Difference between revisions of "FAPA"

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'''FAPA''', the '''Fantasy Amateur Press Association''', the oldest [[fan]] [[apa]] in the world, was founded in 1937 and still going.
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'''FAPA''', the '''Fantasy Amateur Press Association''', the oldest [[fan]] [[apa]] in the world, was founded in 1937 and still going. It is, infamously, [[Where Old Fans Go to Die]].  
  
 
Like other [[APA]]s, FAPA is primarily an agency for distributing to its members publications put out by its members at their own expense. Members are required to be active in some way -- writing or publishing -- and produce at least 8 pages of [[minac]] a year. Mailings are quarterly.
 
Like other [[APA]]s, FAPA is primarily an agency for distributing to its members publications put out by its members at their own expense. Members are required to be active in some way -- writing or publishing -- and produce at least 8 pages of [[minac]] a year. Mailings are quarterly.
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There are annual elections (August) of a [[president]], [[vice-president]], [[secretary]]-[[treasurer]] and [[Official Editor]]; the two former are limited to two consecutive one-year terms. Other [[official]]s have included [[Official Critics]], a [[Laureate]] [[Committee]], and ballot counters. The first two positions were abandoned by the mid '40s, but a teller for the annual officer [[elections]] continues to be appointed by the Secretary-Treasurer.  
 
There are annual elections (August) of a [[president]], [[vice-president]], [[secretary]]-[[treasurer]] and [[Official Editor]]; the two former are limited to two consecutive one-year terms. Other [[official]]s have included [[Official Critics]], a [[Laureate]] [[Committee]], and ballot counters. The first two positions were abandoned by the mid '40s, but a teller for the annual officer [[elections]] continues to be appointed by the Secretary-Treasurer.  
  
Members are usually called '''''Fapans''''', but terms such as '''''FAPAte''''' have been tried.  
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Members are usually called '''''Fapans''''', but terms such as '''''FAPAte''''' have been tried. Fanzines distributed through it are [[FAPAzine]]s. 
  
 
{{fancy2|text=
 
{{fancy2|text=
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}}
 
}}
  
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*{{fanzineindex|name=Fantasy Amateur|dir=FantasyAmateur}}.
 +
*{{fanzineindex|name=FAPA Mailings|dir=FAPA_Mailings}}.
 +
*{{fanzineindex|name=FAPA One-Shots|dir=FAPA-Misc}}.
 +
*[[FAPA Index (Mailings 1-28)]].
 +
* [[FAPA Book]].
 +
* [[FAPA Memory Book]].
 +
*''[[A Sense of FAPA]]''.
  
==History==
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===1930s and ’40s===
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=History=
 +
==1930s==
 
The Fantasy Amateur Press Association ("FAP-uh") was founded in 1937 by [[Don Wollheim]] and [[John Michel]]. They were inspired to create FAPA by their memberships in some of the non-fan [[amateur press associations]], which they learned of from [[H. P. Lovecraft]]. FAPA's original constitutional limit was 50 members to accommodate publishers using [[hektographs]]. There were 21 members listed on the roster of the first mailing in August 1937; it took until the November 1938 mailing to fill the 50-member roster. The membership limit was raised to 65 in 1944 and has remained at that level ever since.  
 
The Fantasy Amateur Press Association ("FAP-uh") was founded in 1937 by [[Don Wollheim]] and [[John Michel]]. They were inspired to create FAPA by their memberships in some of the non-fan [[amateur press associations]], which they learned of from [[H. P. Lovecraft]]. FAPA's original constitutional limit was 50 members to accommodate publishers using [[hektographs]]. There were 21 members listed on the roster of the first mailing in August 1937; it took until the November 1938 mailing to fill the 50-member roster. The membership limit was raised to 65 in 1944 and has remained at that level ever since.  
  
The early years of FAPA were stormy with [[Parties|party politics]] and [[sociological]] [[feuds]] (for details, see [[Jack Speer]]'s pioneering fan history, ''[[Up to Now]]''), and its third year, 1939-40, was marked by the [[Interregnum]]. Thereafter the prophets of [[Third Fandom]] came into control. At the beginning of 1945, withdrawal of the [[Futurians]], some of whom were officers, precipitated a [[Little Interregnum]] and during the next two years a series of [[officer]]s who failed to properly function plagued the group (see [[Blitzkrieg]]).
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The early years of FAPA were stormy with [[Parties|party politics]] and [[sociological]] [[feuds]] (for details, see [[Jack Speer]]'s pioneering fan history, ''[[Up to Now]]''), and its third year, 1939-40, was marked by the [[Interregnum]]. Thereafter the prophets of [[Third Fandom]] came into control.  
 +
 
 +
===FAPA Campaign===
 +
The 1938 elections for the officers of the newly-created FAPA were seen at the time as a battle for the future of [[fandom]] between the [[Wollheim]]--[[Michel]] axis and the non-political [[fans]].
 +
 
 +
Basically, [[Wollheim]] was at the peak of his influence in fandom -- basically, he dominated it -- and arranged to continue control over FAPA by running a slate of officers and by sending out his slates attacks on the opposition along with the ballots. His slate won because, in those days of much slower communication, most of the FAPA membership had no idea what was going on. Once fans ''did'' realize how Wollheim had played them, sentiment turned against his group and it resigned.
 +
 
