INTERVIEW

Alicubi

Please tell me a little about Colaland, and how this mural came to be painted.

Friede

Colaland features the good old '50s as a theme at our restaurant, museum, gallery, and log-cabin resort. So we met John F. Mortenson and April Lafferty in our restaurant. We developed a friendship and together came up with the idea to create a mural outside on our restaurant with a '50s theme.

As you can see on the picture, there is one of our log cabins, Mt. Arrowsmith in the back, a '54 Ford and James Dean and Marilyn Monroe.

During the research on pictures and images of Marilyn and James Dean, John figured out that he is related to MM. The basic idea was Marilyn with a Coke or Pepsi towel. Everybody came during the paint job and told us: Keep the towel, do it natural! So we have still a public poll on and maybe a long term problem, because not everybody is in favor.

Alicubi

How exactly is John Mortenson related to Marilyn? And who is complaining about the mural?

Friede

He is a cousin: His uncle Edward was her father. For complaints have a look at our guest book.

07/19/2000

MARILYN WAS A SEX KITTEN. iF SHE IS TOPPLESS THEN JAMES SHOULD BE WITHOUT JEANS
BRENDA
PARKSVILLE

07/15/2000

Is your mural of Maralyn meant to advertise to the 'Laidies of the night' to use your cabins? It looks that way to us. We feel it would have been more appropriate to portray Maralyn in the beautiful white dress, which must be the most famous picture of her in all the world. Alternatively, if you want to advertise the area surely a mural of our wildlife or scenery would have been better. I guess this is just a cheap, cheap publicity stunt.
G & P
Bowser

07/09/2000

You people are sick I live in bowser and I dont like driving past your restraunt either do any of the people i know This is a family oriented town and We do not want that mural up You are sick people that need to get out of our town!
Jody
Bowser

Alicubi

Have you decided what to do about this?

Friede

We're working on it...