Primary coverage: Worldwide
Issue: unknown

!@#$% features flicks from all over the globe. While mostly a black-and-white zine, it has a nice color centerfold. Though the photos are generally pleasing, there are occasional problems with image size and quality.

Primary coverage: Germany, United States
Issue: none

From the editor:
3rd Degree Burns is a Miami-based magazine featuring writers from all over the world, although the main focus is on the USA and Germany, including freights, subways, walls, and outlines. People who submit photos that get published will receive 2 free copies of the issue the flicks appear in. Issue 4 is an all-freight, subway and truck issue.

Primary coverage: Canada, Worldwide
Issue: 2

Perhaps it's because feels so honest, or perhaps it's because the flicks look so good, or perhaps it's something else entirely - whatever it is, 3rd Degree Magazine just makes you feel good. Yeah, the colors could be more vibrant, and yeah, the zine needs a spell check. But who cares when you get to look at Canada's finest? Although mostly about pieces and productions, there is a reasonable amount of diversity to be found here. Expect a few interviews and a lot of fresh graffiti from a scene we'd like to see more of.

Primary coverage: Miami, Florida, United States, Worldwide
Issue: 6 (Summer 1998)

12 Ounce Prophet has always been one of the most professional, clean, crisp zines around. But with issue #6, 12 Ounce further distances themselves from the pretty-boy zine pack. Zines have historically provided short interviews with graffiti luminaries to give the reader a glimpse at the lives behind the art, but few have succeeded in getting beneath pride and ego. 12 Ounce has done the seemingly impossible in their feature on the "Os Gemeos", which is a wonderful piece on graffiti in the slums of Sao Paulo. Oh yeah, don't forget that there is terrific graffiti to be found here too. This zine is the whole package, and still the best of their class. Well done.

Primary coverage: Europe, Worldwide, Trains
Issue: 8

This classic zine from Switzerland will certainly quench your inkbrain thirst with its huge A3 pages and extraordinary graffiti which is represented in almost 300 flicks in this issue. You'll find all aspects of European graff well covered, from hardcore train bombing to large-scale productions. Covered countries in this issue include Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, and even a few from the United States. 14K also has an extensive mailorder supply of zines, caps, and other graff-related goodies! Check it out, but don't expect to enjoy the articles unless you know German.

Primary coverage: Europe, United States
Issue: none

Issue: none

Primary coverage: Germany, Europe, NYC
Issue: 5 (Burners Special)

Adrenalin [sic] is a kick-ass zine which shows off some of the best graffiti in Europe and the United States. The reviewed issue was a special focused on burners, and it met up to its billing with some tremendously wicked burners from Europe's best (Jazi, ECB, Jeko, and Toast to name a few). Even so, there were plenty of other styles to be found, including a collection of old-school NYC graffiti and a few pages of assorted trains and bombs. The photos themselves are well-shot and sharp, if a bit small, and the layout is simple and clean. The issue also includes a short interview with Dare, presented in your choice of three languages, and a nice collection of artwork from CMP. Quite nice.

Primary coverage: United States, France, Germany
Issue: 5

Aerosol Kingdom is a nice classic Spanish zine drawing influences from around the world, but with clear European roots. Although the graffiti is solid, the flicks are often fuzzy and too small for the reader to appreciate. Expect to find mostly trains and massive productions, along with several brief interviews which are in both Spanish and English.

Primary coverage: San Francisco
Issue: 1

As the editor himself states, Aerosol Mechanics is more like a graffiti photo album than a zine. Unfortunately, Aerosol Mechanics is not as organized as a photo album, and instead forces the reader to work hard to separate one piece from another. That said, those who put in the time will be rewarded with work from some of the top graffiti artists in San Francisco. Bittersweet.

Primary coverage: Europe, Worldwide, Trains
Issue: 1.5

This magazine is put out by Dare ABC and Show ABC, two of the most known European writers, and not surprisingly, it is one of Europe's best graffiti zines. Aerosoul is mostly about trains, but also includes a nice collection of walls, productions, and outlines. Although there is a strong ABC contingent, there are also pages devoted to the international scene, like Munich, Berlin, Australia, Basel, Denmark and classic NYC. To leave as much space as possible for flicks, the interviews in Aerosoul are more like brainstorming -- they try to be cool and dangerous.

Primary coverage: Miami, Florida, United States, Worldwide
Issue: unknown

From the editor:
Aerosoul Art Magazine is an underground bimonthly publication started by Revol Oner and crew. Aerosoul Art focuses 100% on graffiti, and nothing else. This magazine is made by writers for writers, and is fit the standards to something we ourselves would want to read. Aerosoul Art Magazine also covers every aspect of graffiti with our well-developed and well-stocked graffiti supplies department. For more information, please contact us at the provided address -- we love contributions of any sort, and good pictures and outlines will get featured in the magazine. Every issue comes with free German caps and a sticker.

