Brian Howell is a freelance photographer. His new book, Fame Us: Celebrity Impersonators and the Cult(ure) of Fame (Arsenal Pulp Press) is a gathering of images of celebrity reflections. His first book One Ring Circus (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2002), is a series of photographs and narratives on indie wrestling in Canada. He is a regular contributor to Geist, Maclean’s, and Vancouver magazine. His photographs have been exhibited and published internationally.
Brian Howell’s first glimpse into the impersonating world came at a lively Sunday gospel meeting in southern British Columbia, led by an Elvis impersonator who said that his Elvis costume had given new meaning to his life. The impersonating world is a hall of mirrors through which Brian Howell has sought out myriad reflections of celebrity at every level, from the neighbourhood gospel show, to community centres catered by Lions Clubs, and finally to big conventions in Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida.
