Is Skullphone a sellout?

Plastered on walls and fences, the black-and-white poster of a skeleton talking on a mobile phone has been among Los Angeles' most familiar examples of street art for several years now. Last week, however, Skullphone appeared in a different media: digital billboards. Fans of Skullphone and guerrilla artists were ecstatic that one of their own had apparently managed to hack into the Clear Channel's digital billboard system. Photos cropped up across the net.

"Hacking into the billboard’s computer network today, our boy positioned his trademark skullphone imagery in between the array of flashing movie, TV, and auto company ads that make up the normal paid advertising barrage on the giant illuminated monitors,"  proclaimed the Supertouch blog.

But guerrilla artists and their supporters are more humble this week. Turns out someone paid to put Skullphone on the new billboards. "The advertisement was bought under the assumption that it was art that was in an art show," a Clear Channel official told Wired.  "Any claims about hacking into our systems is false. It's a lie, even."

No word from Skullphone, who apparently is in New York, according to The District Weeky.  If you missed Skullphone's billboard debut, why don't you pick up a Skullphone Christmas ornament or tote bag.

--Jesus Sanchez

Photo top: LA Taco

Photo bottom: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[susan]

Yeah, Curbed L A fell for it: initially posted it as a hacker getting the best of everyone's Bilboard nemesis, the Big Brothers of Clear Channel, but posted a correction today. Shucks.