Joe Camel

# 108

The “Joe Camel Anti-tobacco” mural appeared from about 1999 to 2003 directly opposite the doors of the Berkeley High School gymnasium. The student group ART — Artists Resisting Tobacco — painted it with the assistance of muralist Corinne Cuiney. The artists’ names appear beneath the list of carcinogenic chemicals.

The mural’s arresting style and vibrancy are reminiscent of the motifs of underground comics. The striking central image and surrounding vignettes infuse it with emotional power. Tragically, it was destroyed to make way for new construction.