Ralph Steadman collaborated with Hunter S. Thompson in the birth of gonzo journalism with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; he has illustrated classics such as Alice in Wonderland, Treasure Island and Animal Farm, and written and illustrated his own books, which include Sigmund Freud, I Leonardo and The Big I Am. Steadman is also a printmaker, and has travelled the world's vineyards, culminating in his books The Grapes of Ralph, Untrodden Grapes and Still Life with Bottle.
When filmmaker Ceri Levy asked the artist Ralph Steadman to illustrate an extinct bird for an exhibition he was putting together, Steadman instead produced 100 paintings. The result is Extinct Boids, and as Steadman said, it was 'a nice change from drawing politicians.'
