PRESS RELEASE; FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Linda Adams: 909-925-7337
PHIL YEH, GODFATHER OF THE AMERICAN GRAPHIC NOVEL, SIMPSONS’ CARTOONIST PHIL ORTIZ TO PAINT A MURAL AT NEW YORK’S HOTEL PENNSYLVANIA ON MAY 27 AND AT BOOKEXPOAMERICA ON MAY 29-31, 2009
Phil Yeh, often called the Godfather of the modern American Graphic Novel, will paint a new mural promoting literacy and the arts in the lobby of Hotel Pennsylvania on Wednesday, May 27, from 11 am to 6 pm. The historic Hotel Penn is located across the street from Madison Square Garden at 401 Seventh Avenue. Phil Ortiz, one of the original artists behind the Simpsons, will join Yeh in creating this work of art, which will be donated to the city’s schools and libraries after the event. The two artists will also paint a second mural at the BookExpoAmerica trade show at the Javits Convention Center from May 29-31. Yeh will be giving away copies of a special collector’s preview edition of his new Dinosaurs Across New York comic book at both events. Everyone is invited to help create the mural for the City of New York on May 27 at the Hotel Pennsylvania. These family friendly mural events are sponsored by The Hotel Penn- sylvania, BookExpoAmerica, ComiXpress, The Palm Restaurants, Brother Jimmy’s BBQue, and Mustang Harry’s Restaurant.
Legendary musician Candy John, (drummer for Donovan from 1966 -1970), will be at the Hotel Penn- sylvania event to play a few songs. His percussion work was also featured on Donovan’s “Beat Café” concert series at Joe’s Pub, with Richard Barone at Joe’s Pub, the Marc Bolan 40th Anniversary Tribute in Central Park, and with Denny Laine (Moody Blues & Wings) at the Cutting Room for May Pang’s birth- day celebration. Most recently he’s been working with Richard Barone to record his latest songs. “Candy John’s Open Road Show” will be appearing at Googie’s Lounge--Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side-- on Saturday June 6th at 9:30 pm.
1-1-1 Yeh’s bestselling color hardcover edition of Dinosaurs Across America has recently been revised and published by NBM Publishing in New York. This all-ages book about U.S. history and geography was picked as one of the best 25 graphic novels by School Library Journal in 2007 and won a Children’s Choice Award by the Children’s Book Council and the International Reading Association in 2008. Yeh is now working on individual books about each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. for the next few years. He continues to speak in schools, libraries and community centers about the creative process and the importance of literacy all around the world.
Phil Ortiz worked on the animated Simpsons TV show in the beginning and has won several Emmy awards for his work. He has also drawn the Simpsons comic books for many years for Bongo Publishing. Ortiz and Yeh have been on a "Two Phils" tour for the last few years with appearances all over the world including Europe and China. They were special guest artists at the 3rd annual China Cartoon and Animation Festival held in 2007 in Yeh's father's hometown of Hangzhou, China. Yeh has been speaking in China about the importance of using cartoons to promote literacy and creativity since his first trip back in 1979. The “Two Phils” have also been invited to paint a mural in Germany at the Frankfurt Book Fair on October 14-18, 2009. Yeh will introduce a new wordless book called The Sunflower featuring his Winged Tiger character at this event. It is the biggest international rights fair in the world . Yeh also was invited to paint a mural in 2002 as a special guest. That mural featured guest artist Sergio Aragones, MAD magazine cartoonist and the creator of Groo.
2-2-2 Yeh was born in Chicago and spent the first six years in Wayne, New Jersey before moving to Los Angeles where he grew up near the Watts Towers. He later attended Cal State University Long Beach where he founded an alternative arts newspaper, Uncle Jam, at the age of 19 and an art gallery when he was 21. Uncle Jam featured covers and interviews with some notable people including; Philip K. Dick, Rick Griffin, John Canemaker, Harvey Kurtzman, Alfredo Alcala, Jean Giraud (Moebius), Lynda Barry, Jerry Siegel, and George Lucas. Yeh has been invited as a special guest to the 40th San Diego Comic-Con International this summer (he was at the first in 1970). He is planning to bring back Uncle Jam, after stopping publication in 1991 to dedicate his time to the Cartoonists Across America & The World tour. Yeh recently conducted a brand new interview with legendary writer Ray Bradbury for this special summer edition.
Long Beach, California was also the home of the modern American graphic novel, the term coined by former Long Beach bookstore owner and publisher Richard Kyle in the 1960s. Kyle published one of the very first American graphic novels in 1976 followed a few months later by Yeh’s Even Cazco Gets the Blues in the spring of 1977. Cazco first appeared as a daily comic strip at Cal State University Long Beach in the fall of 1972. Yeh’s efforts through his newspaper and his endless road trips on behalf of the comic book art form has resulted in a general acceptance of the graphic novel in the United States today.
Yeh, who founded Cartoonists Across America & The World in 1985, is on the 24th year of his 25-year world tour. The band of artists have painted more than 1800 murals throughout the world. These murals are often painted with the help of students of all ages.
The "Two Phils" Tour also includes a new second guitar in their custom guitar series. These guitars are handmade by Patrick Bubien, the owner of Guitarification in Fallbrook, California. Many noted artists and writers have signed the first guitar, including Ray Bradbury, Alan Alda, Lynn Johnston, Kevin Eastman, Alex Nino, Greg Evans, Sergio Aragones, Simon Bisley, Patrick McDonnell, Bill Amend, James Gurney, and many others. This new guitar was recently signed by some of the comic book industry’s greatest artists in New York City in 2008, including; Jerry Robinson, creator of The Joker, Carmine Infantino, June Foray, Ramona Fradon, Jim Steranko, Peter Laird, Nick Cardy and many others. Yeh's hope is to have a series of these guitars covered with original artwork and on display in museums around the world in order to have more attention paid to writers and visual artists in our society.
3-3-3 "After my five month art show in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in 2006, I was determined to get a display in the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day. I like to dream big! It's the only way that we have continued to keep this tour on the road all these years. I was in Cleveland just a couple of weeks ago talking to the museum about this project for 2010. We believe that there is a real connection between all the arts and creating smarter students in all fields especially in math and science," said Yeh from his Running Springs, California studio.
Yeh continues to speak in schools, libraries and communities about literacy and the arts. He will return to the East coast this fall for several weeks. His talks are for all ages and designed to get people to read more and be attached to their electronics less. To see a bit more of his tour go to www.wingedtiger.com.
#30-#30-#30