Pedro Bell

Born on June 11, 1950, Bell was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/arts/music/pedro-bell-dead.html | title=Pedro Bell, Whose Wild Album Covers Defined Funkadelic, Dies at 69| newspaper=The New York Times| date=August 30, 2019| last1=Genzlinger| first1=Neil}}{{cite news|last1=Timble|first1=Steve|title=Pedro Bell "One Nation Under a Dude"|url=https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/pedro-bell-one-nation-under-a-dude-1998/|work=Juxtapoz|date=Fall 1998|language=en-gb}} His family was very religious.{{cite news|last1=Roberts|first1=Randall|title=Pedro Bell, artist who created Funkadelic's cosmic album covers, dies at 69|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2019-08-28/pedro-bell-funkadelic-george-clinton-album-covers-obit|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 28, 2019}} Bell had older brothers.{{cite news|last1=Shakur|first1=Abdel|title=The Natural Way To Dro (Part I)|url=http://misstraknowitall.blogspot.com/2009/06/natural-way-to-dro-part-i.html|work=Misstra Knowitall|date=June 30, 2009}}

Often sick as a child, Bell would read books and comics, especially Ace Comics.{{cite news|last1=West|first1=David|title=Pedro Bell (page 20)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/377025815/|work=SECONDS|date=1987|pages=20–26}}{{rp|20}} Bell said that he gained his artistic talent from his father, whom he described as frustrated artist; and his mother, who wrote and played the piano.

Bell attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he said he was exposed to the Black Power movement and met activist Mark Clark. Bell donated artwork to the Black Panther Party and participated in a protest, which led to his expulsion from school.{{cite news|last1=Shakur|first1=Abdel|title=The Natural Way To Dro (Part III)|url=http://misstraknowitall.blogspot.com/2009/07/natural-way-to-dro-part-iii.html|work=Misstra Knowitall|date=July 5, 2009}}

Bell also attended Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he took art classes and studied with Don Baum.{{rp|20}}{{cite news|last1=West|first1=David|title=Pedro Bell (page 21)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/377021870/|work=SECONDS|date=1987|pages=20–26}}{{rp|21}}

Between late 1969 and early 1970, Bell heard Funkadelic on the underground Chicago radio station WXFM for the first time.{{rp|22}} He began writing illustrated letters to the band and contacted their manager, Rod Scribner, in order to send him drawings and college-newspaper writing samples. Bell additionally created and mailed what he called "psychedelic envelopes", but since Funkadelic bandleader George Clinton was under investigation at the time by the RCMP for his involvement with the Process Church of the Final Judgment, the envelopes also were investigated.{{cite news|last1=West|first1=David|title=Pedro Bell (page 23)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/377021862/|work=SECONDS|date=1987|pages=20–26}}{{rp|23}}

Bell was hired to produce artwork for the band, beginning with local show posters, promotional items, and press kits. He moved on to album artwork, where he built a mythology that included slang, nicknames, and otherworld concepts that eventually became part of the artwork and liner notes of the Funkadelic records.{{rp|22}} Bell often came up with nicknames, which he called "tags", for people.{{cite journal|last1=Michaels|first1=Rob|title=Pedro Bell: Drawnamic Maestro of Optical Infotainment (page 4)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/363181145/|journal=Motorbooty|date=1989}} The album cover artwork was credited under Bell's name, but the liner notes credited his work to Sir Lleb. Bell worked to reflect the band's atmosphere of its music and stage performances in his work,{{cite book|last1=Clinton|first1=George|last2=Greenman|first2=Ben|title=Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You?|date=2014|publisher=Atria Books|location=New York|isbn=978-1-476-75109-2|pages=116–118, 184|oclc=893679213}} for which he used markers and felt-tipped pens{{cite journal|last1=Michaels|first1=Rob|title=Pedro Bell: Drawnamic Maestro of Optical Infotainment (page 5)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/363181142/|journal=Motorbooty|date=1989}} because the fumes of the paint he used were too toxic, and he often traced the markers with acrylic due to issues with color separation from the printing process. The finished works were often 300 percent larger than the actual record covers for higher printing quality.{{cite news|last1=West|first1=David|title=Pedro Bell (page 24)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/377021860/|work=SECONDS|date=1987|pages=20–26}}{{rp|24}} Although he went to college, Bell considered himself to be self-taught. Bell said he created the original pieces on three foot square panels, and often would only have the record title, and would not have heard the music before creating the album artwork.{{cite journal|last1=Michaels|first1=Rob|title=Pedro Bell: Drawnamic Maestro of Optical Infotainment (page 3)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/363181148/|journal=Motorbooty|date=1989}}

