Klordny: Devoted to the Legion of Super-Heroes
Sunday, August 27, 2017
  Frequently Asked Questions about Klordny (2017 edition)

1. What is an APA?

An APA is an "amateur press alliance" -- a publication put together by a collection of friends and fellow enthusiasts. In this case, we put together a "mailing" of Klordny every two months by having each member contribute enough copies of his or her contribution so that all members will get a copy. Each member sends his collated contribution (or "zine" [short for "magazine" or "fanzine (fan magazine)"]) to the Central Mailer (CM), who collates all the zines into a single, stapled mailing and sends the mailings out to the membership.

2. Why should I join an APA?

To share an enthusiasm and to make friends. Since APAs can take tons of time and money, only those who really share that enthusiasm and really enjoy the APA forum are going to stick around. APAs are also great places to hone your writing and art skills in front of a generally supportive and constructive audience.

3. Sounds interesting, but how can this be done over the 'net?

It can't. Klordny is NOT an electronic APA. We prepare everything in print and trust the postal service to deliver our completed publication to our members. We have regular deadlines, and you can be certain that Klordny can be read at your leisure wherever you are comfortable. Your computer won't be flooded with e-mail, and you will be under no pressure to produce material immediately. In order to maintain your membership in Klordny, however, it is strongly suggested that you submit two pages of Legion-related material once every four months (see our Constitution for more).

That said, there's also a Yahoo! group to talk abut all things Klordny-related. Check that out at the Klordny Yahoo! group page and then join our list, why don'tcha?!?!?

4. How much does an APA cost?

APAs are always going to take up lots of time and money, so be ready for that from the start. But most of the expenses you'll run into will come in the duplication and sending in of your own zines, which you completely pay for. You also have to maintain a positive balance in an "account" with the APA. The "dues" you pay to keep that account in the positive will go toward the expenses of putting out the APA -- satples, envelopes, copying expenses for the bulletin and covers, postage to send the mailing to you, etc. The Klordny membership is limited to 25 people with an open waitlist membership (at the moment we've got more than enough room for new members).

It is the smallest of the existing Legion APAs, and a typical cost for each mailing is between $4-$7 (waitlist members pay a flat $4 plus postage [usually $3] for their mailing). Each mailing's bulletin gives a detailed account of the previous mailing's expenses so you'll always be able to see how your "dues" are being spent.

There's no sort of profit or salary or any sort of financial incentives going to the APA or its officers; all of your account dollars go towards APA expenses. So don't think of those "dues" as the major part of your participation. What will probably cost you a bit more is making the copies of your own zine and then paying to send them to the Central Mailer. You'll probably end up photocopying your zines, in which case our current copy count of approximately 15 and a copying cost of fifteen cents per page would mean you'd be spending $2.25 per page in your copying. Postage will vary according to the size of your zine and the type of mail you choose (some people send their zines in first-class, others use a courier, depending on how close to the deadline they send it (always pay attention to the deadline!). And remember, these expenses come with every mailing you contribute to, and there are six mailings each year.

Our current central mailer also accepts emailed copies of your zine, which he'll then print out at cost and assemble for the issue, saving members on the postage costs associated with sending their contributions to him (many of our contributors take him up on this offer!)

5. What should I write about in Klordny?

Anything you'd like (so long as it's not libelous or infringing on a copyright). In this case, the reason for all of us getting together is comics in general and the Legion of Super-Heroes in particular, so you're encouraged, but not required, to discuss the Legion. Fiction, artwork, reviews, articles and virtually anything else you'd like to discuss are all fine.

But remember that this is not a fanzine, it is an instrument of more personal communication. You're not writing for a wide audience but for the specific membership of Klordny. "Mailing Comments" (MCs) -- reactions to other people's zines from the previous mailing -- tend to be the liveliest and most effective segments of APAs. Suggested topics for a first zine are your personal background (where you've lived, what your hobbies are, what your family is like, your "significant other," pets, etc.), the history of your interest with the Legion, your favorite Legionnaire, your favorite Legion era, your favorite individual story, favorites elsewhere in comics, etc., etc.

