Maiden UK - Eddie Artists


	EDDIE ARTISTS DEREK RIGGS

Derek Riggs was the creator of Eddie and has drawn most of the Eddie drawings to date including album, single and video illustrations as well as many of the stand alone drawings.

Two years before Derek even met Iron Maiden the first Eddie was about to be created. At the time H.P. Lovecraft came up with the idea that things are more horrible by putting them up in your own environment. As it was the late 1970's punk was huge and there was a sort of wasted youth concept going around.

So Derek thought about drawing a corpse in a t-shirt. He used to walk around a lot at night and discovered a wall which was yellow due to a street light being above it. The moon was also out which was blueish in colour and made a great contrast, so he decided to use it in the painting. The name given to the character was Electric Matthew and this specific painting was called 'Electric Matthew Says Hello'.

So two years later Rod Smallwood (IM Manager) saw one of Riggs' painting in an EMI office and requested to see Riggs' portfolio as Rod knew he wanted illustrated covers for IM.

Derek Riggs went down to Wessex Recording Studios and showed the band his portfolio and straight away Electric Matthew (Eddie) was picked out on the agreement that Rigg's would give it longer hair. So the first Iron Maiden cover was found. The band would use Riggs for many years to follow. His deadlines for the artwork have been very tight over the years but he has managed to perform every time. Iron Maiden would contact him and give him a theme (e.g. - World War II, science fiction) and Riggs would invent a suitable cover. He now uses computer aided design (CAD) for his artwork as it is easier to correct mistakes. It is impossible to think of Iron Maiden without thinking of Eddie and so the importance of Derek Riggs in Maiden's history could never be overstated.

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