According to his biography via George Clinton's official website, Bell's "stream-of-contagion text rewrote the whole game. He single-handedly defined the P-Funk collective as sci-fi superheroes fighting the ills of the heart, society, and the cosmos…As much as Clinton's lyrics, Pedro Bell's crazoid words created the mythos of the band and bonded the audience together."{{cite web|last1=Hito|first1=Ben|title=Pedro Bell|url=https://georgeclinton.com/family/pedro-bell/|work=GeorgeClinton.com|access-date=March 25, 2013}} However, Bell was often paid very little for his work, and if it was not through the record label, payment was either delayed or he had to ask for it up front.{{cite news|last1=West|first1=David|title=Pedro Bell (page 25)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/377021858/|work=SECONDS|date=1987|pages=20–26}}{{rp|25}} He therefore held regular jobs, including working in a bank and then a post office, but retained his association with the P-Funk family by often wearing day-glo wigs and psychedelic-inspired outfits. Bell additionally collaborated with Clinton on album cover artwork for Clinton's 1980s solo releases,{{cite news|last1=Palmer|first1=Robert|title=The Pop Life; Clinton's Satire Has a Bite|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/07/arts/the-pop-life-clinton-s-satire-has-a-bite.html|work=The New York Times|date=May 7, 1986}} but their relationship became further strained after Clinton began to collaborate with Prince.{{cite journal|last1=Michaels|first1=Rob|title=Pedro Bell: Drawnamic Maestro of Optical Infotainment (page 1)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/363213052/|journal=Motorbooty|date=1989}}

Bell had his own studio that he named Splankwerks,{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Steve|title=How the look of the 20th century came from Chicago and its African-American designers. Have a 7UP?|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-african-american-design-chicago-1206-story.html|work=Chicago Tribune|date=December 5, 2018}} and in 1988, he created a cartoon for MTV called Larry Lazer.{{cite web|last1=Bell|first1=Pedro|title=Pedro Bell cartoon: Larry Lazer|website=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phwODVKQ9X0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/phwODVKQ9X0 |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|language=en|date=1988}}{{cbignore}} In addition to working on comic books (including a compilation titled Artusi Tribe) and screenwriting, Bell started a band called Tripzilla.{{cite journal|last1=Michaels|first1=Rob|title=Pedro Bell: Drawnamic Maestro of Optical Infotainment (page 6)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/363181139/|journal=Motorbooty|date=1989}}{{cite news|last1=Austen|first1=Jake|last2=Lancelot|first2=Randy|last3=Porter|first3=James|last4=Bell|first4=Pedro|title=P-FUNK (Pedro Bell Interview): Return of the Crazoid: Roctober Brings Artist Extraordinaire Pedro Bell Back to the Scene of the Crime Where He First Met Funkadelic|url=http://www.roctober.com/roctober/greatness/pfunk.html|work=Roctober|issue=11|date=1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010424185604/http://www.roctober.com/roctober/greatness/pfunk.html|archive-date=April 24, 2001}} In 1997, he published a zine titled ZEEP Magazine.{{cite web|title=Stozo's Land Souvenirs: ZEEP Magazine !?(1997 issue)|url=http://stozodaklown.tripod.com/SUPOZOindex.html|website=Stozo The Clown}} According to Bell, the word was P-Funk slang for "deeper-than-deep".{{rp|22}}

