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Industry | Skateboarding, media |
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Founder | Mikey Alfred |
Products | Clothing, accessories, skateboards, videos |
Website | illegalcivilization |
Illegal Civilization, also known as IC or Illegal Civ, is an American skateboarding company and movie studio founded in North Hollywood by Mikey Alfred. The brand produces clothing, accessories, skateboards, and videos. [1] Outside of skateboarding, Illegal Civilization produces music videos, documentaries, and original short films. [2]
Illegal Civilization is affiliated with the hip-hop collective Odd Future. [3] They filmed documentaries following the creation of Tyler, the Creator's albums Wolf and Cherry Bomb. [4] [5]
Founder Mikey Alfred was a co-producer on Jonah Hill's debut film Mid90s , and the film featured Illegal Civilization skate team members Sunny Suljic, Ryder McLaughlin, Olan Prenatt, Kevin White and Na-Kel Smith. [3]
The company was founded in 2008 by Mikey Alfred and his friends. Initially, they filmed skate videos and handed out t-shirts around North Hollywood. When Alfred was 15, skateboarder and rapper Na-Kel Smith introduced Alfred to Tyler, the Creator, and Alfred became Odd Future's personal videographer. Alfred passed out merchandise and DVDs while on tour with Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean, and Illegal Civilization began to gain recognition. [3] [6]
In 2016, the skateboard distributor Baker Boys Distribution began distributing Illegal Civilization merchandise. [7]
In 2020, Illegal Civilization released the critically acclaimed Godspeed (2020) skate video directed by Davonte Jolly. After the release of Godspeed, IC turned Alex Midler, Kevin White, and Zach Saraceno pro. [8]
In May 2022, Alex Midler, Kevin White, and Zach Saraceno all quit illegal Civ after not being paid for over a year.[ citation needed ]
In 2017, Illegal Civilization released a short film starring Mac Miller. [9] Later that year, they began releasing their original mini-series, Summer of '17, starring Illegal Civilization members alongside cameos from rappers Tyler, the Creator and Aminé. [10]
Anthony Frank Hawk, nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first documented "900" skateboarding trick in 1999. He also licensed a skateboarding video game series named after him, published by Activision that same year. Hawk retired from competing professionally in 2003 and is regarded as one of the most influential skateboarders of all time.
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