Primary coverage: Finland
Issue: 2 (December 2000)

Aima is a modest Finnish zine, whose construction, according to the editor "is about waking up at 5 am, standing next to the rails for 3 hours when it's 20 below and windy, taking flicks of what you see and trying to avoid getting in trouble". The results speak for themselves -- a solid, pleasing collection of Finnish trains from top artists, preserved for all time, buff be damned. In addition to the trains, there's also a good collection of walls and a few short interviews.

Primary coverage: Belgium
Issue: 2

From the editor:
Straight out of Belgium, our zine represents the best of the legal and illegal local scenes, featuring the works of our local artists (both in Belgium and abroad) along with any artists visiting our little country. Packed full with a blend of killer productions (including the infamous 2002 Urban Dream wall), hardcore bombing and train flicks, this will satisfy even the most picky of you cats out there!

Primary coverage: Europe, Worldwide
Issue: none

From the editors:
AL, started in 1991, is Italian's first hip-hop magazine, and today remains the largest with a circulation of 18,000. It features all aspects of the hip-hop movement, including but not limited to rap interviews and reviews, breakdancing, soul and rhythm & blues.

Primary coverage: Europe plus other regions
Issue: 1

AllOverkill is a spinoff brought to us by the house of Overkill, a Berlin based mag. The original Overkill is exclusively Berlin, while with AllOverkill, they decide to take us on their various tours that include other parts of Europe, some S. America, NY, and even Thailand. Issue #1, primarily consists of flicks from their hyperactive train scene, has a cover that is an obvious homage to the legendary shot of NYC pioneer Dondi CIA (RIP) "painting between trains." Not only the cover, but the pages within also reflect the heavy influence of original NY graffiti. The unorthodox, and at times unbalanced, layout is made up for by production quality. There are few mags documenting the here and now using the written word, and this is one of them. In conjunction with their "tour" photos, they also include highly descriptive, personal accounts of countries they've painted in that give readers a strong sense of the local painting conditions. If you're planning a European tour of your own, pick up this mag and maybe even get in touch with them before you arrive.

Primary coverage: NYC
Issue: Summer 2003

Those of you who can't get enough of the graffiti Mecca will love Animal, a photo-documentary which chronicles the ever-changing landscapes, customs, and denizens of New York City. While traditional graffiti is only a small part of what Animal covers, street art and its culture permeates each issue in much the same manner it does in the city itself.

True to its billing as a photo-documentary, each issue of Animal covers roughly a dozen topics with a striking collection of *full page* photos from emerging and established local photographers. Further, true to the multi-cultural brilliance of NYC, each topic is prefaced by intelligent, incisive and informed articles and essays, printed in English, Spanish and *Japanese*. Finally, the most amazing part of all: the entire magazine is *free*!

Primary coverage: United States (Midwest)
Issue: 5 (Fall 1997)

Appreciate is a hefty hip-hop fanzine covering some of the Midwest graffiti scene. Appreciate is not a flicks zine; you're only going to find a few pages of action here, and grayscale and grainy action at that. That said, for those interested in hip-hop information that hasn't been corrupted by big corporate dollars, there's plenty of that here, including an interview with Mode2.

Primary coverage: Italy, Europe, NYC
Issue: 7

As always, A2 continues to provide no-nonsense coverage of graffiti in the wild, featuring a broad and daring selection of action shots, throws, trains, pieces and productions from all over the planet. While the latest issue retains its dependence on outside submissions, the overall quality of the featured graffiti indicates the bar has been raised considerably. Also familiar are the clear photos, often with interesting captions, surrounded by a simple but pleasing layout.

That's not to say that everything remains unchanged; conspicuously absent is coverage of the rest of the Hip-Hop scene, though it is unclear whether this is a permanent change of direction. Regardless, the void opens up room for more photos, not to mention a set of great interviews with past and present legends like Zephyr, Deem, Wert, and Reso. Arcano 2: delivering the truth, as always!

Primary coverage: Sweden, Europe, Puerto Rico, Worldwide
Issue: 1

This Swedish zine, put out by Puppet, advertises itself as a graffiti magazine that concentrates on style. And while there's a certain degree of shameless self-promotion, The Arrow delivers on its word with some excellent pieces from around the globe. Although issue 1 was entirely black-and-white, the zine is planning to change to a color format in the future and also to add sections for hip-hop news and for computer drawings, canvases, and more. While the zine is not a high-gloss affair, the photo quality is decent and the flicks themselves are reasonably sized. If The Arrow delivers on its future promises, it will be something to watch out for.

