LRH Balzer

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Fan
Name: LRH Balzer, Lois Balzer, Lois R. H. Balzer, Lois Holmlund [1]
Alias(es):
Type: fanwriter, fanzine publisher
Fandoms: Man From U.N.C.L.E., Professionals, Sentinel, Star Trek, Stargate SG-1, X-Files
Communities:
Other:
URL: Archive of Our Own
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

LRH Balzer (Lois Balzer) is a fan writer, editor, and publisher.

Balzer's fandoms include The Sentinel and her Knitted Souls series, Man from U.N.C.L.E. and her series that begins with The Dutch Blitz Affair , and Stargate: SGA which focuses on Jack O'Neill and a de-aged Daniel Jackson.

The prolific artist, Warren Oddsson, was a personal friend, and he illustrated many of Balzer's zines.

Editor and Publisher

Note: there is a lot of overlap in adzines and flyers that combine Catloma Enterprises, Oddbalz & Mayhem Press, and zines published by Keynote Press.

In 1995, Balzer wrote:

In my Star Trek zines, such as Side-Trekked (a Star Trek crossover zine), Cathy Mayo is now the editor and I am the publisher. She does the initial assessment of the stories, and the initial correspondence and proofing. As she feels a story is ready for publication, we then sit down and go over the stories, making any last suggestions to the author. When the story is considered ready by us both, I then take it and do the layout, see to artwork, and arrange for the publication details. I have found that this eases a great deal of the load, and leaves me to handle the production side of it. I know there is no way I could do any of it without her incredible help.[2]

Interview

Awards

Balzer won a plethora of fan awards.

Fiction Links, Websites, and Archives

Early Mailing List Member

Balzer was one of the original members of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. mailing list, Channel D, joining in early June 1995. Members were Ellen Druda, Nan Mack, Diane Roe, Terry O'Neill, Lois Balzer, Rick Pavek, Pat Foley, Maureen Constantino, Paula Smith, and Cynthia Walker. Linda Cornett joined the next day.

A few weeks later, Balzer was also listed on one of the earliest Man from U.N.C.L.E. websites, The Fans from U.N.C.L.E..

Warren Oddsson

Balzer was Warren Oddsson's friend, agent, and his business partner [3]

Lois Balzer put up a memorial page for Warren Oddsson.

Warren was a remarkable Media Artist, a resident of Vancouver Canada. His artwork graced the cover of almost a hundred fanzines, was shown in media art shows across North America, appeared on T-shirts and tote bags, as well as sold as media prints.

[...]

Warren was a dear friend, and he will be loved and remembered for his warm smile, sweet potato pie, dry sense of humor, horrible puns, and these beautiful creations. [4]

Comments by Balzer: Gen, Smarm, and Slash

Balzer was not a fan of slash fanworks.

From the first issue of The U.N.C.L.E. Writers & Artists' Newsletter in 1993, comments by Balzer about the zine, The Perfect Affair:

Did I still want to buy it if it had to have a warning like that attached to it? To make matters worse, I was further told that it was a slash zine. Great... I hate slash.

[...]

As far as the slash aspect goes, as I’ve discussed with the author, I do not "buy into" a homosexual relationship between Kuryakin and Solo. I don’t believe that was the intent of the creators of the series, the actors, or anyone involved, and I feel frustrated that the men are being portrayed in this light, regardless of it being called an "alternate universe" story.

From the second issue of The U.N.C.L.E. Writers & Artists' Newsletter:

As I've made clear in past issues, I like UNCLE stories that are along the lines of the show, action-adventure, with a "human" side to guys as well. I’ve come to see the "fun" in some of the "adult" story and have even submitted my first Eyes Only story. I've read some "/" and where story or plot may be good, it is invariably ruined by the orientation of the writers.

From the third issue of The U.N.C.L.E. Writers & Artists' Newsletter:

I very much apologize to anyone I may have offended by a sentence in the last newsletter. I stated: “I’ve read some “/”, and where story or plot may be good, it is invariably ruined by the orientation of the writers.”

I did not mean this as a blanket statement and I realize now my wording was poor. It should have been written : “I've read some “/”, and where story or plot may be good, it is invariably ruined FOR ME by the portrayal of the two UNCLE agents as lovers.”

Also from the third issue:

Apparently I have to apologize to all you writers that I accused of not writing the U.N.C.L.E. characters according to the intentions of the creators of the television show.

As it was blatantly pointed out, I do not write April Dancer the way she appeared on the television show. I humbly admit that I have never watched “The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.” (Illya wasn’t in it... Hey, I was only ten!), and have only read the two pocketbooks that I’m now told show a slightly tougher version of the character than the television show portrayed.

