JJ Adamson
Only the End of the World Again (Hitch-Hikers) - Edwina Harvey
The Ronin - Nikki White
#11 (Feb. 1984)Around the World in Half a Daze (UK/Japan trip report) - Nikki White
The Ronin - Nikki White
Corsair Lord (Battlestar Galactica) - L. Tristy Spence
Gambler's Choice(SW/Battlestar) - Susan Clarke
Kharina (B7) - Linda McCarthy
Two Brothers (B7) - Vikki Weidner
A Cry in the Night (B7) - Gail Neville
Trial by Error (B7) - Nikki White
A World of His Own (B7) - Geoff Tilley
Happy Easter (B7/Alien) - Nikki White
Travis by the Stars - Nikki White
#12 (Aug. 1984)Prodigal Daughter (B7) - Gail Neville
Final Act (B7) - Russell Devlin
Dr. Who and the Flight of the Fleet (DW/Battlestar) - Pat Dunn
The Dissolving of Duloom (ST) - Roger Kuiper & Bob Schreib
My Universe and Welcome to It- Nikki White
And Some Prefer Nettles (B7/Original) - Nikki White
#13 (Mar. 1985)Prodigal Daughter - Gail Neville
Fault in the System(B7/Dr. Who) - Karen McCutcheon
Human Brother Cylon Foe(Battlestar/Space 1999) - Geoff Tilley
Avalon(B7) - Adrian Butcher
Alternatives (B7/ST) - Felis Sylvestris
And Some Prefer Nettles (B7/Original) - Nikki White
#14 (Jan. 1986)Sally Knyvette interview
Prodigal Daughter- Gail Neville
Brian Croucher interview
Hunter Out of Time (B7/DW) - Adam Jensen
Gareth Thomans & Sheelagh Wells interview
Dr. Who and the Return of the Galactica - Pat Dunn
Jacqueline Pearce interview
#15 (Aug. 1986)Loves in Alternative (B7/DW) - Jackie Marshall
Mephistopheles in the Cellar (B7/Dracula) - Bryn Lantry
Every Home Should Have One (B7) - Linda McCarthy
On the Town (B7/Hitch-Hikers) - Edwina Harvey
Dr. Who and the Return of the Galactica - Pat Dunn
And Some Prefer Nettles (B7/Original) - Nikki White
#16 (Apr. 1987)Giant Shadows on the Wall (B7) - Gail Neville
Amber Ambiguities (B7) - Bryn Lantry
Shadow of the Wolf (B7) - Sue Bursztynski & Susan Clarke
And Some Prefer Nettles (B7/Original) - Nikki White
The Paladin Connection (Dr. Who/Knight Rider) - Linda Terrell
Dr. Who and the Return of the Galactica - Pat Dunn
#17 (Sept. 1987)Avontrokerrdred (DW/B7) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
An Alien Touch (B7) - Moira Dahlberg
Kunoichi (B7)- Nikki White
Death of a Time Lord (DW) - George Ivanoff
Star One, Too (B7) - Nikki White
While Walking Through the Park One Day (Dr. Who/Knight Rider) - Linda Terrell
ExchangesDW/B7) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
A Klingon's Lot (ST/Dark Shadows) - Nikki White
#18 (May 1988)Family Ties (DW/B7) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
Right Forest Wrong Tree (B7/Superman/SW) - Nikki White
In the Hooves of Horses (Black Stallion/DW) - Linda Terrell
Separation (B7/DW) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
A Klingon's Lot - Nikki White
#19 (Sept. 1988)Escape (DW/B7) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
A Klingon's Lot - Nikki White
Time Barely for Stones (DW) - A.A. Twist
What's in a Name (B7) - Linda McCarthy
Right Forest Wrong Tree (B7/Superman/SW) - Nikki White
#20 (Feb. 1989)The Bellflower Incident (B7) - Gail Neville
The Human Factor (DW/ST) - Nikki White
Adjustments (B7/DW) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
Stainless Steel Butterflies (DW) - Nikki White
#21 (Dec. 1989)At Least You Can Choose Your Friends (B7) - Moira Dahlberg
Right Forest Wrong Tree (B7/Superman/SW) - Nikki White
Phantom Agents (Phantom Agents) - Peter Lempert
As Clear as Snow (UFO) - Geoff Tilley
A Klingon's Lot - Nikki White
#22 (July 1990)Brother Against Brother (B7/DW) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
Tommy & Co. (Frisco Kid) - Linda McCarthy
Interlude (B7) - Sue Bursztynski
T'hy'la (ST/B7) - Jenny Gallagher
A Klingon's Lot - Nikki White
Alternative Escape (B7/DW) - Kathryn Andersen
#23 ( July 1991)A Klingon's Lot - Nikki White
A Friendly Little Game (B7/DW) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
Frozen Assets (B7/DW) - Nikki White
#24 (July 1992)For Shadrach Flowers Also (B7) - Moira Dahlberg
Frozen Assets (B7/DW) - Nikki White
Family Fixation (B7/DW) - Christine Hawkins
Matchmakers (DW/B7) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
Unfinished Business (DW/B7) - Nikki White
#25 (Mar. 1993) McCoy and the Pirate (ST) - Susan Clarke & Sue Bursztynski
We Are Seven (B7) - Christine Hawkins
Unifinished Business (DS/B7) - Nikki White
Delicate Matters (DW/B7) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
#26 (Apr. 1994) Five Go To Cygnus Alpha (B7) - Christine Hawkins
Chasing Dark Shadows - Nikki White
Sarah Jane Investigates Twin Peaks - Nyssa Groenewegen
Reversal of Fortune (Deep Space 9/B7) - Moira Dahlberg
24 Hours From Nowhere (Dracula/B7) - Nikki White
Revelations (DW/B7) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
#27 (Nov. 1994) Lois Lane Confesses - Sue Bursztynski
Ransom (DW/B7) - Pat Dunn & Diana Smith
Unfinished Business (B7/DS) - Nikki White
Interlude (B7) - Nikki White
The Eagle and the Bat (DS/Original) - Nikki White
#28 (Jan. 1996) The Springfield Solution (Quantum Leap) - Linda McCarthy
Unifnished Business (DS/B7) - Nikki White
Hunting Wabbits (Babylon 5) - Katrina Weeden
Ro Remembers (ST:TNG) - Sue Bursztynski
#29 (Nov. 1996) Qpid's Arrows (ST:TNG) - Sue Bursztynski
A Space Tale (SW) - Susan Smith Clarke
Unifnished Business (DS/B7/Forever Knight) - Nikki White
Hollow Memories (Babylon 5) - Katrina Weeden
Partners (Forever knight) - Christine Hawkins & Karen McAllister
If Only (Quantum Leap) - Linda McCarthy
Our Place (ST:TNG/Original) - L. Tristy Spence
Consequences (Quantum Leap) - Linda McCarthy
#30 (June 1999) Multiverse history and index
Starfleet Aacdemy Course Calendar & Outline - Christine Hawkins
Unifnished Business: Another Day, Another Dimension (B7/DS/Babykon 5/Space Above & Beyond) - Nikki White
A Conversation Over Tea (ST:TNG) - Sue Bursztynski
Dracula 97 report - Nikki White
Sic Moritur Vir (Babylon 5) - Christine Hawkins
The Vampire in Film - Nikki White
The Doctor's Companion (DW) - Sue Bursztynski
Unfinished Business: Another Day in the Strife (DS/B7/Xena) - Nikki White