Raving Over Fliers

The history of the flier in America goes back to Thomas Payne (“Common Sense”) and beyond, in the years when the printing press was a political force. The flier evolved into newspapers, pamphlets and tools of propaganda. By the 1960s, fliers also took on the graphic influence of Haight-Ashbury psychedelia and were used as scaled-down posters to advertise rock concerts.

Today, they are the international medium of underground dance parties known as raves. Computer graphics have added a cyber-aesthetic to the neo-psychedelia of ecstasy-fueled rave culture. Everyone has a computer, and every little high school party crew wants to throw a party, so the well-distributed, attractively designed flier (check your local record store) has become all-important in ravers’ efforts to sort the good events from the bad.

Most importantly, fliers tell party-goers who the promoters are and what the deejay line-up will be for the night. On top of that, fliers must capture through graphics the theme of a rave (often childhood themes--from “The Wizard of Oz” to Mickey Mouse). The competition has bred pop art for the ‘90s as graphic artists use increasingly expensive devices--boxes of candy, vinyl records and all-important bottles of water--to get their message across: Rave on.