Mark “Cobrasnake” Hunter runs @TheCobraShop in Los Angeles, selling the very best of the ‘90s and ‘00s. He also photographed the best in nightlife during those eras, long before celebs were splashing their own images across social media → https://t.co/bRR6GdcH7mpic.twitter.com/wwDBYHdypU
— Polaroid Originals (@polaroidorignls) April 3, 2018
In the mid-to-late 2000s, The Cobrasnake was a website run by Mark Hunter. Endless photos of drunken teens/20-somethings at clubs and parties made website visitors familiar with the antics of Cory Kennedy, Steve Aoki, and Mickey Avalon. Now the website has shut down, and he runs The Cobra Shop, a 90s/2000s vintage store in LA, as well as the Cobra Fitness Club - a jogging-through-Runyon Canyon-with-Insta-models venture. Some highlights from his interview:
-Everyone said his nightlife-photo blog was Instagram before Instagram, and he wishes he capitalized on that financially
-Got the idea for a shop because he wanted to sell clothes similar to ones of what people in the photos were wearing
-Before The Cobrasnake, his original website was called Polaroid Scene (until Polaroid sent him a cease and desist letter)
-Points out that no one has a phone in their hands back then, and their self-image was less guarded
-Has an archive photo book coming out
-Sort of gave up on photography once smartphones/social media took over
-Lots of positive discussion on the use of Polaroid cameras (well, look at the source)
-No mention of his sleaziness whatsoever
Source