Primary coverage: Europe
Issue: #8, March 2003

As I flipped through Art Unique, I felt as though I was turning the pages of a well planned blackbook. The horizontal layout makes complete sense for graffiti flicks. Christian Holzer (Layout/Grafik) was able to take full advantage of page space while presenting Europe's progressive art movement. The trains and conceptual productions with all of their colors make you wonder 'how large are the spraypaint sections of the local hardware stores?' And this mag lives up to its name by displaying various forms of street, metal, skin, computer and canvas work with each piece unique in its own right. I guarantee there are kids who recently discovered Art Unique and will spend days, weeks, or even months studying and learning from its pages. A step in the right (or should I say left) direction.

Primary coverage: Australia and some international
Issue ("chapter"): 1, 2, 3

A high-quality publication from Australia focusing on graffiti but also including art and photography. Chapter One has an interview with Dmote from Sydney and Kab 101 from Adelaide. Chapter Two has an interview with Bounty Hunters crew from Sydney (Mistery, Chez, Jesta). Chapter Three has an interview with Puzle from Melbourne. The magazine also contains a plethora of mini-features and other junk to keep heads happy. Issue Three comes in two different cover options.

This is one of the best high-design graffiti magazines, and certainly the best from Australia.

Primary coverage: Europe
Issue: none

Primary coverage: Germany, Europe, United States, Worldwide
Issue: 14

This zine, coming out of the graffiti capitol of Europe, not only pays homage to its New York roots, but features writers from all over Europe and the world today as well. The articles and interviews are well written and printed in both German and English. Blackbook work is also featured throughout with a letter study featuring top writers. The amount of graffiti present is staggering, the layout is professional but hectic, and the quality of the graffiti is top-notch. Issue 14 includes a lot of great trains, a feature on Shame 125, and a number of interesting articles in addition to the usual slew of flicks. Highly recommended!

Primary coverage: Germany
Issue: unknown

Backspin is a German magazine covering everything hip-hop: music, breakdance, DJing, events, and of course, graffiti.

Primary coverage: Italy, Europe
Issue: 3

Primary coverage: International (fine art; aerosol art; public art)
Issue: A

Beautiful/Decay describes itself as a "different approach to the everyday magazine" with a goal of presenting "graffiti, fine art, political art, and music created by emerging and established artists". Indeed, meets its goal admirably, with an excellent collection of art that runs the gamut from traditional graffiti styles to the downright unclassifiable. Beautiful/Decay's simple, airy layout is a welcome departure from the usual chaos found in most zines, and the photos are large and crisp, inviting you to spend significant time with each page. In addition, in place of the usual written filler found in most zines are a number of well-written (and at times, downright insightful) articles and interviews. Three words: so damn refreshing.

Primary coverage: England, Eastern Europe
Issue: 5

Big Daddy is an impressive big-budget publication out of the UK that covers all aspects of the hip-hop scene, including graffiti. Even though graffiti makes up only a portion of Big Daddy, there's plenty of mouth-watering flicks and interesting content, due in large part to the UK's legendary Shok1, who serves as graffiti editor (among other duties). As such, expect to find interviews with graffiti's elite, reports from shows, and lots of old school UK flicks, courtesy of the shoe boxes in Shok1's closet.

Primary coverage: United States, California
Issue: Volume 2, Issue 6

With this issue, Big Time continues to separate itself from the attack-of-the-12-ounce-clones movement, with a gritty style that makes their mission clear: to deliver the absolute best in hardcore graffiti (and hip-hop), and present it without pretension or fanfare.

After their break-out issue (#4), Big Time has stayed their course, with continued emphasis on honest, well-crafted articles (note: not just interviews) written by those actually *in* the scene, rather than journalism majors. The results, which leave the reader on the inside of the graff scene looking out through some of the top heads in the biz, are fascinating and possibly a trend-setter for other zines.

Of course, Big Time does not disappoint when it comes to flicks either, with simply some of the best the graffiti on the planet, presented in a clear, no-nonsense manner. One of the best.

Primary coverage: California
Issue: unnumbered

Bite is an atypical zine featuring a small collection of graffiti in addition to comics, bizarre articles and other oddities. The graffiti, which is mostly black-and-white, is nice but not really what the zine is about. If, however, you are looking for higher-order madness, you may find this appealing.

Issue: none

Primary coverage: Australia, Europe, United States, Trains
Issue: 7 (Spring 1999)

With issue 7, Blitzkrieg has released one of the finest graffiti publications to date -- ever. There are many zines out there which feature amazing photos, but finding a graffiti magazine with substance has long been difficult. Blitzkrieg manages not only to deliver on both style and substance, but does it in such an absolutely massive manner that it cannot help but leave you stunned.

