Stephen “The Pizz” Pizzurro 1958-2015. Photos from hifructose.com

Underground comics from the 1970s gave birth to a new breed of art that was referred to as lowbrow art. As opposed to highbrow fine art, this pop surreal art movement captured the roots of punk-music and the Hot Rod culture that was growing in the streets. One of the best of the artists that this pop surrealism movement spawned was Stephen Pizzurro, better known by his street name, “The Pizz” or more formally as El Pizzo.

The Pizz has been called the “Lord of Lowbrow,” showing the impact the he had on the art movement. His work has been published in Ed Roth’s Rat Fink Comix, Scratchez and Rip Off Comix. Despite being widely published, Pizz’s work was probably best known for his cover designs for the punk label Sympathy for the Record Industry.

Born to an Italian family in Orange County, Pizzurro’s Southern California background influenced his art in a major way. The colorful works almost always featured Hot Rods, pin-ups, skateboarders, apocalyptic scenes, motorcyclists and other Los Angeles area staples.

Sadly, on Sunday, August 30, 2015, the man known as “The Pizz” spray painted the word “Ozymandias” on the wall behind the bed in a rented hotel room near the airport in Long Beach. Taking a picture of this final work, he posted the photo on instagram, an obvious homage to the inevitability of all things turning to dust – no one gets out alive.

The Pizz wrapped a hotel towel around a .357 handgun and shot himself in the rented room, avoiding having his wife discover his body. The artists was only 57 years old.