Radioactive magazine officially came to an end in 1998 after its eleventh issue. A few small, unofficial issues were printed later on, but they were never meant for a wider audience. Around that time our editor-in-chief, Acton, started to learn how to build websites, which soon became his profession. So, we’ll let him explain:
“During those early experiments I created my first graffiti-related site, featuring HRC pieces — basically an early online version of Radioactive. I only found a screenshot of it’s Under Construction page. The site was technically limited, worked only on certain browsers, and didn’t stay online for long. By then, Helsinki Connection and TAG were already doing the same thing much better, so it made more sense to support them instead. Helsinki Connection closed in late 1998 and TAG followed about a year later. Luckily, both archives have remained available online to this day.
A few years later, while working as a web designer at a major media company, I again felt the need to put something graffiti-related online. Those were the zero-tolerance years, and keeping Finnish graffiti visible felt important. That led me to launch the Graffers Delight website in early 2001 (screenshots below), meant as a continuation of my earlier projects and TAG. However, between a full-time job and freelance design work, I simply didn’t have enough time for regular updates, and the site quietly disappeared later that same year.
Fast forward more than 25 years. Most of the people behind the original Radioactive magazine are now over 50. Some still paint, many don’t. In 2016 we (the members of HRC) published a book about our history, followed by an expanded English edition in 2021. While gathering material for those books, I scanned a large portion of my old photos and later received copies of the missing Radioactive issues. That process sparked the idea of doing something more with the magazine’s legacy. Considering my long background in web design and my more recent online art projects, building a proper online archive for Radioactive finally felt like the logical next step.
So, structurewise or otherwise related to this very website, I’m the one to complain to. Most of the actual content was or still is created by various people and all the credits belong to them.“
editor-in-chief
Radioactive Magazine