1. ETE- Exploit the
Environment: A graffiti group in NYC led by the
masterminds T+T+K. While the group's common signature is simply ETE, it can also contain messages or drawings. ETE is less "legal" than ETU*, but being comprised of high school kids, they do watch out and make sure nothing is permanently or stupidly tagged.
*ETU- Exploit the Urban: A less-exclusive ETE with more members whose primary tools are pens, pencils, or chalk, and whose scope of vandalization includes posters, desks, and other school equipment. More than half most high school kids can recognize the top artists' signatures within a glance; all ETE/U members are extremely talented artists and never mark something poorly.
Points:
ETE likes to vandalize posters, especially those that are marketed with products, surveys, media, etc.
ETE does not like to use bubble-letters, mainly because ETE was created by unique artists with a different, preferred handwriting style. ETE members consider handwriting an art form and can write in 7 different languages, including Russian, Japanese hirigana + katakana, Chinese kanji, Korean, Arabic, Armenian, Greek, Cryllic, and occaisionally, Latin. ETErs don't have one distinct handwriting style.
Some of ETE's messages include, "Darwin loves America" and, "Exploit our Children". They have a better time, however, getting their messages across when the poster they're vandalizing has to do with something
particularly funny or
ridiculous. Example: Tagging a News Channel poster with, "War is Fun!"
ETE's idea
originated from a Biology class, where the teacher had said during one lesson, "This world... we're so ignorant, hurting the
environment like this, ruining our own lives... exploiting the
environment, and we'll never stop" Months later after looking back at her notes, the three decided to use that as their mark.