Simone WilsonA young children's book illustrator and graphic artist from Los Angeles has gone missing after taking off for a hike in Runyon Canyon on Sunday afternoon.
Brandon Thomas Olterman, 26, is currently being sought by the LAPD's Missing Persons Unit. “If anyone knows & has heard from children's book illustrator Brandon Olterman please let me know,” says a friend and fellow artist on Twitter. “He was lost in Runyon Canyon yesterday — and no one has heard from him since.”
According to Olterman's Facebook, he attended both high school and college in Ohio before moving to Los Angeles. His last public Facebook activity was on December 27…
… when he posted a drawing called “Seed of Life” (below.)
“Seed of Life”; Credit: Brandon Olterman via Facebook
Police describe Olterman as a 5-foot-10-inch white male weighing 135 pounds. An LAPD release says he “was last seen wearing a dark color button shirt with a white t-shirt underneath, blue jeans and tennis shoes” before setting off to explore the Runyon Canyon hiking trails.
“Mr. Olterman has not been seen or heard from since and his family is extremely concerned for his welfare,” says the release.
Anyone with any information on his whereabouts can contact Detective Carlton at 213-996-1800.
Olterman's LinkedIn profile says he works as a sales rep for “California Marketing Team” and a graphic designer for “ROAR Clothing.” More of his art can be viewed on his Tumblr or DeviantArt account. And here's a quote from his RawArtists.org profile:
“I'm really inspired by old storybook illustrations. There's a balance of innocence and darkness to them sometimes. There are an infinite amount of 'things' in this world, and they all have potential to be sources of inspiration. Every aspect of life is amusing; good, bad, and all the gray areas too.”
According to the Runyon Canyon Park website, it's “unstaffed, unlocked and open from dawn to dusk.” And an employee at the L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks notes that the canyon has “a lengthy trail, and it's mountainous, so you can really fall anywhere.”
[@simone_electra / swilson@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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