6. What should my zine look like?

Any way you want it to, but here are a few guidelines to help you get started...


  • It's not required that your zine be typed, but unless you have extremely clear penmanship and an unusual invulnerability to writer's cramp, we suggest you do whatever it takes to get your zines typed.
  • Leave yourself about a one-inch margin on all sides, and most especially on the side that be next to the "spine" of the mailing (the left-hand margin on the front side of a page, the right-hand margin on the back, if you print double-sided). If you write to the very edge of the page, some of your words are going to get lost in the spine. Some readers also like to make comments on the outside margin to assist them when they get around to doing their mailing comments.
  • Please give your zine a distinctive name (some examples from past and current Klordny mailings are "Mysa's Mysteries," "The Forbidden Zone," "Invsible Insights," "Yakka Mahor," "With Regards from Computo the Conqueror," and "Shanghalla") and list that title, plus your name and address (and phone number and e-mail address, if you like) near the start of your zine. It makes it easy for the membership to find and recognize you.
  • We encourage using coloured paper when it's cheaply available because white zines collated next to white zines tend to "bleed together" and become hard for people to tell them apart. Also, double-sided copying is generally considered better looking and saves in paper weight, therefore saving postage for both yourself and the APA.
  • And please, do NOT staple your contributions. Most Central Mailers encourage stapled zines as it makes the collation easier. For Klordny, however, one of our previous Central Mailers began a policy of removing staples (being of the opinion that it makes the completed mailing look much nicer). That tradition has kind of stuck. But you know what? If you want to staple your zine, go right ahead. It's not like there's a law against stapling your zines.

    Yet.
  • Artwork always brightens up the APA, so include as much as you like.

    Certain members are of the opinion that pictures of Nardo or the Super Moby Dick of Space also brighten up the APA ... except even more so. So, if you'd like to include picutres of Nardo or the Super Moby Dick of Space, we encourage that sort of activity.

    7. What are some of the most common mistakes made by APA newcomers?

    Most newcomer's mistakes come when a member forgets that APAs are a forum best suited to personal, friendly communication. They often prepare materials as if they're writing for a wide circulation publication and all that work just doesn't pay off in this medium. Generally, more personal levels of communication are easier to write, more effective, and get a greater response from the membership.

    Most APA newcomers will underestimate the amount of time and work it takes to actually finish a zine, copy, collate and package it, and get it to the post office, so they've seldom allowed for time for the inevitable problems at the copy shop, or the computer crashing, or whatever other disaster you'd never expect to happen until it does. the most important and common disaster is that the post office slows down for some reason and your package arrives too late to be included in the mailing.

    8. What are Klordnites like?

    We have a wonderfully diverse and wide-spread membership from across North America. We've even had members from overseas (Australia, England and France in the past; currently we have members in Germany and Canada). We've got executive types and students, librarians and computer operators, cooks and architects, bon vivants and ne'er do wells. We've got single members, married members, and members who prefer alternate lifestyles. We've got writers and artists, researchers and essayists. We've got younger members and we've got older members. Although all of us are tending to skew a bit older nowadays. Most importantly, we've all got a love for the Legion, both old and new.

    If you took a look at one of our mailings today you'd find an incredible amount of fiction (Klordnites seem to be quite prolific) and some high-calibre art. But don't worry if you're not a writer or an artist; a lot of our members are around just to read and comment. That's the essence of an APA. We've made a good number of lasting friendships over the years and look forward to finding many more.

    9. What's all this I hear about firetrucks and ... monkeys, is it?

    Ah, but that would be telling. That's a perk reserved for members of Klordny. So why not join up and find out? Believe me, once you join, you will find out about the firetrucks. And the monkeys.

    Oh yes.

    You will.

    10. So what do I do to get started?

    You can write the current Central Mailer of Klordny for further information. The address is:

    Carl Fishman
    3588 Plymouth Road #229
    Ann Arbor, MI 48105
    USA
    E. carlfishman@att.net

  • Or get in touch with the administrator of this site and the Yahoo! Klordny group: klordny2020@yahoo.com. If you have any questions, I'd love to try and answer them for ya.

