Dime 139 Interview @149st

DIME 139 INTERVIEW

©2001, 2003 @149st Do not republish without permission.

Where and what year did you start (on trains)?
I started in 1972.

Did you have a particular inspiration?
SUPER STRUT TASS, 7-UP, JUNIOR 161, ACE 137, STAY HIGH 149.

What borough are you originally from?
Queens.

What other names you have written?
THE KID.

What lines have you hit?
Es, Fs, GGs.

Where were your favorite locations to paint?
Flushing yards along the fence. The hill at the last stop of the M train.

Do you have any good racking stories?
Woolworths on Continental Avenue, glass case, open for the pickings. Even had time to pose for a down the jacket rack. A Hardware store on Metropolitan Avenue, UNCLE JOHN 178 and SHORTY 13 ran out with five cases of Sapolin paint by the door. The owner had no idea! Great stuff!

Who were your best partners?
STOE ONE (RIP) ONE, MOP, FLIP ONE, SHAWN 67, DON ONE, DEFIE

What crews have you written for?
SSB (I was Queens Pres.), and The Rebels.

How did you develop your style?
Answer

Threw a combination from SHAWN 67, DONDI 2 and DEFIE.
Answer

Do you have any stories about the 149th Street Bench?
Every time I went there there was nobody around. I met more writers at Pearl Paints over on Canal Street.

What would you say was the highlight of your career?
When I threw up the "Can Man" squirting out my cloud to my name and seeing everyone bitting it the following days. Doing the Bicentennial Freedom Train with CAINE ONE (RIP) and ROGER.

What year did you quit writing?
I quit in 1977.

Are there any writers from your era that you feel deserve more recognition?
Yeah. DEFIE, TROUBLE, had great style and as far as insides go STEVE 61, EARL ONE king of the inside panels and knew how to use a Uni for everything its was worth!!

What are you doing presently?
Being as creative as possible in Florida. Working with the computer doing digital editing/promos, painting driveways and adding designs and logos to them.

Do you have any closing words?
I had a great time back then and wouldn't take it back for anything. But unfortunately I feel I was a day late and a dollar short as they say. For I was only known as a destructive little kid just vandalizing. Back then. No one understood I did it for the ART. I only wish I could of had more of the exposure I was pushing for to where Graffiti is now, but I moved to soon. For just before moving to Florida, I was running around the city trying to push my portfolio and resume, taking it to influential companies but it was still in it's infancy and I was let down. But deep inside I knew there was something there and still to this day regret not doing more with what I had. Don't get me wrong I was recognized for my talent here in Florida. I worked for Disney painting props for their windows in all of their resorts. I also worked at Universal Studios as a set decorator for Super Sloppy Double Dare, and Super Boy.

The funny side of it is I learned Graffiti believe it or not in a very prestigious private school, Rhodes at 11 West 54 Street. Back in New York when Graffiti was at it's earliest TAKI 183 days. I hung with a dude named CLOUD 9 and MOON and visited the dean's office quit a bit. Then eventually made it to The High School of Art and Design. When I graduated I became a visual merchandiser, back then they called it a window decorator, I served a six year apprenticeship, or was supposed to to get into the Men's Guild, which was a joke! So I went out on my own. to decorate a lot of the stores in the Delancey Street area. Learning from other rebels from the guild, only to work it three years and then take the bull by its horns. But that's another story. I tried to incorporate some of what I learned from the tunnels and yards, but you can only take that just so far in a window. Having merchandise tear out from the back wall and using yarn as laser beams through shirts. It was cool and payed well.

Then I moved to Florida in my prime only to watch Fab Five Freddy working with Blondie, and read about the galleries that were happening as I sat back in Florida watching it unfold. Oh well, you win some, you loose some. As the saying goes, that's life. But all in all I can't complain. For I live a comfortable life, but and it's a big but I just know I could have contributed more to the Graffiti world as it is today. Hey but I still have all my black books and I took pictures with the help of FLINT... and FLIP ONE to treasure for ever. And as we speak I am putting it all on ZIP DRIVE to work it into something creative. And if you guys from Art And Design or the above mentioned happen to read this and would like to collaborate on a project I would definitely appreciate you dropping me a line at dime139@gmail.com. I still have that frustrated artist complex to be dealt with...If you know what I mean!!!
PEACE...DIME-139.

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