Apparently not to be confused with another one of her publications entitled,”PEOPs”, PEOP(le)s #3 by seasoned comic/zine artist Fly is an engaging take on otherwise traditional “bust” portraiture. Accompanied by text on how she met each person, Fly delves into their personal history, and in doing so reveals bits of herself along the way. Sometimes her style works brilliantly, allowing the ordinary nature of most of the people to be appropriately revealed, but there are instances in which her drawing style comes off as excessively naive. Thankfully however, the latter is of a lesser percentage.
Although the cover is in full colour, it’s a shame it can’t be throughout. Much of the subtle detail is lost in the black and white printout (and that can be said of so many zines!). Peop(le) that she includes in this issue range from NYC punks to my personal favourite, Sophie Crumb. I think I’m drawn to it especially because at first glance, I took it to be a portrait of a man. Fly also admits she made Crumb look like a “Russian Soccer Hooli.” Still, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing…
While every portrait does not hold the same appeal, there is always intrigue in The Encounter. This is a far superior publication than her comic zines, and I hope to see more of this quality from Fly (and hell, from all zine makers) in the future. (Carolyn Tripp)
illustrated zine, Fly, #3, PO Box 1318, Cooper Stn, NYC, NY, 10276, U.S.A. www.bway.net/~fly, [email protected]