    Thanks for checking us out!


    (Thanks to Brad Horning, who originally posted these FAQs on his Klordny website.)
  •  
      Cover to Klordny #216: July/August 2017

     

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    The Klordny Constitution

  • KLORDNY is an Amateur Press Alliance (APA), published bi-monthly and devoted to comic books in general and the Legion of Super-Heroes (LSH) in particular.

  • MEMBERSHIP is limited to twenty-five (25) people and is open to anyone with an interest in the LSH.

  • MINAC (minimum activity) is two (2) pages every two (2) mailings. Only pages relating to the LSH, comics in general, and Klordny mailings (ie. mailing comments) shall count toward minac. The Central Mailer (CM) shall be the final judge of this rule. Other contributed pages will be published but will not count toward minac.

  • COVERS shall be solicited from the whole of the Klordny members and waitlist members by the Central Mailer.
    1. Prospective cover artists can bid for the right to do a cover in the coming year by submitting a request after September First of the current year to the Central Mailer. The Central Mailer shall compile a list of the cover artists from such requests on a first-come-first-served basis.
    2. Section covers are left to the Central Mailer's discretion.
    3. Should a cover responsibility be neglected by a listed artist, the responsibility shall be shifted to the Central Mailer to be dealt with as the Central Mailer sees fit.
    4. Neglect of cover responsibilities shall empower the Central Mailer to exclude the offending individual from subsequent cover assignments if the Central Mailer deems this necessary.
    5. An individual may only do one cover per year (officially).

  • EXPENSES of the APA are to be evenly distributed among the membership. All members must maintain a positive account with the APA. Accounts of departing members are forfeited to the APA.

  • ANYONE interested in membership may join the waitlist for five dollars ($5.00 US). New waitlist members will receive the latest available issue and thereafter the Bulletin, consisting of (1) Table of Contents, (2) President's Message, and (3) Central Mailer's Message. Waitlist members must respond to each bulletin or mailing they receive. Failure to respond twice in succession shall result in being dropped from the waitlist. Waitlist members are encouraged to contribute and are given first opportunity to purchase any available copies of the mailing in which their contribution appears. Contributing a zine counts as a response.

  • If the total membership in Klordny is less than 25, waitlist requirements will be suspended. Anyone in good standing, but not meeting Minac, will still be treated as a member, and will share the expenses of the APA. When the membership is over 25, waitlist requirements will go back into effect, and anyone not meeting Minac will be relegated to the waitlist.

  • ISSUES may be purchased for four dollars ($4.00 US) plus postage, subject to availability.

  • ELECTED OFFICES shall consist of (1) President, and (2) Central Mailer, elected to one-year terms.

  • DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT: The President shall:
    1. Contribute a President's Message each issue;
    2. Publicize the APA and recruit new members;
    3. Resolve disputes and be responsible for general morale;
    4. Appoint a Central Mailer if he, she or they cannot fulfill the duties of office because of death, resignation or other reasons. Members in such case will first be asked to volunteer.

  • DUTIES OF THE CENTRAL MAILER: The Central Mailer shall:
    1. Set a copy count not to exceed 40;
    2. Set deadlines for contributions;
    3. Keep track of minacs;
    4. Handle all APA expenses;
    5. Contribute a Central Mailer's Message to each issue, including membership roster, waitlist roster and a complete statement of Klordny finances;
    6. Be responsible for collation and distribution of the APA;
    7. Be responsible for the Bulletin and other matters pertaining to the waitlist;
    8. Assume the duties of President in case of removal, death or inability to fulfill the duties of office.

  • BALLOTS for elected offices will be sent in the September issue. Candidates for office should announce prior to then. Officers will be elected by majority vote and will assume the office with the January issue.

