Amateur press association
Encyclopedia
An amateur press association (APA) is a group of people who produce individual pages or magazines that are sent to a Central Mailer for collation and distribution to all members of the group.
or the Internet
. Many were founded in the 1930s and later by fans
of science fiction
, comics
, music
, cinema
and other topics as a way to develop writing, design and illustration skills. Many professional journalists, creative writers and artists practised in APAs and some still participate. To some extent APAs have now been supplanted by internet chat groups and email mailing lists.
A Central Mailer (CM) (sometimes called a Distribution Manager or Official Editor) is the coordinator of an APA. The heart of the role is the distribution of the association's publication to its members. The CM manages the subscription lists and the deadlines to which the association works. The CM is usually responsible for chasing members to ensure maximum participation although some APAs simply accumulate contributions between deadlines and mail out whatever is available at the mailing deadline.
Where the APA requires the submission of multiple copies by contributors, the CM merely collates the contributions. Some APAs involve the submission of camera ready copy; in such cases the CM arranges the reproduction of the material. Most APAs require the members to submit a minimum amount of material in a specified format to a specified number of mailings. This minimum activity (abbreviated to "minac") is usually specified as something in the form of (for example): "at least two A4 pages to at least two out of every three mailings". Most APAs also require each member to maintain a credit balance in a central funds account to cover common reproduction costs and postage.
In most APAs the CM provides an administrative report listing the contents of each mailing and any business information associated with the association. This can include financial accounts, membership information and some news items. Although most APAs have predetermined deadlines at regular intervals it is normal practice for the CM to specify the next mailing deadlines explicitly in each mailing.
Although some APAs are autocratic
, most run on a democratic
basis and the CM usually chairs any discussions and arranges any management meetings.
APAs that require members to submit multiple copies of their contribution (commonly called "apazines") usually set a limit to the number of members and run a waiting list if this becomes necessary. In many cases people on the waiting list are permitted to contribute to mailings and may receive excess apazines provided by the members.
. It is still running in 2011.
The first British
APA was the British Amateur Press Association founded in 1890. This is a different organisation from that launched by comics fans in 1978 (see below).
The second United States APA was the United Amateur Press Association (UAPA) founded in 1895 by a group of teenagers including William H. Greenfield (aged 14) and Charles W. Heins (aged 17). This became a confederation of small amateur publishers which split into two organisations known interchangeably as UAP and UAAPA. The American Amateur Press Association (AAPA) was formed in 1936 by a secession from what was then called UAPAA.
The first science fiction
APA was the Fantasy Amateur Press Association
(FAPA) formed by a group of science fiction fans
in 1937. It continues to be active in 2011. SAPS, the Spectator Amateur Press Society, started in 1947 and is still active in 2011. VAPA, The Vanguard Amateur Press Association, formed in 1945 and lasted until 1950.
The first comics APA was started by Jerry Bails
in 1964 in the United States. Called CAPA-alpha
(sometimes abbreviated to K-a) it grew to its present limit of 40 members. It has become the archetype for most subsequent comics APAs. Its members have included Dwight Decker, Mark Evanier
, Carl Gafford
, Fred Patten
, Richard and Wendy Pini, Roy Thomas
, Dan Alderson
, Rick Norwood
, Don Markstein, and Don and Maggie Thompson
. Michael Barrier's famed animation fanzine Funnyworld started as a CAPA-alpha contribution.
Decker and Gafford were also founding members of the minicomics co-op the United Fanzine Organization. The difference in a co-op and an APA is that an APA is helmed by a central mailer, to whom the members send copies of their publications. The central mailer then compiles all the books into one large volume, which is then mailed out to the membership in "mailings" (called "bundles" by a few APAs). In a co-op, however, there is no central mailer; the members distribute their own works, and are linked by a group newsletter, a group symbol that appears on each member work, and a group checklist in every "member zine."
The first Europe
an comics APA was called PAPA
and launched by a group of comics
fans in January 1978. Soon renamed BAPA (for "British APA"), it celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2003, but folded the following summer.
The APA model was picked up by artists in the 1980s. Groups of artists contributed elements of combined duplicated artworks that omitted the conversational elements of the fandom-based APAs (these pieces are sometimes called "assembly art"). During this same period, a group of British science fiction and comics fans also set up a short-lived "tape APA", contributing music and spoken word to a central anthology.
The latest innovation is a digital distribution, e-APA. Copies of past "mailings" are archived at the online resource eFanzines
.
Organisation
APAs were a way for widely distributed groups of people to discuss a common interest together in a single forum before the advent of electronic bulletin boardsBulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
or the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Many were founded in the 1930s and later by fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and other topics as a way to develop writing, design and illustration skills. Many professional journalists, creative writers and artists practised in APAs and some still participate. To some extent APAs have now been supplanted by internet chat groups and email mailing lists.
