Mascots & Mugs: The Characters and Cartoons of Subway Graffiti

David "Chino" Villorente; Todd "Reas" James

ISBN 10: 0972592040 / ISBN 13: 9780972592048

Published by Testify Books, 2007

About this Item

288 pages. 11.25 x 9 inches. Binding is intact and tight. Covers Very Good, only noticeable flaw is a bump to back cover bottom right corner resulting in a small damage. Pages clean and fully intact, featuring many color photos of graffiti. Printed without dustjacket. Assocation copy. Inscribed by David "Chino" Villorente "To Robert it's an honor" in graffiti style. This book comes from the extensive personal collection of New York photographer Robert Herman. Seller Inventory # ABE-1719788949333

Bibliographic Details

Title: Mascots & Mugs: The Characters and Cartoons ...

Publisher: Testify Books

Publication Date: 2007

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Signed: Inscribed by Author(s)

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

In the graffiti world it's the name that brings the fame, but what about the figural components of this urban typography? Some of the most iconic pieces in the history of graffiti have earned their place in the street art pantheon with the help of masterfully rendered figures that lend additional presence to these works. Mascots & Mugs, brought to you by the publisher of the best-selling sneaker encyclopedia Where'd You Get Those? is the first book to examine figurative elements in graffiti art: It traces the history of key characters from the earliest examples by writers such as Stay High, Cliff 170 and Blade, to those of later masters like Mode 2, Doze and Tack. Drawing inspiration from Saturday-morning television, printed comic strips and the dense urban landscape itself, graffiti writers created characters free from the constraints of their usual letterforms. The result is a host of outlandish visual sidekicks that, over time, have become so prevalent that any would-be king needs at least a few in his artistic arsenal. Filled with never-before-published photographs and rare artist interviews, this chronologically sequenced graffiti bible is a must-have reference work for anyone interested in cartoons, comics, graphic design or the myriad ways in which this self-taught urban street art has influenced today's contemporary art landscape. Also available in a deluxe, clothbound, slipcased limited edition with a signed screenprint of a classic "mug" from graffiti legend Doc TC5.

About the Author:

Jonathan Lethem is the author of the bestselling novels Motherless Brooklyn and Fortress of Solitude, as well as many other books. He was also recently named a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation. He resides in Brooklyn, NY, and Maine.

David "Chino" Villorente has written for The Source, VIBE and YRB, and has painted murals for Sprite, VH1, Adidas, and many others. Based in New York, he is one of the foremost ambassadors of graffiti art in the world.