VEGAN has been a name that I have consistently associated with freight graffiti for 20+ years. Big stretched block letter spray fill-ins that made it into zines and graff mags in the early 2000's. But there is another side of Vegan that is deeply connected to moniker culture which is highlighted in this new zine, FREIGHT CAR DIARIES. There is a brief typewritten bit at the start of the zine that explains Vegan's journey through graffiti, exploration, and railroad culture that brought him to his current state of life. However, the real narrative is contained within the pages and pages of markal tags on freight trains.

A simple analysis of the mark reveals the tag at the center, looping in and out of the letters. An arrow pointing right at the end. Above and below that arrow are the month and year of the application. Underneath the tag are the small three letters: ALB. And, underneath all of that is the real meat and potatoes. Vegan takes a spin on Colossus of Roads' surreal sign-offs and introduces issues of class struggles and left leaning politics. It is a very real connection to the history of political graffiti from an authentic contemporary perspective.