WHEREAS, Phil Roman, a resident of West Fresno and a graduate of San Joaquin High School is a gifted Mexican-American artist who is known worldwide for his outstanding career in animation that has earned him six Emmy awards; and
WHEREAS, Phil Roman, who at the age of eleven fi rst saw Walt Disney’s “Bambi” at a local Fresno theater, and decided to be an artist who could bring drawings to life. Mr. Roman worked as an usher at Warnors Theater and in September 1949, Mr. Roman boarded a bus to Los Angeles with sixty dollars in his po ckets to attend a cartoon and animation school; and
WHEREAS, Phil Roman left to serve in the Air Force during the Korean War for four years and returned in January 1955 to continue his artistic education; and
WHEREAS, Phil Roman was hired by Disney to work as an assistant animator on “Sleeping Beauty” in 1955. This adventure led Mr. Roman to San Francisco to work with Imagination, Inc and to Hollywood to work for Warnor Bros., MGM, and UPA. In 1984, Mr. Roman formed his own studio, Film Roman, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, Phil Roman has won numerous honors and awards over the course of his career for various films and TV specials, including You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (1975), Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown (1980), Garfield on the Town (1983), Garfield in the Rough (1984), The Garfield Halloween Special (198 5), Garfield’s Babes & Bullets (1989), and The Simpsons TV Series (1992-1999). Mr. Roma n most recently received the Pobladores Award from La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in 2021; and
WHEREAS, beyond animation, Phil Roman is engaged and committed to the larger community as he has served on several boards and comm ittees, including the U.S. Senate Republican Task Force on Hispanic Affairs and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; and
WHEREAS, we celebrate Phil Roman for his outstan ding contributions to the animation industry, his countless accomp lishments, and his unwavering dedication to the arts & culture that has brought joy to many worldwide.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, Fresno City Council and Mayor Jerry Dyer, do hereby proclaim the 5th of October 2023 to be:
“Phil Roman Day” in the City of Fresno.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and affixed the Great Seal of the City of Fresno, California, on this 5
th day of October 2023.