Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Guess where I am. Yes I’m in SF, but it’s not fun and games or anything like that, I’m interviewing 9 people for the coveted position as GR manager. Francois is stepping down and going to school, and to probably work on his own publishing ventures, and that’s him with the new GR which is available today just in the stores. James Jarvis art is on the cover and it pops out! Francois’s head shape doesn’t quite compare to the “Martin” head shape! The SF store has a tight packed case of Lomo gear. look at the ring flash! I’ll be around the SF shop today, in and out, and it’s going to be an arduous day, but SF is always nice.
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Digging through some old photos, I found this little sequence in a set. It's the trainyard in West LA about 2 blocks from where I grew up. It's still sort of there, but not, since trains no longer run on these tracks. It's behind the corner of Pico and Sepulveda. This was a playground for me when I was in later elementary and junior high school. This photo says a lot. The tracks, the wall, and...
Digging through some old photos, I found this little sequence in a set. It’s the trainyard in West LA about 2 blocks from where I grew up. It’s still sort of there, but not, since trains no longer run on these tracks. It’s behind the corner of Pico and Sepulveda. This was a playground for me when I was in later elementary and junior high school. This photo says a lot. The tracks, the wall, and businesses of some sort on the other side. Sometimes, we’d (my friend Anthony Lupton – son of actor John Lupton) be there in the early morning. 7am! Riding our BMX bikes over the tracks and around the area, as if we were on patrol. It was our yard and was adjacent to a parking lot for the warehouse for huge store called Zody’s. The graf guys who came by, were mere welcomed visitors. I saw gang members get arrested, a couple having sex in a car, a stray dog who had puppies, a dumpster which was always full of interesting treasure, and the rare homeless person who we’d befriend. I remember one asked if I was a pimp. I think I was 12 years old. At some point, I don’t remember when it was, but all of a sudden colorful graffiti started to show up. I don’t think it was illegal, but I’m not sure who condoned it all. I remember when the walls were blank, but all of a sudden became a canvas. People would paint in the day and night. I remember a few who’d come by. P-Jay, Brisk, Jay, and others. I forgot their monikers. I’m sure a lot were in it just for a minute. I’m embarrassed to continue to say more since it rhymes, but a lot “were in it to win it.” I think I shot these photos for the heck of it. I might have been 1983, but I’m not sure. Maybe it was 84 or even 85 or 86? It’s a blur now. But I’m banking on it being in the mid 80s. Maybe one of the graf guys can tell me, they’re still around, and enshrined in some places as being legends of the game. See the Vespa sign? They fixed Vespas up on the other side of the wall. We used to play there too. Riding our BMXs around and bothering the mechanics was part of the fun. I remember mods would show up on their Vespas with the tons of mirrors and of course we’d be weak 100 lbs punks saying stuff like “ANTI MOD” under our breaths. Punks didn’t like the mods back then, and vice versa. Only now can almost everyone who made it out of the 80s haze of figuring things out, be friends. Miner was my favorite. I never met him, but when he’d paint, I’d always appreciate it. I’d show up in the morning and there it would be – a new Miner piece. Another awesome painter here...
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Button collection. I guess I have a lot. Like a t-shirt a lot of them tell a story of some sort. Where they came from, bands, clothing brands, events, and so on. I can't say I've kept every button I ever received, but I do have most of them. Some are affixed to a backpack or hoody, so they're not here. There are nice books about buttons as well. It's just another collectible that's been put into...
Button collection. I guess I have a lot. Like a t-shirt a lot of them tell a story of some sort. Where they came from, bands, clothing brands, events, and so on. I can’t say I’ve kept every button I ever received, but I do have most of them. Some are affixed to a backpack or hoody, so they’re not here. There are nice books about buttons as well. It’s just another collectible that’s been put into hardcover. Jawbreaker, Eastern Youth, Melt Banana, Sleater Kinney, Asobi Seksu, and more. Damn the Past! is a reference to a film that showed at the SFIAAFF. Tokidoki, Devil Robots, Rodney Greenblat, Super 7… 326, Murakami, Groovisions, Chiho, Nara, and to the right, the great times of Justin Lin’s Better Luck Tomorrow, when everyone was trying to get one of each person. If you put the last and this photo together, I’m proud to say, I have them all.
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