 +
While Wollheim and company continued to be very influential, they never again dominated fandom.
 +
 
 +
[[Jack Speer]], while very much a player in these events, produced the first [[fan history]] ''[[Up To Now]]'' in 1939 and described the process in detail.  See the chapters
 +
* [[Up To Now: The FAPA Campaign]]
 +
* [[Up To Now: The Crucial Period]]
 +
* [[Up To Now: The Undertow]]
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* [[Up To Now: The Situation in the West]]
 +
* [[Up To Now: The Order Begins to Crumble]]
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* [[Up To Now: The Decline and Fall of Wollheim]]
  
In 1947, Speer reformed the Constitution, and the [[Insurgents]] quashed the last inactive [[OE]], [[Elmer Perdue]]. Since then official troubles have mostly not disturbed FAPA, and red tape has been held to a minimum. The Constitution was again revised in 1958 (also by Speer) to incorporate amendments, bylaws, and practices adopted since 1947. Another major revision occurred in 2001 under the oversight of [[Robert Lichtman]] ([[Secretary]]-[[Treasurer]] since 1986 and still holding that office), clarifying and conforming constitutional requirements with actual practice.
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for a full and fairly well-balanced account.
  
 
{{fancy1|text=
 
{{fancy1|text=
Pronounced variously [efeipiei], [faepe], and [fapa]. The Fantasy Amateur Press Association, constituted in 1937 by [[Wollheim]], and [[Michel]]. Others soon joined, up to its constitutional limit of 50 (changed to 65 in 1943). The FAPA's first year was stormy with [[Party|party politics]] and sociological feuds, and its third year, 1939-40, was marked by the [[Interregnum]]. Thereafter the profets of the [[Third Fandom]] came into control, and it prospered to become the longest-lived successful [[fan]] organization.  
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Pronounced variously [efeipiei], [faepe], and [fapa]. The Fantasy Amateur Press Association, constituted in 1937 by [[Wollheim]], and [[Michel]]. Others soon joined, up to its constitutional limit of 50 (changed to 65 in 1943). The FAPA's first year was stormy with [[Party|party politics]] and sociological [[feuds]], and its third year, 1939-40, was marked by the [[Interregnum]]. Thereafter the profets of the [[Third Fandom]] came into control, and it prospered to become the longest-lived successful [[fan]] organization.  
 
   
 
   
 
It is primarily an agency for distributing to its members publications put out by its members at their own expense. This it does by mailings every three months. Members are required to be active in some way, writing or publishing. There are annual elections in June of a president, vice president, secretary-treasure, and [[Official Editor]] (he also does the mailing), who cannot held the same post again for five years. Other officials are the official critics, laureate committee, and ballot counters. Red tape is at a minimum.  
 
It is primarily an agency for distributing to its members publications put out by its members at their own expense. This it does by mailings every three months. Members are required to be active in some way, writing or publishing. There are annual elections in June of a president, vice president, secretary-treasure, and [[Official Editor]] (he also does the mailing), who cannot held the same post again for five years. Other officials are the official critics, laureate committee, and ballot counters. Red tape is at a minimum.  
 
}}
 
}}
  
===1950s–70s===
+
==1940s==
 +
===Order of Dagon===
 +
 
 +
(Did you mean the [[Esoteric Order of Dagon]]?)
 +
 
 +
{{fancy2|text=
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'''Order of Dagon''' In 1944 FAPA had become somewhat cumbered with deadwood and official resistance to change frustrated attempts to get the latter out by tightening [[minac|activity requirements]], etc. By December 1944 the [[Battle Creek]]-[[Bloomington, IL|Bloomington]]-[[Los Angeles]] Axis had plans for an ''anschluss'' in [[FAPA]] well in hand. The [[Futurians]] were to be quashed by a nebulous group, the '''Freedom Party''', standing for strengthened activity requirements and some miscellaneous projects which came to nothing. It was to be backed up by a secret self-perpetuating group known as the Order of [[Dagon]]; this started with the three plotters mentioned above ([[Al Ashley|Ashley]], [[Tucker]], and [[Laney]]) and included such folk as [[Walt Liebscher|Liebscher]], [[Jack Wiedenbeck | Wiedenbeck]], [[Saari]], [[Paul Spencer|Spencer]], [[Rothman]], [[Croutch]], [[Perdue]], and [[Ackerman]]. The Order was to implement the Freedom Party program by bloc voting and by presenting all FP candidates for office, and successfully swung its first election. But the anti-[[Futurian]] aspect of the move was frustrated by the [[Little Interregnum]], when the [[Futurians]] abdicated their leadership and withdrew into [[VAPA]].
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
1944 also saw a special election about [[racism]], spurred by obnoxious opinions of [[Jack Speer]].
 +
 
 +
At the beginning of 1945, withdrawal of the [[Futurians]], some of whom were officers, precipitated a [[Little Interregnum]] and during the next two years a series of [[officer]]s who failed to properly function plagued the group (see [[Blitzkrieg]]).
 +
 
