Guest Access
Active Member
Active Member
Active Member
profile
Cheaty Petey
profile
I have never considered myself a "Graffiti" Artist, though there are those who would disagree with me. I was a glorified "tagger". My work back then couldn't compare to what you see now, but then what I can do artistically now in graffiti terms blows what I did back then out of the water, at least on paper. Having developed arthritis I am in no shape to maneuver a spray can, my hands hurt from writing to long and in the winter I walk with a cane. But back to the lesson. First came tagging, people "hitting" up their street name on walls, train, buses and what not. Street names were your persona, they were how you were identified on the streets. Crews started to form and people developed reputations for "hitting" up in the most visible spot criminally possible as many times as possible. Crews were the people who had your back, often times full out wars would break out between people, crews would have your back with the can or with their fists. Then artists started to "bomb" their names every where. "Bombing" is legible simplified graffiti. Back in San Jose, California (early to mid eighties) skateboarding was outlawed in the downtown areas and business followed suit putting up no skateboarding signs. This caused an explosion of tagging and bombing on anything that was visible property. Nothing was safe buses, signage, trains, over passes, under passes... you name it. Around the same time, with the invent of new colors, graffiti took a more artistic turn. Abstract styles and characters started coming out. This is when the art form really developed and began to take off. Even though the more abstract styles were developing artist used to tag their work with what they wrote (usually their name) and their crews name. About this time I pretty much hung up my army jacket with specially sewn pockets on the inside for spray cans. I met and learned from the top artists of the time, but my contribution was nothing compared to the gift I received. Thanks to the original ATC (Addicted To Crime) crew. Mystic, Alladdin, Twister, Mite, Next, WISH158 and so on and so on. If you got talent don't waste it, share it.
Active Member
Show Signature
Active Member
Administrator
Administrator
Administrator
profile
G@MeF@Ce
profile
for me it all started back in 1986~
break dancin' was my gateway to the urban culture
and after watching movies like beat street you get your
quick lesson on being a writer. If i remember correctly,
this Puerto Rican dude named "Remo" was a writer,
who would always fantasize about these "white trains"
just so he can "bomb on some brand new canvas"
this other dude named "Spit" would always cross out
great works of others, until Remo and Spit ended up
dying on the subway tracks (ha! sorry to ruin the movie)
There wasn't much graffiti going on in the midwest,
South Sioux City, Nebraska
it was all about break dancing and the music to do it to.
next thing you know...Pops gets a promotion and we're
loading up the truck like the Hill Billies and we're off to
San Jose, California.
Talk about culture clash! I remember wearing my
Canadian Tuxedo (jeans and a jean jacket)
and dudes had pegged pants, instead of checkered vans for shoes,
it was either a solid red or black, turtle necks tucked in with a chain on the outside and flat tops with long hair... and they looked at me
like I was dressed funny.
any how back to the "writing" ...
Clyde L.Fischer Middle School: 1988
I was trying to be funny on my first day of school
and when the teacher asked me what was my name
I told him "Skippy sir, like the dude in Growing Pains."
the whole class started busting up, even the teacher
was laughing... until he corrected me and told the class
my true name.
though I was out of place... I learned to make connections real quick
through my sense of humor and early writings...
so I started off as SKIPPY! (believe it or not)
I was a Toy, meaning no style so skill...
but I would practice on paper like crazy.
I hung out with some of the members from L.o.r.d.s
Legends of rare design... Glare, Flamer, and Step
tried to catch on with the stylish font type they used.
short and sweet Skippy turned into SKIP, but
step didn't like that idea, couldn't blame him
but oh well
Wiliiam C. Overfelt High School: 1989
Going to high school was a big thing!
but as for writing... I was known more as Skip
then my real name... got to meet some of the
most inspiring writers there, some that come to
mind are Stencyl and Twister.
Silver Creek High School: 1990
Ok here's where all the fun begins
Pops finds us a new home and the whole family moves.
Now that I have to go to a new school, why not have
a new name... I went with "Tricky" and then found out that it
was already taken, I went with "Next" and then found out that it
was already taken and then I thought man everthing's taken...
that's it! "TAKEN" was about to claim!!!
trying to do with a spray can, magnum marker, or 'mean streak'
as to what you can do on paper... wasn't as easy as I thought.
I ended up having more territory than style.