I write the April Dancer that I imagined would be true, from seeing work that Stephanie Power has done, mixed with Emma Peel (The AVENGERS) and C.W. Walker’s version of the character (usually in bed with Napoleon, from what I’ve seen). That’s all I know of the character and I was charmed by that.

I am guilty as charged. Okay, I see your point. You win. Write Kuryakin and Solo however you want and I’ll shut up about it.

But don’t expect me to change how I envision April really was, either.

Smarm and Male Bonding

In 1999, Blazer wrote about male bonding:

In the Bible, there is a wonderful story of David and Jonathan, two men who very passionately loved and cared for one another. "And the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and he loved him as himself..." I see them as "knitted souls", where together they are greater than either would be individually. While both are strong and independent, each meets the needs of the other in a very natural, bonding kind of way. [5]

In 2007, two fans commented upon the 1997 Sentinel story, River's Edge:

I really love smarm. Really, really, really. And this is probably the third-most smarmy story in TS fandom. If you know TS, you know what this means.
"River's Edge" has long been my yardstick for all other smarm. I have to go back and read it every so often :) [6]

From 2023 comments about River's Edge by a fan, and a reply by Balzer:

I read this fic in either 1999 or 2000 and loved it at the time [...] Today I remembered the word "smarm," and that got me to a list of the classics of smarm, and that finally, finally brought me here.

This story absolutely lives up to my memory. The love and care are so beautiful. Thank you for writing this, and for not letting it be lost in the sands of time.

My, I haven't heard the word "smarm" in a LONG time. But, yeah, guilty of writing smarm. LOL -- Lois [7]

Slash Fans Were Fans of Balzer's Fiction

Fans who were fans of slash, however, were fans of Balzer's fiction. They stated they liked her intricate writing, the attention to detail, her embedded research, her characterization, and her focus on the the relationship between and among characters.

There were a couple of other new Pros zines [at MediaWest*Con] of which the only one I bought was "After the Battle" by Lois Balzer. I got it because I like her writing, despite its containing gen stories. (It takes a lot these days to get me to read gen fanfic.) [8]

Lois is a terrific gen writer and I hope she puts out more zines in the fandom. While I prefer slash, Lois' ability to create beautiful relationship-H/C stories is always welcome, whatever the fandom. [9]

I just finished a short Pros zine called "After the Battle" by Lois Balzer and wanted to share a few comments.

Here's something you don't see too often: a gen Pros zine. Wait! Please smother that yawn and inch your finger away from that delete key for just a minute, okay? This zine is really good! I usually hold my nose and remove gen zines from my immediate vicinity with a pair of metal tongs, so believe me, it's gotta be good if I can actually read one all the way through.

Moreover, there's a fairly large dollop of h/c in the stories. Again, I don't like h/c. But, I liked these stories! What does this mean? Either the writer is pretty good or my standards have hit rock bottom. (Hey, I didn't ask you to answer that, okay!)

Balzer is a favorite writer of mine, a miracle considering she never writes (outright) slash.[10]

...G-stories that work as pre-slash for me, and in fact work better than much slash for me in the fandom, are Lois Balzer's UNCLE series (6 zines, although I would skip the one that focuses entirely on Illya's past, without Napoleon, if you're looking for slashy). Full of nice h/c, touching, caring, relationship development, etc. No sex. [11]

I liked this novel, it was well written with an interesting (and suspenseful) opening device. And, while I would *always* prefer Scully to be with Mulder and Illya to be with Napoleon, I wasn't particularly bothered by Scully/Illya. I just see it as a precursor to Mulder/Scully, though I don't know about I/N. However, I heard (but I don't remember where) that LHR Balzer didn't write slash? True?

True -- Lois is strictly a gen writer. [12]

It is not slash, but I just enjoyed it so much, I don't care. [13]

When I think of pre-slash, I think of Lois Balzer and her MFU series. It's slash, no doubt, but pre-slash because it's not acted upon. [14]

My catchphrase is: "Life's too short to read het." <g>

And my catchphrase is "life's too short to waste my time with bad slash just for the sex." I want more GOOD WRITING, not more bad slash. I will read Martha or Lois Balzer before I will read anything with a slapped together "hot" sex scene. -- Lynn C
I'll second that. I tend to look for slash first, but I won't rule out a good gen story recommended by a friend or written by an author I know and trust to write a good story.
How do you know ahead of time? I like Lois Balzer's writing style (don't know who Martha is) but I'm still not really interested in seeking out gen fan fiction.
Well, I'd happily read Martha. Lois... sometimes I get so busy saying, "but Lois, straight guys don't *do* that..." that I lose track of the story. -- Sandy Hereld [15]

Later E-Zines and Profit

Balzer later sold her fanworks as CDs and ezines. This was something that not all fans approved of.