As far as content goes, Blitzkrieg has it all: news from around the graffiti scene, reviews (of graffiti books, magazines, and videos), graffiti how-to articles, and terrific interviews. Particularly notable are the Giant and Daim interviews, which ask interesting, cogent questions and get equally satisfying answers (these are two of the five feature interviews in this issue alone). In case this wasn't enough, Blitzkrieg throws in a composition on "acid art" and a column on female writers, along with a few other articles.

However, do not be misled: there's plenty of graffiti to be found here too; some of the finest Australia has to offer. Almost all of the graffiti is in full-color (although the flicks themselves would be better larger), and many different styles are represented. Last but not least, there is a poster included in the middle of the zine.

Although Blitzkrieg is mainly about graffiti, there is also some more general hip-hop content to be found, including music reviews and articles on breakdancing. Lastly, Blitzkrieg has a solid mailorder section. Terrific!

Issue: none

Primary coverage: London, England
Issue: none

Primary coverage: California
Issue: unknown

This black-and-white magazine features news, interviews and reviews from the hip-hop world. Though the majority of the magazine is devoted to the musical aspect of hip-hop culture, there are usually 2-4 pages of photos. In addition, it is common to see several in-depth articles on graffiti, often reproduced from other publications. This magazine is really for those who like to read up on the knowledge of the scene, rather than see the latest flicks. The zine is also crammed with advertisements for a wide array of graffiti merchandise, including videos.

Primary coverage: Holland, Trains, Europe
Issue: 17 (July-September 1998)

As the name implies, Bomber focuses on hardcore graffiti bombing all around the world, as it has been for more than a decade. Bomber has improved quite a bit recently, especially in its layout and production quality: expect to see a beautiful, varied, and well-conceived page layout on rich, glossy stock. Bomber has also notably improved the vibrancy of the colors and the result is satisfying: hearty hardcore graffiti served up in bright colors and high detail. The zine has also enhanced its written content considerably, including tasty interviews (Mazl and Razor in the issue reviewed). If you're into real bombing, Bomber should quench your thirst; if not, you're welcome to write the above address and trade photos from their collection of more than 15000.

Primary coverage: Germany
Issue: 1 (1997)

Bounce is an almost-mainstream zine covering all aspects of hip-hop, including of course graffiti. The zine is well-assembled and printed on nice beefy pages and features a really nice collection of flicks, especially some shots of hard-to-find early-1990s German action. Most of the coverage is walls, but there are also pages devoted to characters, blackbook art and throw-ups. A great deal of the zine is actually written content, which looks promising but is all in German.

Primary coverage: Poland, Europe, Trains
Issue: 9

Once an emaciated fanzine covering the fringes of the Polish scene, Brain Damage has worked tirelessly to become one of the finest no-nonsense graffiti publications the world will ever know. Featuring staggering amounts of the finest graffiti anywhere, from steel to canvas, alleys to studios, and unknowns to superstars, Brain Damage excels at covering all angles of the graffiti scene, especially of their native land.

Despite its success, Brain Damage remains a small-town zine assembled by some of Poland's finest writers, and their dedication to the local scene remains strong, from candid in-depth interviews with the key players, to 15 dazzling pages of the country's best in each and every issue. However, it's also clear that Brain Damage is aware of its growing influence over the hip-hop community as a whole, made evident through essays and articles of increasing depth and widespread significance (though sadly, some of the translations remain awkward at times).

Of course, Poland alone cannot hope to satisfy Brain Damage's voracious appetite, so there is also ample coverage of nearby European countries, especially Germany and Austria -- and of course a few from North America to round things out. Though Brain Damage focuses on metal, there's also a great selection of walls (both legal and otherwise) not to mention the pages of serious bombing action that could easily comprise the entire output of many other graffiti zines.

While all of that is remarkable in its own right, Brain Damage really distances itself from the pack by realizing that the whole can be more than the sum of its parts, exemplified through its professional layout, painstaking attention to detail, thought-provoking content, and just plain impressive sense of style.

Each issue is an event that no graffiti artist should miss.

Primary coverage: United States (west coast), Freights

Primary coverage: Greece, Europe
Issue: 4 (2001)

This latest issue of Carpe Diem is one of the finest zines ever produced, period. High praise indeed, but it is difficult to overstate how awesome the latest issue of this "zine" (or should I say "book"?) is. You name it, it's here: killer 6-story-high productions, halls of fame, whole-cars, trucks, live-action shots, illustrations -- the list goes on and on -- all skillfully photographed and brilliantly assembled on thick, glossy stock.