A Central Mailer (CM) (sometimes called a Distribution Manager or Official Editor) is the coordinator of an APA. The heart of the role is the distribution of the association's publication to its members. The CM manages the subscription lists and the deadlines to which the association works. The CM is usually responsible for chasing members to ensure maximum participation although some APAs simply accumulate contributions between deadlines and mail out whatever is available at the mailing deadline.
Where the APA requires the submission of multiple copies by contributors, the CM merely collates the contributions. Some APAs involve the submission of camera ready copy; in such cases the CM arranges the reproduction of the material. Most APAs require the members to submit a minimum amount of material in a specified format to a specified number of mailings. This minimum activity (abbreviated to "minac") is usually specified as something in the form of (for example): "at least two A4 pages to at least two out of every three mailings". Most APAs also require each member to maintain a credit balance in a central funds account to cover common reproduction costs and postage.
In most APAs the CM provides an administrative report listing the contents of each mailing and any business information associated with the association. This can include financial accounts, membership information and some news items. Although most APAs have predetermined deadlines at regular intervals it is normal practice for the CM to specify the next mailing deadlines explicitly in each mailing.
Although some APAs are autocratic
Autocracy
An autocracy is a form of government in which one person is the supreme power within the state. It is derived from the Greek : and , and may be translated as "one who rules by himself". It is distinct from oligarchy and democracy...
, most run on a democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
basis and the CM usually chairs any discussions and arranges any management meetings.
APAs that require members to submit multiple copies of their contribution (commonly called "apazines") usually set a limit to the number of members and run a waiting list if this becomes necessary. In many cases people on the waiting list are permitted to contribute to mailings and may receive excess apazines provided by the members.
History
The first APAs were formed by groups of amateur printers. The earliest to become more than a small informal group of friends was the National Amateur Press Association (NAPA) founded February 19, 1876 by Evan Reed Riale and nine other members in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. It is still running in 2011.
The first British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
APA was the British Amateur Press Association founded in 1890. This is a different organisation from that launched by comics fans in 1978 (see below).
The second United States APA was the United Amateur Press Association (UAPA) founded in 1895 by a group of teenagers including William H. Greenfield (aged 14) and Charles W. Heins (aged 17). This became a confederation of small amateur publishers which split into two organisations known interchangeably as UAP and UAAPA. The American Amateur Press Association (AAPA) was formed in 1936 by a secession from what was then called UAPAA.
The first science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
APA was the Fantasy Amateur Press Association
Fantasy Amateur Press Association
The Fantasy Amateur Press Association or FAPA is science fiction fandom's longest-established amateur press association . It was founded in 1937 by Donald A. Wollheim and John Michel. They were inspired to create FAPA by their memberships in some of the non-science fiction amateur press...
(FAPA) formed by a group of science fiction fans
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
in 1937. It continues to be active in 2011. SAPS, the Spectator Amateur Press Society, started in 1947 and is still active in 2011. VAPA, The Vanguard Amateur Press Association, formed in 1945 and lasted until 1950.
The first comics APA was started by Jerry Bails
Jerry Bails
Jerry Gwin Bails was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom", he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primary force in establishing 1960s comics fandom.- Early life :Jerry G. Bails was born June...
in 1964 in the United States. Called CAPA-alpha
CAPA-alpha
CAPA-alpha was the first amateur press association devoted to comic books, started by Jerry Bails in the United States in 1964....
(sometimes abbreviated to K-a) it grew to its present limit of 40 members. It has become the archetype for most subsequent comics APAs. Its members have included Dwight Decker, Mark Evanier
Mark Evanier
Mark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
, Carl Gafford
Carl Gafford
Carl Gafford is a colorist who has worked for several decades in the comics industry. His career to date has spanned several publishers, including Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Topps Comics.- Early life :...
, Fred Patten
Fred Patten
Frederick Walter Patten is known for his work as a historian in the science fiction, anime, manga, and furry fandoms, where he has gained great distinction through a substantial contribution to both print and online books, magazines, and other media....
, Richard and Wendy Pini, Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, Dan Alderson
Dan Alderson
Daniel John "Dan" Alderson was a scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, and a prominent participant in science fiction fandom. He came from a middle class family and had diabetes...
, Rick Norwood
Rick Norwood
Rick Norwood is an American publisher, mathematician, comics historian and short story author.Born in Franklin, Louisiana, Norwood attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was one of four writer-editors of the early underground comic God Comics, along with Bill Osten, Durk...
, Don Markstein, and Don and Maggie Thompson
Maggie Thompson
Margaret "Maggie" Thompson , is the editor of Comics Buyer's Guide, a monthly comic book industry news magazine...
