The Comic and Fantasy Art Amateur Press Association (CFA-APA) was founded in 1985 by Roger Hill. Its membership consists of knowledgeable fans, creators, and collectors of comic and fantasy art who write about various subjects related to those genres. The group self-publishes approximately three times a year and each issue has a theme relating to a specific creator or subject. Currently, membership is limited to 40 persons at any one time and circulation is limited to 55 issues, making the publication itself highly collectible.
The CFA-APA began as an informal forum for original comic art collectors to exchange ideas, experiences and information. It provides serious fans and collectors of comic and fantasy art with a forum/publication for discussion of topics, ideas or opinions relative to the original art marketplace. It is designed for those people who have a genuine interest and love for all types of art collecting: comic book art, illustrations of science fiction, fantasy, horror or adventure stories, pin-up/good-girl art, cover art from paperbacks, hardcover books, magazines or pulps, newspaper strips or cartoon art, animation art, movie posters or advertising artwork, and related illustrations or sketches.
Founder Roger Hill is one of the most active comic art collectors, researchers and comic art historians in the United States. He was a comic art consultant to the Sothebys Comic Book and Art auctions held in New York City during the 1990s. He was a contributing writer and Art Editor for the book, Against the Grain: Mad Artist Wallace Wood and a writer and editor for the book Frank R. Paul: The Dean of Science Fiction Illustration. Both of these publications were monographs regarding the life and artwork of each of these two artists. Roger was one of the founding contributors to the Squa Tront EC fanzine along with Jerry Weist. Roger's interest in original art lead to the formation of the CFA-APA, after being inspired by the Edgar Rice Burroughs Amateur Press Association (ERBapa). The ERBapa had previously been founded by John Guidry.
History
A history of the CFA-APA was a chapter in the 2011 The Comic Art Price Guide.
Roger Hill served as editor of the CFA-APA, initially from Mailing #1 (June 30, 1985) to mailing #15. The original membership included 17 members, four of whom were delinquent in sending in contributions to the first mailing. Wallace Harrington was the editor for Mailings #16-30, 33-34. Roger Hill edited Mailings #31, #32 and #53-60. Bob Koppany et al (see individual listings) edited from Mailings #35-49. Bill Leach edited from Mailings #50-52. Benno Rothschild et al (see individual listings) edited Mailings #61-89. Wallace Harrington resumed editorial duties again with Mailing #91, followed by David Applegate from Mailing #101 onwards.
Included among the group members who have written articles or books to add to the history of comics are Tom Roberts (Alex Raymond: His Life and Art), Jim Amash (Matt Baker: The Art of Glamour, Carmine Infantino: Penciler, Publisher, Provocateur, ), Dewey Cassell (The Art of George Tuska, Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics), Wallace Harrington (Neville Colvin: A Modest Man), Gary Land (Edwin Austin Abbey: Master of Detail Illustration Magazine #40), Benno Rothschild (Rough Stuff Interview with Brian Stelfreeze in Rough Stuff #6), David L. Applegate ("Coming out in the comic strips," from Hogan's Alley no. 1, 1994, Bullmoose Publishing, Atlanta), Raymond A. Cuthbert (The Two-Gun Kid: The Silver Age Western Super-Hero, Comic Book Marketplace #98, January 2003; Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon: The Comic Strip as Epic Fantasy, Comic Book Marketplace #93, August 2002, An Interview with Hello Betty! Artist, Terry Twigg), and Bill Leach (editor and publisher of HORROR FROM THE CRYPT OF FEAR,#8-14, the only EC HorrorZine approved by the William M. Gaines Estate); Robert L. Reiner, curator of the Society of Illustrators Museum of Illustration exhibition, "What, Me PANIC? Celebrating Angelo Torres," and the writer of the adaptation of Otto Binder's previously unpublished 1953 story, The Unwanted, illustrated by Angelo Torres and Stefan Koidl, publisher Fantagraphics. Other members such as John Stuart and Steve Nam have included comic and fantasy art in their works of fiction (the novel Cryptic Inks and short story "Streets like Gray Wolves" in Tulane Review, respectively).
Magazine contents
The magazine consists of articles written, laid out, and duplicated by its members that are sent to an editor/collator for distribution. Each issue is dedicated to specific articles or general themes. Each issue is dedicated to a specific artist or general theme.