san diego 1999. while strolling around the artist alley looking for someone who can contribute to my frank zappa: utility muffin art kitchen and grendel: the devil's sketchbook sketchbooks, i spot a table covered by stacks of large paper sheets, strange brushes and an assortment of stones. nobody seems to be at the table, but I'm mistaken: an oriental-looking guy is sitting on the floor behind it, surrounded by gouache tubes, holding a brush drenched in ink from a coca-cola cup, a rainbow of colors smudged up to his elbows.

he's focusing on a white paper sheet while ink drips in the cup: all of a sudden, with a swift movement of the wrist, the black splashes on the white and gives birth to something that, in its immediateness, is completely recognizable: giger's alien. the hand leaves the brush, gets hold of the whiteout, a few drops are used as details and then one of the stones is grabbed, smeared in a box of red paste and stamped next to what seems to be a signature. some of the red paste is added, with the pinky's tip, to the alien's tail.

"is it for sale?", is the only thing that comes to my mind. the guy looks up, smiles widely and go "yes, if you want it". that's gonna be the first piece of my andy lee's artwork collection, but zappa and grendel and a batch of horror pieces will follow right after.

i really like andy's art but, more than that, i like andy. he's fun, he's friendly, he's humble and he's got the craziest mustache you're likely to see at a comic-con. well, with sergio aragones, that is...

so, a website was long overdue. I don't want to call it "a tribute" because that strikes me as something you do for those who have ceased to be, who are expired and gone to meet their maker, the late ones, the stiffs, the bereft of life who rest in peace, those who -if not nailed it to the perch- would be pushing up the daisies, those who rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible (sorry, had to stick a monty python's quote somewhere).

and this is that website, my tip of the hat to andy, someone who i'm very proud to think of as a friend. it hosts all of my andy's art collection, which i hope will keep growing with every convention the two of us will attend.

take a look around and see what this guy's all about: i'm pretty sure you'll like it and you'll want some. of course you can get some by dropping him a line and inquiring about his rates. or visit his official website by clicking on his seal below.

enjoy!

	the man