While still squarely focused on the Greek scene, Carpe Diem also has significant coverage from the rest of Europe, along with regular coverage of the States (usually through writer's pilgrimages to the "Mecca", NYC). In addition to graffiti, Carpe Diem also provides some coverage of other aspects of hip-hop, through interviews and articles, provided in both Greek and English.

Already a phenomenon. You owe it to yourself to get this.

Primary coverage: Italy, Europe
Issue: unnumbered

Casseurs is a nice little zine out of Pisa featuring European pieces and productions, both legal and illegal. Although Casseurs does not contain as many flicks as other zines of its size, the upside is that the reader gets an opportunity for more detailed study of some very solid European styles. Don't let the Italian keep you away; this zine is about photos, not articles.

Issue: none

Primary coverage: France, Trains, Europe
Issue: 2 (September 2000)

Cekoadon is a tight, well-assembled zine with a hardcore bent. Cekoadon has a touch of written content (mostly in French), though it is mainly about flicks, and it serves up some gems from the top names in the business, like 123 Klan and TZP Crew. Although there's plenty of walls, Cekoadon is mainly about steel, and while there is some amazing steel action, there's also some run-of-the-mill graff that's a bit surprising for such a high-caliber publication. Still, the presentation is clean, the photos are consistently captioned, and the flicks are crisp and vibrant.

Primary coverage: Mexico, United States (west coast)
Issue: 1

For its second effort (devoted to female writers) Clandestilo has shrunk its physical format but kept its basic recipe the same: a Bauhaus layout featuring beautiful full-color graffiti from the underexposed Mexican scene, which is an odd amalgamation of native blood and vacationing northerner. That's not to say nothing has changed: the photo quality has improved markedly, the content is more varied through increased international focus, and the interviews, which feature a host of female writers for this all-girls special, are now in English as well as Spanish. A tasty graffiti snack.

Primary coverage: Birmingham, Trains
Issue: none

Primary coverage: California (Bay Area), Freights
Issue: 1 (Spring 2002)

While Clout is new for 2002, flipping through it can't help but remind one of the legendary Can Control -- after all, tons of awesome freights, some great walls, and some bombs sandwiched between a couple of straightforward interviews was Can Control's winning formula for years. Indeed, the recipe is a good one -- especially when the graffiti is top-shelf and the representation is well-mixed between established artists and new blood, as it is in Clout. Not groundbreaking, but incredibly satisfying.

Issue: 1 (December 1997)

Collage is a terrific little secret out of Italy that is full-color and features a dazzling collection of Europe's best trains and walls. Although there is some excellent traditional European graffiti here, it's the experimental styles found on just about every page that make this zine so worth your while. In addition to the photos, there are also a couple of articles (in Italian). Unfortunately, the zine doesn't list an address, but keep on the lookout at newsstands and through mailorder. Wicked!

Primary coverage: Atypical street art
Issue: 1

Colour of Shadow is a cool zine which proves there's much more to graffiti than the classic styles originating from NYC. Instead of the traditional bombs, throws, and pieces, you'll find posters, scrawls, stencils, and much more -- basically, if it's illegal and atypical, it's here. Basically, Colour of Shadow is the rest of the graffiti scene.

Primary coverage: California, Seattle
Issue: 2 (Winter 1996)

Compulsory Entertainment is a unique experience, consisting not only of some nice graffiti from the US west coast, but also of short stories and other literary submissions. While this reviewer isn't really qualified to comment on the literary submissions, they were definitely intriguing and cast the whole zine in a unique and different light than your typical graffiti zine. Back on the graffiti side of the fence, one finds Compulsory Entertainment does a respectable job presenting a varied collection of pieces and characters, although the photocopied nature of the zine makes the images often washed out. On the whole, Compulsory Entertainment is a good time - check it out.

Primary coverage: NYC, United States
Issue: 2 (1997)
Backissues: many available; write for details

Contents Under Pressure has changed a bit since its first issue. Although still a Xerox affair, the graffiti has improved substantially and the image quality has moved up a few notches as well. Despite all of the coverage of NYC in today's zines, Contents, with its nitty-gritty feel, has a golden opportunity to do something original and present us with true back-alley NYC graffiti from the golden era, instead of more dime-a-dozen productions. While a few flicks deliver on this dream, too much space seems to be wasted with blackbook sketches and self-promotion. However, the zine continues to improve and find its niche -- keep an eye out. Each time you buy an issue, you will receive stickers and other freebies.

