Draft:12ozProphet
American graffiti magazine and online community
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12ozProphet is an American graffiti magazine and online community founded in 1993 by Allen Benedikt. Originally a zine created as a student project at the Rhode Island School of Design, the publication evolved into one of the earliest and most influential online forums dedicated to graffiti and street art culture, predating mainstream social media.[1]
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| Editor | Allen Benedikt |
|---|---|
| Categories | Graffiti, Street art, Urban culture |
| Frequency | Irregular (print 1993–1998) |
| First issue | 1993 |
| Company | AKA Projects, LLC |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Miami, Florida (1993–2000) New York City (2000–present) |
| Language | English |
| Website | 12ozprophet |
History
Print era (1993–1998)
12ozProphet was conceived in early 1993 by Allen Benedikt while attending the Rhode Island School of Design. The first issue was created as a design project with the intention of competing with existing graffiti zines of the era.[1] By the third issue, published in 1995, the magazine had established its identity, featuring one of the earliest published interviews with San Francisco artist Barry McGee (also known as "Twist").[2]
The sixth and final print issue, released in 1998, featured the first international interview and published images of Brazilian twin artists Os Gemeos, who had been introduced to Benedikt by Barry McGee. Benedikt and co-editor Caleb Neelon traveled to São Paulo in 1997 to conduct the interview, which became the twins' first piece of press outside of Brazil.[3] According to Wynwood Walls, "This was the first time their work began to hit audiences outside of South America."[4]
Issue 3 of the magazine, with cover design by Barry McGee, is held in the permanent collection of the Letterform Archive in San Francisco, where it was featured in the 2023–2024 exhibition "Subscription to Mischief: Graffiti Zines of the 1990s."[2]
Online community
Paralleling the print magazine, 12ozProphet established one of the first major online graffiti forums, known as "The Writers Forum." The platform served as a virtual "writers bench"—a meeting place for graffiti artists—during the early internet era before the rise of social media.[1]
Publications and collaborations
In 2005, Benedikt and collaborators Cody Hudson and Caleb Neelon released Also Known As Vol. 1, a 190-page full-color book documenting graffiti culture. The book featured work by artists including Futura 2000, KAWS, Barry McGee, and others.[1]
The imagery from Also Known As—specifically photographs of vintage 1970s "Wet Look" spray paint cans—inspired a 2006 collaboration with Nike to create the Nike iD Wet Look Dunk Pack, a limited-edition series of Nike Dunk sneakers. The collaboration was significant in establishing credibility for Nike's then-new iD customization program, with that season's colorways setting a sales record that stood for several years.[1]
Cultural significance
Early artist exposure
12ozProphet is credited with providing early exposure to artists who later achieved mainstream recognition in the contemporary art world. The magazine and forum featured work by KAWS (Brian Donnelly) during his transition from street artist to fine art phenomenon, Futura (Lenny McGurr), Shepard Fairey before his Hope poster brought him mainstream fame, and Barry McGee during his early career.[1][4]
The platform's most significant discovery was Os Gemeos, the Brazilian twin artists who have since exhibited at institutions including Tate Modern, MOCA Los Angeles, and the Vancouver Biennale. 12ozProphet's 1998 feature marked their first international press coverage.[4]
Role in graffiti culture
As one of the earliest dedicated online spaces for graffiti writers, 12ozProphet served as a virtual "writers bench"—connecting artists globally before social media platforms existed.[1] The platform's role in connecting graffiti artists and bridging underground culture with commercial acceptance has been recognized by institutions including Sotheby's, which described Benedikt as "esteemed for his role in the development and commercial acceptance of street art."[1]
Hypebeast has described 12ozProphet as "one of the online world's quintessential art communities."[5] The 2011 Hypebeast feature documented a collaboration between Futura and 12ozProphet, demonstrating the publication's continued relevance within street art culture.
See also
- KAWS – American artist featured in 12ozProphet and Also Known As
- Futura – Pioneer graffiti artist, collaborated with 12ozProphet
- Shepard Fairey – Street artist featured on the platform
- Barry McGee – San Francisco artist, early interview subject
- Os Gemeos – Brazilian artists first published internationally by 12ozProphet
- Graffiti in the United States
- Street art