. Michael Barrier's famed animation fanzine Funnyworld started as a CAPA-alpha contribution.
Decker and Gafford were also founding members of the minicomics co-op the United Fanzine Organization. The difference in a co-op and an APA is that an APA is helmed by a central mailer, to whom the members send copies of their publications. The central mailer then compiles all the books into one large volume, which is then mailed out to the membership in "mailings" (called "bundles" by a few APAs). In a co-op, however, there is no central mailer; the members distribute their own works, and are linked by a group newsletter, a group symbol that appears on each member work, and a group checklist in every "member zine."
The first Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an comics APA was called PAPA
British Amateur Press Association (comics fandom)
The British Amateur Press Association was an amateur press association created by comics fans in late 1977, following a proposal from Phil Greenaway in the letter pages of the comics fanzine Bemusing; the first mailing was circulated in January 1978...
and launched by a group of comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
fans in January 1978. Soon renamed BAPA (for "British APA"), it celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2003, but folded the following summer.
The APA model was picked up by artists in the 1980s. Groups of artists contributed elements of combined duplicated artworks that omitted the conversational elements of the fandom-based APAs (these pieces are sometimes called "assembly art"). During this same period, a group of British science fiction and comics fans also set up a short-lived "tape APA", contributing music and spoken word to a central anthology.
The latest innovation is a digital distribution, e-APA. Copies of past "mailings" are archived at the online resource eFanzines
EFanzines
The single largest online distribution point for science fiction fanzines, eFanzines was launched by Bill Burns on 7 December 2000 and recorded its 500,000th visit in December 2008...
.
List of APAs
This list is not exhaustive. Unless otherwise stated, these APAs are based in the United States.- Alarums and ExcursionsAlarums and ExcursionsAlarums and Excursions , is an amateur press association started in June 1975 by Lee Gold...
- role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s - All Of The Above - the game GURPSGURPSThe Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
- ALPS (Amateur Long-Playing Society) - music APA founded by D Potter
- American Amateur Press Association - Founded in 1936. "The purpose of the association is the promotion of amateur journalism and fellowship of amateur writers, editors, printers, and publishers; and the circulation of their work among the membership."
- ANZAPA - Australian and New Zealand Amateur Publishing Association - science fiction; Southern hemisphere's oldest APA founded in 1968
- AotearapaAotearapaAotearapa is a New Zealand-based amateur press association, run in association with New Zealand science fiction fandom. It caters primarily - but not exclusively - to science fiction fans. Founded by Greg Hills in 1979, it is New Zealand's only apa, and that country's longest-running science...
- New Zealand's longest running science fiction publication - APA Enterprise - Star Trek, started by Mark Ernst (New Hampshire) roughly 1980. Alumni include Derek McCullochDerek McCulloch (comics)Derek McCulloch is an author of graphic novels, comics, and books for children who was born in Ottawa in 1964, raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and lives in Oakland, California.-Biography:...
- Apa Lambda - science fiction; lesbian, gayGayGay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and gay-friendly members of science fiction fandom - APA-247 - British based APA for Comic featuring Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-HeroesThe Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
- APA-5 - comics; the birthplace of Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
; alumni include Frank MillerFrank Miller (comics)Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
, Paul ChadwickPaul ChadwickPaul Chadwick is an American comic book creator best known for his series Concrete about a normal man trapped in a rock-hard body....
and Mark VerheidenMark VerheidenMark Verheiden is an American television, movie, and comic book writer. He is a co-executive producer for the television series Falling Skies for DreamWorks Television and the TNT Network.-Career:...
. - APA-50 - founded by Chris Sherman in 1974, originally for science fiction fans and writers born after 1950.
- APA-B - founded by Britain's Birmingham Science Fiction GroupBirmingham Science Fiction GroupThe Birmingham Science Fiction Group, , also known as the Brum Group, was founded in 1971 . It is non-profit-making, and runs regular meetings in Birmingham, England, where SF fans can meet one another and professionals in the field informally...
, but later detached and run as The Organisation - APA-Centauri - general interest; started as science fiction but morphed to a general interest APA (international). Alumni include Derek McCullochDerek McCulloch (comics)Derek McCulloch is an author of graphic novels, comics, and books for children who was born in Ottawa in 1964, raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and lives in Oakland, California.-Biography:...
- APA-F: - science fiction; the first weekly APA (New York City)
- APA-I: - comic book indexing
- APA-L: - science fiction; the second weekly APA, collated at meetings of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy SocietyLos Angeles Science Fantasy SocietyThe Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS is a science fiction society with its headquarters in Van Nuys, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Van Nuys is located in the San Fernado Valley, north of Los Angeles...
since 1964. Still running in 2011. - APAcalypse - role-playing games
- APAplexy - Ottawa, Ontario based general-interest APA, started by Farrell McGovern and Marc (The Starwolf) Gerin-Lajoie in 1984. While the majority of the membership has been from Ottawa, it has had members from several other cities on Canada, as well as from the United States and now one from Brasil. It was spun off TAPA (see entry in this list). Lajoie "franked" a flyer by Mr. McGovern in the March 1984 issue of TAPA calling for people interested in forming a new Ottawa based APA.