  • PROPOSED AMENDMENTS to the Constitution must be submitted in writing to the President, who will print the proposal in his next President's Message. A four-month debating period will follow, after which the proposal will be brought to a vote of the full membership. A majority of the voting membership is required to approve the proposed amendment.

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    A Brief History of Klordny, the APA

    The Amateur Press Alliance known as Klordny began in early 1980 when Brad Horning had a letter published in issue #265 of the Legion of Super-Heroes. After his letter the editor, Jack C. Harris, mentioned that Brad was forming a Legion of Super-Heroes Fan Club and that if anyone was interested they should write to him. Brad received over 100 responses to that request. He sent out letters asking those who replied for their ideas on what the club should do. The biggest response was for a fanzine. Dues were to be sent in, and a fanzine called "Klordny" was to be started. Brad had asked for suggestions as to the name of the fanzine, but it was Brad himself who found an obscure reference to Klordny and decided to adopt it as the club's official name. Klordny is named after a 30th century festival first shown in LSH #232.

    Unfortunately, very few people sent Brad their dues, and because the number was so low the fanzine was not financially sound. Brad refunded the dues that were sent in and the club was disbanded. It was all over by July. In August, Brad sent each of the final respondents a list of the others' names and addresses.

    Klordny's first rebirth was about to begin. Member Ira Kalina wrote letters trying to get things started again, but it wasn't until Cindy Gann wrote Brad suggesting that Klordny be revived as an APA instead that things got rolling. In late October 1980, Klordny was reborn. The first 25 respondents to Brad's letter announcing the restart would become members and the rest would be waitlist members. The first issue was to be out by January 1981.

    Klordny was a weird hybrid. Although billed as an APA, it still retained aspects of a fan club. Members paid dues ($2 an issue), there were four officers, and it had a five-page constitution. The Constitution also contained our infamous 'rule' which cause derision is the APA world. That was the rule where a member could be dropped if they "consistently wrote about themselves or about non-Legion-related material."

    Klordny got off to a rapid start with Cindy Gann as our first Central Mailer and Brad as our first President and has survived the troubles of the years . . . but not without some work and dedication. Its first crisis occurred into its third year. Both Brad and Cindy had departed the APA to pursue other interests leaving Klordny in the hands of Rex Joyner, who assumed the office of President, and a new Central Mailer; all other offices by this time had vanished. But with this new Central Mailer came new problems--problems of missed deadlines and absent dues, a situation which culminated with the disappearance of the Central Mailer all together. Not even Rex knew what had happened. There was no response at all from the CM. It wasn't until Rex contacted member Arthur Lewandowski to find out if Arthur would go along with him by taking over the APA and and seeing if they could save Klordny that things started to get straightened out.

    Arthur agreed to become Central Mailer, but first had to find out if the membership was interested in continuing. Letters were sent out, and when half of the members and waitlist members said they were still interested, Rex and Arthur decided to continue. Instead of starting anew, however, they felt it best to resume the numbering with the absent Klordny #15. The new deadline was January 1, 1984. It was also at this time that they decided to streamline the bulky constitution and change the dues system to an accounts system. Rex was to build up the membership by writing to those who got their letters published in the Legion book. He was successful and the groundwork for a new Klordny was set. Membership grew, and the size of the mailings did likewise. Things were looking rosy. Rex and Arthur continued for three years in their crucial positions as President and Central mailer. Arthur would have probably CMed forever if it weren't for the fact that he was feeling that Klordny was becoming his APA.

    Klordny saw its next great surge of membership almost three years later with the election of Bob Dobiesz and Jim Kelly as its Central Mailer and President, respectively. Bob and Jim seemed to take over Klordny during a transitional period in its history. Up until 1987 the membership had remained fairly constant and things were getting predictable. By the end of '87 and into '88 there was a large turnover in membership as many old-timers left and new blood arrived. That certainly enlivened the APA and seemed to bring in renewed intrerest, especially in Legion-related talk, but there was still a drop-off in issue size and member participation. It still seemed to be as if changes were in the air as yet another clump of long-time members left.

