Pete Millar's High Flying Santa

Pete Millar's cover art for the Jan. 1963 CAR toons. Millar did CAR toons for Peterson Publications before he started his own comic Drag cartoons.

It's not motorcycle related, but Pete is an Art Hero. Taken at an exhibition of his art the summer of 2008.

This Month's Header

"The Luck of the Biker"

This Month's Header features a tongue in cheek look at the plight of the Biker. Run ins with "The Man" have always been a familiar theme.


The Source

I grew up buying Pete Millar's Drag Cartoons, but didn't have this particular issue until a few years ago. I was familiar with it from the back issues and always thought it was cool. I've been planning to use it as a header pretty much since the blog began.

The location is in nearby Palos Verdes Estates CA, and still looks about the same. I should go there and take a photo from the same spot some time.

Big Daddy Roth Fan Club

Two Heroes for the price of one

Ed Roth by Pete Millar, Drag Cartoons 12/64

Millar, Roth, and Robert Williams Patches

Stuff like this was "kick starting" my interest.

As stated in an earlier post, Pete Millar was a hero of mine. Since Pete and Ed were friends there was always something in Drag Cartoons about Ed, and many issues featured his ads. As Roth's ads began to increase their emphasis on choppers, so did my interest.


SHOCKING!?... more like WOW! At age 12, This was my only glimpse of the art and lifestyle. A Williams' biker holds a David Mann poster.

I had no idea who was drawing this stuff but I knew I liked it. At some point I learned of Ed Newton and David Mann. Many moons passed until I realized Robert Williams was another important Roth Studios artist.

The DC Roth ads from Jan. 68 and 67. I'd peer at these little images with awe and wonder. For many years, I only saw this stuff at this scale.


A whimsical Williams character pitches his patches. Only Robert could come up with such fun weirdness.


Robert aboard Roth's evolving "Oink", the coolest swing arm of them all!


Once familiar with his style, there's no doubt Robert's the artist.


The effect on my small brain. The influence of Williams' Devil's Chopper patch (above), and Newton's art (below), is evident. At that time I had no real knowledge of a Harley's workings. Note... push rods on left side. Most clues were gleaned from ads or the drawings by a school chum.

Ed Newton's art, also helped me get my head straight

Pete Millar, Art Hero

Issue #2 December 1963


Photo from the exhibit, Tales from the Strip

Pete Millar is another BIG! hero of mine. He started Car toons for Peterson Publishing and later his own publication, Drag Cartoons. He was the best in his field.

#15 May 1965 One of Pete's most popular covers

I collected Drag Cartoons as a kid and was very influenced by his work. My interest in Choppers was partly fueled by Ed Roth's ads that appeared in them.


Pete collaborated with Ed on projects and put stories about him in Drag Cartoons. In 1964 he even created a comic devoted solely to Ed. Only four issues were produced, but, afterwards he continued to feature Roth in Drag cartoons.

Issue #1

After finding Pete's website, I sent an email to him explaining how much he had influenced me as a kid and artist. He was kind and flattered. Sometime later I found out he had passed away. I now regret not printing out his email (lost on a downed computer), or making the effort to meet him, as he lived very near by.

This last summer I was jazzed to see some of Pete's original art at the exhibit: Tale s from the Strip at the Pasadena Museum of California Art .

For more on Pete's work, go to:
http://www.laffyerasphalt.com/

I'll post more from the exhibit in the future.