This story has been updated to include a statement from Bob Ross Inc.
It’s been almost 40 years since the phenomenon of Bob Ross first captivated viewers and amateur painters alike with his PBS series The Joy of Painting. The last episode aired in 1994, and Ross himself passed away from lymphoma only a year later at the age of 52. Yet far from fading into the ephemera of yesteryear, Ross is just as popular today as when he was part of the popular culture of the 1980s and ’90s.
In 2015, a marathon stream on Twitch pulled in more than 5.6 million viewers and introduced Ross to a new generation. More recently, Ross has become an internet celebrity during the pandemic, with viewers looking to take up painting or just sink into the oasis of the much-needed calm that Ross delivers in every episode with his happy little landscapes and dulcet tones. The painter’s enduring legacy has created an avalanche of licensed merchandise and marketing opportunities, including a posthumous…
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Source : fastcompany.com
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