Maxwell H. Brock

Maxwell H. Brock was a 1950s poet, naturalist and social rebel. He was frequently seen performing readings at the beatnik club known as The Yellow Door. All of Brock's poems were written in the heat of passion and he only ever recited them once, insisting that "repitition is dead" and that he was constantly in need of new intellectual stimula. He was something of a favored celebrity at The Yellow Door and the club's clientele frequently flocked to him, though Brock only had tolerance for those who were "aware".

As it was, Brock took an interest in busboy and aspiring artist Walter Paisley when the latter presented a sculpture that he called "Dead Cat". Brock felt that Paisley was a natural talent with a refreshing flavor to an otherwise "sterile century". Due to Brock's endorsement, Paisley became something of a celebrity himself and as his popularity grew, so did the complexity of his sculptures. What nobody at the time realized though, was that Paisley was not truly an artist. His sculptures were the bodies of dead people and animals covered over with a thin layer of modeling clay.

Brock used his influence at the club to hold a special gallery showcasing Walter's work. During the exhibition however, some chipped bits of clay fell away from one of his statues, exposing the flesh that lied beneath it. Accusing Paisley of murder, Brock joined the rest of the club regulars in decrying Walter's actions and chasing him through the city streets in the hopes of capturing him. They chased him back to his apartment where Walter hung himself.