FORMAT: A4 (210×297 mm) | COLOR: black & white | PAGES: 20 | RELEASE DATE: Autumn 1998
Editorial
It’s pretty interesting that a rapist gets a smaller sentence than a graffiti writer. This is what happened in the fall of 1997. The rapist walked on parole, but the graffiti writer got a sentence of nine months in jail.
But after all, graffiti writers are proven to be drug addicts and alcoholics, thieves, violent, and involved in organized crime, at least if you believe the shit you hear on TV or read in the newspapers.
It’s strange that the largest newspapers, which are supposed to be independent, are not. They write their articles without checking all the background information about graffiti matters before publishing. But private guards and graffiti specialized police officers are the only sources they (can) have, and this should explain a little of where all the “interesting” information about the lives of writers is coming from. The Helsinki PD has the media by the balls, and this affects directly how people react towards graffiti.
Maybe after a few years they’ll start the executions of writers following the model of the Brazilian military police, who wipes out all unwanted persons. Who knows? The fact is that “ordinary” people are fed up with graffiti.
This should already tell us something about the state we’re going in…
It seems like the so-called democratic and fair justice system of ours is taking a step towards “more effective” systems like those in Russia or China.
OUTRO | The purpose of this magazine is not to encourage, support, judge, or explain the youth phenomenon known as graffiti writing. It simply shows the results – good or bad – of the huge energy that exists within this movement. And after all, who is truly capable of deciding what is good… or bad?
If you are offended by the contents of this mag, nobody is forcing you to read it, let alone like it. If you’re that narrow-minded, go fuck yourself! So far there is still freedom of speech, writing, and expressing opinions – and doing so is not a crime.
Special thanks and respect to all the artists featured in this issue, and to everyone who has supported RadioActive with photos or in any other way. You know who you are – and so do we. Thanks!
Also greetings to the following magazines: Explicit Grafix, High Voltage33 and C’Est Fresh. | 1998
The original magazine contained just a bit more photos than presented here. Although about one fourth of the images presented here never appeared in Radioactive. Yes, many of the originals are missing. Luckily we have a lot of material from 1997-1998 which we’re able to use, to make up for the missing photos. The texts, short as they are, still remain about 90% faithful to the originals. | Radioactive Crew, 2026