In Change Your Name, Montgomery Webster tells the story of his childhood friend, Danny Rado. Danny never liked his name. His childhood nicknames were far worse. Always the opportunist, he noticed his high school teachers struggling with other student’s names. One day he took advantage of the situation, “I go by Webster”. The next year before starting a new school, Webstar decided that Maximillian (MXMLLN) was a better suited name. The result was sometimes funny, sometimes sad.

MXMLLN didn’t stop there: A new name wasn’t enough. From a young age, “MX” became obsessed with perfection, with living the perfect life. What started as a simple search for a new name ended with the search for the perfect city. The journey took him across the US, into Japan, and finally deep into Europe. Before his death, MXMLLN shared his story. He outlined in great detail how to choose a new name, how to find the best place to live, and how he lived a life without regret.

But is there something deeper at play here? Changing your name and moving around too much can be signs of a character defect. Are there more pressing mental health issues at hand? First hand accounts from friends, family members, and archnemeses paint a broader picture of the truth behind MXMLLN’ character. Is he simply an eccentric artist obsessed with perfection or is he falling apart at the seams?