An alligator is a scary thing, a vicious, ugly stalker that can chew up a man like a piece of cheese. But not in the world of artist Joe Monroe. Monroe's alligators have wings. With paint, imagination and canvas, the artist turns alligators into whimsical, flying creatures. In this colorful world, snakes are as pretty as scarves, and they don't bite.
Sharks sun themselves on the beach, and dinosaurs stop to chat.
It's a much nicer world than Joe's own. I was afraid to call. All Fifteen years ago, Monroe received an HIV diagnosis. Along the way, he has gone through lymphoma, cancer, meningitis and a T-cell count of 12. He's been bedridden, and he's spent some time in a wheelchair.