In 1984, “Blade 1” and I went to Hollywood, California, on a mission to leave our mark. We bombed from Venice Beach to the Sunset Strip. We even decided to throw Hollywood a bonus and tag the Hollywood Star Tour Buses run by the famous Manns Chinese Theater. When I saw one of the buses drive past one day, I turned to BLADE and said, “Those Rustoleum National Blue Buses need some color.” he agreed, and we planned to visit the bus depot. We tagged the buses with KRYLON White spray paint and a 6-inch Fat Cap with full-sided tags that read “SEEN and BLADE from DA BRONX,” complete with a cloud. We hit every side on every bus in the depot that night. We would fight for the fronts of each bus, but that was only natural, being writers and wanting the better spots.

The following morning, on the flight back home, all I could think about was the “HOLLYWOOD” sign. To me, that was Hollywood’s prize possession, and we didn’t hit it! I knew then that I had unfinished business in California and that I would be back. A few months later, I returned to Hollywood alone to put the icing on the cake. My sole mission this time around was to paint the Hollywood sign.

I planned to proceed with my mission on my first night there, not to waste any time. Some small trees and some 6-foot weeds would be in my way, so I got the tools I would need to pull the job off: a saw, weed whacker, and most importantly, the paint. The colors I decided to use were Red, Black, and Silver. I chose Silver as my fill-in color because I wasn’t sure how much time I had to paint, and Silver would cover quickly.

I waited until late at night, then made my move. I drove around looking for a spot to climb up the mountain, but it was dark, and I was in unfamiliar territory. After driving around for a couple of hours, I decided to get some sleep and try the next day. Not to get lost again at night, I decided to make my move in the morning so when nightfall came -I would be ready! I made it to the top of the mountain by 3:00 in the afternoon, and I was amazed at how big the sign was. I was excited to begin while it was still light out. I began to clear away the small trees and weeds. I built a makeshift ladder and figured out how to maneuver around these gigantic letters. Soon after the sun went down, I started. I figured out the size of the letters and began my rough outline. All of a sudden, these big bright lights lit up the sky. It was just like the movies, lights all over the sign and the sky. It was really cool, as soon as I realized I was the cause for the light show.

I rolled down the hill and hid in the bushes for about an hour. Then, I went back to work, stopping occasionally to document my progress with my camera. I was halfway done when suddenly, from behind the sign came a searchlight and the sounds of a helicopter. Again, huge spotlights flashed across the sign, but now, it is an unfinished SEEN piece. I ran down the hill again, ripping the film out of my camera just in case I got busted, and jumped into the bushes. I must have hidden there for at least two hours. Looking up at the lights reminded me of Yankee Stadium during a night game – it was bright!

After an eternity, the lights went down, and the helicopter left. I was even more determined to pull this off! I was here for one reason and wasn’t leaving until it was done. My legs were killing me because I was running around, and I didn’t want to climb the mountain again. I got into a flow and was not disturbed again. After a few more hours and with the sun beginning to creep up, I was done! Exhausted, I went back to my hotel room for some sleep. After waking up, I made one last trip up there for my flicks. It was easier now that all I had to carry was my camera, and my piece was up there. I got up there, admired the view, and kissed HOLLYWOOD goodbye.

Mission accomplished.

SEEN stands atop the famous Hollywood sign.