Who is Benjamin Breeg Anyway?

According to some, Benjamin Breeg was an exceptionally gifted artist. He was born in London in 1939, and brought up in an orphanage. As a child, Breeg was obsessed with the bible and plagued by terrible nightmares, which he used as inspiration for his drawings. He produced several fantastic paintings, but none of them remain, since he destroyed all of them himself. Breeg travelled widely between 1960 and 1970, visiting many different countries in the Caribbean and Eastern Europe. He returned to his native England in 1971 and wrote four books between 1971 and 1977, none of which remain in print. He disappeared from his home on June 18th, 1978. Subsequent efforts to locate him have proved unsuccessful. He is presumed dead.

On the other hand, there are those who maintain that Benjamin Breeg is a wholly fictitious character. He never painted, never visited any of those countries, and in fact, never even existed. Benjamin Breeg is nothing more than a clever marketing ploy.

And why exactly should you care? Because of this.

Note: Further insights about Benjamin Breeg can be got at the Iron Maiden Commentary.