Amateur Press Association - List of APAs

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
• 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
• Aotearapa - New Zealand's longest running science fiction publication
• APA Enterprise - Star Trek, started by Mark Ernst (New Hampshire) roughly 1980. Alumni include Derek McCulloch
• Apa Lambda - science fiction; lesbian, gay and gay-friendly members of science fiction fandom
• 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-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 Group, 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 McCulloch
• 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 Society 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 Barr, Roberta Gregory
• British Amateur Press Association - the first British APA, primarily for amateur printers
• British Amateur Press Association - 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-alpha (also known as K-a) - the first comics APA. Alumni include Mark Evanier, Carl Gafford, Fred Patten, Richard and Wendy Pini, Roy Thomas, Tony Isabella, Dan Alderson, Rick Norwood, Don Markstein, and Don and Maggie Thompson.
• CAPRA - cinema oriented, reviews of film and commentary of film industry. Alumni include Derek McCulloch
• 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 Burroughs
• 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, E. Everett Evans, Richard Geis, Jim Harmon, Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Lee Hoffman, Damon Knight, David Langford, Robert A. W. Lowndes, Sam Moskowitz, Frederik Pohl, Robert Silverberg and Wilson Tucker. It is still running in 2012.
• The Final Frontier - Star Trek/science fiction APA based in Canada. Founded by Derek McCulloch
• First Draft - Writer's APA, offering critique and commentary of contributors' works
• The Force - Star Wars
• 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 fiction
• Friends of Lulu - APA for members of the women-friendly comics organization, including Trina Robbins, Heidi MacDonald, Deni Loubert, etc.; several issues published in 1994
• 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.
• Galactus - comics; based in Canada; birthplace of Strawberry Jam Comics; alumni include founder Derek McCulloch.
• The Golden APA - devoted to Illuminatus! and related topics
• 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. Alumni include Jim Shooter (founding member), Tom and Mary Bierbaum, Dave Cockrum, Colleen Doran, Paul Levitz, Tom McCraw, and Mark Waid.
• K-a - (short for CAPA-alpha, above) comics
• Klordny - North American APA focused primarily on Legion of Super-Heroes comics
• LASFAPA - science fiction, monthly; founded October 1976, still running in 2009, run by Marty Cantor at the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS).
• Legends - DC Comics
• MilwApa - science fiction; Milwaukee-area fandom; 300th mailing in Sept. 2009; still running in February 2011; alumni include David D. Levine.
• 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 Federation
• 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), Michael Moorcock, Kenneth Bulmer, Arthur Thomson and Ken Slater.
• ORComix-APA - comics
• The Organisation - British APA (see APA-B)
• OSFMapa - The Old School Fantasy Miniatures Amateur Press Alliance. For fans/collectors/historians of early fantasy gaming miniatures.
• OWLHOOT - Western fiction, Western films and Old West history. Founded 2003 and still running.
• PAPA - original name of the comics-related British Amateur Press Association
• 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 Lord, Howard DeVore, Jerry Page, George Evans, Rusty Hevelin, 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. Howard and his works
• REHEAPA - Robert E. Howard and his works - an online APA: The Robert-E-Howard Electronic Amateur Press Association
• Rowrbrazzle - 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. Kennedy). Still running in 2012.
• Shiot Crock - for regulars of The Comics Journal '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 McCulloch, 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 College'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 - 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 A. W. Lowndes, Judith Merril and Donald Wollheim.
• WAPA- the "W" Amateur Press Alliance, originally the Western Amateur Press Alliance, a comics apa. Alumni include Tom and Mary Bierbaum, Derek McCulloch, and Dan DiDio. 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/'zine 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