Primary coverage: Louisville, United States
Issue: none

Primary coverage: NYC, United States
Issue: 2

Crazy Kings is a New Jersey magazine with high-quality pictures featuring new-school and old-school from all over the United States and abroad. Unlike many other publications, the pictures shown in Crazy Kings are selected based on skill and not crew connections (though there does tend to be a fair amount of TAT, but who can complain?), so the graffiti is tops.

Primary coverage: Paris
Issue: none

Issue: none

Issue: none

Daily Bombs is the oldest graff zine from Hamburg, and is infrequently published. Daily Bombs stays true to its roots, with lots of bombs and train action, along with some gimmicks and comics. The zine is photocopied, aside from a centerfold spread in color.

Primary coverage: Canada, Trains
Issue: 2

Daily Operation is a high-resolution black-and-white affair out of Canada, covering walls and trains from Canada, Europe, and the United States. Daily Operation is mainly about throw-ups and pieces, and it provides a nice selection of different styles, surfaces, and artists, although as is typical with black-and-white zines, some of the punch is lost in the presentation. While there's no real new ground covered in Daily Operation, there's plenty of homemade style that's unmistakably real. While there are zines with larger productions, clearer photos and sexier presentations, Daily Operation is worth checking out because it isn't any of that, and neither is graffiti.

Primary coverage: United States (all over)
Issue: 3 (part 1)

Issued as a hold-over until Damage Incorporated can collect the resources necessary to assemble their next full-fledged effort, issue 3 is a straightforward black-and-white affair that's strictly flicks. Presented in an unusual 4.25x14 inch format and split alphabetically over three volumes, issue 3 presents a wide range of bombs of all shapes and sizes, even though many of the photos are way too small and fuzzy to really appreciate.

Primary coverage: United States (Midwest), NYC
Issue: 2

Dead in the Dirt's second issue picks up where the first one left off: lots of bombs, pieces, and freights from around the United States, especially the Midwest. The graffiti itself ranges from toy-grade to drool-worthy, though many flicks are muddied by awful photocopying process used to make this zine. That's not to say all is lost, however: there are a number of full-color pages and some intelligent interviews to be found here, and, where it can be made out, some good graffiti too. All told, a nice and intelligent bombing zine, not to mention dirt cheap.

Primary coverage: Melbourne, Australia
Issue: 1, May 2003

Ironically titled, Death From Above hails from Australia, and Issue #1 is a strong sample of things to come from the writers in Melbourne City. Its high quality pages are camouflaged well by its rugged design and appearance. The majority of the photos, which were carefully selected, are trains spanning the years 2001-2003 and reflect the many styles of the city. The train flicks, consisting of E2Es, T2Bs, window downs, inside bombs, etc. would probably even make a NY pioneer long for blockbuster nights gone by. Walls and other surfaces are not as plentiful as the metal, but our friends at DxFxAx did put together a nice b&w centerfold of hand styles, throws and other spontaneous markings. All in all, a solid debut.

Primary coverage: Italy, Europe
Issue: 3

Three words: just plain insane. Serious graff-heads will want to pencil in at least an evening or two to spend with Defrag's latest effort, a 100 page sweetie with a voracious appetite for anything aerosol. Quite simply the most massive aerosol zine to date, Defrag not only gives your well-to-do coffee table books a run for their money in girth, but in top-notch graffiti content as well. With hundreds upon hundreds of flicks from the top artists around (not to mention features on Sharp, Slog 175, Eron, and Giotto), reading Defrag will leave you feeling like a fat cat -- stuffed, but content.

With so many flicks and the quality bar set so high, you might expect to see lots of old flicks you've seen a billion times before, but you'd be wrong. Instead, expect lots of crisp, original content served up with excellent color reproduction and presented in a clean and well-organized fashion. As always with Defrag, if you came looking for flicks, you will not leave disappointed.

Of course, Defrag is about more than just pretty pictures, with a wide variety of interesting articles that are now (new with issue 3) printed in both Italian and English -- though the English translations are quite choppy and will likely wear out all but the most determined reader. The written content includes an episode of "Riberas", which is an ongoing novel of Maria, an Italian b-girl, a comic strip by Ciri, and several interviews and reports.

Primary coverage: USA, Freights
Issue: 2

Derailed is a little black-and-white photocopied zine devoted to the United States freight art scene. Although focused on classic graffiti, there's also a collection of hobo art (including the famous Water Bed Lou), along with a short article. While the zine is worth browsing, the small photos, small form factor, and Xerox machine combine to make a number of the pieces hard to make out. It'd be great to see the original photos.

Primary coverage: London
Issue: unknown

From the editor:
Digital Jungle has both online and hardcopy components. The web site is visited by thousands of writers from around the world every week, representing the UK graffiti scene on the Internet. With a continually expanding collection of images, including over 400 trains and 1000 walls, it has become recognized as one of the top graffiti web sites. Updated daily with new images, news and articles.

