If you have ridden the subway over the past year and paid even an iota of attention to your surroundings, chances are you have seen the word “moustache” on an ad, as it appears in the above photo. Moustaches (or mustaches if you fancy), along with blacked-out teeth and phalluses are some of the most common markings found on subway ads, but there is something that stands out about these. They are big, bold, and written in a distinct cursive.
These ‘staches first appeared on Subway Art Blog in June of last year, and have since become ubiquitous in the city—especially in the subway. After months of following this work and attempting to find out more about it, I finally stumbled upon an enlightening interview conducted by E.A. Hanks. Miss Hanks was kind enough to put me in touch with her friend, the elusive Moustache Man.
Fortunately he was extremely willing and accommodating; we exchanged e-mails, discussed his art and even met up so I could watch him work (he is indeed the real deal). The following is my e-mail interview with the trickster behind the moustaches.
Subway Art Blog: Why did you start drawing the moustaches?
Moustache Man: To raise awareness for the tens of people in the world who are born with the horrible, unsightly condition where your moustache grows into the word moustache. It’s unfortunate, it’s embarrassing, but most importantly, it’s 100% treatable. Remember that, young moustached boys and girls! There is hope!
SAB: Tell me about your first one.
MM: My initial plan was to write “moustache” on some posters and glue fuzzy moustaches on others. I went to some online party site and ordered a bunch of fuzzy moustaches. I stuck a few of them up with super glue, but after a few days most of them had been ripped off, leaving this ugly residue that made everything look worse. The “moustache” posters, on the other hand, were untouched. So I abandoned the fuzzy moustaches and stuck to writing the word. Continue reading “The Man Behind the Moustache”
