Action World

Long Island is famous for many things including; Billy Joel, the Amityville Horror, bagels, and Amy Fisher (not necessarily in that order). Actually, its pizza deserves some love as well.

But the island east-northeast from the mouth of the Hudson River is also known for early rock music guide Action World.

Founded by former AT&T employee Richard Branciforte in 1969, the monthly youth oriented guide allegedly began as a way to score free records and access to Woodstock (presumably the event, not the town).

While that may or may not have been true, Action World was initially distributed free on campuses (when it was around eight pages), while Branciforte and partner Barry Rothfeld targeted areas the they felt the Village Voice wasn’t reaching — Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk County. Two years after launching, the paper expanded to about thirty pages and selling for 25 cents.

The heavyosity handbook also changed its name to Good Times, a music and entertainment magazine that currently maintains its presence online. According to Branciforte, people thought Action World was a porno paper.

Regardless, presented here are eight issues from 1970 to 1971.