 +
In 1947, Speer reformed the Constitution, and the [[Insurgents]] quashed the last inactive [[OE]], [[Elmer Perdue]]. Since then official troubles have mostly not disturbed FAPA, and red tape has been held to a minimum. The Constitution was again revised in 1958 (also by Speer) to incorporate amendments, bylaws, and practices adopted since 1947. Another major revision occurred in 2001 under the oversight of [[Robert Lichtman]] ([[Secretary]]-[[Treasurer]] since 1986 and still holding that office), clarifying and conforming constitutional requirements with actual practice.
 +
 
 +
==1950s–70s==
 
During the '50s and '60s FAPA was so popular and membership so sought after that the [[waiting list]] grew to monumental proportions, for a period of time exceeding the number of membership slots on the FAPA roster. A [[waiting list]] fee was instituted to cover the cost of sending the ''[[Fantasy Amateur]]'' to so many fans awaiting membership, and a requirement that [[wait list]] periodically acknowledge receipt of the ''Fantasy Amateur'' was begun in order to weed out those who lost interest during the long wait.  [[Bill Danner]] started the [[FATE Tape]] (the Fantasy Amateur Tape Exchange) for FAPA members in 1955.
 
During the '50s and '60s FAPA was so popular and membership so sought after that the [[waiting list]] grew to monumental proportions, for a period of time exceeding the number of membership slots on the FAPA roster. A [[waiting list]] fee was instituted to cover the cost of sending the ''[[Fantasy Amateur]]'' to so many fans awaiting membership, and a requirement that [[wait list]] periodically acknowledge receipt of the ''Fantasy Amateur'' was begun in order to weed out those who lost interest during the long wait.  [[Bill Danner]] started the [[FATE Tape]] (the Fantasy Amateur Tape Exchange) for FAPA members in 1955.
  
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* [[Mal Ashworth]] -- ''[[Fringe]]'', ''[[I Dreamt I Crept in Marble Crypts]]'', ''[[The Hasty Stopgap]]'', ''[[The Last Fans in Town]]'', ''[[Yrautibo]]'', ''[[Running, Jumping, & Standing Still Magazine]]'', ''[[Rot]]''
 
* [[Mal Ashworth]] -- ''[[Fringe]]'', ''[[I Dreamt I Crept in Marble Crypts]]'', ''[[The Hasty Stopgap]]'', ''[[The Last Fans in Town]]'', ''[[Yrautibo]]'', ''[[Running, Jumping, & Standing Still Magazine]]'', ''[[Rot]]''
 
* [[Lenny Bailes]] -- ''[[Tuesday After Lunch...]]''
 
* [[Lenny Bailes]] -- ''[[Tuesday After Lunch...]]''
* [[John Bangsund]] -- ''[[The New Millennial Harbinger]]'', '[[[Philosophical Gas]]'', ''[[Society of Editors Newsletter]]'', ''[[Private Cellar Club]]'', ''[[What's Happening in Australia]]'', ''[[Great Australian Colour Book of Minac]]'', ''[[In the Gums of a Mumbling Gale]]'', ''[[Wreckin Heaves 1]]''
+
* [[John Bangsund]] -- ''[[The New Millennial Harbinger]]'', '[[Philosophical Gas]]'', ''[[Society of Editors Newsletter]]'', ''[[Private Cellar Club]]'', ''[[What's Happening in Australia]]'', ''[[Great Australian Colour Book of Minac]]'', ''[[In the Gums of a Mumbling Gale]]'', ''[[Wreckin Heaves 1]]''
 
* [[Greg Benford]] -- ''[[Doorway]]''
 
* [[Greg Benford]] -- ''[[Doorway]]''
 
* [[Jim Benford]] -- ''[[Motley (Benford)]]''
 
* [[Jim Benford]] -- ''[[Motley (Benford)]]''
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* [[John D. Berry]] --
 
* [[John D. Berry]] --
 
* [[Robert Bloch]] -- ''[[Science-Fiction Fifty Yearly]]''
 
* [[Robert Bloch]] -- ''[[Science-Fiction Fifty Yearly]]''
* [[Redd Boggs]] -- ''[[Sky Hook]]'', ''[[Nehwon Review]]'', ''[[Open Season on Monsters]]'', ''[[Bete Noir]]'', ''[[Cockatrice]]'', ''[[The Lovecraftsman]]'', ''[[The Bagabash Papers]]'', ''[[The House of the Hidden Poet]]''
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* [[Redd Boggs]] -- ''[[Sky Hook]]'', ''[[Nehwon Review]]'', ''[[Open Season on Monsters]]'', ''[[Bete Noir]]'', ''[[Cockatrice]]'', ''[[The Lovecraftsman]]'', ''[[The Bagabash Papers]]'', ''[[The House of the Hidden Poet]]'', ''[[Hurrah for Our Side]]''
* [[Harry Bond]] --
 
 
* [[Sandra Bond]] -- [[Big Fish, Little Fish, Cardboard Box]]
 
* [[Sandra Bond]] -- [[Big Fish, Little Fish, Cardboard Box]]
 +
* [[Kenneth H. Bonnell]] -- ''[[ForLo Kon]]''
 
* [[Phil Bronson]] -- ''[[Wudgy Tales]]''
 
* [[Phil Bronson]] -- ''[[Wudgy Tales]]''
 
* [[Velma Bowen]] --
 
* [[Velma Bowen]] --
 
* [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]] ''[[Gemini Fapa]]'', ''[[Allerlei]]'', ''[[Catch Trap]]'', ''[[Astra's Tower]]''
 