    Before there was even a chance to worry, Klordny was deluged with new waitlist members as simultaneously Bob and Jim went on a membership drive and the new Legion book printed a blurb for Klordny in issue #8. Once again the membership began to swell, and the waitlist membership soon grew so large that it was almost a two-year wait before a spot opened up. Fiction, art, and Legion-talk abounded. And the history of Klordny continued to repeat itself.

    In March, 1998, Klordny saw the publication of its 100th issue, a milestone for any APA. We are always interested in new and returning blood. An influx of new blood this past year, along with contributions from our stalwart members, keeps discussion lively and interesting and filled with some of the best fiction and art in Legion fandom today. With members all across Canada and the United States, and some overseas, we continue to be a diverse and friendly crowd. Whether we are teachers or writers or short-order cooks or students, we all share one common interest, the Legion of Super-Heroes. If you share this interest, why not give us a try. We may not be the only Legion-related APA around, but we think of ourselves as one of the best. Whenever the need arises, be certain that we will be there, supporting the Legion's creative team and letting them know when we think they've erred. Legion fandom is one of the funnest places to be, and we take pride in being one of its homes.

    If you're a fan of the Adventure-era Legion, Klordny is the place for you to be. If you're a fan of the 1970s bikinis and disco Legion, Klordny is the place for you to be. If you're a fan of the Keith Giffen-Tom & Mary Bierbaum Legion, Klordny is the place for you to be. If it's the current era that best suits your fannish whims, Klordny is the place for you to be. If you hate all of those things, and all you want to do is whinge and whine about Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl ... you've got it, Klordny is the place for you to be. You call Dawnstar your favorite character? Well, so do certain members of Klordny. You've got a fondness for the White Witch? Well, so do certain members of Klordny. Ultra Boy, Karate Kid, Ferro Lad, Shrinking Violet, Polar Boy, Hate Face, The Weirdo Legionnaire, Calamity King, Infectious Lass - we love 'em all!! And the Legion villains - Nardo, the Super Moby Dick of Space, Mordru, The Fatal Five or The Blight - we love to hate them!!! And if you like to sprinkle discussions of Civil War history, bikini car washes, monkeys, pirates, private detectives and shenanigans in with your Legion-related discourse - who are we to say ye nay?

    We're not going to say ye nay.

    Nosiree.

    We're Klordny. We don't operate like that.

    Check us out. You'll be glad you did.

    Back to top

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    The Legion of Super-Heroes, the distinctive likenesses thereof, and all related indicia are trademarks of and copyright 2003 DC Comics.

  • This is the website where you can find all about Klordny, the Amateur Press Association publication devoted to DC Comics' Legion of Super-Heroes. Contribute your own writing, musings, fiction or artwork every 60 days and join the fun. Whether you're a fan of Superboy or Dawnstar or Wildfire or Saturn Girl or Cosmic Boy or Matter-Eater Lad, you're all welcome here. Mostly.

    Current issue
    Klordny #219

    Deadlines for submissions to Klordny tend to occur on the last weekend of every odd month (January, March, May, July, September, November)

    Upcoming deadlines for 2019:


    Mail 14 copies of your zine in order to reach our Central Mailer by that date in order to be included in the next mailing:

    Current Central Mailer
    Carl Fishman
    3588 Plymouth Road #229
    Ann Arbor, MI 48105
    USA
    Email: carlfishman at att dot net

    Interested in becoming a member of Klordny?

    It's easy. Simply:

    1. Write up an intro zine. Talk about your history with the LSH or comics in general. Draw a few pretty pictures. Write some original fiction. Tell us a little about yourself. You know, whatever you want to contribute.
    2. Make 14 copies of your intro zine.
    3. Send your 14 copies to our central mailer (see above) along with a check to cover the expenses of mailing Klordny back to you.
    4. Enjoy!
    Questions about Klordny or this site?
    Want to know more? Take a quick look-see at this site, and then if you still have unanswered burning questions ...
    Ask klordny2020@yahoo.com and ye shall receive.

    Read The Klordny Constitution

    Read A brief history of Klordny, the APA

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