# Benchers? Moniker writers?



## West (Jul 21, 2014)

I've been benching for a year or two now and writing monikers as long. Still suck!

I'm curious as to how many travelers actually write monikers these days? Any of you guys feel the need to mark all?

HISTORY: For those who don't know, monikers or "monicas" were names given to hobos by their peers, starting in the late 1800s. The hobos carved these names along with pictures into the sides of wooden water tanks, boxcars, and anything nailed down. The art form switched over to chalk in the early 1900s as railcars became steel-sided, and then permanent paintstik in the later 1900s with the development of... paintstik. In the 70s and 80s graffiti writers began taking over the moniker scene, although some travelers including coaltrain remained prolific writers. Today moniker art is a thriving illegal art scene and boasts bazillions of writers and toys. Just about every car has at least one moniker on it, sometimes dozens. They usually take the form of small, simple designs with clean lines in white or black paintstik that have a title and are repetitive in the design. Some travelers still write monikers but I rarely see them (as far as I can tell). The idea is to write as many as you can, come up with clever designs and sayings, and get fame and renown, or feed your obsession for painting on steel - some moniker writers (matokie slaughter AKA margaret killgallen among them) launched art careers that stemmed from their moniker writing.

Some personal favorites are Deuce Seven, Colossus of Roads, Clawhamr, Coaltrain... Look 'em up if you have the time.


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## kokomojoe (Jul 21, 2014)

I write kokomo Joe. You can see it in my picture on here. I'm slowly getting better at them


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## Tude (Jul 21, 2014)

This person has his/her stuff allllll over the city - feet everywhere - billboards, sidewalks, way up on buildings where I have no idea how they got up there. One even had a challenge - only one foot with the caption "can you spot the other one?"


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## Kim Chee (Jul 21, 2014)

Graffiti...not really appreciated until several hundred years after it is created...kind of like a really slow maturing fine wine.

...then some dude with a PhD goes in, photographs it, interprets it, writes an artical about it and foams a little. He thinks he has found something really special until he discovers it happening in his neighborhood.

There are obvious differences in old ass cave writing and modern paint on a wall. Other than age, I really can't tell though.

To answer your question: I'm not driven in the slightest to mark anything.


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## West (Jul 22, 2014)

Cool kokomo! Maybe we'll paint sometime down the road!  Right now I write "wayfarer" and do an armadillo or an old beared 'bo or a campground. Haven't quite nailed it down yet...


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