* [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]] ''[[Gemini Fapa]]'', ''[[Allerlei]]'', ''[[Catch Trap]]'', ''[[Astra's Tower]]''
*[[David Bratman]] -- ''[[Girabbit]]''
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* [[David Bratman]] -- ''[[Girabbit]]''
 
* [[Walter Breen]] -- ''[[Allerlei]]''
 
* [[Walter Breen]] -- ''[[Allerlei]]''
 
* ''[[Greg Bridges]]'' -- ''[[Misled Ptah Too]]''
 
* ''[[Greg Bridges]]'' -- ''[[Misled Ptah Too]]''
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* [[Lee Carson]] --  
 
* [[Lee Carson]] --  
 
* [[Jim Caughran]] -- ''[[A Propos de Rien]]''
 
* [[Jim Caughran]] -- ''[[A Propos de Rien]]''
* [[Jack Chalker]] -- ''[[Interjection]]'', ''[[Viewpoint]]'', ''[[Mirage]]''
+
* [[Jack Chalker]] -- ''[[Interjection]]'', ''[[Viewpoint]]'', ''[[Mirage]]'', ''[[Oh Yeah]]''
 
* [[Louis Russell Chauvenet]] -- ''[[Spinnaker Reach]]'', ''[[Sardonyx]]'', ''[[Zizzle-Pop]]'', ''[[Ephemeron]]''
 
* [[Louis Russell Chauvenet]] -- ''[[Spinnaker Reach]]'', ''[[Sardonyx]]'', ''[[Zizzle-Pop]]'', ''[[Ephemeron]]''
 
* [[Vince Clarke]] -- ''[[Tucker Hotel]]''
 
* [[Vince Clarke]] -- ''[[Tucker Hotel]]''
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* [[Rob Coulson]] & [[Juanita Coulson]] -- ''[[Vandy]]''
 
* [[Rob Coulson]] & [[Juanita Coulson]] -- ''[[Vandy]]''
 
* [[Dale Cozort]] -- ''[[Science Fiction Adventure Magazine]]''
 
* [[Dale Cozort]] -- ''[[Science Fiction Adventure Magazine]]''
* [[Ed Cox]] -- ''[[The Best Lines Are on the Floor]]''
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* [[Ed Cox]] -- ''[[The Best Lines Are on the Floor]]'', ''[[Fafhrd (Cox)]]''
 
* [[Burton Crane]] --
 
* [[Burton Crane]] --
 
* [[Leslie Croutch]] -- ''[[Light]]''
 
* [[Leslie Croutch]] -- ''[[Light]]''
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* [[Saul Diskin]] -- ''[[Irusaben]]''
 
* [[Saul Diskin]] -- ''[[Irusaben]]''
 
* [[Bill Donaho]] -- ''[[ASP]]'', ''[[How We Won]]''
 
* [[Bill Donaho]] -- ''[[ASP]]'', ''[[How We Won]]''
* [[Royal Drummond]] --
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* [[Royal Drummond]] -- ''[[Duckspeak]]''
 +
* [[Walt Dunkelberger]] -- ''[[Mag Without a Name]]''
 
* [[Sally Dunn]] -- ''[[Driftwood]]''
 
* [[Sally Dunn]] -- ''[[Driftwood]]''
 
* [[Lee B. Eastman]] -- ''[[Last Testament]]''
 
* [[Lee B. Eastman]] -- ''[[Last Testament]]''
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* [[John L. Gergen]] -- ''[[Mutant (Gergen)]]''
 
* [[John L. Gergen]] -- ''[[Mutant (Gergen)]]''
 
* [[Joseph Gilbert]] -- ''[[Sound Off!]]''
 
* [[Joseph Gilbert]] -- ''[[Sound Off!]]''
 +
* [[Bruce Gillespie]] -- ''[[Dreams and False Alarms]]''
 
* [[Mike Glicksohn]] -- ''[[Xenium]]''
 
* [[Mike Glicksohn]] -- ''[[Xenium]]''
 
* [[Jenny Glover]] --  
 
* [[Jenny Glover]] --  
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* [[Ann Green]] --
 
* [[Ann Green]] --
 
* [[Steve Green]] -- ''[[Slave Girls of FAPA]]'', ''[[Cyfddydd]]'', ''[[Free Radical]]''
 
* [[Steve Green]] -- ''[[Slave Girls of FAPA]]'', ''[[Cyfddydd]]'', ''[[Free Radical]]''
* [[Dean Grennell]] -- ''[[Grue]]'', ''[[Le Gruesome Zombie]]''
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* [[Dean Grennell]] -- ''[[Grue]]'', ''[[Le Gruesome Zombie]]'', ''[[Bleen]]''
 +
* ''[[Patrick Hayden]]'' -- ''[[Ecce Fanno]]''
 
* [[Chuck Hansen]] -- ''[[Damballa]]''
 
* [[Chuck Hansen]] -- ''[[Damballa]]''
 
* [[Rob Hansen]] -- ''[[Licks]]''
 
* [[Rob Hansen]] -- ''[[Licks]]''
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* [[Rusty Hevelin]] -- ''[[H-1661]]'', ''[[Laundry Mark]]''
 