- Apatoons - animation; founded 1981 and still publishing as of April 2008
- ATDNSIN (The APA That Dares Now Speak Its Name) - comics for lesbians, gays, bisexuals & transgendered people
- Barr Wars - cartoonists' collaborative with a centaur theme, 1987–1989; alumni include Donna BarrDonna BarrDonna Barr is an American comic book author and cartoonist.She was born in Everett, Washington, the second child in a family of six siblings....
, Roberta GregoryRoberta GregoryRoberta Gregory is an American comic book writer and artist best known for her character Bitchy Bitch from her Fantagraphics Books series Naughty Bits.Gregory's father was Disney comics artist Bob Gregory... - British Amateur Press Association - the first British APA, primarily for amateur printers
- British Amateur Press AssociationBritish Amateur Press Association (comics fandom)The British Amateur Press Association was an amateur press association created by comics fans in late 1977, following a proposal from Phil Greenaway in the letter pages of the comics fanzine Bemusing; the first mailing was circulated in January 1978...
- an unreleated British comics APA (1977–2004) - BunAPA - random topic-driven (UK)
- C.A.P.A. - Central Michigan University's sponsored Comics APA (1993–1995); changed to a literary magazine in 1996. Founded by Louis Bright-Raven and John Napolitano. Alumni include Louis Bright-Raven, Chris Burns, Chad Curry, Bob Nugent, and Darin Petersen.
- CAPA - British, comics, folded in the late 1980s
- CAPA-alphaCAPA-alphaCAPA-alpha was the first amateur press association devoted to comic books, started by Jerry Bails in the United States in 1964....
(also known as K-a) - the first comics APA. Alumni include Mark EvanierMark EvanierMark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
, Carl GaffordCarl GaffordCarl Gafford is a colorist who has worked for several decades in the comics industry. His career to date has spanned several publishers, including Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Topps Comics.- Early life :...
, Fred PattenFred PattenFrederick Walter Patten is known for his work as a historian in the science fiction, anime, manga, and furry fandoms, where he has gained great distinction through a substantial contribution to both print and online books, magazines, and other media....
, Richard and Wendy Pini, Roy ThomasRoy ThomasRoy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, Tony IsabellaTony IsabellaTony Isabella is an American comic book writer, editor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath, DC Comics' first major African American superhero, Black Lightning, and as a columnist and critic for the Comics Buyer's Guide.-Marvel Comics:Before he joined...
, Dan AldersonDan AldersonDaniel John "Dan" Alderson was a scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, and a prominent participant in science fiction fandom. He came from a middle class family and had diabetes...
, Rick NorwoodRick NorwoodRick Norwood is an American publisher, mathematician, comics historian and short story author.Born in Franklin, Louisiana, Norwood attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was one of four writer-editors of the early underground comic God Comics, along with Bill Osten, Durk...
, Don Markstein, and Don and Maggie ThompsonMaggie ThompsonMargaret "Maggie" Thompson , is the editor of Comics Buyer's Guide, a monthly comic book industry news magazine...
. - CAPRA - cinemaFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
oriented, reviews of film and commentary of film industry. Alumni include Derek McCullochDerek McCulloch (comics)Derek McCulloch is an author of graphic novels, comics, and books for children who was born in Ottawa in 1964, raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and lives in Oakland, California.-Biography:... - CFA-APA - an APA devoted to Comic and Fantasy original art and artists
- The Clobberin' Times - an APA devoted to the Champions role-playing game
- Comicopia - an international comics APA (established in 1990)
- The Cult - science fiction; rotational (defunct)
- DAPA-EM (Elementary, My Dear APA) - mystery and detective fiction, founded 1973
- Dapper - science fiction; Holland-based but contributions are produced in English by an international membership. Name said to stand for "Dutch Amateur People's Press Energetically Reproducing." (Netherlands)
- e-APA - digitally distributed, still running in 2011. Open distribution occurs 1-2 times each year.
- ERBapa - dedicated to the writing of Edgar Rice BurroughsEdgar Rice BurroughsEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
- The Everlasting Club - GhostGhostIn traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
story fans, primarily English membership - Fantasy Amateur Press AssociationFantasy Amateur Press AssociationThe Fantasy Amateur Press Association or FAPA is science fiction fandom's longest-established amateur press association . It was founded in 1937 by Donald A. Wollheim and John Michel. They were inspired to create FAPA by their memberships in some of the non-science fiction amateur press...