Digital Jungle magazine features a selection of walls and trains from across London. Loaded with over 260 photos spread over 40 pages, it includes a full color 4-page train special as well as lots of previously unpublished walls.

Primary coverage: Spain, Europe, NYC
Issue: 1 (April 2001)

Quite simply, Down Rocks burns. Put out by the same team that used to assemble the well-known Game Over publication, Down Rocks is essentially Game Over perfected: piles of the best burners on the planet, on thick, glossy stock.

Down Rocks also understands that readers will want to drool over these works, to that end does a great job keeping the flicks well-proportioned -- in some cases, allowing a single production take more than half a page. Furthermore, the photos are stellar: crisp and vibrant, each packs a punch seldom seen outside of coffee table books.

Of course, Down Rocks does contain more than just eye candy; there are also a number of solid articles and interviews on all aspects of the hip-hop scene, including breaking and music. Oh yeah, there's also a pretty nice mailorder section. Sweet!

Primary coverage: Freights, United States
Issue: 5 (August 1997)

Drip is a quaint zine featuring lots of great graffiti from around the states, including footage from the little-seen early 1990's. Drip is mainly about freights and productions, but there is a touch of just about everything. The layout is a mixed bag: on the one hand, the flicks are nice and large; on the other, the reader is often forced to rotate the zine to see the photos correctly. Along with the photos, the reviewed issue includes an interview with Saber/Revok. Nice.

Issue: none

Issue: none

Issue: none

Primary coverage: United States (all over)
Issue: 2

EIUA is a simple cut-and-paste affair that includes tons of graffiti from throughout the United States, especially Midwest freights. Other than a few scattered newspaper clippings, EIUA is strictly flicks, and it does a reasonably good job despite suffering from the typical production quality issues that plague photocopied zines.

Primary coverage: Atlanta
Issue: June 1999

Though well-written and entertaining, so far Elemental doesn't provide much for true inkheads. Instead, expect to find lots on hip-hop music complemented by a smattering of flicks from the local scene.

Issue: none

Primary coverage: California
Issue: 3 (Winter 1998)

Exterior Designs is a hefty photocopied zine which mainly showcases pieces from the Bay Area and California in general. Since Exterior Designs believes that graffiti should be viewed in their zine as it would be in person, there are no articles and the photos are only loosely captioned. While the graffiti is nice for the most part and the photos are fine, it seems as though little regard was paid to the effect the production process (photocopying) would have. As a result, many of the images are either too grainy, too small, or too muddled to really enjoy. This is unfortunate, because there's some nice graffiti in here.

Issue: none

Primary coverage: UK, London, with a smattering of random other places
Issue: 1

Finally, a magazine from the UK about the UK graffiti scene. This magazine has the most pictures you can get in 52 pages. No negative space, no labels, almost no text: the pictures must speak for themselves. Lots of trains, burning walls, silvers, throws, and funky UK styles in both new and vintage photos. It takes hours to apprecate them all.The lack of labeling is helped some by a shout-out list at the end, but most questions about who, when and where are left unanswered. Mr Who has a well-deserved spread for his astonishing photo realistic black and white portraiture. The most surprising thing, though, is the sheer number of trains in this first issue, wherever they are from. We expect great things from forthcoming issues with such a strong debut.

Primary coverage: Europe, United States
Issue: NYC Special Part 2 (1997)

Fatcap is one of the originals, with more than a decade under its belt. The zine is run largely by Tommy Tee, host of a Norwegian national rap show, but the flicks are edited by Raide of AIO and WCA. The zine contains a lot of graff from Norway and Denmark, but of course has a ton from the bottomless-cup-of-graff known as NYC. The reviewed (NYC Special) issue includes a stunning collection of NYC graffiti, served up large, clear, and effectively. Additionally, there are engaging interviews with key figures Seen, Cope 2, Cap, and Zephyr that will leave the reader wanting more. While FatCap is mainly a graff magazine, there are some interviews/reviews of hip-hop records thrown into the mix, along with a mailorder shop.

Primary coverage: Freight hobo art
Issue: 6 (2002)

The Fifth Goal is a unique zine devoted exclusively to "the rest" of the freight scene. For the most part, this means hobo art, but there's also a fair amount of letter styles by well-known graffiti artists such as Twist and Pars. The zine is a cut-and-paste photocopied affair, though given the nature of the material, it's hard to imagine it being any other way. There's also a nice interview with an established boxcar writer, and some other interesting odds-and-ends. All-in-all, an engaging glimpse into a seldom-seen piece of graffiti culture.