I was an easy target to get crossed out and I did...
these dudes Pester and Clue kept crossing me out!
until the day we met and laughed about it and became
good friends, even til this day Pester is one of my best men. @watchertalkin - aint that right?
what you know about F.D.L. ~haha
fortunately through our adventures... no one got into any
real trouble... NBC ~ never been caught.
I got to meet some real personalities like Saber,
Critter, Chief (cheaty petey), Ace'm, (so many I can't remember ^,^
and crews like O.S.A. old school addiction,
T.W.B. the wall bandits, ATC,
I even started my own crew C.T.S.N.S. (citizens)
criminals that specialize in spray paint.
which was really just a bunch of classmates that
shared the same interest in graffiti.
1991 ~ shortly after all this fun, I pretty much put down the spray can and picked up the microphone... reppin' the M.C. name
"TEXTBOOK" (which is an entirely different story)
and like our man Cheaty said
"If you got talent, share it, don't waste it!"
@cheaty - ha! I remember that jacket!
break dancin' was my gateway to the urban culture
and after watching movies like beat street you get your
quick lesson on being a writer. If i remember correctly,
this Puerto Rican dude named "Remo" was a writer,
who would always fantasize about these "white trains"
just so he can "bomb on some brand new canvas"
this other dude named "Spit" would always cross out
great works of others, until Remo and Spit ended up
dying on the subway tracks (ha! sorry to ruin the movie)
There wasn't much graffiti going on in the midwest,
South Sioux City, Nebraska
it was all about break dancing and the music to do it to.
next thing you know...Pops gets a promotion and we're
loading up the truck like the Hill Billies and we're off to
San Jose, California.
Talk about culture clash! I remember wearing my
Canadian Tuxedo (jeans and a jean jacket)
and dudes had pegged pants, instead of checkered vans for shoes,
it was either a solid red or black, turtle necks tucked in with a chain on the outside and flat tops with long hair... and they looked at me
like I was dressed funny.
any how back to the "writing" ...
Clyde L.Fischer Middle School: 1988
I was trying to be funny on my first day of school
and when the teacher asked me what was my name
I told him "Skippy sir, like the dude in Growing Pains."
the whole class started busting up, even the teacher
was laughing... until he corrected me and told the class
my true name.
though I was out of place... I learned to make connections real quick
through my sense of humor and early writings...
so I started off as SKIPPY! (believe it or not)
I was a Toy, meaning no style so skill...
but I would practice on paper like crazy.
I hung out with some of the members from L.o.r.d.s
Legends of rare design... Glare, Flamer, and Step
tried to catch on with the stylish font type they used.
short and sweet Skippy turned into SKIP, but
step didn't like that idea, couldn't blame him
but oh well
Wiliiam C. Overfelt High School: 1989
Going to high school was a big thing!
but as for writing... I was known more as Skip
then my real name... got to meet some of the
most inspiring writers there, some that come to
mind are Stencyl and Twister.
Silver Creek High School: 1990
Ok here's where all the fun begins
Pops finds us a new home and the whole family moves.
Now that I have to go to a new school, why not have
a new name... I went with "Tricky" and then found out that it
was already taken, I went with "Next" and then found out that it
was already taken and then I thought man everthing's taken...
that's it! "TAKEN" was about to claim!!!
trying to do with a spray can, magnum marker, or 'mean streak'
as to what you can do on paper... wasn't as easy as I thought.
I ended up having more territory than style.
I was an easy target to get crossed out and I did...
these dudes Pester and Clue kept crossing me out!
until the day we met and laughed about it and became
good friends, even til this day Pester is one of my best men. @watchertalkin - aint that right?
what you know about F.D.L. ~haha
fortunately through our adventures... no one got into any
real trouble... NBC ~ never been caught.
I got to meet some real personalities like Saber,
Critter, Chief (cheaty petey), Ace'm, (so many I can't remember ^,^
and crews like O.S.A. old school addiction,
T.W.B. the wall bandits, ATC,
I even started my own crew C.T.S.N.S. (citizens)
criminals that specialize in spray paint.
which was really just a bunch of classmates that
shared the same interest in graffiti.
1991 ~ shortly after all this fun, I pretty much put down the spray can and picked up the microphone... reppin' the M.C. name
"TEXTBOOK" (which is an entirely different story)
and like our man Cheaty said
"If you got talent, share it, don't waste it!"
@cheaty - ha! I remember that jacket!
Administrator
Show Signature