Anthony Lovett

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[edit] Co-creator of L.A. Bizarro

Anthony Lovett, better known as Tony Lovett, is the co-author with Matt Maranian of the regional cult classic, L.A. Bizarro, a best-selling underground guidebook to the absurb, perverse, absurb,and gloriously strange in Los Angeles. The book, which went to #1 on the L.A. Times Non-Fiction Bestseller list, remained on the chart for 5 months, and singlehandedly spawned a cottage industry of knock-offs and pretenders, not only in Los Angeles, but across the United States, with titles like San Francisco Bizarro, USA Bizarro, Irreverent Guide to Los Angeles, etc. L.A. Bizarro enjoyed more than twenty printings before finally being retired by St. Martins Press in 2007.

Lovett and Maranian are currently working on updated edition to L.A. Bizarro, to be published by Chronicle Books in spring 2009. The full-color book will be bigger than the original book, with over 70% new material. The authors were profiled in the Weekend Calendar section of the L.A. Times in August 2007 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the book. Ironically, the first edition of L.A. Bizarro was out of print by then, but the cover story by Jessica Gelt generated renewed interest in an update/sequel as well as a website that is still a work in progress.

The authors are also currently in talks with a production company to produce a television series that would allow them to do to the rest of the world what they did to Los Angeles.

[edit] Background

Lovett was born in Maryland, but grew up in Dallas, Texas, where he graduated from the prestigious Greenhill school in 1979. He was accepted into the USC School of Cinema-Television as a freshman, where he founded the loosely-knit anti-establishment art group called "Film Fascists." Influenced by Russ Meyer, David Lynch, John Waters, Fellini, Kurosawa, Hitchcock, and sundry low-budget exploitation and porn movies, Lovett's own cinematic style fluctuated between surreal, sophomoric, and salacious. True to form, he never become a "Hollywood" director, though he did go on to join the Screen Actors Guild, appearing in Z-grade movies and television commercials. He also appeared onstage as an improv performer with April Winchell and Paul Rugg. With Ken Segall, they created their own short-lived comedy troupe, The Mood Swingers. An accomplished musician, photographer, and painter, Lovett played in a number of L.A. bands and also exhibited his paintings and photographs in the 1980s. He is also an avid cartoonist.

Lovett began his career as a freelance journalist and humorist in 1983, and went on to write feature articles for numerous national publications,including "I Am Curious Donkey" for Chic, and the crsytal meth opus, "Wired in California," for the "Drugs in America" special issue of Rolling Stone. Lovett also contributed to PlayboyandL.A. Weekly, among others. He has worked as a designer and copywriter for the entertainment industry, creating numerous campaigns for the big and small screens, and is currently the publisher and editor-in-chief of the premier trade publication for the sexual enhancement industry, AVN Novelty Business magazine.

Lovett lives in the Los Angeles area.