Primary coverage: Sao Paulo, Brasil, Chile, South America
Issue: 5

Through zines like 12 Ounce Prophet, we have caught occasional glimpses of the intriguing and thriving graffiti scene in Sao Paulo. Of course, South America is much larger than just Sao Paulo, and Fiz is one of the first zines (along with Graffiti Attack) to devote itself to the continent's fascinating scenes. With a somewhat grizzly but visually engaging layout, high-quality production, and a fine collection of photos, Fiz provides an enjoyable journey through several South American scenes, including Sao Paulo, Santiago, and Buenos Aires. In addition to the photos, there are a couple of interviews and articles (in Portuguese), and a bundled (but separate) mini-zine with additional photos and articles. A long-overdue and welcome resource.

Primary coverage: Trains
Issue: Milan

Though Milan is well known for its large-scale productions and hall of fame, First Class shows us that this city has a hardcore side through a tour-de-force of train action, culminating in a centerfold featuring a few nice end-to-ends. The graffiti itself is always solid and at times impressive, especially in the small collection of culled illegal walls. Though in both Italian and English, there are no articles so it matters little (aside from reading captions).

Primary coverage: NYC, Trains, Old-school
Issue: 10

Flashbacks is a very cool zine which (as the name implies) covers graffiti's illustrious past. Since this is put out by Poem, you know it's going to be first class. The photos do a great job of reminding current writers of what graffiti once was like, and more importantly, what graffiti is still all about. Since many of the photos are 10-15 years old, the picture quality isn't always the best, but Flashbacks nonetheless does an exemplary job of displaying the fathers of our culture in the best way possible. Flashbacks also features great interviews with just about every old-school king you can imagine, and well-written articles on assorted graff topics, which makes for an all-around great magazine.

Primary coverage: Denver, Chicago, Trains
Issue: 2.5

Foe Toe Graff is a photocopied zine out of Denver, featuring Denver's top artists like Jher, Pheud, and Chase. The zine is well put together but occasionally suffers from grainy photos. Featured media consists of freights, walls, stickers, and more.

Issue: none

Primary coverage: Netherlands, Europe
Issue: 2 (Spring 2000)

Fuck Off is a classic European graffiti zine, featuring all the steel and bombs you've come to expect from the Euro scene. If the name didn't clue you in that this is a hardcore zine, the graff will -- 99% illegal footage, including a couple of well-done black-and-white sections which feature some great bombing. Fuck Off is almost exclusively pics, with just a few paragraphs of English by non-native speakers.

Primary coverage: Denmark, Europe
Issue: 8 (Fall 1996)

Fuckt Up trades off quantity for quality in many areas, but still manages to deliver some worthwhile content to the reader. Although somewhat charming in its low-key scissors-and-tape Xeroxed production quality, it would be nice to see what this zine could do with a little more effort and a better photocopier. Instead, the reader is obligated to act as both an image enhancer and a proofreader, which is a daunting task for five pages, let alone seventy. Still, there is some nice graffiti here including some artists you won't see anywhere else.

Primary coverage: Italy, Trains
Issue: 0

Primary coverage: California (Bay Area)
Issue: 3 (Fall 1998)

Full Circle is a definite departure from the traditional graffiti zine. Featuring a collection of excerpts, original written works, and drawings, it is much more a zine for the mind than for the eyes. Although there is plenty of art to be found within Full Circle's pages, little of it falls within the restrictive bounds of graffiti as defined by the popular culture. With issue 3, Full Circle further departs from the reality that surrounds us into a maze of geometric shapes and thought. Downright bizarre at times. Certainly for the muses among us.

Primary coverage: Australia, Trains
Issue: unnumbered (mid 1997?)

Full Effect is an attractive full-color zine out of Australia. The zine is focused on burners, pieces, and productions, and does a good job showcasing the Australian scene. The graffiti, which is organized by city, is good although not that different from what can be found in Hype or Blitzkrieg. The zine as a whole is well put together and has a clean and succinct look. Worthwhile.

Primary coverage: North America (west and east coast), Europe
Issue: 4 (2003)

Clean, clever and filled with stellar artwork, Full Spectrum is exactly the sort of zine I would aspire to assemble myself, had I the skills. As with previous issues, Full Spectrum remains a cut-and-paste affair, which results in a gritty, homegrown feel that's just wicked. Though the latest issue doesn't contain a knock-out like issue 3's Transcend interview, less conventional street art helps fill the void, including a full page of hobo art. Of course, there's plenty of "classic" graffiti to be found, including several pages of top-notch freights and loads of serious bombing action. While the zine remains focused on flicks, there is also a nice interview with Kaput and a few other short articles. Oh, I almost forgot: the sewing on the front page is pure genius!