Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
THE COBRA SNAKE
He has a name, but we shouldn’t really utter it. The Cobrasnake will do. It might be two words. It might be one. We're being told it's Three. The "The" is deserved. To us it’s THECOBRASNAKE with those Spanish upside down exclamation marks in front of it.
The Cobrasnake is half myth, half rumor, and half genius. Legend has it that he’s a prodigy and built a camera obscura with his legos while in the crib. The relatives were all “you can’t put Legos in an infant’s crib – he’ll swallow it!” But sometimes what comes out is beautiful.
Mark The Cobra Snake is an LA treasure hiding in plain sight. There’s no reason he’s not the most famous man in town. He goes everywhere, he portrays things precisely the way they are, he uses no gimmicks other than a semi fishy eyed lens and a magical flash he sold the devils soul to Robert Johnson to get.
We met him at the Shortstop and we knew we were in the right place. Then the celebs poured in. We met him in the streets of Austin and then 1,300 bands showed up. We met him at a film debut with two incredibly young “interns” which normally you’d say uh but somebody is posting those sweet ass pictures of his up on his website the morning after, and somehow we don’t think it’s the curly haired genius with the headband and fake glasses.
THE COBRASNAKE knows no peers, he walks on water, he breathes fire, he shapeshifts and break dances and plays the guitar just like he was ringing a bell. He simultaneously puts the I in team and fights terrorism by letting them hate us so much they love us. But mostly he snaps pics of the LA in a way that Walter Iooooooos Jr. did for Sports Illustrated back when people read SI.
If Ansel Adams’ BFF was Kid Millionaire he wouldnta been taking pictures of any damn trees.
Sponsored message
We've never seen him use the viewfinder. We've never seen him account for lighting. We've never seen him not smiling. We've never seen him in the same room as Harpo Marx, Ron Jeremy, or Har Mar Superstar.
He is the chosen one, the unforgiven, the girl next door. If the LA Times was worth the paper it's printed on it would have a photo by the Cobrasnake on the cover every day. Duh.
We have seen him surrounded with the ladies, we have seen his shit up on the LA Weekly and we definitely go to his page every damn day to see how he's livin, and as they say, the man is livin large.
He is the Magic Johnson of everything and right now he's playing center in the finals.
But most imporantly he does what every reporter or journalist or blogger or bro should do : go where you can't, and tell you what you missed.
photo used with permission by the cobra snake, from this ridiculous day in las vegas recently
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