Warner Brothers Music censored Bell's initial artwork for Funkadelic's 1981 album The Electric Spanking of War Babies.{{cite journal|last1=Michaels|first1=Rob|title=Pedro Bell: Drawnamic Maestro of Optical Infotainment (page 2)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/363181149/|journal=Motorbooty|date=1989}} Deemed as inappropriate due to the cover featuring an overtly phallic spaceship that transported a naked woman, the work was edited, despite the fact that Funkadelic "was following up two consecutive million-selling records," while signed to Warner Bros.{{rp|249}} Bell revised The Electric Spanking of War Babies so the image was featured with a lime-green sketch of shape covering the majority of the cover art, which says, "Oh Look! The Cover that 'They' were TOO-SCARED to print!"{{cite magazine|last1=Edwards|first1=Gavin|title=Banned in the U.S.A.: 20 Wildest Censored Album Covers - Funkadelic, 'The Electric Spanking of War Babies' (1981)|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/banned-in-the-u-s-a-20-wildest-censored-album-covers-154101/the-mamas-and-the-papas-if-you-can-believe-your-eyes-and-ears-1966-45904/|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=January 15, 2015}}

Bell said that among his artistic influences were artist Ed Roth, especially how he incorporated cars into his artwork, and the work of cartoonist Robert Williams in advertising that appeared in Hot Rod magazine. He also cited Frank Zappa, Harlan Ellison, Hunter S. Thompson, Iceberg Slim and Tom Wolfe as influences.{{cite news|last1=West|first1=David|title=Pedro Bell (page 26)|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/377021854/|work=SECONDS|date=1987|pages=20–26}}{{rp|26}}

Growing up, Bell read the Bible and was very influenced by the books of Genesis and Revelation. This led to an interest in science fiction, machinery, automotive technology, and then the surrealistic art of Salvador Dalí.{{cite news|last1=Shakur|first1=Abdel|title=George Clinton's Funky Drawers: Pedro Bell|url=http://misstraknowitall.blogspot.com/2008/06/george-clintons-funky-drawers-pedro.html|work=Misstra Knowitall|date=June 12, 2009}} Bell read extensively about dinosaurs and Godzilla, and also studied Latin.

In August 1996, Bell was declared legally blind. He struggled with health and poverty issues for much of his later life. In January 2010, the Black Rock Coalition held a fundraiser called "Miracle for a Maggot: Funkraiser for P-Funk Graphic Artist Pedro Bell" to help Bell.{{cite news|last1=McClain|first1=Sierra|title='Miracle For A Maggot": Fundraiser for Funkadelic graphic artist Pedro Bell|url=http://boldaslove.us/2009/12/31/miracle-for-a-maggot-fundraiser-for-funkadelic-graphic-artist-pedro-bell/|work=Bold As Love Magazine|date=December 31, 2009}}

On August 27, 2019, Bell died in Evergreen Park, Illinois at the age of 69.{{cite news|last1=Minsker|first1=Evan|title=Pedro Bell, Artist of Funkadelic's Iconic Album Covers, Has Died|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/pedro-bell-artist-of-funkadelics-iconic-album-covers-has-died|work=Pitchfork|date=August 28, 2019|language=en}}{{cite news|last1=O'Donnell|first1=Maureen|title=Chicago artist Pedro Bell, designer of trippy album covers for George Clinton, Funkadelic, has died|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/8/28/20837264/pedro-bell-artist-george-clinton-parliament-funkadelic-album-cover-designer|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=August 28, 2019}} He had a son.

• 1973: Funkadelic, Cosmic Slop (Westbound Records)
• 1974: Funkadelic, Standing on the Verge of Getting It On (Westbound Records)
• 1975: Funkadelic, Let's Take It to the Stage (Westbound Records / 20th Century Records)
• 1976: Funkadelic, Hardcore Jollies (Warner Bros. Records)
• 1976: Funkadelic, Tales of Kidd Funkadelic (Westbound Records)
• 1978: Funkadelic, One Nation Under a Groove (Warner Bros. Records)
• 1979: Funkadelic, Uncle Jam Wants You (Warner Bros. Records)
• 1981: Funkadelic, The Electric Spanking of War Babies (Warner Bros. Records)
• 1982: George Clinton, Computer Games (Capitol Records)
• 1982: George Clinton, ''Atomic Dog' '(12 inch) (Capitol Records)
• 1983: George Clinton, You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish (Capitol Records)
• 1985: George Clinton, Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends (Capitol Records)
• 1985: Jimmy G And The Tackhead, Federation of Tackheads (Capitol Records)
• 1986: George Clinton, R&B Skeletons in the Closet (Capitol Records)
• 1988: INCorporated Thang Band, Lifestyles of the Roach and Famous (Warner Bros. Records)
• 1989: Various artists, George Clinton Presents Our Gang Funky (MCA Records)
• 1991: Maggotron, Maggotron: Bass Man of the Acropolis (Pandisc){{cite web|last1=Stevens|first1=Tym|title=Beyond Cool: Pedro Bell, Funkadelic's visionary!|url=http://tymstevens.blogspot.com/2010/01/beyond-cool-pedro-bell-funkadelics.html|work=ROCK Sex|date=January 27, 2010}}
• 1994: George Clinton, Dope Dogs (P-Vine)
• 1995: Axiom Funk, Funkcronomicon (Axiom)
• 1996: George Clinton and The P-Funk Allstars, T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M. (The Awesome Power of a Fully Operational Mothership) (Sony 550)
• 1996: George Clinton, Greatest Funkin' Hits (Capitol Records)
• 1998: Enemy Squad, United State of Mind (Tufamerica Records)
• 2005: George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars, How Late Do U Have 2BB4UR Absent? (The C Kunspyruhzy)
• 2007: Funkadelic, By Way of the Drum (Hip-O Select)

