Artist Alex Leeds has released a new book documenting a decade-long social experiment invollving intentionally absurd illustrations. by mailing thousands of silly drawings to famous figures, Leeds successfully collected a variety of unexpected celebrity signatures.
Jennifer Lawrence and Weird Al Yankovic join a roster of unexpected signatories
Alex Leeds has transformed a long-term artistic pursuit into a published volume titled "Dumb Drawings Autographed By Celebrities." According to the report, the artist invested more than $5,000 in postage alone to facilitate this massive social experiment, which involved sending thousands of intentionally ridiculous sketches to high-profile individuals.
The resulting collection features a diverse array of responses from public figures across various industries. For instance, actress Jennifer Lawrence reportedly signed an illustration of a Hungry-Man frozen dinner, while filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola autographed a drawing of a wrestler known as The Godfather. Other notable participants include skateboarder Rodney Mullen, who signed a drawing of Disney's Mulan, and musician Weird Al Yankovic, who responded to a sketch of Big Gay Al from South Park.
Joe Exotic’s plea for a presidential pardon
The project took an unpredictable turn when it intersected with the legal circumstances of "Tiger King" star Joe Exotic. As the source reports , Exotic did not merely provide a signature; he returned a signed photocopy of a drawing of Tiger Woods along with a personal letter. In this correspondence, Exotic reportedly requested Leeds' assistance in securing a presidential pardon, adding a layer of real-world drama to the otherwise humorous artistic endeavor.
A 300-year-old grudge against Benjamin Franklin
Beyond the celebrity interactions, the project is rooted in a centuries-old family rivalry. Alex Leeds has framed this modern endeavor as a way to settle a historical score with Benjamin Franklin. This connection stems from Leeds' ancestor, Titan Leeds, who was involved in a publishing conflict with Franklin over three hudnred years ago.
The historical frictoin involves a specific incident where Franklin allegedly used his "Poor Richard's Almanac" to mock Titan Leeds. According to the report, Franklin predicted Titan's death and even published a fraudulent obituary when the prediction failed to come true. By using the United States Postal Service to launch his project, Leeds is attempting to modernize this long-standing dispute through humor and a celebration of physical mail.
The missing tally of celebrity rejections
While the book documents many successes, several details regarding the full scope of the experiment remain unverified. The report mentions that Leeds sent out "thousands of drawings" and "countless envelopes," but it does not provide a specific count of how many celebrities actually responded to the mailings.
Furthermore, the source does not address the failure rate of the project. It remains unknown how many famous individuals ignored the drawings or sent them back unsigned. Additionally, while the book was released by Library Tales Publishing on October 26, 2026, the report does not clarify if the publication includes the full list of all recipients or only the most notable successes.
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