Reposted by Isaac
Richard B. Gray - LEVELORD
11/15/1957 - 10/12/2026
Just heard the news that an old friend of mine has passed on. Richard Gray - aka Levelord has departed the planet.
I know he's dealt with cancer on and off for awhile now, a word that I cannot stand. Word comes from his wife Olga.
![rs The Maiden Brazil.. Several years ago (in the middle of 1996 to be more precise) I decided to create this group. At that time, I didn't have any idea of what a real ansi/art group was, I didn't even wonder what was the scene, I didn't even know that were some scene' thingy. When the group was - - it. created, So my I first barely release knew - some the ansi classical artist to sep/96's join "ndn-0996.zip" was a solo contibution for my new formed group. It was the first art group I've ever joined. I didn't include an info file in it because I didn't want people to know it was some one-man army" a group with one member. You know the rest of the story. Time passed, people joined Maiden Brazil was the greatest group ever formed on Brazil (and maybe on south america at least we had more releases than that great guys at Circe Argentina, one of my preferred groups). I've said it before, but I'11 repeat it again: at Maiden, at the scene, ansi, I've learned (both from drawing and from the people) more than I had ever imagined. I met great people. I met (few) bad people. I met lots of great individuals concentrated in one common purpose: doing ansi every month, beeing the baddest, the radest, the first; or, as im my case, beeing just better than the past month. :-) Surprisingly [is this word correct?] enough, my tiny group was received well. People used to see me at #ansi and say "hey, you're rorshack from maiden brazil? I love your group man"... I saw people saying that.. and it wasn't newbies or something. I did realize that people liked my small group, even if we are from "under there": even if we are not "on the scene for ages", even if we're kinda.. underdogs. Imet great people there. So many people I just can't name' em all here. Dieznyick, The 4th Disciple (who, to my great surprise, mentioned Maiden Brazil as beeing a cool group on that great Lo-Rez emag), Creator, mr.4tune, watOr, Maestro (who was cool enough even to listen to my surprised irc msgs when I first saw him on #ansi Inote: the FIRST ANSi SCREENS I'UE EVER SAW ON MY LIFE were NATION STRAVAGANZA'S SCREENS ye oldie Maestro solo sicknesst).. And, of course, the great Brazilian artists (mino, mosh, enzo, beer prophet, sphinx, morphs :) and many more)... Bizarro.. TaintedX.. Leo.. Toot... :-) Today, the remains I'ue gathered from the ansi scene SKILLS I've developed (in many ways, not only drawing), FRIENDS I'ue got.. this is MUCH of what I have mowadays. Without the ansi scene, the whole ansi stuff, I wouldn't be much of a great guy, I wonder. With the scene, I'ue even learned how to be a leader of something - I have never been a leader of anything before the group it self, Maiden Brazil. With that imnocent act - "hey why not? Let me found a group NOW!", there wouldn't exist a Maiden Brazil. Euen in some way, I think Maiden has helped the scene a bit. As lame as it may sound, it's with a tear on my eye that I remember this great days. This great old days. And it is with a tear in my eye and a smile in my face that I'm happy to see the scene is alive and kicking. Like someone said, "for art's sake" : Continue the elite artwork, and keep an eye on what's worth the deal: the real undeground art scene and all it strange met-way of beeing. Ors something like that... Pardon for my suffered english. José Fernando B. Caneiro aka rorshackefatorcaos.com.br 25-ago-1998](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:t5narda655nd5uiada6vt7k7/bafkreiczxwrocr67xk7i6bx7qnwdswxkkwkvieghedgaetcesoqukavvku)
