APAs (Amateur Publishing Associations)

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CAPA-Alpha, Frank's Apa, Interlac, APA-Eros, Quarternotes, MZS-APA, The New Moon Directory, APA Juice, etc etc. Just before the internet put a stake through the APA format's heart, there were a couple hundred of these groups out there. Are you familiar with the format? Ever been a member? Know any that still exist?

― Curious George Rides a Republican (Rock Hardy), Monday, 28 February 2005 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll answer one of those questions myself — there are at least two still kicking. I've been in Frank's Apa for almost 10 years, and if there are any other music APAs out there besides Frank's, I'm not familiar with them. And I'm back on the waitlist at CAPA-Alpha, the oldest comics APA (40th anniversary celebrated last Oct.).

― Curious George Rides a Republican (Rock Hardy), Monday, 28 February 2005 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I was in what I think was the oldest UK comics one, BAPA, for many years. I know several people who are or have been in Frank's too, and was in a couple of smaller ones briefly.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 28 February 2005 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Someone in the Yahoo group run for my circle of friends pointed out that Wikipedia didn't have an entry for APAs and someone suggested something like "20th Century print-based hobby, now extinct. See also: Dodo."

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 28 February 2005 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

I should mention that ILX's own Dirty Vicar is currently the central mailer of Frank's APA, and Franks is always looking for fresh "talent," just off the bus and otherwise.

It's depressing to think APAs are (almost) extinct. They have a unique sense of community.

― Curious George Rides a Republican (Rock Hardy), Monday, 28 February 2005 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I knew about DV - we met a couple of weeks ago, and found we had several non-ILX acquaintances in common (I've known DH, who you'll know from Frank's, for at least 15 years).

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 28 February 2005 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

nine months pass...

I should mention that ILX's own Dirty Vicar is currently the central mailer of Frank's APA, and Franks is always looking for fresh "talent," just off the bus and otherwise.

but now the baton has been passed on to Curious George. To mix metaphors, the bus is always looking for a few more passengers.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Saturday, 17 December 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

I've been in Frank's Apa for almost 10 years, and if there are any other music APAs out there besides Frank's, I'm not familiar with them.

There was one called Quarternotes at one stage. Some people in Frank's used to recycle their zine content there.

I am still in Frank's APA. I used to be in an APA called Points of Divergence, that deals with alternate history.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Saturday, 17 December 2005 18:18 (twenty years ago)

look, there is a Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_press_association

― DV (dirtyvicar), Saturday, 17 December 2005 18:22 (twenty years ago)

bloody hell, it even has BUNAPA, another one I was in briefly. I can think of a few larger and longer-lived UK ones it omits - two LSH ones, for instance.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 17 December 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

Vicar, a long-lost member of Frank's emailed me today to ask if the APA still exists! I think there's some sort of harmonic convergence at work.

― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Sunday, 18 December 2005 00:58 (twenty years ago)

I think actually someone did a google search for Frank's APA and found both my website and this thread.

I am very excited about this news.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 18 December 2005 01:42 (twenty years ago)

six years pass...

Scans of CAPA-Alpha #1-20 (late 1964 - mid 1966) here:

http://comicbookplus.com/?cid=744

― Neil Jung (WmC), Monday, 2 July 2012 18:29 (thirteen years ago)

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APAs (Amateur Publishing Associations) — Ever Been in One?