From a long 2009 discussion about profit and fandom at Profiting from fanfiction (essay by fluterbev):

wneleh: This is kind of what Lois Balzer has done... kind of. I actually don't know whether anything has gone download-only, but most of her new work goes to zines, which also seem to be available in e-form... and I just don't get it. Why reduce readership so much for a few $$$, when we now have the Internet? I can see the attraction of making work also available in print, and of course there are costs involved in this process, so I'm fine with selling zines (in theory, though I don't actually buy many), but why charge for ezines?

And... well, one of the reasons I write fanfic is payback for being able to read the fanfic of others. I know all of us bring our own expectations to fandom, but this is mine.

RE: The legality of selling fanfic - it's been happening since the dawn of time, and I've got a stack of fanzines to prove it. I think on-line stuff is a whole lot harder to look the other way about!

mab_browne: I only found out very recently that Lois Balzer was doing this and I must admit that I feel deeply uncomfortable about the concept. With paper zines, the money charged is *supposedly* only to cover costs of printing and postage. With web fic, we are all of us already on the web, using the internet, with access to archives and platforms that we don't have to pay for. Charging for net-fic seems to go against the sorts of concepts that I enjoy about fandom. And as you say, it knocks back the chance to interact with others as regards fic, because presumably only so many people are willing to pay for it. It's a vexed question - or it is for me, anyway. [16]

Balzer's Comments

1999

I first heard about The Sentinel when a friend sent me a video of the first six episodes. I didn't watch it until I went to MediaWest and several young girls said I had "Blair hair", then showed me a picture of a rather emancipate[d] young man looking as though he was about to faint. It didn't interest me at all! A month after I got back from MediaWest, I decided to watch the tape while cleaning up, and ended up watching all the episodes in one sitting. [17]

Fan Comments

Unknown Date

Another of my favorite [Sentinel authors] is Lois Balzer. Wonderful stories full of friendship, some with heavy plots, some about choosing the right kind of shampoo, all of them depicting the touching brotherly love between Jim and Blair. Her stories are also meant to be read as a series, though each story is complete by itself. Stories of hers that cannot be missed are The Legacy (epilogue for Warriors), Promises in the Dark: Legacy Concluded (second epilogue for Warriors), Some are Silver, Others are Gold, (very long, very excellent story with Blair being kidnapped and forced to regress to a much younger self) and Double Room (a short follow-up to the previous story). [18]

1993

Although I have written extensively to Lois Balzer about her [Man from UNCLE] zines, I will say here that they are one of the finest reads I have had in fandom over the decade plus I have been involved. Her accurate research is stunningly used without overwhelming the reader. Her characters are beautifully portrayed. She ranks up there with Cindy Walker and [Rachelle S] for plotting depth, believability, and skill.

My only advice is to read the books very carefully, slowly, as one would savor a fudge mousse, and READ THEM IN ORDER.

My only complaint is an inch and a half margin all around, and extremely small, if exceptionally clear, print. Some fans have bifocals or difficulty reading tiny print. This small print seems to be a trend in fandom, and not a welcome one. Still, of all the ten point fonts I have seen, this is the clearest. [19]

The Collection Series which begins with The Dutch Blitz Affair will be a real treat for the spy genre readers who like a more human twist in their espionage stories; and for those who are diehard Man from U.N.C.L.E. fans. Balzer’s books transcend the hokiness of the television series and places the characters in a more real time —our time —existence. Balzer’s Collection Series is truly a cut above the average amateur production for several reasons.

First of all, there is a very engaging writing style, as she probes beneath the usual surface observations and stereotypes assigned to Napoleon and Illya.

Secondly, Balzer establishes continuity with the series episodes and known world history, which makes her extrapolation regarding Illya and U.N.C.L.E. activities quite interesting, particularly with U.N.C.L.E. interaction with other agencies. In other words, it provides good discussion material for panels.

Thirdly, the series has eye-opening, entertaining, plausible anecdotes about our favourite Russian that explain why, for example, Illya has the Number Two badge; and why Waverly allows Illya to have access to all parts of the UNCLE complex despite being considered a Soviet representative. Or is he? Balzer not only answers who has Illya’s loyalty, but how they got Illya’s loyalty.

Fourthly, Balzer’s Collection Series also focuses upon Illya’s development as an agent, a person, then as a U.N.C.L.E. agent. Even though the focal point is Illya Kuryakin, she writes a very enticing Napoleon Solo. I find myself becoming a Napoleon Solo supporter, despite being along time Illya Kuryakin fan.[20]

1996

I read Lois Balzer's 6 novels, which are excellent relationship-oriented gen, without extraneous women and with much hurt/comfort and touching. [21]

1997

At the time I wrote 'Sex, Lies and U.N.C.L.E.', I was new to both fandom and slash. I'd actually only read my first fanzine a few months earlier, while my fannish contacts were limited to a delightful, but small group on GEnie.

