Hot-rod cartoons race to Pasadena Museum

Tag : hot strip
Sweden, where they lived almost like Gypsies, said Robin Millar,Pete and Orah Mae's oldest child.
Upon returning to the United States in 1971, Millar continued todraw for different magazines, cementing his role as a cartoon icon.Always a humble man, Orah Mae said, he did not realize hispopularity or the breadth of his influence until people beganasking for his autograph at a 1993 hot-rod reunion in Bakersfield.
Millar, who often giggled to himself as he drew his cartoons, wasnot only more popular than he knew, but also more talented, Ora Maesaid. When famous drag racers traveled to Australia, locals saidthey could recognize the racers from Millar's caricatures in DragCartoons.
Aside from sheer artistry, Millar was known for using his comics tovoice his opinions. He was on the side of the racers, Robin Millarsaid, and though his cartoons made controversial comments about thecorporate side of racing and the high jinks of certain racers, henever was more than a toe out of line.
Although angry parties twice threatened to sue Millar, his widowsaid, most subjects were more excited than offended if they made itinto Drag Cartoons.
With the amount of exposure the magazine was getting, mention inthe comic signified drag-racing success.
"This Fourth of July we were at a party and there were a lot ofdrag-racing people there and this one man ... came up and said,`You know, your husband made me famous,' " said Orah Mae. "I said,`He did?' and he said, `Yes, it wasn't very nice, I didn't like itat the time, but he made me famous.' "
Appreciation for Millar's work was widespread among dragsters andhot-rod junkies. Orah Mae has a notebook full of letters the familyreceived when her husband passed away, many from fans who had nevermet him.
One man sent a letter recounting his reaction to hearing aboutMillar's death - he sat down and cried.
In October 2003, Millar posthumously received the National Hot RodAssociation Lifetime Achievement Award.
Although Robin and Orah Mae Millar claim there would be no show iftheir humble patriarch were around today, they hope the exhibitwill inspire a new generation of fans, while preserving animportant part of California and drag-racing history.
"We want people to know that he's more than a cartoonist," said hisdaughter. "He's an artist, he's a genius."
But the aim of the exhibit is to showcase his work as an overallartist, not just focusing on drag racing, said Shirlea Cheng, themuseum's exhibition manager.
"Tales From the Strip" features more than 40 of Millar's cartoonsand oil paintings, as well as ceramics. His artistic stylings rangefrom comic cars to portraits, to half-sized Frederic Remingtonbronze horse replicas.
Miriam Finder (310) 540-5511, Ext. 390, miriam.finder@dailybreeze.com