Atari to Host Graffiti-thon For New Game
Atari will host a graffiti-thon street festival on August 24 to promote the release of it graffiti-based game "Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure" by designer Marc Ecko. At the event, held August 24th on 22nd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues from 12:00PM - 8:00PM, 20 artists will spray-paint 48 by 8 foot replicas of New York's blue-bird subway cars.
A lineup of graffiti artists, from the notorious COPE2 to T-KID, who first started writing on trains as early as 1974, will spend the day doing full color murals on the vintage trains. Other participating graf writers include Dash, West, Ces, Sonic, Iz the Wiz, Min, Duro, Wane, Wen, Dero, Cycle, Smith, Lady Pink, Doc, Kel 1st, Mare139, Crash, Daze, Ghost, and the Tats Crew.
Predictably and as he's done before on this topic, Queens Councilman Peter Vallone, while trying to quell activities such as this, can't seem to keep his mouth shut, thereby simply giving the event even more publicity. The New York Post reports Vallone wrote, in a letter to New York's Street Activity Permit office, "This is akin to a demonstration of a thug pickpocketing a wallet or stealing a purse. The city should play no part in assisting an irresponsible company like Atari to promote a how-to manual for criminals."
The Post also reports Vallone is talking out of two sides of his mouth having, in the past, commissioned graffiti artist Lady Pink to do murals in Queens. No doubt the event will spark controversy and Adrants will be there to cover it with reports from our counter-culture controversy correspondent Bucky Turco.
Comments
Is it real graffiti if it's sponsored by corporations, and executed on replica trains? It's not really "guerila" any more (that's one buzz-word that should be near death by now), but more like "replica" graffiti or a corporate facsimile of "street" culture.
Well, this mean, you do realize, that we'll have politicians coming out with remarks like "this game causes kids to committ real graphitti." Where is there no games where you give money to the homeless or pretend to be Mother Terressa.
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I think atari should be ashamed of itself and apologise for encouraging illegal activity such as graffiti . This unwanted vandalism leads to youth gang formation and is often the first step on the ladder to a life of crime. Please atari-recognise graffiti for the senseless vandalism it is. Steve Beardon residents against graffiti everywhere-australia
How is it illegal if they are providing the canvas to graf upon? That's what's happening as far as I understand it.
Hey Steve Beardon,
Quick question. Did Grand theft auto, one of the most wildly played game in recent history that has players carjacking, running people down, killing cops, and starting gang violence cause any widespread looting or riots? Mind you, millions of these units sold to kids of all ages. However I never saw an instance of someone playing GTA and mimicking the behavior of the character. And as far as graffiti being the gateway to other crime I believe that as much as marijuana is the gateway to other drugs (most kids start off with a frosy glass of beer or a shot of whisky from out the liqour cabinet).
You never saw anyone playing GTA and mimicking the behavior? How many people did you watch play GTA and then followed them up?
Perhaps its because some kids are already doing this behavior :)
GTA San Andreas' "Hot Coffee" mod could encourage kids to have sex. And now this?