* [[Rusty Hevelin]] -- ''[[H-1661]]'', ''[[Laundry Mark]]''
 
* [[Arthur D. Hlavaty]] -- ''[[Nice Distinctions]]'', ''[[Disinformation]]''
 
* [[Arthur D. Hlavaty]] -- ''[[Nice Distinctions]]'', ''[[Disinformation]]''
* [[Lee Hoffman]] -- ''[[Self Preservation]]'', ''[[Tangent]]'', ''[[Laundry]]'', ''[[Fan History]]'', ''[[Fantasy Jackass]]'', ''[[Chooog]]'', ''[[Cutty Fapazine]]'', ''[[The Inadequate Time Machine]]''
+
* [[Lee Hoffman]] -- ''[[Self Preservation]]'', ''[[Tangent]]'', ''[[Laundry]]'', ''[[Fan History]]'', ''[[Fantasy Jackass]]'', ''[[Chooog]]'', ''[[Cutty Fapazine]]'', ''[[The Inadequate Time Machine]]'', ''[[Project Report 1]]''
 
* [[Harry Honig]] -- ''[[Arcadia]]''
 
* [[Harry Honig]] -- ''[[Arcadia]]''
 
* [[Mike Horvat]] -- ''[[Curmudgeon]]''
 
* [[Mike Horvat]] -- ''[[Curmudgeon]]''
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* [[Bill Morse]] -- ''[[Bull Moose]]'', ''[[To Wm. Danner Esq]]''
 
* [[Bill Morse]] -- ''[[Bull Moose]]'', ''[[To Wm. Danner Esq]]''
 
* [[Sam Moskowitz]] -- ''[[A Canticle for P. Schuyler Miller]]'', ''[[Different]]''
 
* [[Sam Moskowitz]] -- ''[[A Canticle for P. Schuyler Miller]]'', ''[[Different]]''
* [[Ray Faraday Nelson]] -- ''[[Big Cat]]''
+
* [[Ray Faraday Nelson]] -- ''[[Big Cat]]'', ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]''
 
* [[Michael O'Brien]] -- ''[[Ultimate South]]''
 
* [[Michael O'Brien]] -- ''[[Ultimate South]]''
 
* [[Steve Ogden]] & [[Vicki Ogden]] -- ''[[Edgar's Journal]]''
 
* [[Steve Ogden]] & [[Vicki Ogden]] -- ''[[Edgar's Journal]]''
 
* [[Fred Patten]] -- ''[[Vukat]]'', ''[[Great Art Should Never Be Mushed Up]]''
 
* [[Fred Patten]] -- ''[[Vukat]]'', ''[[Great Art Should Never Be Mushed Up]]''
 
* [[Bob Pavlat]] -- ''[[Bobolings]]'', ''[[Evans-Pavlat Fanzine Index]]'', ''[[Contour]]'', ''[[The Shaw Retort]]''
 
* [[Bob Pavlat]] -- ''[[Bobolings]]'', ''[[Evans-Pavlat Fanzine Index]]'', ''[[Contour]]'', ''[[The Shaw Retort]]''
 +
* [[Peggy Rae Pavlat]] -- ''[[Of Cabbages and Kings and Baby Turtles]]'', ''[[Of Members and 'Zines and Egoboo Polls]]'', ''[[Adventures on Earth]]''
 
* [[Bruce Pelz]] -- ''[[Ankus]]'', ''[[The Drinking Readers Entropic Gaming Society of Los Angeles Fandom]]''
 
* [[Bruce Pelz]] -- ''[[Ankus]]'', ''[[The Drinking Readers Entropic Gaming Society of Los Angeles Fandom]]''
 
* [[Elmer Perdue]] -- ''[[Myrtle Rebecca Douglas: An Appreciation]]'', ''[[Elmurmurings]]'', ''[[520 07 0328]]'', ''[[FAPA Blotter]]'', ''[[War in Heaven]]''
 
* [[Elmer Perdue]] -- ''[[Myrtle Rebecca Douglas: An Appreciation]]'', ''[[Elmurmurings]]'', ''[[520 07 0328]]'', ''[[FAPA Blotter]]'', ''[[War in Heaven]]''
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* [[Milton Rothman]] -- ''[[Milty's Mag]]'', ''[[Plenum]]'', ''[[War in Heaven]]''
 
* [[Milton Rothman]] -- ''[[Milty's Mag]]'', ''[[Plenum]]'', ''[[War in Heaven]]''
 
* [[Bill Rotsler]] -- ''[[Masque]]'', ''[[Tapebook]]'', ''[[A Fanzine for FAPA]]'', ''[[Disturbing Element]]'', ''[[Homage a' Burbee]]''
 
* [[Bill Rotsler]] -- ''[[Masque]]'', ''[[Tapebook]]'', ''[[A Fanzine for FAPA]]'', ''[[Disturbing Element]]'', ''[[Homage a' Burbee]]''
 +
* [[Heath Row]] --
 
* [[Mary Russell]] -- ''[[Pogorus]]''
 
* [[Mary Russell]] -- ''[[Pogorus]]''
 
* [[Samuel D. Russell]] --''[[Have at Thee Knanves]]'', ''[[Science-Fiction Goo]]'', ''[[Decimal Classification of Fantastic Fiction]]'', ''[[Fantasy Critic]]'', ''[[Eight Pages]]''
 
