I recently heard the Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade podcast with guest Kevin Nealon. They talked about how many standup comics draw and paint. I never realized how good Kevin Nealon is as a portrait artist and caricaturist. Kevin Nealon has blessed us with an apropos titled book I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame. I was blown away by the art of the former Saturday Night Live alum and Weeds actor.
Beloved Saturday Night Live alum Kevin Nealon shares original full-color caricatures and insightful personal essays about his famous friends.
In I Exaggerate, famed comedian and actor Kevin Nealon pairs his artwork with sweet, funny, and endearing stories about the subjects he paints. From reminiscences about Saturday Night Live hosts to an excerpt from the eulogy he gave at his dear friend Garry Shandling’s funeral, the writing in this book is warm and nostalgic, and the list of subjects Kevin wants to cover is everyone you could hope for. In addition to Nealon’s paintings, the book includes doodles on SNL scripts, early artwork drafts, and insights into his relationship with art, which he likens to his relationship with comedy. This is a charming project from a comedy all-star.
Subjects include Budd Friedman, Robin Williams, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Andy Kaufman, Jim Carey, Buzz Aldrin, Tilda Swinton, Dana Carvey, Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, Chris Farley, Chris Rock, Daisy Edgar Jones, Timothée Chalamet, James Taylor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christopher Walken, Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Howard Stern, Carrie Fisher, Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Vedder, Kurt Cobain, Billie Eilish, John Travolta, Harry Dean Stanton, The Pointer Sisters, Garry Shandling, Tom Petty, Tiffany Haddish, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Emma Stone, Prince Rogers Nelson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Robert Plant, Rami Malik, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Dave Chappelle, Lady Gaga, Jeff Daniels, Norm MacDonald, Arnold Palmer, Brad Paisley, Ken Jeong, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Anya-Taylor Joy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Whitney Houston, and Anthony Bourdain.
Kevin Nealon is an American comedian and actor. He was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, had roles in several of the Happy Madison films, played Doug Wilson on the Showtime series Weeds, and is currently a touring stand-up comedian. He lives in Los Angeles.
The 224-page art book will be released on October 25, 2022, and you can pre-order it HERE.