KING SIZE. Tags, Bricolage and Subcultural Globalization

Twenty years before social media would reshape graffiti culture, Adam Kraft released KING SIZE (2004) – a cult-level, ground-breaking book that instantly set a new benchmark. Stockholm-based ADAM hand-built twenty massive, 50-mm-wide DIY markers – each with a 200 ml reservoir – crafted entirely from hardware-store materials. These one-of-a-kind tools were then sent to some of the world’s most influential taggers, from New York to Tokyo.

The original edition featured a behind-the-scenes construction chapter and iconic photographic contributions from SACER (†), TWIST, FOE, KEGR, NUG, and ZYS. Paired with essential texts by Craig Castleman (Getting Up), Joe Austin (Taking the Train), and Andreas Berg, the book quickly became a must-own title for anyone interested in graffiti, subculture, and urban expression.

Now – twenty-five years after Kraft initiated the project – the legend returns. The new, expanded second edition is not merely updated: it’s reinvented. At 848 pages, this is a truly KING SIZE volume. The complete original book appears here in full, enriched with previously unseen photographs and new colour images.

In recent years, Kraft also engineered an entirely new 50 mm marker, once again embracing his signature bricolage methods. This second generation tool was tested by nearly triple the number of artists, including top writers in Berlin, València, Naples, Hamburg, New York, and Paris. The book features a thoughtful new introduction as well as a fresh text by Ernesto Oroza exploring the cultural power of DIY craft.