Before the internet, nerds communicated through
Amateur Press Associations (APAs). Members wrote and photocopied their individual 'zines on a subject, then mailed them to a central mailer, who collated and mailed the completed sets to all the members. The earliest APAs were founded by printers and amateur journalists.
The National Amateur Press Association is the oldest, founded in 1876. Later APAs were often the province of science fiction and comic book fans. They are
still around [pdf]. A lot more inside...
[more inside]
posted by marxchivist
on Aug 2, 2010 -
12 comments