San Bernardino Public Library - Archie, Betty and Veronica Bring Comic Relief to San Bernardino

Archie, Betty and Veronica Bring Comic Relief to San Bernardino
SB Sun: October 6, 2009 by John Weeks

My favorite souvenir from San Bernardino's recent Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous is a comic book.

It's not just any comic book. It's an Archie comic book.

And it's not just any Archie comic book. It's the current issue of "Betty & Veronica Digest," which features a cover story titled "Route 66 Here We Come," in which Archie and his pals leave their fictional home in Riverdale and head West to visit San Bernardino.

When they get here, lots of good things happen. They meet Mayor Pat Morris, who sports an aloha shirt and greets visitors with a friendly smile. "Welcome, everyone, to San Bernardino!" he says.

Betty and Veronica, along with Veronica's parents, attend the Rendezvous and are amazed at the sights and sounds of the city's summer spectacular. Betty is so inspired, she suggests to Veronica's rich dad, Hiram Lodge, that he develop a similar cruise event featuring the new wave of electric, hybrid and alternative-energy cars.

Meanwhile, Archie and his friend Chuck, a cartoonist, head to the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library where they meet real-life cartoonist Phil Yeh and library staffer Linda Adams, who are collaborating on a mural painting project to promote literacy.

It's a great story. It's entertaining to see the interaction between real and cartoon characters.

Mayor Morris is real. Linda Adams is real. Phil Yeh is real.

Yeh, in fact, is the real star of the story, in more ways than one. The Running Springs artist is founder of Cartoonists Across America, a non-profit literacy and arts advocacy organization that particularly targets young people.

Yeh also has many friends in the cartoon world, including longtime Archie writer George Gladir. That's the connection that explains San Bernardino's starring role in the new "Betty & Veronica Digest" tale, written by Gladir, an Escondido resident. READ MORE !

San Bernardino Public Library - Artists to help create murals

Artists to help create murals
Sun: October 8, 2007 by Cliff Morman

Children in today's society do not have enough positive role models.

This is what Phil Yeh, founder and president of Cartoonists Across America, believes. He hopes to change this.

Yeh will be among the professional cartoonists and artists appearing at the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library in San Bernardino for "Read, Rock and Recycle" from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The cartoonists and artists will join community members in creating murals promoting literacy and recycling on three 4-foot by 4-foot canvases.

"So often we don't hear about artists and writers in this country anymore, which is a serious problem because there's a lot of kids who have no idea what it takes to become an artist or a writer," Yeh said.

He wants to "bring out more artists and writers."

Phil Ortiz, an animator who has contributed to the "The Simpsons"; artist Matt Lorentz, who works for clothing company No Fear and skateboarder Tony Hawk; "Los Angeles Sentinel" cartoonist David Brown; and Hawaii-based freelance artist Marc Martinez will all appear at the event.

The library is at 555 W. Sixth St. in San Bernardino. READ ON

BlogAThon - San Bernardino Public Library

Since 1986, CARTOONISTS ACROSS AMERICA founder Phil Yeh has criss-crossed the globe using artwork and humor to promote literacy, the environment, creativity and other positive issues.

He and the internationally known group kicked off California's statewide literacy promotion in Sacramento: 'Literacy: It's A Whole New World." They led a group of adults and kids in painting a literacy mural on a Yolo County Library bookmobile.

Last year, he drew a crowd at San Bernardino's Norman F. Feldheym Central Library.

Yeh is creator of the befuddled Patrick Rabbit and a menagerie of witty dinosaurs and other wise and wonderful critters.

He is a passionate children's literacy advocate.

Blogathon 2007

San Bernardino Public Library - Cartoonists coming to town to boost literacy

Cartoonists coming to town to boost literacySan Bernardino County Sun: July 13, 2006 by Michel Nolan

Cartoonist Phil Yeh hopes to draw a crowd this weekend at San Bernardino's Norman F. Feldheym Central Library. 

