00:06 Larry: Hi, I'm Larry the leopard
00:10 COMM: It may look like an elaborate fancy-dress
costume, but this leopard has no intention of changing its spots.
00:16 Tattoo artist Larry Da Leopard has turned
himself into a self-styled manimal.
00:21 Larry: I think I'm ready to hit the town.
00:26 My leopard tattoos -- they've given me leopard
powers, you know, I can run real fast, I can crawl round in the dark, I can stalk things,
I can hunt better.
00:34 Man: It's just crazy, he's nuts.
00:36 COMM: As well as catching people's attention,
Larry is even inspiring others to join him in his transformation.
. 00:42
Amy: I would most definitely be just like Larry and have multiple tattoos probably covering
all of my body.
00:50 COMM: 40-year-old Larry from Austin, Texas,
has been turning himself into a big cat for the last 20 years.
00:56 Larry: I got my first tattoo when I was 20
years old.
From there I just kept going.
I kind of got tired of society's expectations.
I don't wanna do what's expected of me, I wanna make my own path in life.
01:10 COMM: But Larry's unique appearance has put
strain on his relationships over the years.
01:15 Larry: My family disowned me for about 10
years until they would talk to me again.
01:20 Brigitte: You wanna sit down?
01:22 Larry: Sure
01:23 Brigitte: When my mum first saw Larry after
he got fully tattooed, she was really shocked.
She was heartbroken.
She's trying now to be fully supportive.
01:34 It's pretty silly for him to walk the streets
of Austin almost fully naked.
Like a wild man.
01:48 COMM: Every few months, Larry tops off his
tattoos as they fade.
01:54 Larry: Yep, much better.
Ready to go prowl the town!
01:59 COMM: And not content with his tattoos, Larry
dons a loincloth when he goes out in public
02:04 Fan: I realized it was tattoos and I was like,
that's a lot of pain, that hurts!
02:09 Amy: Hey Larry
02:10 Larry: What's up?
02:11 Amy: Nothing much
02:12 Larry: How you doing?
02:13 Amy: Doing good
02:14 COMM: But now, Larry's bizarre appearance
is even influencing others.
02:17 Larry: I get people asking for leopard spots
fairly often.
When people want leopard spots, they come to me.
02:25 Amy: The reason I got a leopard print tattoo
today, especially from Larry, is because Larry's influenced a lot of my childhood.
I wanna live that exact same life he does, so no boundries, nothing's hidden.
02:36 Larry: All done
02:37 Amy: Oh god!
02:39 COMM: But despite the positive reaction from
some of his customers, closer to home, Larry's extreme personality isn't going down too well.
02:47 Julia: I've been in a relationship with Larry
7 years, on and off.
I don't feel embarrassed to be seen out with Larry.
02:56 I do get annoyed sometimes with his reactions
to people, sometimes I think he's a little overly friendly and willing to just answer
any question and it's like, hey, let's set some boundaries.
03:11 He's got a great personality; he's exuberant,
full of life, really, really friendly.
Larry the leopard is definitely a lady-killer.
03:23 COMM: However, despite not being everyone's
cup of tea, Larry has his admires.
03:29 Larry: It makes me feel good when people tell
me that I inspire them to get tattooed or that I inspire them to be themselves.
That makes me feel really good about my choices.