* [[Samuel D. Russell]] --''[[Have at Thee Knanves]]'', ''[[Science-Fiction Goo]]'', ''[[Decimal Classification of Fantastic Fiction]]'', ''[[Fantasy Critic]]'', ''[[Eight Pages]]''
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* [[Bob Shaw]] -- ''[[Fen Crittur Comical Books]]''
 
* [[Bob Shaw]] -- ''[[Fen Crittur Comical Books]]''
 
* [[Greg Shaw]] -- ''[[Metanoia]]''
 
* [[Greg Shaw]] -- ''[[Metanoia]]''
* [[Larry Shaw]] -- ''[[Caliban]]'', ''[[Banshee]]'', ''[[FAPA Index]]'', ''[[Ice Age]]'', ''[[Science*Fiction]]'', ''[[The Unknown Madman]]'', ''[[Claude Degler and the FAPA]]'', ''[[Laundry]]'', ''[[The Shaw Retort]]'', ''[[The Steff Nyaa-aa-a!!]]'', ''[[Cruise of the "Foo Foo Special Jr."]]''
+
* [[Larry Shaw]] -- ''[[Caliban]]'', ''[[Banshee]]'', ''[[FAPA Index]]'', ''[[Ice Age]]'', ''[[Science*Fiction]]'', ''[[The Unknown Madman]]'', ''[[Claude Degler and the FAPA]]'', ''[[Laundry]]'', ''[[The Shaw Retort]]'', ''[[The Steff Nyaa-aa-a!!]]'', ''[[Cruise of the "Foo Foo Special Jr."]]'', ''[[FAPA Index (Mailings 1-28)]]''
 
* [[Noreen Shaw]] -- ''[[Ice Age]]''
 
* [[Noreen Shaw]] -- ''[[Ice Age]]''
 
* [[Robert Silverberg]] -- ''[[Snickersnee]]'', ''[[Spaceship]]'', ''[[Irusaben]]'', ''[[Fapathy]]''
 
* [[Robert Silverberg]] -- ''[[Snickersnee]]'', ''[[Spaceship]]'', ''[[Irusaben]]'', ''[[Fapathy]]''
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* [[Donald B. Thompson]] -- ''[[Phanny]]'', ''[[Phanteur]]''
 
* [[Donald B. Thompson]] -- ''[[Phanny]]'', ''[[Phanteur]]''
 
* [[Don C. Thompson]] -- ''[[Don-O-Saur]]'', ''[[Rim-i-nes-cent]]'', ''[[Ballast]]''
 
* [[Don C. Thompson]] -- ''[[Don-O-Saur]]'', ''[[Rim-i-nes-cent]]'', ''[[Ballast]]''
 +
* [[Oswald Train]] -- ''[[The Fantasy Collector]]''
 
* [[Bjo Trimble]] -- ''[[A Sales Pitch to Convince FAPA to Sponsor an Art Show]]'', ''[[Where Are All the Red Hot Shutter Bugs?]]'', ''[[Melange]]''
 
* [[Bjo Trimble]] -- ''[[A Sales Pitch to Convince FAPA to Sponsor an Art Show]]'', ''[[Where Are All the Red Hot Shutter Bugs?]]'', ''[[Melange]]''
* [[John Trimble]] -- ''[[Amis]]'', ''[[A Fanzine for FAPA]]'', ''[[Where Are All the Red Hot Shutter Bugs?]]'', ''[[Amblesnyde & Tiddleycover R. R. Gazette]]'', ''[[Melange]]''
+
* [[John Trimble]] -- ''[[Amis]]'', ''[[A Fanzine for FAPA]]'', ''[[Where Are All the Red Hot Shutter Bugs?]]'', ''[[Amblesnyde & Tiddleycover R. R. Gazette]]'', ''[[Melange]]'', ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]''
 
* [[Bob Tucker]] -- ''[[Sci-Fic Variety]]'', ''[[Jack Speer -- Elder God]]'', ''[[Le Gruesome Zombie]]'', ''[[Pong Is a Four-Letter Word]]'', ''[[Science-Fiction Fifty Yearly]]'', ''[[Three Fingers]]'', ''[[BT]]'', ''[[Fantasy Jackass]]'', ''[[Fanzine Service for Fans in Service]]''
 
* [[Bob Tucker]] -- ''[[Sci-Fic Variety]]'', ''[[Jack Speer -- Elder God]]'', ''[[Le Gruesome Zombie]]'', ''[[Pong Is a Four-Letter Word]]'', ''[[Science-Fiction Fifty Yearly]]'', ''[[Three Fingers]]'', ''[[BT]]'', ''[[Fantasy Jackass]]'', ''[[Fanzine Service for Fans in Service]]''
 
* [[R. Laurraine Tutihasi]] -- ''[[Feline Mewsings]]''
 
* [[R. Laurraine Tutihasi]] -- ''[[Feline Mewsings]]''
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* [[Raym Washington]] -- ''[[Take-Off!]]'', ''[[The Science Fiction Savant]]''
 
* [[Raym Washington]] -- ''[[Take-Off!]]'', ''[[The Science Fiction Savant]]''
 
* [[Bill Watson]] -- ''[[Willie Acquires an Italian Hand]]'', ''[[Tag-Line Musings?]]''
 
