Cartoonists Across America & the World - Special Events and Hot News

One-Day Cartoon Mural in Sunny San Bernardino, California.

Artists from the Inland Empire came out for our fun ONE DAY cartoon mural painting on the Saenz Realty building on the corner of 10th and D Street in sunny San Bernardino. Located one block from Historic Route 66 and within walking distance of the historic first McDonald's restaurant (now a museum), the all-day event took place on Saturday, November 21, 2009 led by Cartoonists Across America's founder Phil Yeh who now resides in the community of Running Springs, 6000 feet up in the mountains above San Bernardino.

Phil started sketching in the design at 8:30 am and within an hour, artist Patrick Scullin showed up with his own ladder from Running Springs ready to tackle one of the classic cars! Check out
Patrick's website. Patrick was kind enough to draw in his Super Siblings characters in a Woody painted by Fred Payan, complete with surfboard on the roof. Patrick also prints t-shirts and recently did one of Phil's new designs for the Winged Tiger's 30th anniversary in 2010. San Bernardino's own artist Rory Murray appeared next and spent the entire day on the top of a ladder painting the tall splendid palm trees. Writer Frank Mangione arrived with platters of his delectable homemade biscotti. After we all enjoyed his authentic Italian treat with a cup of coffee, Frank and his friend Mike added their colorful brushstrokes to the gallons of paint donated by San Bernardino Paint Company. Thank you, Oliver! Frank's family story is being made into a new book and it is perfect for the movies! Special guest artist Lieve Jerger arrived with Linda Adams, vice-president of Cartoonists Across America to lend their artistic hands to the project and to give out books to the kids of the community and most importantly to capture the whole thing with their cameras!

San Bernardino attorney Gary David Saenz specializes in real estate law and he graciously donated his building as a canvas for the mural and for the community to enjoy in years to come. His son Aaron was on hand to paint as well as many of the kids from the neighborhood. At 11 am, Ford Motor Company arrived with a 2010 Mustang on a float with various sculptures of Los Angeles landmarks on it. You can go to the website marked on the flatbed and enter to win this car with your email address, as long as you are over 18 years of age! The drawing is in January. Best of luck and tell your friends you read it on wingedtiger.com

With the arrival of local television channels and the Mountain Arts paper, the day was really a great start for the first of many more public murals for the walls of the Inland Empire. Another special guest artist was Fred Payan who has created some incredible airbrushing on cars, trucks and motorcycles during his career. Fred really brought the Woody to life and we hope he will join us again in January as we make these cars shine. Phil's sons Jesse Valentine and Gabe Yeh showed up in the afternoon to help with the details and logos of other community sponsors like El Pollo Loco, Gresham/Savage Attorneys at Law, and Bud Rickert's Art Center.

Phil will paint his second mural with the students of Mt. Vernon Elementary School in San Bernardino on January 19 and 20 followed by another day of painting at 10th and D on the Saenz Realty building with many more guest artists. We are especially interested in seeing some of the Los Angeles based TV stations out for that week in January to show just how creative the San Bernardino community really is! Our mural event in 2006 was recently celebrated in the September 2009 issue of Betty & Veronica Digest written by Archie's legendary creator George Gladir. Phil spoke to more than a dozen local San Bernardino schools in 2009 and offers a new Graphic Novel Workshop at the Central Library in San Bernardino on Saturday November 28. See photos of the event here.

Join Saddleback Art League for a February 9th CARTOON ART Demonstration at the Mission Viejo Library Community Room.
Refreshments at 6 PM. Business & Program at 6:30 PM.
Cartoon artist PHIL YEH is recipient of the Ink Pot Award.

Cartoonist and multifaceted artist Phil Yeh began his professional career in 1970 in Southern California where he grew up. In 1973, he created Uncle Jam, a wonderful free paper covering the arts that he published for the next 19 years. In 1977 he wrote, illustrated and published one of the first modern American graphic novels, Even Cazco Gets the Blues. He followed up this first book with at least one brand new graphic novel each year for the next 15 years.

To date, Phil has written and illustrated over 80 published books. Phil founded Cartoonists Across America & The World in 1985 after being inspired by Wally Amos to do something about the literacy crisis on the planet. His band of artists has promised to tour the world for 25 years until 2010. They have painted more than 1700 murals in 49 states in the United States as well as more than a dozen countries working with some of the most talented artists on the planet. Phil's 2007 graphic novel, Dinosaurs Across America has been colored by copper lace artist Lieve Jerger and published by NBM in New York. In March of 2008, Dinosaurs Across America was named one of the best 25 graphic novels by the School Library Journal. Lieve and Phil are currently creating new artwork for their bestselling book, The Winged Tiger & The Lace Princess for January 2009. Their work has been shown in museums and galleries throughout the world.

Mission Viejo Library Community Room, 100 Civic Center Drive, at the corner of La Paz & Marguerite in Mission Viejo. Free parking is available at the library.

Geoff and Phil debut Steve the Dog & The Winged Tiger at the Bells & Whistles Snackery in Glen Ellyn, Illinois!

On April 3rd, 2010, Phil Yeh and Geoff Bevington painted a canvas at the wonderful Bells & Whistles Snackery to celebrate reading and their new illustrated book: Steve the Dog & The Winged Tiger (colorized by Lieve Jerger). Check out the pictures here! Geoff has lived in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, for 16 years and as it happens, Phil has a cosmic connection to this beautiful town as well. In 1986 director David Seltzer made the film Lucas in Glen Ellyn starring Corey Haim, Kerri Green, Charlie Sheen, Winona Ryder, Courtney Thorne-Smith and Jeremy Piven.

In 1987, Phil Yeh and Leigh Rubin created a comic book story called "We the Penguins" as part of their Penguin & Pencilguin comic book series to celebrate the Bicentennial of the U. S. Constitution. Phil and RC Williams would paint a mural on the capitol mall in Washington, D.C. with 100,000 people, as President Reagan and others spoke in celebration of this occassion. The genius of this historic story was making all the founding fathers into penguins, George Washinguin, James & Dolly Madiguin, Ben Frankguin in Penguinsylvania and Virguina with General Cornwalrus as the villian and Noah Webstar as the starfish for literacy!

David Seltzer saw one of the foamcore penguins from that comic book, Ben Frankguin or George Washinguin posing with actress Heather Locklear, in the newspapers and called Phil to have them appear in his 1988 film Punchline with Sally Field and Tom Hanks. Sadly, the penguins didn't make the final cut after putting in long hours on the set and really hoping that this was their big Hollywood break. We always say on the Cartoonists Across America & The World Tour: THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES. You cannot make this stuff up!
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