For some 20 years, filmmaker Bill Daniel has been researching and documenting the culture and art “monikers” of hobos riding the rails. The result is the graffiti-art-history documentary Who Is Bozo Textino? This rarely seen gem is excerpted in a brand-new book, Freight Train Graffiti, by local street-art impresario Roger Gastman with Darrin Rowland and Ian Sattler. Yes, many graffiti books exist, but this beautiful, 7-by-8 doorstop of a tome proves to be one of the most thorough, offering a closer look into the train-painting niche. Not your brother’s subway cars of the ’70s, but a coast-to-coast photo tour of the nation’s most decorated freight yards, including the Bud Yard off the 405 Freeway. On Thursday, June 8, MOCA hosts the authors and special guests for a book signing and panel discussion, including a slide show and highlights from the Daniel film. MOCA, 250 S. Grand Ave., dwntwn.; Thurs., June 8, 5-8 p.m; free. (213) 626-6222.
—Shelley Leopold