* [[Bill Watson]] -- ''[[Willie Acquires an Italian Hand]]'', ''[[Tag-Line Musings?]]''
* [[Taral Wayne]] -- ''[[Red Shift]]'', ''[[The Word for World is Twiltone]]''
+
* [[Taral Wayne]] -- ''[[Red Shift]]'', ''[[The Word for World is Twiltone]]'', ''[[Twiltone (Taral)]]''
 
* [[Charles Wells]] -- ''[[The Quatt Wunkery]]''
 
* [[Charles Wells]] -- ''[[The Quatt Wunkery]]''
 
* [[Helen Wesson]] -- ''[[Helen's Fantasia]]''
 
* [[Helen Wesson]] -- ''[[Helen's Fantasia]]''
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* [[Dave Wood]] --
 
* [[Dave Wood]] --
 
* [[Rus Wood]] & [[Pogo Wood]] -- ''[[Pogorus]]''
 
* [[Rus Wood]] & [[Pogo Wood]] -- ''[[Pogorus]]''
 +
* [[Bill Wright]] -- ''[[Earthquake!]]''
 
* [[Roscoe E. Wright]] -- ''[[Beyond (Stanley)]]'', ''[[A Autumn Fantasy from Rosco]]'', ''[[Viewpoints]]''
 
* [[Roscoe E. Wright]] -- ''[[Beyond (Stanley)]]'', ''[[A Autumn Fantasy from Rosco]]'', ''[[Viewpoints]]''
 
* [[Paul Wyszkowski]] -- ''[[The Blind Starling]]'', ''[[Transmission]]'', ''[[Blah]]''
 
* [[Paul Wyszkowski]] -- ''[[The Blind Starling]]'', ''[[Transmission]]'', ''[[Blah]]''

Revision as of 06:26, 4 June 2022

FAPA, the Fantasy Amateur Press Association, the oldest fan apa in the world, was founded in 1937 and still going. It is, infamously, Where Old Fans Go to Die.

Like other APAs, FAPA is primarily an agency for distributing to its members publications put out by its members at their own expense. Members are required to be active in some way -- writing or publishing -- and produce at least 8 pages of minac a year. Mailings are quarterly.

To qualify for membership, one must have done one or more of the following within a year of applying: produced and distributed at least one issue of a fanzine; contributed material (written or artistic) to two fanzines not produced in the same metropolitan area; and/or posted contributions in two different electronic forums.

There are annual elections (August) of a president, vice-president, secretary-treasurer and Official Editor; the two former are limited to two consecutive one-year terms. Other officials have included Official Critics, a Laureate Committee, and ballot counters. The first two positions were abandoned by the mid '40s, but a teller for the annual officer elections continues to be appointed by the Secretary-Treasurer.

Members are usually called Fapans, but terms such as FAPAte have been tried. Fanzines distributed through it are FAPAzines.

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
Fapans Fapate, Fapans, Faps. All names designating members of FAPA. The second is that endorsed by usage (prob'ly by analogy with "fans") but really the first is correct; FAPA is an association, so its members are associates.


History[edit]

1930s[edit]

The Fantasy Amateur Press Association ("FAP-uh") was founded in 1937 by Don Wollheim and John Michel. They were inspired to create FAPA by their memberships in some of the non-fan amateur press associations, which they learned of from H. P. Lovecraft. FAPA's original constitutional limit was 50 members to accommodate publishers using hektographs. There were 21 members listed on the roster of the first mailing in August 1937; it took until the November 1938 mailing to fill the 50-member roster. The membership limit was raised to 65 in 1944 and has remained at that level ever since.

The early years of FAPA were stormy with party politics and sociological feuds (for details, see Jack Speer's pioneering fan history, Up to Now), and its third year, 1939-40, was marked by the Interregnum. Thereafter the prophets of Third Fandom came into control.

FAPA Campaign[edit]

The 1938 elections for the officers of the newly-created FAPA were seen at the time as a battle for the future of fandom between the Wollheim--Michel axis and the non-political fans.

Basically, Wollheim was at the peak of his influence in fandom -- basically, he dominated it -- and arranged to continue control over FAPA by running a slate of officers and by sending out his slates attacks on the opposition along with the ballots. His slate won because, in those days of much slower communication, most of the FAPA membership had no idea what was going on. Once fans did realize how Wollheim had played them, sentiment turned against his group and it resigned.

While Wollheim and company continued to be very influential, they never again dominated fandom.

Jack Speer, while very much a player in these events, produced the first fan history Up To Now in 1939 and described the process in detail. See the chapters

for a full and fairly well-balanced account.

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944
Pronounced variously [efeipiei], [faepe], and [fapa]. The Fantasy Amateur Press Association, constituted in 1937 by Wollheim, and Michel. Others soon joined, up to its constitutional limit of 50 (changed to 65 in 1943). The FAPA's first year was stormy with party politics and sociological feuds, and its third year, 1939-40, was marked by the Interregnum. Thereafter the profets of the Third Fandom came into control, and it prospered to become the longest-lived successful fan organization.

