The history of graffiti can be traced back to cave paintings and can be considered among the first true marks ever made. The modern day inception probably came much much later in the late forties with the introduction of Kilroy. Kilroy made his mark on bombs he inspected by writing "Kilroy Was here". These bombs could be likened to the trains of New York in the way that they traveled great distances and were seen by many. Many G.I.'s in Europe would write "Kilroy was here" on walls as they took back cities from the Germans. Graffiti as we know it today probably got it's start in the 60's as social protest was getting it's foothold in America. The peace movement as well as the Black Panther movement both gave rise to various forms of vandalism. The true version of what we have ingrained in our heads as graffiti came from kids in the boroughs of New York. In the 1970's kids discovered that "tagging" the trains in the yards at night meant that their message or more likely their name could be seen by people all over the city, state, and even the country. This moving canvas led to a renaissance in the art form. Today the graffiti movement is still very much alive and has seen a leaning towards protest and the fight against commercialism and war with artists like Banksy and Ron English. Many older artists have seen validation as their once outlawed art has become more accepted by the mainstream.

Kubrick

Saul Bass' poster for Kubrick's (not King's) The Shining is the first thing I want to point out about Kubrick. It is the joint effort of two fantastic minds.

I think that there are many things to be said about the effect of Stanley Kubrick in relation to art. In particular his contribution to the field of design is interesting and long lasting. Not only did he pioneer the future in films like 1968's "2001". He helped institute his own personal vision of the emotion derived from spaces in films like "the Shining" and "Full Metal Jacket" his apparent love of the typeface Futura bold as connoted from movie posters from films like "Lolita" and "Eyes Wide Shut" says volumes about his attention to detail and his love of graphic design. The fact that he incorporated such attention to detail into his films (as in the space station in 2001 and the Overlook Hotel in The Shining) gives the viewer a sense of reality and aids in the suspension of disbelief. The interesting aspect of his films from a design standpoint is that through his careful integration of the art form he has succeeded in inspiring generations of artisans almost subliminally. Before I ever considered becoming an artist I was inspired by the milk bar in Clockwork Orange. Before I ever reveled in the joy of typography the heart hammering disorientation of "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" etched itself into my memory. In a modern age the film maker stands as a first line of defense against bad taste.

EC comics

When I was a young boy growing up on a navy base in Iceland my mother ran the magazine department of the local exchange. Some days she could not find a sitter and I would be toted along with her to roam the racks. At the time (1981-1982) there was no Tales from the Crypt or Haunt of Fear to be found so after reading all the disney comics and the occasional G.I. Joe I would tempt fate and sneak over pick up that months issue of Savage Sword of Conan. Sometimes I would get really adventurous and try to get a a glance at Heavy Metal. When I got caught it was corporal punishment time but I don't think that ever stopped me. I can Imagine that kids from the time of the introduction of horror comics in similar positions. Instead of people like H.R. Giger and John Buscema kids from the early 50's and late 40's were probably getting in trouble for artwork from people like Johnny Craig. Up until the late 40's comics had been geared mainly towards very young males. After WWII there turned out to be many soldiers who were showing an interest in reading issues with more adult themes than Superman. EC comics pioneered the field of horror comic books and took up the slack in marketing to an older crowd. As per usual with anything that leans away from typical church-going God fearing "King Jamesishness" The powers that be persecuted the makers of E.C. comics and all of their many different titles including the classics "Vault of Horror" and "Tales form the Crypt". They did this by the creation of a group not completely unlike the MPAA called the Comics Code Authority. Otherwise known as the CCA the group which formed in 1954 was an integral part of calling an end to the EC group with it's overbearing censorship. Through the years many of the great classic titles from EC have been re-issued and made into films (like the three Tales from the crypt films) and even a very clever T.V. show on Home Box Office. I still have memories of a local bookstore called Hawsey's Book Index that until it was taken over by a devout family had many torn and tattered issues just laying about on the shelves for only a quarter. The thematic element of these comics in addition to their outstanding artwork and shock value has made them an integral piece of Americana.