(FAPA) - science fiction; the first science fiction APA, founded in 1937 by Donald A. WollheimDonald A. WollheimDonald Allen Wollheim was an American science fiction ' editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell....
, who went on to a long career in writing, editing and publishing (DAW BooksDAW BooksDAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company therefore claims to be "the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy." The first DAW Book published was...
). Wollheim conceived of FAPA after hearing of the United and National APAs from H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
. The first FAPA mailing in July 1937 contained only 42 pages, but over the ensuing decades mailings have been significantly larger than that, with the largest ever being the 100th mailing in August 1962 at 1,219 pages. Alumni include Forrest J AckermanForrest J AckermanForrest J Ackerman was an American collector of science fiction books and movie memorabilia and a science fiction fan...
, Gregory BenfordGregory BenfordGregory Benford is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine...
, James BlishJames BlishJames Benjamin Blish was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling, Jr.-Biography:...
, Robert BlochRobert BlochRobert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction. He is best known as the writer of Psycho, the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock...
, Marion Zimmer BradleyMarion Zimmer BradleyMarion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...
, F. M. BusbyF. M. BusbyFrancis Marion Busby was a science fiction writer and figure in science fiction fandom. In 1960 he was a co-winner of the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine....
, Terry CarrTerry CarrTerry Gene Carr was a U.S. science fiction author, editor, and teacher.Terry Carr was born in Grants Pass, Oregon...
, Jack Chalker, Willis ConoverWillis ConoverWillis Clark Conover, Jr. was a jazz producer and broadcaster on the Voice of America for over forty years. He produced jazz concerts at the White House, the Newport Jazz Festival, and for movies and television. By arranging concerts where people of all races were welcome, he is credited with...
, E. Everett EvansE. Everett EvansEdward Everett Evans was an American science fiction author and fan.His works included the novels Man of Many Minds , The Planet Mappers , Alien Minds , and the posthumously-published collaboration with E. E. "Doc" Smith Masters of Space ; and the collection Food for Demons...
, Richard Geis, Jim HarmonJim HarmonJames Judson Harmon , better known as Jim Harmon, was an American short story author and popular culture historian who wrote extensively about the Golden Age of Radio. He sometimes used the pseudonym Judson Grey, and occasionally he was labeled Mr...
, PatrickPatrick Nielsen HaydenPatrick James Nielsen Hayden , is an American science fiction editor, fan, fanzine publisher, essayist, reviewer, anthologist, teacher and blogger. He is a World Fantasy Award and Hugo Award winner , and is an editor and the Manager of Science Fiction at Tor Books...
& Teresa Nielsen HaydenTeresa Nielsen HaydenTeresa Nielsen Hayden is an American science fiction editor, fanzine writer, essayist, and teacher. She is a consulting editor for Tor Books. She has also worked for Federated Media Publishing, where in 2007 she revived the comment section for the blog Boing Boing...
, Lee HoffmanLee HoffmanLee Hoffman, born Shirley Bell Hoffman, was an American science fiction fan, an editor of early folk music fanzines, and an author of science fiction, Western and romance novels.In 1950-53, she edited and published the highly-regarded science fiction fanzine, Quandry...
, Damon KnightDamon KnightDamon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
, David LangfordDavid LangfordDavid Rowland Langford is a British author, editor and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter Ansible.-Personal background:...
, Robert A. W. LowndesRobert A. W. LowndesRobert Augustine Ward "Doc" Lowndes was an American science fiction author, editor and fan. He was known best as the editor of Future Science Fiction, Science Fiction, and Science Fiction Quarterly, among many other crime-fiction, western, sports-fiction, and other pulp and digest-sized magazines...
, Sam MoskowitzSam MoskowitzSam Moskowitz was an early fan and organizer of interest in science fiction and, later, a writer, critic, and historian of the field.-Biography:...
, Frederik PohlFrederik PohlFrederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
, Robert SilverbergRobert SilverbergRobert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:...
and Wilson TuckerWilson TuckerArthur Wilson "Bob" Tucker was an American mystery, action adventure, and science fiction writer, who wrote professionally as Wilson Tucker....
. It is still running in 2011. - The Final Frontier - Star Trek/science fiction APA based in Canada. Founded by Derek McCullochDerek McCulloch (comics)Derek McCulloch is an author of graphic novels, comics, and books for children who was born in Ottawa in 1964, raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and lives in Oakland, California.-Biography:...
- First Draft - Writer's APA, offering critique and commentary of contributors' works
- The Force - Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
- The Fossils - "The Historians of Amateur Journalism"
- Frank's APA - music; currently published from Ireland, with members in Britain, Ireland, the USA, and the Netherlands
- Frefanzine - Libertarian science fictionLibertarian science fictionLibertarian science fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that focuses on the politics and social order implied by libertarian philosophies with an emphasis on individualism and a limited state-- and in some cases, no state whatsoever....
