INTERNATIONAL GRAFFITI TIMES - RUN OF 11 ISSUES & RELATED EPHEMERA

New York: I.G. Times, 1994. First Editions. Substantial run of the first periodical dedicated to the New York graffiti and subway art. The International Graffiti Times (aka. The Subway Sun, Get Hip Times, IGT, and I.G.Times) was the brainchild of David Schmidlapp, who published the zine under the nom-de-guerre "Yanqui Junkie." As a testament to the publications rebellious spirit, the bloated and heavily-tagged figure of Mayor Ed Koch, the arch-enemy of graffiti, appeared on the front cover and on a significant amount of marketing material over the coming years. The contents conveyed a real "ear to the street" feel, featuring interviews with various writers, coverage of good spots across the city, the police, the AIDS epidemic, art galleries, the burgeoning hip-hop scene, and of course, numerous photos of trains, murals, outlines, and sketches. In 1986, Phase 2 (Michael Lawrence Marrow), a legendary African-American graffiti artist who Schmidlapp had interviewed for Issue No.2, took over as artistic director of the magazine - a significant development in its overall aesthetic. One of the most significant and influential publications documenting graffiti and hip-hop at its epicenter. Large runs of IGT - those that were sold locally, by subscription, and circulated by hand - are genuinely uncommon; a later portfolio, comprised of unfolded leftover sheets for all 15 issues, was compiled in a numbered run of 100 sets after the magazine ceased publication (in our experience, these appear with much more frequency). Eleven slim quarto, folio, folded broadsheet, and map-style issues (ca.21.75cm-43cm); original pictorial wrappers, with text, illustrations, and photographs offset printed in colors. Accompanied by three ephemeral items: 1) A double-sided handbill for an International Graffiti Times benefit event at the Danceteria (measuring 5.5" x 8.5"); 2) a double-sided order form for The Subway Sun (measuring 8.5" x 11"); and 3) a double-sided flyer for the First Official Intergalactic New Stylee "Aerosol-Art Rock-a-Thon" (measuring 8.5" x 11"). A few issues Very Good, though most are Very Good+ to Near Fine.