THE KING OF GAMES
After a family event, sister’s wedding, I was eggar to work on the next portrait.
I first saw him at the inaugural Keystone Leather contest—his energy stood out and attracted me, as well as many others. I officially met Tyrik at the Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest in 2025, where he hosted a tabletop gaming room. At "MAL," we started talking about my artwork, and I asked if he wanted to be part of my series featuring leather men. He said yes, and we planned to meet somewhere near where I lived—which was awesome, since I’m used to driving an hour, two, or even four. It felt refreshing to stay close to home.
Tyrik was playing in a small Magic: The Gathering tournament at a card shop in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. When I walked in, I saw him wearing my cerulean leather jacket and his golden crown—both of which you can see in the portrait. He was in the middle of a game and about to wrap up, so I went to the back of the shop to sit and wait. I took the time to collect myself and prepare for the interview.
Interview/Photoshoot
Once he finished his game and came over to me, we started talking about his life. He was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
At one point, he told me he was a meme. I didn’t understand at first. But then he showed me… and I was shocked. I had seen that meme back when I was in middle school—and I had even used it in different chats. “I’mma send you to the shadow realm,” I used to say. For those who don’t know, that line comes from a show I used to watch called Yu-Gi-Oh!
The Source
Seeing the meme again, and realizing it was him, I was taken aback—almost starstruck. Tyrik went on to talk about the attention he received on social media and in school after becoming a meme. With his identity as “Mayhem Bear,” and now reaching the end of his “World Bear” title year, he was already used to being in the spotlight—which I found fascinating. Tyrik had this big, positive personality, and I loved every minute of our conversation.
After we wrapped up the interview, I grabbed my camera and told him to pose. The lighting in the shop wasn’t the best, but it worked. I got my photo—and I loved it. I loved the energy he brought with him.
About six months later I started working on this portrait.
I started working on the portrait about two weeks ago, though I had the reference photo saved in my files for six months. During that time, I focused on earlier pieces in this series and created various one-off drawings of different people, while experimenting with new mediums, ideas, and art theories. I then worked on The Prophet, my sister got married, and finally, I returned to this portrait.
Drawing Tyrik was fun! I love the crown—it perfectly fit the theme I was aiming for. I wanted the title to reflect the person, but the title didn’t come to me until I started drawing the crown. That’s when I put two things together: first, his passion for Magic: The Gathering, and second, the crown itself. So the title The King of Games felt like the perfect match, and I loved the energy it gave the piece.
His leather—rendered in black and white—was very similar to The Brightest Boy’s leather. It had a lighter tone that looked great. I’d also like to point out that I was the one who recommended that jacket to him, so now both he and I own the same bright, shiny cerulean leather jacket.
While I was drawing him, I was also playing Dragon’s Dogma 2. I had never played the game before, but I got completely hooked—and I’m still playing now in New Game Plus. I loved the feeling of being a powerful fighter. Battling orcs, trolls, ogres, wolves, thieves, and eventually dragons was such a welcome escape from drawing and content creation. I didn’t have to think about posting or producing—I just needed to save someone or set off on a new adventure.
That feeling reminded me of how I felt when I first started this series. I wanted to explore and discover myself through my work, and I believe I’ve done that over the past two years of working part-time as an artist.
The King of Games
Leather Men Series #13 The King of Games
11x14 Bristol Paper, Faber Castell Matte Black Graphite Pencils, Faber Castell Graphite Pencils, Ohuho 320 Marker Set, Prisma Color 150 Color Pencil Set, White Posca Pen, Zebra Brush Fine Pen
Drawing Tyrik was such an honor. I absolutely adore him as a positive human being, and I’m so grateful to have met him—along with all the other models. I have two more models left to draw for this series, so I guess you’ll see them soon!
