Written by Fred Patten and published on Bruce Pelz's mimeograph, January 27, 1965. Intended for Apa L, Fifteenth Distribution, LASFS Meeting #1433, January 28, 1965. Address: 1825 Greenfield Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90025. Phone: 213 GR 3-6321.

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SPECIAL ALL-DISTRIBUTION-COMMENT ISSUE!

Yes, I figure it's been long enough since I did a really good set of Distribution Comments that I really ought to devote a whole issue to them. I've had all sorts of things to say to people for some time now, and they just aren't getting said. Did I ever get around to telling you, Ed Baker, about that horrible nightmare I had about a month back in which you and Fred Lerner had shaved off your beards, and now nobody could tell the three of us apart? Well, now you know. Most of my other bottled-up comments aren't as sleep-croggling as that one was, but I want to get rid of them so they'll stop cluttering up my mind.

Dick Lupoff -- "Yes", to all your questions about Andre Norton's "The Gifts of Asti". "The People of the Crater" was published in FANTASY BOOK #1; "The Gifts of Asti" was in FANTASY BOOK #3. At the end of "People of the Crater", there was a notice that a sequel would be forthcoming almost immediately, but "The Gifts of Asti" was so different in plot that I couldn't see how it could be called a sequel. When I visited Miss Norton with the Pelzes on our way to DisCon, I specifically asked her about this, and she said that there was no connection between the stories; the announced sequel had never been published in any form. While at her house, I saw the "Griffen Science Fantasy Booklet #1", which was identical in every way, shape, and form, typographically speaking, to anything else that FPCI ever put out; why the "Griffen Press", I don't know. I read "The People of the Crater" and "The Gifts of Asti" at the same time, and remember thinking that "Asti" was slightly the better of the two, though that's not saying very much. Abominable pseudo-Merritt, both of them. They are related in being written about the same time, apparently, and in the same style. I presume they were her first attempts at writing in the sf/fantasy line; it wasn't until five years later that her first sf book, Star Man's Son, appeared. ## Oh, come now, our "squabbling and back-biting" isn't really that unpleasant, is it? I'd hardly noticed it. Some of us like to get into arguments on paper just to have something to say, but none of it's serious (unless I'm more dense than even I'd imagined), and our meetings of LA Fandom are about as quiet and tranquil, in the animosity realm, as you could find anywhere. How long has it been since all of NY Fandom gathered physically together, and what happened? ## I've seen Continued Next Week at the bookstores, but haven't had a chance to do more than flip through it. I remember being surprised that it was by a University publisher, and considerably disappointed that there weren't more stills in it, considering how many books on the history of Hollywood-&-the-cinema are studded with photos on every other page. There may still be call for "Chris's book".

Bob Bernecky -- Blasphemy! Roscoe is the only true Ghod.

Tom Gilbert -- Has a separate meeting of the LASFS Executive Committee ever been called? The club survives, nevertheless. ## for the line about Boyd Raeburn, read Norm Clarke's THE GREAT RAEBURN DOGDIDDLE. Or ask Rob Lichtman; I'm sure he'll be only too happy to start a new rumor going. ## Did you really blackmail Hulan like that? I see I'm going to have to start paying closer attention to how & to whom you hand out the Distributions. Why don't you get on the IWL? ## So you finally got those swords into the Distribution after all. How did they show up in Harness' zine, though? ## THE GALLANT GALLSTONE #12 1/2 didn't cause me that much extra effort in stapling the Distribution. I can speak for myself if I have any complaints about the size of contributions. I'd rather have something like this than one of Stine's sheets, folded over and to be tossed in as an inclusion. No more of them. ## If you are all that interested in getting me into Apa F, I tell you what I'll do. Each week, after I'm through running off RR, I'll bring you the stencils instead of throwing them away, and you can publish as many copies as you like for whoever you like. Interested? ## Nope, I have no objection to Bruce's getting a copy of the Distribution even if he doesn't have anything in it. The Distribution is supposed to be free to everybody who shows up at the club; whether they have anything of their own in it is only a matter for consideration in those instances when more people show up than there are complete copies of the Distribution to go around. Bruce has as much right to a copy as do Ted Johnstone or Hannifen, who've been freeloading for how many weeks now? ## Let me know when LASFSians come to total over half the active membership of Apa F. ## Giving away your secret about your/Castora's Kappa-alpha membership, eh? Does Phil know yet that the nasty letters being sent to Jerry Bails have his name signed to them? Oh, if anybody's curious as to what Kappa-alpha, the comic book apa is like, it's very good if you happen to be interested in comic books. There are a couple of sub-teen goshwow members, but most of the material is on the ingroup-scholarly side in this field, giving articles and checklists of titles; compiling and preserving bibliographical information on a specialized form of juvenile literature, as it happens, which I do think is worthwhile. ## Well-put comments as to the relative difficulties in collating Apa L vs. Apa F Distributions; we have enough trouble in collating Apa L with some well-meaning volunteer coming along while we're working and assembling 3/4 of a copy in the wrong order before we catch him and set him straight, without letting everybody just assemble their own copies at random. As to another reason why the Apa F method would be out of place at LASFS, don't forget the different emotional compositions of the two groups. Apa F & the Fanoclasts are much more anarchistic by their own admission. The LASFS is much more legally formal; our immediate reactions to anything are, "Let's appoint a Committee to study it", "What will the rules be?", "How many officers should we have?", and, "Shall we draw a fannish coat-of-arms for it?" Which reminds me that it's about time Apa L got a coat-of-arms. Everybody who's not drawing Beasties submit a design for an Apa L coat-of-arms next time.

Phil Castora -- Congratulations on the best comment in the last Distribution, to those who call the Distribution as "disty", I hope you can manage to make the Distributions a lot more frequently in the future. Better than a SCHMOZ once a month, anyway.

Ellie Turner -- I've been on the two merry-go-rounds at Knott's Berry Farm, but neither were mule-powered; both were motor driven. Hah, I see now; there must be a third one, because I've never been in the Old MacDonald's Farm area. The two I'm familiar with are both of a kind; very old, with hand-carved animals of many types, and with the old glass eyes that look right at you. They're both worth while. I'll have to try that one that's mule-driven. I understand that the one at Disneyland was originally of the same hand-carved, multi-animaled sort, but Disney had all the animals removed and the standard horses put on for some unexplained reason. But haven't you ever been to the merry-go-round at Balboa Park in San Diego? It's the best of all those I'm familiar with, and no fan trip to SD is complete without a stop in the Park to ride on it. The owners/proprietors are very nice people, as well; When Steve & Luise Cartier were married in SD, and we all stopped for a ride on the carrousel afterwards, they gave us an extra free ride as a group wedding present.