- Friends of LuluFriends of LuluFriends of Lulu was a non-profit, national charitable organization in the United States, founded in 1994 to promote readership of comic books by women and the participation of women in the comic book industry...
- APA for members of the women-friendly comics organization, including Trina RobbinsTrina RobbinsTrina Robbins is an American comics artist and writer. She was an early and influential participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the few female artists in underground comix when she started. Both as a cartoonist and historian, Robbins has long been involved in creating outlets for...
, Heidi MacDonald, Deni LoubertDeni LoubertDeni Loubert is a French Canadian comics publisher, co-founder of Aardvark-Vanaheim and founder of Renegade Press. She is the ex-wife of Dave Sim, with whom she founded Aardvark-Vanaheim and published Cerebus from issues #1 to #77 .Loubert and Sim met in 1976) and married in 1979...
, etc.; several issues published in 1994 - The Furthest North Crew (FNC) - a major Canadian-run FurryFurry fandomFurry fandom is a fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes...
APA - GalleryGallery (APA/'zine)Gallery was an APA/'zine for cartoonists and illustrators, a significant proportion of which had contents that were anthropomorphic or funny animal in nature, which ran quarterly from the fall of 1989 to the winter of 2004...
- APA/'zineAPA/'zineAPA/'zine is a cross between an Amateur press association and a fanzine, and often combines the closed membership qualities of an APA with the public readership of a fanzine, sometimes selling subscriptions to offer royalties for contributors....
for cartoonists and illustrators, a significant proportion (but not all) of whom were interested in anthropomorphics and funny animals. - Galactus - comics; based in Canada; birthplace of Strawberry Jam ComicsStrawberry Jam ComicsStrawberry Jam Comics was a Canadian publisher of comic books during the black-and-white comics boom of the mid and late 1980s. Inspired by the creative success of Dave Sim's Cerebus the Aardvark, founders paul Stockton and Derek McCulloch launched Strawberry Jam with the publication of To Be...
; alumni include founder Derek McCullochDerek McCulloch (comics)Derek McCulloch is an author of graphic novels, comics, and books for children who was born in Ottawa in 1964, raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and lives in Oakland, California.-Biography:...
, and Dan DiDioDan DiDioDan DiDio is an American writer, editor and publisher who has worked in the television and comic book industries. He is currently the Co-Publisher of DC Comics, along with Jim Lee...
. - The Golden APA - devoted to Illuminatus! and related topics
- Gothik APA - comics
- Huzzah - APA/'zineAPA/'zineAPA/'zine is a cross between an Amateur press association and a fanzine, and often combines the closed membership qualities of an APA with the public readership of a fanzine, sometimes selling subscriptions to offer royalties for contributors....
for anthropomorphics and funny animals - Imaginapa - Long-running, very high quality fiction and general discussion APA, last (and most frequently) CM'd by the great Eric Watts. Started by APA-5 waitlisters who got tired of waiting.
- InterlacInterlac (APA)Interlac is a bimonthly amateur press association devoted to the DC Comics science fiction superhero team the Legion of Super-Heroes. It was the first APA devoted to the Legion and, despite the decline of APAs due to Internet forums, continues to operate to this day.Interlac’s name comes from the...
- Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-HeroesThe Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
comics. Alumni include Jim ShooterJim ShooterJames Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
(founding member), Tom and Mary BierbaumTom and Mary BierbaumTom and Mary Bierbaum are an American husband-and-wife writing team, known for their work on the DC comic book Legion of Super-Heroes.-Biography:...
, Dave CockrumDave CockrumDavid Emmett Cockrum was an American comic book artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus...
, Colleen DoranColleen DoranColleen Doran is an American writer/artist, film conceptual artist, and cartoonist. She has illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, and dozens of stories and articles, including works written by Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, J...
, Paul LevitzPaul LevitzPaul Levitz is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he has worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles...
, Tom McCraw, and Mark WaidMark WaidMark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America...
. - K-a - (short for CAPA-alphaCAPA-alphaCAPA-alpha was the first amateur press association devoted to comic books, started by Jerry Bails in the United States in 1964....
, above) comics - Klordny - North American APA focused primarily on Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-HeroesThe Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
comics - LASFAPA - science fiction, monthly; founded October 1976, still running in 2009, run by Marty Cantor at the Los Angeles Science Fantasy SocietyLos Angeles Science Fantasy SocietyThe Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS is a science fiction society with its headquarters in Van Nuys, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Van Nuys is located in the San Fernado Valley, north of Los Angeles...
