WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN THE UFO?
I was looking back through my past issues of Tet-Frags, mostly from the 80’s and 90’s, and found a lot of interesting facts. Membership ranged between 8 and 20, but usually around 12. But overall, the UFO has had hundreds of members over the years. I began to wonder what makes someone join such a group, especially in the age of the internet. I’m still not sure of the appeal to most, so I can only speak for myself.
It’s nice to belong to a group of individuals who have the same interest as me. It’s even nicer that those guys are cool, talented, and fun people. I can share my comics with them. In return, I get comments, good or bad, on my stuff and they send me their publications, which I get to comment on. Those things alone would be enough for me to join a co-op, but there is, in fact, more to it. There’s the bi-monthly newsletter, which I can freely contribute to. I can send in pages of my own making for inclusion in the UFO book which my contain comments on books I’ve received, or what I ate for lunch. I can spotlight my own books or artwork and generally be as narcissistic as I like. I’ve seen that many members do not take regular advantage of this privilege which is very hard to understand. And, finally, there is a certain prestige to belonging to the United Fanzine Organization. It doesn’t make you better than those who are not members, but it does set you apart as a publisher of excellence. You’re not just hanging out there by yourself. There’s a group behind you. And the UFO symbol is like a certification that your book has been put up against rigorous standards and has passed with flying colors. I mean it’s not easy to get in the UFO. Through the years, many folks have been rejected by unanimous vote. So, being in this group means something. You are accepted by your peers and now they expect you to meet a certain level of quality in your publications as long as you remain a member.
That’s why I’m in the UFO!
It’s nice to belong to a group of individuals who have the same interest as me. It’s even nicer that those guys are cool, talented, and fun people. I can share my comics with them. In return, I get comments, good or bad, on my stuff and they send me their publications, which I get to comment on. Those things alone would be enough for me to join a co-op, but there is, in fact, more to it. There’s the bi-monthly newsletter, which I can freely contribute to. I can send in pages of my own making for inclusion in the UFO book which my contain comments on books I’ve received, or what I ate for lunch. I can spotlight my own books or artwork and generally be as narcissistic as I like. I’ve seen that many members do not take regular advantage of this privilege which is very hard to understand. And, finally, there is a certain prestige to belonging to the United Fanzine Organization. It doesn’t make you better than those who are not members, but it does set you apart as a publisher of excellence. You’re not just hanging out there by yourself. There’s a group behind you. And the UFO symbol is like a certification that your book has been put up against rigorous standards and has passed with flying colors. I mean it’s not easy to get in the UFO. Through the years, many folks have been rejected by unanimous vote. So, being in this group means something. You are accepted by your peers and now they expect you to meet a certain level of quality in your publications as long as you remain a member.
That’s why I’m in the UFO!
