Amateur press association
An
Amateur Press Association or 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.
APAs were a way for widely distributed groups of people to discuss a common interest together in a single forum before the advent of computer
bulletin boards or the
Internet. Many were founded in the 1960s and 1970s 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. Most APAs have now been supplanted by internet chat groups and email mailing lists except in the field of
assembly art.
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.
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, Pennsylvania.
The first
British APA was the British Amateur Press Association founded in
1890.
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. SAPS, the Spectator Amateur Press Society, started in the
1940s.
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 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
apazines. 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
European comics APA was called
PAPA and was founded by a group of
comics fans in
1977. It was soon renamed BAPA (for "British APA").
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".
List of APAs
This list is not exhaustive. Unless otherwise stated, these APAs are based in the United States.
*
Alarums and Excursions --
role-playing games* All Of The Above - the game
GURPS* American APA - general publishing; the first APA; primarily for amateur printers
* ANZAPA - Australian and New Zealand Amateur Publishing Association - Southern hemisphere's oldest APA
*
Aotearapa - New Zealand's longest running science fiction publication
* APA Enterprise - Star Trek, started by Mark Ernst (New Hampshire) roughly 1980
* APA-247 - British based APA for Comic featuring
Legion of Super-Heroes* APA-5 - comics; the birthplace of
Dark Horse Comics; alumni include
Frank Miller,
Paul Chadwick and
Mark Verheiden* APA-Centauri - science fiction (Canada)
* APA-F: - science fiction; the first weekly APA (New York City)
* APA-L: - science fiction; the second weekly APA (Los Angeles, run by the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS))
* APAcalypse -
role-playing games* APAplexy - Ottawa based APA that was spun off TAPA by Farrell J. McGovern (CA)
* Apatoons - animation
* ATDNSIN (The APA That Dares Now Speak Its Name) - comics for lesbians, gays, bisexuals & transgendered people
* BAPA - general entertainment media; founded by comics fans; alumni include
Eddie Campbell (UK)
* British APA - general publishing; the first UK APA; primarily for amateur printers (UK)
* BunAPA - random topic-driven (UK)
* CAPA-alpha (also known as K-a)- the first comics APA
* CAPRA -
cinema oriented, reviews of film and commentary of film industry
* Comicopia - an international comics APA (established in 1990)
* The Cult - science fiction; rotational
* 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)
* The Everlasting Club -
Ghost story fans, primarily English membership
* Fantasy Amateur Press Association (FAPA) - science fiction; the first science fiction APA, founded in 1937 by
Donald A. Wollheim, who went on to a long career in writing, editing and publishing (DAW Books). Wollheim conceived of FAPA after hearing of the United and National APAs from H.P. Lovecraft. 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 Ackerman,
Gregory Benford,
James Blish,
Robert Bloch,
Marion Zimmer Bradley, F.M. Busby,
Terry Carr,
Jack Chalker,
Willis Conover Jr., E. Everett Evans, Richard Geis, Jim Harmon, Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden,
Lee Hoffman,
Damon Knight,
David Langford, Robert W. Lowndes,
Sam Moskowitz,
Frederik Pohl,
Robert Silverberg and
Wilson Tucker. Still running in 2006.
* First Draft - Writer's APA, offering critique and commentary of contributors' works
* The Force -
Star Wars* Frank's APA - music
* Frefanzine -
Libertarian science fiction* The FURthest North Crew (FNC) - a major Canadian-run
Furry APA
*
Gallery -
APA/'zine for
cartoonists and
illustrators, a significant proportion (but not all) of whom were interested in
anthropomorphics and
funny animals.
* Gothik APA - comics
*
Huzzah -
APA/'zine 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.
*
Interlac -
Legion of Super-Heroes comics
* K-a - (short for CAPA-alpha, above) comics
* LASFAPA - science fiction, monthly; founded October 1976, still running in 2006, run by the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS).
* Legends -
DC Comics* MilwApa - science fiction;
Milwaukee-area fandom
* N'APA - science fiction; for members of National Fantasy Fan Federation
* National APA - general publishing; the first U.S. APA; primarily for amateur printers
* Northstar - first gay comics APA
* NYAPA - (New York APA) - Long-lived general discussion APA, based all over North America during its lifetime
* ORComix-APA - comics
* Phoenix - general entertainment media
* Points of Divergence - alternate history
* REHUPA -
Robert E. Howard and his works
*
Studios JETO and
RoJo, which collect and distribute
comics,
stories, and
animation features.
*
Rowrbrazzle -
anthropomorphics and
funny animals; its founder dedicated it to "Funny animals, plants, machines, and squash."
* Southern Fandom Press Alliance (SFPA) - science fiction apa based in the southern US
* Spectator Amateur Press Society (SAPS) - science fiction; the second science fiction apa, founded in 1947 by a group that included poet X.J. Kennedy. Still running in 2006.
* Shiot Crock - for regulars of
The Comics Journal 's web-based message board
* SWAPA - the APA for members and friends of SWIL, Swarthmore College's science fiction club. Still running in 2006.
* TAPA - Toronto APA, a general Science Fiction APA with members from across Canada, and around the world (CA)
* 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 -
Minicomic creators.
* Vanguard APA - science fiction; the second science fiction APA, founded in 1945, discontinued early in 1950; alumni include
James Blish, James Kepner,
Damon Knight,
Robert W. Lowndes,
Judith Merrill and
Don Wollheim.
* 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/'zine for
anthropomorphics and
funny animals* Z-FLapa - short-lived local APA based in Zephyrhills, Florida; merged with NYAPA
External links
*
1997 Southern Fandom Confederation Handbook*
Comicopia's web site*
Apatoon's website*
New Moon Directory, site dormant
References
* Watts, Eric L.,
The New Moon Directory, self-published from 1988-1998 (contained complete index of all known APA's at the time)
* Wertham, Frederic,
The World of Fanzines, (Carbondale & Evanston: Southern Illinois University Press, 1973)
