Claw Money launches her ‘Bombshell’

The graffiti subculture has long been a boys club, but Claw Money has got the guys beat. The street artist is translating her signature tag — a three-taloned claw scrawled from Downtown L.A. to Milan to her native New York City — into a full range of merchandise. Her line includes hoodies emblazoned with bold color and chain graphics, and accessories such as Grace Jones-style sunglasses, claw pendants and big claw-shaped throw pillows. No doubt: She’s managed to turn a can of aerosol paint into a graffiti lifestyle brand, sold at Collette in Paris, no less.

The latest in Claw Money merchandise is her first book, “Bombshell: The Life and Crimes of Claw Money.” Letters and, mostly, photographs document her early days — from founding her graffiti crew, PMS, to styling photo shoots for Ice Cube and Guns N’ Roses. There’s even a recipe for her Grandma Baba’s latkes. No telling why. It’s also filled with images of her art splashed on concrete all over the world and testaments from fellow graffiti artists and art magazine pals, Sacha Jenkins, Maripol and Roger Gastman (who co-owns the art mag Swindle, where Claw Money is a fashion editor).

Talk about street smarts. Claw Money will be in Los Angeles from 8 to 11 p.m. May 24 for a book signing at Turntable Lab, 424 N. Fairfax Ave. Her line is available at www.clawmoney.com, Turntable Lab and other boutiques.