Moniker (graffiti)

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Moniker produced by "The Kodak Kidd" Kodak Kidd Moniker.jpg
Moniker produced by "The Kodak Kidd"

A moniker (also known as a streak, tag, or hobo art) is a piece of graffiti on the side of a freight car on freight trains. Monikers are produced with a solid paint stick, industrial crayon, or a lumber crayon. Monikers serve the purpose for a moniker artist to share stories or a moment in time with others. Many moniker artists have a unique design they produce, and sometimes write the area they are from, or date that the moniker was produced. Occasionally, a short phrase will accompany monikers (this being started by buZ blurr, famous for his Colossus of Roads moniker). Many of the artists are railroad workers, train hoppers, and railroad enthusiasts.

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References

•Gastman, Roger and Neelon, Caleb. The History of American Graffiti, 2010.