I was amazed and thrilled with the sudden influx of new friends that followed the release of the story at the 1995 MediaWest*Con. Marcelle and her roommate, Lois Balzer, were among the first people I met when I attended the 1996 MW*C. We were instant friends, and to my bemusement, Lois informed me that she was me. Lois doesn't write slash, but many thought our styles were so similar that Anne Higgins just had to be LRH Balzer's slash pen name. I admit that Anne Higgins is a pen name, but I'm not Lois and she's not me. Still, we are fans of each other's work, and perhaps it was inevitable that Marcelle, Lois and I would end up working together. So here you have a re-edited version of S.L&U, produced by Marcelle's Keynote Press and agented by Lois. Proof positive that the Fates do indeed have a sense of humor. -- Anne Higgins September, 1997 [22]

A fan compared Balzer's fiction to a contemporary powerhouse author collaboration (C.W. Walker and Nan Mack) and the novel, The "Escape from New York" Affair:

People whose opinions I respect have recommended this novel repeatedly. I didn't buy the novel, but I got some of the St. Crispin's stuff of Cindy's, and I was never more disappointed. I was hoping for a read like I get from Lois Balzer, but instead it was the epitome of the I-Don't-Write-Slash-I-Write-Episodes-Like-We-Saw-On-the-Air, straight down to Napoleon's new woman in every story. On top of that, there was so little internal thought conveyed, it read like a script. I lost any interest in trying EFNY. Is Nan a better writer? Is there emotional story as well as plot in EFNY? Did I give up too early on St. Crispin's (I know she wrote them over a period of years). Someone tell me I am all wet. The contrast between Lois and what I saw of Cindy's writing is HUGE. [23]

2002

The zines I keep and read over and over again are the ones that REALLY get to me on some level.... The first zines that really did it for me were Lois Balzer's UNCLE series......LOVE that Illya....... [24]

Fanworks

Music CD

Story Examples

Print Zines: Publisher and/or Editor

Man from U.N.C.L.E.

The Professionals

Sentinel

Stargate SGA

Star Trek

It was closely entwined with Catloma Enterprises which was run by Cathy Mayo.

Print Zines: Contributor

Meta and Articles

References

  1. ^ linked here, and many pages on this 2001 website
  2. ^ from Z.I.N.E.S. #7 (April 1995)
  3. ^ "His friend and agent Lois told me the other night that if he'd shown up at any of the art conventions across the continent where she sold his work..." + "His business partner tells me they were on the verge of some huge projects that really could've made him." -- from the eulogy written by Paul Oddsson, Warren's brother, and read at his funeral service (2001) This might be related to the 2005 zine, Buddies: A Collection of Media Art 1958-2001, in some way.
  4. ^ Warren; Wayback (very sadly, all of the images are broken)
  5. ^ from Cascade Library Interview with LRH Balzer
  6. ^ a 2007 comment at Crack Van
  7. ^ comment, and response by Balzer at AO3 (2023)
  8. ^ from CI5, quoted anonymously (May 27, 1997)
  9. ^ from Virgule-L, quoted anonymously (May 31, 1997)
  10. ^ from Virgule-L, quoted anonymously (June 15, 1997)
  11. ^ from Virgule-L, quoted anonymously (July 12, 1997)
  12. ^ quoted anonymously from Virgule-L (Aug 27, 1997)
  13. ^ Michelle Christian, quoted with permission from Virgule-L (1997)
  14. ^ quoted anonymously from Virgule-L (1 Aug 1998)
  15. ^ discussion at Virgule-L, some are quoted with permission, some anonymously (13 Aug 1998)
  16. ^ comments from Profiting from fanfiction (essay by fluterbev) (February 2009)
  17. ^ from Cascade Library Interview with LRH Balzer
  18. ^ Best of Sentinel Drama FanFiction on the Web
  19. ^ from The U.N.C.L.E. Writers & Artists' Newsletter #2 (December 1993)
  20. ^ from Z.I.N.E.S. (April 1995)
  21. ^ Lynn C, from Virgule-L, quoted with permission (Jul 3, 1996)
  22. ^ from the introduction to the second edition of the zine in which "The Parallel Lives Affair" was printed
  23. ^ from a much longer discussion at Virgule-L, quoted anonymously with permission (28 Aug 1997 )
  24. ^ quoted anonymously from Zinelist (Apr 15, 2002)
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