Legendary Tagger Iz The Wiz Dies

Graffiti legend Iz the Wiz (real name Michael Martin) died at age 50 on June 17th, and has finally received an obituary from the Paper of Record. The artist tagged subway cars in the 1970s and 80s with his signature in "fat capital letters spray-painted on a door, below a window, across an entire car or even along the full length of a train." Throughout his career as a graffiti artist, he got his tag on every line in the subway system more times than any other, which means if you didn't ride in a car with his name, you probably saw one in a movie. He even did a two-car homage to John Lennon after he was killed in 1980, and was one of the first to work on the Phun Phactory building (now 5 Pointz).

On his Myspace page he wrote: "I started writing graffiti in 1972 and have been active ever since!!! Although I have slowed down quite a bit since 1996 when I was diagnosed with kidney failure, I still paint any chance I get whether it's the occasional Fr8 or a canvas or just drawing in a black book, I try to keep active as much as possible!!!! I miss the subway trains, it was such a beautiful time when they were running." After the jump there's video of him bombing his last train.

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By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on June 29, 2009 4:21 PM

Comments [rss]

rodney bowman

fuck the guy glad the punk ass old man is dead and i hope i find where he is doing his dirt sleep so i can shit on his grave . i ask one question why couldnt the dumb ass mother fucker have died while back ? maybe more will die ..... die you scum trash taggers .

leoTheTagger

How can you talk about someone who's dead like that?Are you fucking retarded did he do any damage to your property?And wishing that all the taggers die WOW.id rather do graffiti than wish for someones death and as a matter of fact seeing a good graffiti piece makes my day!unlike you sorry ass motherfucking morons,GRAFFITI WAS AN ART BACK IN THE 70's,IT IS NOW AND IT WILL BE IN THE FUTURE, REST IN PIECE IZ THE WIZ!!!-RESPECT TO ALL THE TAGGER OUT THERE KEEP TAGGIN!!!!

windmad

Another tagger goes down. Good. Makes the world a better place. Now if we could get rid of the rest of them.

agenie4u

I understand your loss to someone that the people can connect too. I come from Michigan where I am open minded, and understand the people's request of their property being graffitti. When one works hard for something that holds dear to their pocket, or their heart they will be protecting their goods. When I first met Michael, when he told me what he did up in New York where first, I found it offensive due to where I came from, and how I lived my life, by not destroying property. Then later as a Hemodialysis patient Michael became a dear friend of mind who both of us have Kidney failure. I am glad that he had something to help him distracts his pain from all the needles, and surgeries that we must undergo just to be alive. How dare you be so judging as the Reeper may be after you! I will miss my friend who was indifferent to the regular folks. We all take different paths throughout life. RIP IS THE WIZ

Ph

Wow, I didn't realize there were so many lame old ass motherfuckers commenting on this site.

I, personally, didn't think he was one of the better writers to happen, but you can't deny the man's staying power.

Snoopy

"lame old ass motherfuckers"?

Tell me what dick head, where do you park your car and give me the plate number so I can do a paint spray orgasm on it proclaiming I'm KOOL. And since your at it, all the cars that your relatives own and their place of residence. Also show your face so someone can strap you down and put facial tatts for free proclaiming their artistic talent.

GOP

Herpes has staying power too. So does AIDS (the good kind). Iz never paid for part of my fare. Apple does. So does Dr. Zizmor.

slappy

Personally I find the ever increasing advertising of every usable surface in the city more offensive and annoying than graffiti.

ANGRYGOD11

At least you know the money paid by advertising will pay some of the MTA costs. The graffiti was always going to take money away from some part of the system or add to the debt.

LMD

First off, how about a little respect for someone who has died. I hope none of you do anything that would warrant getting written up on this site or you'll get ripped by all your fellow Gothamist vultures.

Secondly, I'd rather see work from Iz or any other writer on trains or buildings in lieu of invasive Apple ads or self serving MTA propaganda. One is a true expression of someone who has spent their life in NY and one is someone trying to exploit people from NY. Guess which one is which.

thefacts

To get respect you must show/earn respect. This dead wanker disrespected tens of thousands of people. He is getting the respect/disrespect he deserves.

At least subway ads subsidize the cost of the fares that you and I pay. This dead wanker by his vandalism and its subsequent cleanup required added to the MTA's expenses and a concomitant increase in fares.

ides_of_march

Graffiti vandals should be flogged in public.

theLtrain

What the fuck is wrong with all of you?

Graffiti is apart of the urban landscape and personally I feel it's something better to look at than just a shitty building. How does it affect you if someone gets up on a train? Does it ruin your day or something?

All of you need to go back to Michigan, or where ever it is that you're from.

FJF

I am so selfish. I didn't realize that every morning I wake up and have to power wash my side wall, I was actually removing "a part of the urban landscape." Sorry theLtrain, next time some asshole wants to violate my property, I'll try to have more consideration. And for the record, looking at graffiti does ruin my day; it makes me less proud to live in my community, which is full of jerkoffs like yourself that condone this shit.

ides_of_march

What time can I come over to your house and spray paint illiterate nonsense on your living room walls?

thefacts

Dog shit is "a part of the urban landscape" too and you probably "feel it is something better to look at than just s 'shitty' building".

Btw, what part of the city were you born in or you too a newbie transplant? A tag like "L train" makes one believe you are a recent Noo Yawker.

theLtrain

I was born and raised in Harlem, and ides of march, you're welcome to come by my apartment any time and contribute to my wall (I've been looking for someone to do a graf piece on the wall opposite my bed for a while now, what did you have in mind?)