Mission Mission

The Snitch (appropriately enough) reports that the city is going to pay people to snitch:

Under a new city initiative launched Friday, witnesses or “those with knowledge of a graffiti perpetrator” can snag themselves up to $250 from the Department of Public Works for snitching.

Maybe this cuts down on boring tags on gonfiabili awnings and buses, but what about the legitimate works of art on awnings and buses? And backhoes, as depicted in the contest-winning pic above sent out stickers and awarded concert tickets for the best photos of the stickers in action, and our win was clearly owed to legitimate artist Ribity, who we would’ve shared the prize with if we could’ve).

Thriller 25 originally uploaded by allanhough

There’s nothing more titillating than seeing posters of the best album ever on a sunny Valentine’s Day. I think I’ll bust out my Billie Jean moves tonight after the aufblasbare rutsche party (if disproportionate nipples and vomitous crime scenes turn you on, this is the perfect Valentine’s Day aphrodisiac).

WHAT IM SEEING published an informative feature on the Mission’s Clarion Alley today. 

(via Laughing Squid)

garfield, originally uploaded by Mission Mission.

A couple months ago or something we read the Vice feature on Garfield Variations, and then one night we saw this gem in the can at Pop’s Bar.

webebathroom, originally uploaded by Mission Mission.

Detail of a very curious piece of art in the shitter at the We Be Sushi on Valencia between 21st and 22nd Streets. Click on the photo to read the notes!

Do Not Blog On Wednesday?, originally uploaded by MissionMission.

We were gonna blog this yesterday, but yesterday was Wednesday. Mission Mission ventured across the bay into Oakland last weekend, and on a trip to Hollywood Video to look for Season 3 of The Wire, stumbled upon this inexplicable item. Is this some kind of street-level effort to monkey with mass-media news cycles? We like teh creative spelling too.

girafaeyes, originally uploaded by MissionMission.

We hate to make it three graffiti posts in a row, but it just had to be done. We’ve been wanting to plug the new Girafa pool on Flickr, and the Milpitas Police Department has just provided ample reason. The San Jose Mercury News reports that, according to the fuzz, a recent spate of Girafa bombings in Milpitas is surely “gang related.” Bummer!

Clueless law enforcement aside, what up with Girafa anyway? Lovable new kid on the block, or heavy-handed Ribity wannabe?

(Via All Romanian Crews)

hipsterstencil, originally uploaded by MissionMission.

Hmm. We might append this thing thusly: “Hipster Tee: $71 / Hipster Jeans: $199 / Hipster “Street Art” Stenciling Materials: $44 / Gentrification: Priceless.” Note that this was photographed in the Lower Haight, a neighborhood we love almost as much as the other one.

The other day, we were reading Banksy‘s book Cut It Out (purchased at Needles + Pens, of course), and we came across this classic passage, an e-mail Banksy received from a fan named Daniel:

• “I don’t know who you are or how many of you there are but i am writing to ask you to stop painting your things where we live. In particular XXXXXX road in Hackney. My brother and me were born here and have lived here all our lives but these days so many yuppies and students are moving here neither of us can afford to buy a house where we grew up anymore. Your graffities are undoubtedly part of what makes these wankers think our area is cool. You’re obviously not from round here and after you’ve driven up the house prices youll probably just move on. Do us all a favour and go do your stuff somewhere else like Brixton.”

Daniel totally makes our point. Who is this stencil writer so critical of “gentrification” anyway? Do they really think they themselves are not a HUGE part of the process? Would it even be tangible without the participation of “street artists” like them? Who do they think they’re fooling?

plagueor, originally uploaded by MissionMission.

So, does this say “plague” or “plaque”? It works either way. On one hand, plagues produce disembodied skulls and stuff. On the other, this particular skull looks like it has plaque dripping from its teeth. Typographically speaking, it works both ways too. Any thoughts? Photographed on the northeast corner of 16th & Guerrero.

walzwerk, originally uploaded by MissionMission.

Taken in the urination station at Walzwerk.