It is primarily an agency for distributing to its members publications put out by its members at their own expense. This it does by mailings every three months. Members are required to be active in some way, writing or publishing. There are annual elections in June of a president, vice president, secretary-treasure, and Official Editor (he also does the mailing), who cannot held the same post again for five years. Other officials are the official critics, laureate committee, and ballot counters. Red tape is at a minimum.

1940s[edit]

Order of Dagon[edit]

(Did you mean the Esoteric Order of Dagon?)

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
Order of Dagon In 1944 FAPA had become somewhat cumbered with deadwood and official resistance to change frustrated attempts to get the latter out by tightening activity requirements, etc. By December 1944 the Battle Creek-Bloomington-Los Angeles Axis had plans for an anschluss in FAPA well in hand. The Futurians were to be quashed by a nebulous group, the Freedom Party, standing for strengthened activity requirements and some miscellaneous projects which came to nothing. It was to be backed up by a secret self-perpetuating group known as the Order of Dagon; this started with the three plotters mentioned above (Ashley, Tucker, and Laney) and included such folk as Liebscher, Wiedenbeck, Saari, Spencer, Rothman, Croutch, Perdue, and Ackerman. The Order was to implement the Freedom Party program by bloc voting and by presenting all FP candidates for office, and successfully swung its first election. But the anti-Futurian aspect of the move was frustrated by the Little Interregnum, when the Futurians abdicated their leadership and withdrew into VAPA.

1944 also saw a special election about racism, spurred by obnoxious opinions of Jack Speer.

At the beginning of 1945, withdrawal of the Futurians, some of whom were officers, precipitated a Little Interregnum and during the next two years a series of officers who failed to properly function plagued the group (see Blitzkrieg).

In 1947, Speer reformed the Constitution, and the Insurgents quashed the last inactive OE, Elmer Perdue. Since then official troubles have mostly not disturbed FAPA, and red tape has been held to a minimum. The Constitution was again revised in 1958 (also by Speer) to incorporate amendments, bylaws, and practices adopted since 1947. Another major revision occurred in 2001 under the oversight of Robert Lichtman (Secretary-Treasurer since 1986 and still holding that office), clarifying and conforming constitutional requirements with actual practice.

1950s–70s[edit]

During the '50s and '60s FAPA was so popular and membership so sought after that the waiting list grew to monumental proportions, for a period of time exceeding the number of membership slots on the FAPA roster. A waiting list fee was instituted to cover the cost of sending the Fantasy Amateur to so many fans awaiting membership, and a requirement that wait list periodically acknowledge receipt of the Fantasy Amateur was begun in order to weed out those who lost interest during the long wait. Bill Danner started the FATE Tape (the Fantasy Amateur Tape Exchange) for FAPA members in 1955.

The '60s also saw more FAPA fan politics: As recounted in Ratatosk #6 and #7, ten or so members of FAPA blackballed the entire waitlist, apparently to protest the blackballing provision in the FAPA constitution, thus eliminating the entire waitlist. The Secretary-Treasurer of FAPA duly cleared the waitlist and then immediately invoked a precedent from the 40s when FAPA was short of members, and selected a group of fans to be on a new waitlist. By coincidence, the new waitlist looked a very great deal like the old one.... In a similar vein, Rick Sneary proposed an amendment to the FAPA constitution that no member of The Cult (another apa) be allowed to be FAPA members. Someone arranged for all FAPA members who were not members of The Cult to be granted Honorary Membership in it -- and Dick Eney ran a large Fantasy Rotator, Avanc 8 through FAPA -- so that if the Sneary amendment passed, everyone would be thrown out of FAPA. (It failed 24 to 6.)

By the '70s the waiting list became much smaller, and FAPA was sometimes called since the mid '90s has disappeared altogether. Additionally, the number of members has also shrunk as existing members died or otherwise dropped off the roster. As of May 2017 there were 19 active participants.


From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
("FAP-uh") The Fantasy Amateur Press Association, constituted in 1937 by Wollheim and Michel. Others soon joined, up to its constitutional limit of 50 (raised to 65 in 1943). The first year of FAPA was stormy with party politics and sociological feuds, and its third year, 1939-40, was marked by the Interregnum. Thereafter the prophets of Third Fandom came into control. At the beginning of 1945 withdrawal of the Futurians, some of whom were officers, precipitated a Little Interregnum and during the next two years a series of officers who refused to function plagued the group (see blitzkrieg). In 1947 Speer reformed the Constitution, and the Insurgents quashed the last inactive OE, Perdue. Since then official troubles have not disturbed FAPA, and red tape has been held to a minimum. The Constitution was again revised in 1958 (also by Speer) to incorporate amendments, bylaws, and practices adopted since 1947.

FAPA is primarily an agency for distributing to its members publications put out by its members at their own expense. This it does by mailings every three months. Members are required to be active in some way -- writing or publishing -- and produce at least 8 pages of activity a year. There are annual elections (August) of a president, vice-president, secretary-treasurer and Official Editor; the two former cannot hold the same post again for five years. Other officials have included Official Critics, a Laureate Committee, and ballot counters.

FAPA was the stronghold of the Brain Trust during Third Fandom, and has always been the most influential general fan organization; in fact, such APAs are the only general fan organizations that are really active.

Members of FAPA and their FAPAzines included:[edit]

FAPA Officers[edit]

Terms begin in the summer with the vote before the September mailing.



Publication 1937
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