• 1994: Onli Studios, Second Annual Black Age of Comics Convention, South Side Community Art Center – Bronzeville, Chicago, Illinois
• 1999: Exit Art, Pedrodelic Art Exhibit – New York{{cite web|last1=Dr. Brookenstein|title=Opening of the Pedrodelic Art Exhibit, NYC (5/01/99)|url=http://www.brookenstein.com/pedrodelic-art-exhibit.html|website=Brookenstein.com|date=May 1, 1999}}
• 2005: Gavin Brown's Enterprise, Drunk vs. Stoned 2 – New York{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Roberta|title=Along the Blurry Line Between Blotto and Buzzed|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/arts/design/along-the-blurry-line-between-blotto-and-buzzed.html|work=The New York Times|date=August 26, 2005}}
• 2007: BLACK AGE X Convention – Chicago{{cite web|last1=Onli|first1=Turtel|title=Black Age of Comics Convention / Onli Studios: October 2007|url=http://dablackage.blogspot.com/2007/10/|website=Black Age of Comics Convention / Onli Studios|language=en|date=October 11, 2007}}
• 2007: Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (September 29, 2007 – January 6, 2008) – Chicago{{cite web|title=Exhibitions: Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967|url=https://mcachicago.org/Exhibitions/2007/Sympathy-For-The-Devil-Art-And-Rock-And-Roll-Since-1967|work=Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago|date=September 29, 2007|language=en}}{{cite news|last1=Stipanovich|first1=Alexander|title=Rock&Art - Pedro Bell|url=https://www.brain-magazine.fr/article/reportages/48-Rock-Art---Pedro-Bell|work=Brain Magazine|date=November 23, 2007|language=fr}}
• 2009: Funkaesthetics: University of Toronto, Art Museum at the University of Toronto (February 12 – March 23, 2009);{{cite web|last1=Jacob|first1=Luis (curated by)|last2=Wendt|first2=Pan (curated by)|title=Funkaesthetics|url=http://artmuseum.utoronto.ca/exhibition/funkaesthetics/|website=Art Museum at the University of Toronto|language=en-CA|date=February 12, 2009}} Confederation Centre Art Gallery (November 21, 2009 to February 28, 2010){{cite web|title=Funkaesthetics|url=https://artmuseum.utoronto.ca/publication/funkaesthetics/|work=Confederation Centre Art Gallery|date=2009|language=en-CA}}
• 2018: Chicago Cultural Center, African American Designers in Chicago: Art, Commerce, and the Politics of Race (October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019) – Chicago{{cite web|title=African American Designers in Chicago: Art, Commerce, and the Politics of Race|url=https://www.artdesignchicago.org/programs/african-american-designers-in-chicago-art-commerce-and-the-politics-of-race|website=Art Design Chicago|date=2018}}