Yeh is creator of the befuddled Patrick Rabbit and a menagerie of witty dinosaurs and other wise and wonderful critters.

He is also a passionate children's literacy advocate.

The 51-year-old Santa Maria resident, president of Cartoonists Across America, channels his high energy into inspiring kids to read. Cartoonists Across America will promote literacy and the arts by painting colorful murals on the San Bernardino Public Library's truck and van Saturday and Sunday.

The weekend event calls for famous artists to work side by side with local kids. Everyone is invited to participate.

Library vehicles will be transformed into giant works of mobile art. It'll take several famous artists to make the Van Gogh.

Yeh (pronounced yeah) is the catalyst for the event, "Building a World of Readers, Artists and Dreamers," set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Most artists will appear at Saturday's festivities.

"The whole idea is to use cartoons and humor to show kids that reading can be fun," says Yeh, who has penned 86 books.

Wearing his trademark battered cowboy hat, the artist has covered more than 1 million miles, crisscrossing the United States, Europe and Asia with his cartoonist cohorts, encouraging kids to love books.

It is Yeh's thought that cartoons can be used to actually inspire people of all ages to read. The artists that comprise the Cartoonists Across America and the World organization have toured the globe, painting more than 1,500 colorful murals, speaking at schools, libraries, museums and conferences.

"I've talked to presidents' wives, governors and mayors, and they've all told me they read comics when they first started reading. They would read Superman or Archie comics and then progress to books," Yeh says.

"I want us to make San Bernardino a city of readers and let other cities catch up to San Bernardino. I'm here to help that happen," says Yeh, adding that he'd like to issue a challenge.

"I'd like to challenge famous people to step up for the kids. If this event is successful, why can't writers, artists, actors, musicians, directors, cartoonists stop in San Bernardino on the way to Las Vegas or Palm Springs? They could stop at the library and talk to people about their craft. It could change a young person's life."

Lead artists Yeh and Klaus Leven will be joined by "The Simpsons" cartoonist, Phil Ortiz of Lake Arrowhead.

"Kids have different tastes but they need to find some sort of reading source to spark or jump-start their interest in reading," says Ortiz, who revealed he will be painting his favorite Simpsons character on the van.

"I've painted murals in the past," Ortiz says. "Cartooning animation is something I've chased all my life."

The weekend event also includes family fun with children's authors, live entertainment, food, local celebrities and a remote broadcast by KOLA-FM (99.9). Live entertainment includes an appearance by the Inland Empire 66ers dancers and mascot.

Local bands Live Unity, Deluge and Dionysos will play a musical mix from hip-hop to new age.

Other event artists include George Gladir, Archie comics writer and creator of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," and Matt Lorentz, artist for Tony Hawk and No Fear product line, as well as Jim Gilbert, host of "Cartoon Factory."

Authors and cartoonists will speak or participate in presentations in the library's Bing Wong Auditorium throughout the day. They also will be selling and autographing their books and comics in the lobby. Cartoonists Across America will give out free comics. The City of Readers will give out free books.

Yeh's book, "Theo the Dinosaur," is a story for all ages, a kid-friendly tale told in a series of colorful cartoon oil paintings that have been shown in galleries across the country. The book is filled with prehistoric and pithy admonitions pearls like "Read, Rock and Recycle. Avoid Extinction."

Yeh believes that taking comic books away from kids has contributed to illiteracy.

"With no comic books, you're not offering kids the natural progression before they start to read chapter books," he says. "The pictures help them if they don't understand the words."

Even beyond literacy, the young-adult coordinator for the library, Linda Adams, says the event is also aimed at stemming the tide of violence in the community.

Adams recalls former Police Chief Garrett Zimmon's quote about how difficult it is to hold a gun in your hand while holding a book.

"An event like this motivates and encourages kids to be creative and get out and do something they're interested in," Adams says.

"In reality, the library is not just about books, but the whole world of music, art and culture. It's positive and creative."

For more information about Cartoonists Across America, call 909-725-7337.