FLINT For Those Who Dare...
DATE OF INTERVIEW:
MAY 7, 2002
1- NAMES USED:
FLINT For Those Who Dare...
2- YEAR STARTED WRITING? YEAR RETIRED?
It was the springtime of my living, 1969. Serious writers were just starting out, Styles were still to be fully realized and developed. There was still plenty of space on the walls!
3- AGE WHEN YOU STARTED WRITING?
4- WHERE IN NYC?
Brooklyn U.S.A.
5- WHY DID YOU START WRITING?
Good question, why does the horse eat hay? Some people are just born with the need to leave their mark, some understand that life is short compared to the time the earth will live. You are born, you grow, school, marriage, routine job, retire, you die. Want to be somebody, want to be famous... most people dream of it but few stick it out!
6- WHO WERE YOUR WRITING PARTNERS (IF ANY)? STILL IN TOUCH WITH THEM TODAY?
Basically I was a loner, but if I had a partner it was my friend Chad (LSD3 to you) He knew the scene and introduced me citiwide, I returned the favor by turning him on to DINO NOD, SCOOTER, PISTOL 1, CHOPPER 13 and other boys from Brooklyn. As we started meeting younger and greener writers we began to think of ourselves as the "Old Men Of Graf" I have many fond memories of him and I remember racking up and being out all night.
Once at 3 am in Grand Central Station, on the lowest level we came across the filming of Death Wish 1! I don't know if it was because I was so tired or what, but when I saw the director's chair surrounded by velvet ropes, I just had to sit down. The voice that soon came telling me to "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CHAIR!!" belonged to Charles Bronson and sure enough his name was on the back of that chair!
7- WRITING GROUPS YOU FOUNDED OR CO-FOUNDED?
The REBELS. Chad and I talked about it for a few days and that name won out. I want to thank all of you that spread it throghout the city.
8- WRITING GROUPS YOU BELONGED TO?
My life has come full circle, now that I am playing guitar in the ex VANDALS. It's only fitting, Dino Nod lived only two blocks away and now we practice at Wicked Gary's house which is only a few blocks from where I used to live.
9- YOU WROTE YOUR FIRST TIME ON A WALL, BUS, TRAIN OR TRUCK?
Could of been a wall, bus, train or truck - I came across all this objects in my early days of destruction!
10- YOUR FIRST HIT EVER - WHICH MEDIUM DID YOU USE, i.e. MARKER, SPRAY PAINT, PEN, ETC.?
It was either a DRi-Mark or a El Marko (those TV commercials were made just for us budding writers!)
11- WHERE DID YOUR NAME COME FROM?
It finally stuck in a locker room fight at I.S.320 in Crown Heights. I jumped up and held on to a over-head pipe and kicked my opponent squarely in his chest with both my feet. (seems there was a movie out at this time with James Coburn doing the same thing!)
12- WHICH WAS THE FIRST SUBWAY LINE YOU HIT? (IF YOU HIT SUBWAYS)
The D train which I caught at the Lincoln Rd. Station
12A- WHAT OTHER SUBWAY LINES DID YOU HIT?
All I came across.
14- WHAT YARDS & LAYUPS DID YOU WORK AT?
15- WHERE YOU 'KING' OF ANY PARTICULAR SUBWAY LINE(S)?
16- WHO WAS YOUR MENTOR? (IF APPLICABLE) DID YOU MENTOR ANY OTHER WRITERS?
I influenced many, and there was tears in the eyes of the toys when I told them I was quiting.
17- WHICH WRITERS DID YOU LOOK UP TO? WHY?
18- DID YOU INTRODUCE ANYTHING NEW TO THE WRITING MOVEMENT? IF 'YES,' WHAT WAS IT? WHAT YEAR?
I am known for my sayings and neat writing. My dot,dot,dot is remembered and copied 'round the world to this day.
19- HOW LONG WOULD YOU GUESSTIMATE THAT EACH GENERATION OF WRITERS LASTED?
20- WHICH WERE YOUR FAVORITE COLORS TO WORK WITH?
Basic Black and if I had time my name and phrase in red but shadowed in black.
21- WHICH BRAND OF SPRAY PAINT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TO WORK WITH?
22- WHICH MARKER WAS YOUR FAVORITE?
23- WHICH WAS YOUR FAVORITE SPOT TO HIT YOUR NAME AT IN THE SUBWAY SYSTEM? (IF APPLICABLE)
I sought out the unlikely spaces where my name would have maximum impact. By going undercover and with only a newspaper and a marker I could be in a crowded train during rush hour and lean against the door while pretending to read I would use the paper to conceal what I was really doing. I could do this on every door if I wanted to but most of the time I just hit the doors leading to the next car.
24- DO YOU HAVE IN MEMORY A "FAVORITE" MASTERPIECE THAT YOU DID? IF 'YES,' WHICH ONE? WHEN? WHERE? WHY?
25- WERE YOU EVER ARRESTED FOR WRITING? IF 'YES,' WHEN? WHERE? WITH WHOM? BY WHOM?
They couldn't catch FLINT...
26- WHICH WAS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO 'RACK UP' AT?
27- WHICH IS THE CORRECT NAME FOR THIS ART FORM: GRAFFITI ART? AEROSOL ART? WRITING? GRAFFITI? WHY?
28- ARE YOU STILL WRITING / PAINTING TODAY? IF YOU USE CANVAS, YOUR FEELINGS ON STEEL -VS- CANVAS?
Do you have a marker?
29- WHAT DO YOU DO PROFESSIONALLY TODAY?
Photography, music and art.
30- ANY ADVICE TO YOUNG WRITERS WORLDWIDE TODAY?
You can make your own destiny but first you must dream big.
31- ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
Think FLINT for a better world...
32- YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION?
www.flintfotos.com and soon www.exvandals.com Peace and out...
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Yo FLINT... : When I stopped countin' 'em, you had hit 3,226 public phones in NYC. Thanx for da memories...
- MICO
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