Phil Yeh`s mural celebrates San Bernardino at first McDonald`s

Page A14 • September 19, 2013 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers
Phil Yeh’s mural celebrates San Bernardino at
first McDonald’s restaurant site
P
hil Yeh, often called the
Godfather of the Modern
American Graphic Novel,
has finished his new mural celebrating the city of San Bernardino
on the wall of a building that now
sits on the site of the very first
McDonalds restaurant on E.
Street near 14th. It was unveiled
at the Route 66 Rendezvous in the
city in September, 2012. Unlike
many of his 1800 murals painted
in one or two days over the last 25
years, this mural has taken more
than 5 months to complete. Yeh
suffered a stroke in New York
City in May 2011, and was unable
to hold a pencil after that event.
The mural in San Bernardino has
been a form of therapy and healing while creating something that
shines a light on the many positive people that are a part of the
city’s history.
Yeh painted the basic background of the more than 100 foot
long work of art with the assistance of local high school students and his artist friends last
spring. His longtime partner Jon
J. Murakami flew in from Hawaii
to add three of his famous dragons playing their instruments over
the legendary Swing Auditorium
in San Bernardino.
“A lot of people wonder why I
painted a mural at the first McDonald's. First of all, this is a
mural for the kids of San
Bernardino who deserve to feel
better about a city that has seen
better times,” said Yeh. “Secondly, it's to restore some honesty
into what really happened at this
site many years ago, before Ray
Kroc bought the name from the
McDonald's brothers and tried to
erase their memory with his corporate efforts from outside
Chicago in Illinois.”
Sandy Fischer Cvar, who attended Los Alamitos high school
with Yeh in the 1970s, added the
portraits on the mural. Among
them are San Bernardino’s own
Dorothy Inghram, the first
African-American school teacher
in the county and the first
African-American principal in the
state of California.
Ms. Inghram died at the age of
106! Cvar’s portrait of author Ray
Bradbury at the Sturges Center for
Fine Arts in 2007 was also included. Bradbury had been invited to speak about his love of
books and libraries by Linda
Adams Yeh, who is Yeh’s wife. It
was a standing room only audience of more than 700 people.
Bradbury is next to Mick Jagger
and a caption marking San
Bernardino as the very first U.S.
appearance of The Rolling Stones
in 1964. Throughout the mural,
Yeh is added short captions to really let the viewer know that it all
happened in San Bernardino.
“I am showcasing wonderful
things on this mural, like the
Route 66 Rendezvous, the magnificent California Theater, and
Norton Air Force Base, which
iecn courtesy photo
Godfather of the Modern American Graphic novel Phil Yeh completed his mural celebrating the city of san Bernardino and the positive people who are a part of the city’s history.
was directed by Colonel Paul
Green, (USAF ret.), who was one
of the Tuskegee Airmen. In addition, we celebrate many local people including actor Gene
Hackman, who attended San
Bernardino High, Congressional
Medal of Honor recipient Colonel
Joseph C. Rodriguez, and the arrival of the Earp family in 1864.
This was when young Wyatt was
just 16! Sandy added Evelyn
“Pinky” Brier, who was regarded
as the first licensed female flight
instructor in the United States and
who owned an airport in San
Bernardino for many decades.
Our image of the California Theatre depicts Kent Twitchell’s famous mural of Will Rogers, who
had his very last appearance at the
California Theater including a
caption so that we can educate our
children. I also mention that the
opening act was Leonard Slye,
who became world famous as
Roy Rogers,” continued Yeh.
The mural on the building
owned by Albert Okura, the head
of the fast food chain Juan Pollo,
BUY 2 WHOLE CHICKENS FOR
At any
location!
COUponPatOtimNe of order
Must present cou
$
FOR
14
Flour Tortillas and 11 oz. of Hot or Mild Salsa
Not valid for catering or party orders • May not be combined
with any other offers • 2 orders per customer
turo’s of Blue Jay, James Valdez,
and Splash Kingdom Waterpark at
Pharaoh’s.Sponsors of this mural
include The Mug, Toyota of San
Bernardino, Juan Pollo, Hampton
Inn & Suites of Highland, Arturo’s of Blue Jay, James Valdez,
San Bernardino Professional Firefighters Local 891, Splash Kingdom Waterpark at Pharaoh’s,
Omnitrans, and McDonald’s
Restaurants on Mt. Vernon Ave.
and on 2nd Street in San
Bernardino.
100% Hand Car Wash All American Package
00
00
off
off
99 $3
2 WHOLE CHICKENS, Choice of Corn Tortillas or
INCLUDES:
served as the centerpiece for a
brand new photo shoot by Allen
Freeman. Locals brought their
classic cars and 7 models came
out for the shoot, which took
place in the hot sun of San
Bernardino.
Local
San
Bernardino artist Rory Murray assisted Yeh for several months and
artist Greta Gregorian of Eagle
Rock also come out.
Sponsors of this mural include
The Mug, Toyota of San
Bernardino, Juan Pollo, Hampton
Inn & Suites of Highland, Ar-
Colton Courier
Red, White & Blue Packages Only! Exp. 10-30-13
Valid w/coupon only • Not valid w/other offers
$5
Colton Courier
Valid w/coupon only • Not valid w/other offers
Exp. 10-30-13
Visit us at www.handcarwashusa.com
for additional coupons & specials
1340 E. Washington St. Colton
(Across from Fiesta Village & next to Goodyear)
909-824-1597