Russell Frantom

Russell Frantom (born October 18, 1991) is an American visual artist based in South Bend, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois. Frantom first gained notoriety and national attention when in 2008, he was arrested and charged with conspiring to form an attack on his then high school Penn High School involving an accomplice located in Cleveland, Ohio. Frantom was only sixteen at the time.

Frantom has gained success regionally as an artist, and has been responsible for creating large art events in his hometown of South Bend, Indiana. Frantom describes himself as an expressionist and completes all of his paintings within hours.

Conspiracy and arrest
On April 22, 2008, Frantom was arrested after a school resource officer at Penn High School became aware of strange social media posts. The investigation uncovered threatening conversations between Frantom and an Ohio man by the name of Lee Billi. Frantom was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and several illegal and venomous rattlesnakes were removed from his home, along with hundreds of swords and knives.

Art and life
Frantom's art pieces are often very colorful, raw, and sometimes minimal. His most often used medium is watercolor. He frequently paints self-portraits and animals.