Bob Ross documentary reveals shady business behind the beloved TV painter

Bob Ross, the iconic artist who taught TV viewers 'The Joy Of Painting', is the subject of a new documentary that tells the untold story of his career and the shocking battle over his business empire. Photo: Netflix

Bob Ross died in 1995, which means there haven’t been new episodes of his show, The Joy Of Painting, in more than 25 years. And yet his celebrity might be bigger than ever.

On Amazon, you can buy Bob Ross cupcake wrappers printed with his smiling face. The product includes this promotional fodder: “We suggest attempting to style your cupcake topper icing to look like a Bob Ross Afro. Colour with food colouring to match his brown hair colour.”