• Albums with cover art by Pedro Bell

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/bell_pedro.htm Lambiek Comiclopedia article about Pedro Bell.]
• {{cite journal|last1=Michaels|first1=Rob|title=Pedro Bell: Drawnamic Maestro of Optical Infotainment|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/88058737@N00/363213052/|journal=Motorbooty|date=1989}}
• {{cite news|last1=Austen|first1=Jake|last2=Lancelot|first2=Randy|last3=Porter|first3=James|last4=Bell|first4=Pedro|title=P-FUNK (Pedro Bell Interview): Return of the Crazoid: Roctober Brings Artist Extroidanaire Pedro Bell Back to the Scene of the Crime Where He First Met Funkadelic|url=http://www.roctober.com/roctober/greatness/pfunk.html|work=Roctober|issue=11|date=1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010424185604/http://www.roctober.com/roctober/greatness/pfunk.html|archive-date=April 24, 2001}}
• {{cite news|last1=James|first1=Darius|title=Cruise Missile Looking For A Place To Land|work=Vibe|date=May 1996|pages=84–87}}
• {{cite news|last1=Shakur|first1=Abdel|title=The Natural Way To Dro (Part I)|url=http://misstraknowitall.blogspot.com/2009/06/natural-way-to-dro-part-i.html|work=Misstra Knowitall|date=June 30, 2009}}
• {{cite news|last1=Shakur|first1=Abdel|title=The Natural Way To Dro (Part II)|url=http://misstraknowitall.blogspot.com/2009/07/natural-way-to-dro-part-ii.html|work=Misstra Knowitall|date=July 2, 2009}}
• {{cite news|last1=Shakur|first1=Abdel|title=The Natural Way To Dro (Part III)|url=http://misstraknowitall.blogspot.com/2009/07/natural-way-to-dro-part-iii.html|work=Misstra Knowitall|date=July 5, 2009}}
• {{cite book|last1=Jacob|first1=Luis (essay by)|last2=Wendt|first2=Pan (essay by)|last3=Piper|first3=Adrian (essay by)|last4=Fischer|first4=Barbara (foreword by)|title=Funkaesthetics|date=2009|publisher=Justina M. Barnicke Gallery / Confederation Centre of the Arts|location=Toronto / Charlottetown, PEI|isbn=978-0-772-76075-3|oclc=480908851}}
• {{cite book|last1=Southgate|first1=Darby E.|editor1-last=Price|editor1-first=Emmett George|editor2-last=Kernodle|editor2-first=Tammy L|editor3-last=Maxile|editor3-first=Horace Joseph|title=Encyclopedia of African American Music|date=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, CA|isbn=978-0-313-34200-4|pages=345–346|chapter=Funk|oclc=664451052}}
• {{cite book|title=Wax Poetics 22: George Clinton · Lord Finesse · Bootsy Collins · Pedro Bell: A Parliament Funkadelic Primer|date=2012|volume=22|issue=2012–6|series=Wax Poetics Japan|publisher=GruntStyle Co., Ltd. 編集. Guranto sutairu|location=Tōkyō|isbn=978-4-905-29801-4|oclc=808341588}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=Amy Nathan|title=The Funk Issue: Exploring the Funkadelic Aesthetic: Intertextuality and Cosmic Philosophizing in Funkadelic's Album Covers and Liner Notes|journal=American Studies|date=2013 |volume=52|issue=4|pages=141–169|doi=10.1353/ams.2013.0121|publisher=Mid-America American Studies Association|issn=0026-3079|oclc=7782061378|jstor=24589274|s2cid=170649948}}
• {{cite book|last1=Thompson|first1=Ahmir Questlove|last2=Clinton|first2=George|editor1-last=Feireiss|editor1-first=Lukas|title=Legacy: Generations of Creatives in Dialogue|date=2018|publisher=Frame Publishers|location=Amsterdam|isbn=978-9-492-31130-6|pages=66–73|chapter=Between the Lines|oclc=1105629409}}

• {{IMDb name|nm3762928|Pedro Bell}}

{{P-Funk|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Pedro}}

Category:1950 births

Category:2019 deaths

Category:20th-century American illustrators

Category:20th-century American male artists

Category:20th-century American male writers

Category:African-American comics artists

Category:African-American illustrators

Category:Afrofuturist writers

Category:Afrofuturists

Category:American comics artists

Category:American surrealist artists

Category:Artists from Chicago

Category:Bradley University alumni

Category:P-Funk members

Category:Psychedelic artists

Category:American album-cover and concert-poster artists

Category:Roosevelt University alumni

Category:Writers from Chicago

Category:African-American graphic designers

Category:American graphic designers