For 40-some years, Algona native Robert Pratt (AKA The Digital Chicken) has enjoyed, some might say, a "checkered" career in the arts--professional actor, corporate creative director, fiction writer, and throughout it all, a painter of chickens.
In his early twenties, after nine semesters of college, he hitch-hiked from Iowa to make a name for himself in Hollywood. Living in a rented garage for six months, he got his first break as a journeyman actor at the prestigious Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, followed by a year of studying with world famous acting coach Peggy Feury, then the 1970 Peter Fonda film, "The Hired Hand." (far right)
That auspicious debut led to a contract with Universal Studios, and more than 28 film and television productions, including co-starring with Academy Award winner Sally Field in the TV movie "Marriage: Year One."
In the late 70's, Bob formed a production company, Prattooth Productions, with his longtime friend Randolph Mantooth, star of the hit television show "Emergency," on which Bob had guest roles.
That led to another career, as a creative director, first in Minneapolis, then Milwaukee, then to St. Louis for Busch Creative, a division of Anheuser-Busch, and a People Magazine cover.
Bob's chicken calendars sell out regularly, as do his prints, which are available on his website, www.thedigitalchicken.com. This is our current favorite work, but you'll want to be sure to watch the video on the landing page:
Algona's Bob Pratt now lives contentedly in a customized vintage Airstream, traveling wherever and whenever he pleases, painting and writing along the way, including a novel called "Aluminum Fever." A real free-range chicken. We think Bob has the Life thing down pat. We envy him.
