Meet Howard Bolton
The artistic career of Howard Bolton began in a little sign shop in Florida in 1951. Howard worked his way west and became a “wall dog” in Hollywood painting murals on the sides of famous buildings such as Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
His heart’s desire was to be a cartoonist but facing formidable competition, he moved to San Francisco and opened H. Bolton Company. He grew the company with the help of significant national accounts creating point of purchase sales materials.
When retirement became an option in 1985, Howard traveled the coastal cities to find a home that would contrast the fast pace of San Francisco.
Santa Paula became home and the shop re-opened. Howard became a stable partner in the life of Santa Paula’s business and volunteer community. He served on numerous boards and became president of the Chamber of Commerce. In 1990, he was selected Citizen of the Year and married the Mayor, Kay Wilson.
He became a member of Gideon’s and serves in prison ministry at the Todd Road Jail. His two dogs, Jonathan and KD (short for King David) are his constant companions. He provides complimentary signage for local churches. Howard and Kay are members of the Presbyterian Church. They are the Coordinators of the National Day of Prayer in Santa Paula and serve as board members for the non-profit corporation SPIRIT of Santa Paula.
His cartoon characters are Darwin, Merriweather and Fern. Their stories reflect his own young life and his friends. He is one of 7 children. He is the only one who left the family ranch in Florida.
His logos and decal designs are all over the region and are testimony to his talent and character. He uses a PC and has mastered Corel Draw and a high quality VersaCamm plotter.