Brian Richard
| MonkeyMan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Brian Richard January 5, 1979 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Pen name | MonkeyMan |
| Occupation | artist |
| Period | 1996–present |
| Genre | pop art, comic book artist |
| Notable works | The FatKid Project |
| Website | |
| www.monkeymanweb.com | |
Brian Richard, also known as MonkeyMan, (born January 5, 1979) is an American pop artist and graphic designer.
Early work
After a brief stint as a musician[1] in his late-teens/early-20s where he created album inserts and gig flyers for his musical projects, he continued to pursue his art for the next several years. During this time, he became a self-taught website designer and graphic designer creating projects for Rebirth DJ Crew, Caligula, Dellfold Entertainment, and other local musicians as well as several small businesses.
In 2001, one of Brian's designs was selected as a winner in a contest held by Microsoft and Sega for inclusion in the original release of the Xbox video game Jet Set Radio Future. The design is one of the unlockable graffiti designs, and features artwork originally used by Brian during his time as a musician.
Work after Hurricane Katrina
In August 2005, he lost all of his art pieces when his home was swamped by the flood waters following the Hurricane Katrina levee break. After returning to New Orleans, he adapted to using Photoshop and a pen tablet as his primary art medium, mostly creating digital artwork. When asked why, he said that he can back up his digital artwork online and not have to worry about losing any other artwork to a natural disaster.[2]
The FatKid Project
In May 2008, he launched a new art series called The FatKid Project which features a slack-jawed obese and sexually ambiguous figure in various outfits an personalities. The original project goal was to create and release one drawing every day, providing a new persona for the "fat kid." Some personas include goth, Spider-Man, Doctor Who, zombie, and Michael Jackson. The series has been featured in magazines like Singapore's Kult's "Animals" issue in 2011, and in online publications like Comics Alliance in 2012.
Also in 2012, a FatKid Project print, titled Feel The Power, can be seen in the background of several of Colt Cabana and Marty DeRosa's YouTube shorts [3] Creative Has Nothing For You.
In January 2015, he was featured at Wizard Entertainment's Wizard World Comic Con convention held in the New Orleans Morial Convention Center showcasing comic/sci fi-themed versions of The FatKid Project series.
Other Works
In 2012, he participated in RAW artists independent arts exposition "Provocations," which was held in New Orleans and featured both old and new pieces to a great response.
In 2013, he designed the logo for New Orleans Radio Station WWL (AM)/WWL-FM's Prep Football series.
He continues to create traditional paintings in acrylic and watercolor, and often delves into photography.
Influences
Some of his influences include:
Awards
- American Lung Association young artist award winner[4]
- Warner Bros. art contest winner
- DC Comics art contest winner
- Artwork featured in Sega's Jet Set Radio Future
- Dollar ReDe$ign Project runner-up
Notes
- ↑ Leo McGovern, "Antigravity Magazine" September 2004 p. 7
- ↑ Artists, RAW. "MonkeyMan @ RAW: New Orleans "PROVOCATIONS" 10|24|12". YouTube. Retrieved 24 Oct 2012.
- ↑ DeRosa, Marty. "Creative Has Nothing For You - BIGGEST - Episode 62". YouTube. Highspots. Retrieved 20 Aug 2012.
- ↑ American Lung Association, Louisiana Chapter - http://www.louisianalung.org