7 Animals Agenda

I'm not sure what caused the demise of Animals Agenda in 2002, but its last cover superimposed a photo of a "final solution" concentration camp with a chicken farm. Probably the not so subtle anti-semitism of it sent them to the chopping block, if they weren't already floundering.

I have the Volume 1, Number 1, Winter 1979/80 of Agenda, its original title. It is a typewritten, duplicated 16 page little thing that begins

We are trying to start a publication that will serve as a forum for discussion of problems and issues facing the animal liberation movement. [inserts some history of the movement] Meanwhile, our movement is still in disarray. We should be doing much more to pull together toward formation of a cohesive, international political force. . . Every movement worth its salt has had at least one theoretical journal for the exchange of ideas among its advocates.

Jim Mason is the name behind the publication and he says 4 friends are helping him as an editorial board. Together they came up with the $65 to write, print and mail this first issue. It was mailed from Westport, CT.

Ulrich's International classifies this as "Animal Welfare," which is a big no-no in the biz. In fact, the first article in the first issue written by Mason is about what is wrong with the animal welfare organizations (AWO), which militant animal rights organizations believe exploit animals.

But Mason's dream of a quality journal was fulfilled and it ended a 22 years run as a refereed, indexed, academic journal with a respectable circulation of 30,000. Not bad considering its typewritten first issue.

Agenda [became Animals Agenda]
Winter 1979/80, Volume 1, Number 1
Status: Ceased March/April 2002
ISSN: (na)
Animals Agenda ISSN: 0892-8819
Subject: Animal rights, Animal welfare
Publication schedule (na)
James Mason
P.O. Box 5224
Westport, CT 06880
http://www.animalsagenda.org/
free to mailing list; subscription plans in the future
Publisher and editor: James Mason