Collage

The print version of Triple Echo featured collages by Rachel Steen that played a big part in giving the ‘zine its unique look. As all these collages were reproduced in black and white, I thought it would be worthwhile to display a few of my favourites in their glorious original colours. Rachel had free rein to do what she wanted, although I sometimes asked her to illustrate a story or an advertisement for Triple Echo. Her contributions never failed to delight.

 

Although there’s nothing sinister about any of the dolls in this ad, the background moon and landscape always seemed a little ominous to me. I used to call this the Chucky ad. I have since discovered that there are people who suffer from pediophobia, the irrational and persistent fear of dolls. Maybe that’s what she was getting at.

Rachel told me she often just put images together that looked pleasing to her. This was one of my favourites. I called it Cold Comfort and used it as the cover for volume 3 number 4. I was thrilled that it reproduced beautifully in black and white also.

I loved this somewhat surreal ad. The lady looked a bit of a diva so I concocted a ridiculous story for it:

“Dah-lings, Triple Echo is so affordable! For the price of two pairs of cheap pantyhose, and I never buy cheap pantyhose, you get four issues of real stories about real trans people, past and present. It’s changed my life.”
“Cut! Once more Ramona, but this time could we have a little more feeling?”
“It’s this script! How can I work with this script? ‘For the price of two pairs of cheap pantyhose.’ Honest to God!”
“Ramona, please…”
“Dah-lings, Triple Echo is so affordable…”

No, the subscriptions did not come pouring in.

The back cover of volume 3 number 3.

I wrote an article called “Who Murdered the Transvestite”. The title was a bit dramatic, but the article was an investigation of the stereotype and how the word had fallen out of favour among trans folks. I concluded, “So we all murdered the transvestite because we didn’t like him anymore. Who wants to hang around a sexist, homophobic wanker who dresses up in women’s clothes? We didn’t like what straight society thought he was and we didn’t like what he stood for in the trans community.” All the murderers are lurking in the background of Rachel’s art, but this collage, which was the cover of volume 2 number 2, proved to be too dark to reproduce well in black and white.

I really like the composition of this piece. I used this for an ad for Triple Echo. I noticed afterwards that the fringe of trees and deep blue sky were undoubtedly cut from the same magazine as Cold Comfort (above). No wonder I liked it so much. The elegant lady in the foreground helped too.

This looks like it could mean something, but if it does it has me stumped.