(LASFS). - Legends - DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
- MilwApa - science fiction; Milwaukee-area fandom; 300th mailing in Sept. 2009; still running in February 2011; alumni include David D. LevineDavid D. LevineDavid D. Levine is an American science fiction writer who won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2006....
. - Myriad - science fiction, comics, etc.; founded by Stven Carlberg in 1967 and active until 2005
- N'APA - science fiction; for members of the National Fantasy Fan FederationNational Fantasy Fan FederationThe National Fantasy Fan Federation is one of the world's oldest science fiction fandom organizations. The organization was founded in April 1941 when all science fiction, horror, and fantasy literature was lumped into one category called "fantasy." The group actively encourages the development of...
- The Nameless APA - British APA, set up in the 1990s but no longer active
- National Amateur Press Association - general publishing; the first U.S. APA, founded in 1876
- NightStalkers - horror apa for lesbians, gays, bisexuals & transgendered people, primarily dealing with werewolves and vampires.
- Northstar - comics for lesbians, gays, bisexuals & transgendered people (named after the Marvel Comics superhero Northstar)
- NYAPA - (New York APA) - Long-lived general discussion APA, based all over North America during its lifetime
- OMPA- Off-trail Magazine Publishers' Association, a British science fiction fan APA (although many Americans were members over the time of its existence). It started in 1954 and folded in 1976. Alumni include John Brunner (novelist)John Brunner (novelist)John Kilian Houston Brunner was a prolific British author of science fiction novels and stories. His 1968 novel Stand on Zanzibar, about an overpopulated world, won the 1968 Hugo Award for best science fiction novel. It also won the BSFA award the same year...
, Michael MoorcockMichael MoorcockMichael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
, Kenneth BulmerKenneth BulmerHenry Kenneth Bulmer was a British author, primarily of science fiction.-Life:Born in London, he married Pamela Buckmaster on 7 March 1953. They had one son and two daughters, and were divorced in 1981...
, Arthur ThomsonArthur Thomson (fanzines)Arthur Thomson was a British artist and writer, a highly regarded member of British science fiction fandom from the 1950s onwards, both as a fanzine writer/editor and prolific artist...
and Ken SlaterKen SlaterKen Slater was a British science fiction fan and bookseller. In 1947, while serving in the British Army of the Rhine, he started Operation Fantast, a network of science fiction fans which had 800 members around the world by 1950 though it folded a few years later...
. - ORComix-APA - comics
- The Organisation - British APA (see APA-B)
- OWLHOOT - Western fiction, Western films and Old West history. Founded 2003 and still running.
- PAPA - original name of the comics-related British Amateur Press AssociationBritish Amateur Press Association (comics fandom)The British Amateur Press Association was an amateur press association created by comics fans in late 1977, following a proposal from Phil Greenaway in the letter pages of the comics fanzine Bemusing; the first mailing was circulated in January 1978...
- PHAPA - Pulp Hero APA (now defunct)
- PEAPS - Pulp Era Amateur Press Society, founded by Lynn Hickman in 1987 and still running in 2009. Focuses on all aspects of the pulp magazine hobby and related topics. Current members and alumni include some of the most accomplished pulp magazine fans and professionals in the world including Al Tonik, Glenn LordGlenn LordGlenn Lord has been an agent, editor, and publisher of the prose and poetry of fellow Texan Robert E. Howard , and the first and most important researcher and scholar of Howard’s life and writings.- Biography :...
, Howard DeVoreHoward DeVoreHoward DeVore was an American archivist, science fiction collector, dealer, expert on pulp magazines, APA and fanzine writer, con-runner and active volunteer in science fiction fandom....
, Jerry Page, George Evans, Rusty HevelinRusty HevelinJames "Rusty" Hevelin is a science fiction fan, fanzine publisher, collector and huckster. He has been an active member of the science fiction community since the 1930s, publishing his own fanzines such as H-1661, as well as contributing to many others. He has been Fan Guest of Honor and...
, Scott Cranford, Doug Ellis, Will Murray, Anthony Tolin, Brian Earl Brown, and Curt Phillips. - Phoenix - comics, science fiction and other entertainment media.
- Pieces of Eight - British APA
- Point of Divergence - science fiction, specifically alternate history
- Quarternotes - Interlac spin-off devoted to music
- REHUPA - Robert E. HowardRobert E. HowardRobert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
and his works - REHEAPA - Robert E. HowardRobert E. HowardRobert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
and his works - an online APA: The Robert-E-Howard Electronic Amateur Press Association - RowrbrazzleRowrbrazzleRowrbrazzle is an Amateur Press Association magazine devoted to funny animal cartoon illustration.-History:Rowrbrazzle was founded in 1983 by Marc Schirmeister, who published the first issue in February 1984, and was editor for the first fourteen quarterly mailings. Fred Patten was then editor from...
