Bell also wrote many of the liner notes of the records under the name Sir Lleb (his surname spelled backwards).
Bell's work was preceded and partially inspired by Sun Ra[4] and was a precursor to the modern graphic novel and the Afro-punk movement.
[7] Bell attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he said he was exposed to the Black Power movement and met activist Mark Clark.
[13]: 23 Bell was hired to produce artwork for the band, beginning with local show posters, promotional items, and press kits.
He single-handedly defined the P-Funk collective as sci-fi superheroes fighting the ills of the heart, society, and the cosmos…As much as Clinton's lyrics, Pedro Bell's crazoid words created the mythos of the band and bonded the audience together.
[17][20]: 25 He therefore held regular jobs, including working in a bank and then a post office,[2] but retained his association with the P-Funk family by often wearing day-glo wigs and psychedelic-inspired outfits.
[24] In addition to working on comic books (including a compilation titled Artusi Tribe) and screenwriting, Bell started a band called Tripzilla.
[1]: 22 Warner Brothers Music censored Bell's initial artwork for Funkadelic's 1981 album The Electric Spanking of War Babies.
[7] He also cited Frank Zappa, Harlan Ellison, Hunter S. Thompson, Iceberg Slim and Tom Wolfe as influences.