WOOF in the Spirit of Shibano Takumi?

By John Hertz: WOOF (World Order of Faneditors) is the apa collated annually, since 1976, at the World Science Fiction Convention.

It’s another Bruce Pelz invention. As Suford Lewis said, he had a fruitful imagination.

Legend says he called it his second dumbest idea. But what did he know?

I’m well aware that actually answering this question would be an elephantine task.

An apa (amateur press, or publishing, association) is – among us – in origin a device for distributing fanzines.

Russell Chauvenet coined the word “fanzine” in the 1940s. Analog, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and like that, are prozines. Our fanzines are amateur publications by fans, for fans. Pros sometimes contribute. Some people are both.

We borrowed apas from Amateur Journalism (sometimes “ayjay” for short). NAPA the National Amateur Press Association, founded 1876 and still ongoing – its 144th annual convention was 11-13 Jul 19 at Lansing, Michigan, U.S.A. – says it is

dedicated to the furtherance of Amateur Journalism as a hobby. Although deeply rooted in the “Black Art” of letterpress printing, all of the associated arts of writing, editing, publishing, and illustration are equally important to NAPA members. Each month’s bundle of papers, mailed to all members, will contain the work of printers, some who do not write, and writers and poets, and some who also print. Some edit and publish the work of others, leaving the craft of printing to yet others.

You can look it up.

Our fandom is younger, but was well along in 1937 when John Michel and Don Wollheim founded FAPA the Fantasy Amateur Press Association – also still ongoing.

It occurred to Michel and Wollheim – each of whom has much to answer for (historical present tense; JM 1917-1968, DW 1914-1990) – that fanziners could send copies of their zines to a central officer who would then collate and distribute them. From this came copy counts, membership rosters, waiting lists, and things too fierce to mention.

Since then we’ve had dozens of apas. They come and go, each with its own rules, customs, and jokes. Most of our apas have been quarterly or monthly. I’m in one that’s weekly.

The central and only officer of WOOF is the Official Editor. Some have held that position for years – Pelz himself, and Victoria Smith, to name two – but this too comes and goes.

The OE for WOOF in 2019 is Kees van Toorn, who among much else chaired the 48th Worldcon, at the Hague.

This year’s collation will be WOOF 44 (the number, like much else, is subject to controversy but there you are; possibly pertinent, but I insist it isn’t, atomic element 44 is one of the rarest metals on Earth, and has no biological role).

Sue Mason, some of whose artwork was collected by Alison Scott in No Moose Today, Thanks, will do a cover.

Would you like to contribute? There’s no formal membership.

This year’s Worldcon will be at Dublin, Republic of Ireland. At the moment WOOF seeks a convenient place for depositing and collecting contributions on paper. Electronic contributions will be printed and collated in.

The result will be (1) sent by paper or electronic mail to each contributor, as each may arrange with the OE; (2) sent to people who do not contribute, if any so arrange; (3) given to members of the Worldcon who seem interested, as resources may permit – including some way of covering the OE’s costs, with Dutch letters of exchange – that may not be right – hmm — or PayPal, or something.

Stay tuned for more details (“Slans! This is a Porgrave thought-broadcaster,” A.E. Van Vogt, Slan ch. 14, as the electronic may see here).

Meanwhile if you wish you can write or call me, 236 S. Coronado St., No. 409, Los Angeles, CA 90057, U.S.A.; (213)384-6622 (Pacific Time zone).

Why me – when I’ve never been in WOOF? Well, Lord Melbourne (William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, 1779-1848), when told he was a pillar of the Church, said “I don’t think I can be a pillar of the Church. I must be a buttress. I support it from outside.”

Why Shibano-san?

Among much else he wrote and translated under the name Rei Kozumi. Some of us rendered this as “Mr. Kozumi”, not recognizing his Japanification – while in Japanese style the last name shall be first, the Japanese are punsters far beyond even the likes of me (and I wish I’d invented “Black Art”, though ink comes in other colors too) – of “cosmic ray”. He was great in fandom and prodom.

“Kees” rhymes with “rays”.

10 thoughts on “WOOF in the Spirit of Shibano Takumi?

  1. John, I’d like to defenestrate you for “elephantine task”. Fortunately I’m 30 miles away….

  2. @P J Evans: I’ll be out there for WFC. Maybe we can plan an expedition under the cover of re-enacting Prague?

  3. Guy Lillian: I like “etrrific” better. It could stand there with “poctsard” and “filk song”.

  4. Pingback: WOOF 2019 Collation Information | File 770

  5. John Hertz reolies by carrier pigeon:

    Let the record show that Ms. Turek chaired the 38th World Science Fiction Convention Noreascon Two

    http://www.mcfi.org/noreascon2/

    at which the Fan Guest of Honor was Bruce Pelz, for many reasons known as the Elephant.

  6. Pingback: WOOFers, Embark | File 770

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