- anthropomorphics and funny animals; its founder dedicated it to "Funny animals, plants, machines, and squash." - Samizdat - General interest APA with a closed membership, spun off from Galactus
- Southern Fandom Press Alliance (SFPA) - science fiction APA based in the southern US. Still running in 2011.
- Spectator Amateur Press Society (SAPS) - science fiction; the third science fiction APA, founded in 1947 by a group that included Joe Kennedy (later known as the poet X. J. KennedyX. J. KennedyX. J. Kennedy is a poet, translator, anthologist, editor, and writer of children's literature and student textbooks on English literature and poetry.-Beginnings and academic career:...
). Still running in 2011. - Shiot Crock - for regulars of The Comics JournalThe Comics JournalThe Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
's web-based message board - Slanapa - The Slanderous Amateur Press Association, created in 1969, monthly, "no rules, no dues"
- Super-Team Amateur Press Alliance (S-TAPA); superhero teams, general interests. Still running in 2009. Alumni include Derek McCullochDerek McCulloch (comics)Derek McCulloch is an author of graphic novels, comics, and books for children who was born in Ottawa in 1964, raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and lives in Oakland, California.-Biography:...
, David Elyea (current Central Mailer), comics historian Randy Duncan, and comics professionals John Dennis and Louis Bright-Raven. - STIPPLE APA - General interest APA out of Minneapolis/St-Paul MN. Created in 1980 by people tired of languishing on MINNEAPA's wait list.
- SWAPA - the APA for members and friends of SWIL, Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore CollegeSwarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
's science fiction club. Still running as of 2011. - TAPA - Toronto APA, a general Science Fiction APA with members from across Canada, and around the world (CA)
- The Tape APA - British audio APA, run during the 1980s
- TAPS - The Terrean Amateur Press Society, a rotating APA organized along the same lines as The Cult, but with 12 members instead of 13 and a different, less confrontational style of interaction.
- TWP (The Women's Periodical) - for women who are UK-based or have strong UK ties.
- United APA - general publishing; the second U.S. APA; primarily for amateur printers
- United Fanzine Organization - MinicomicMinicomicA minicomic is a creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding. In the United Kingdom and Europe the term "small press comic" is equivalent with minicomic reserved for those publications measuring A6 or less...
creators. - Vanguard APA - science fiction; the second science fiction APA, founded in 1945, discontinued early in 1950; alumni include James BlishJames BlishJames Benjamin Blish was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling, Jr.-Biography:...
, James Kepner, Damon KnightDamon KnightDamon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
, Robert A. W. LowndesRobert A. W. LowndesRobert Augustine Ward "Doc" Lowndes was an American science fiction author, editor and fan. He was known best as the editor of Future Science Fiction, Science Fiction, and Science Fiction Quarterly, among many other crime-fiction, western, sports-fiction, and other pulp and digest-sized magazines...
, Judith Merrill and Donald Wollheim. - WAPA- the "W" Amateur Press Alliance, originally the Western Amateur Press Alliance, a comics apa. Alumni include Tom and Mary BierbaumTom and Mary BierbaumTom and Mary Bierbaum are an American husband-and-wife writing team, known for their work on the DC comic book Legion of Super-Heroes.-Biography:...
and Derek McCullochDerek McCulloch (comics)Derek McCulloch is an author of graphic novels, comics, and books for children who was born in Ottawa in 1964, raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and lives in Oakland, California.-Biography:...
. Both Tom Bierbaum and McCulloch served as Central Mailers. Web site exists, though apparently long dormant. - WAPA- Whimsical Amateur Press Association, a short-lived APA for science fiction fans with an emphasis on humor.
- WTFB - devoted to Disney, especially classic 1990s TV series of the Disney Afternoon, takes name from Disney Afternoon slogan Where The Fun Begins; disbanded
- Yarf! - APA/'zineAPA/'zineAPA/'zine is a cross between an Amateur press association and a fanzine, and often combines the closed membership qualities of an APA with the public readership of a fanzine, sometimes selling subscriptions to offer royalties for contributors....
for anthropomorphics and funny animals - YHapa - Young Heroes APA - an APA run primarily by young people in the late 1980s, devoted to popular comic books of the time
- .zap!! - an APA for participants in the alt.zines Usenet newsgroup. Published several issues in the mid-'90s and was revived by the original editor in 2008
- Z-FLapa - short-lived local APA based in Zephyrhills, Florida; merged with NYAPA
External links
- 1997 Southern Fandom Confederation Handbook
- Comicopia
- Apatoons
- American Amateur Press Association
- The Fossils
- National Amateur Press Association
- The History of the Cult (APA)
- e-APA page on eFanzines
- The British Amateur Press Association (BAPA)
- Summer 2009 list of all known active APAs (Blue Moon Special)