The legacy of a beloved actor and comedian has added color to downtown Brantford.

The City of Brantford recently unveiled a mural dedicated to voice actor, actor, graphic designer and screenwriter Phil Hartman.

Hartman’s best-known works include Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz on The Simpsons, various roles on Saturday Night Live, Ranger John ‘Vicky’ Johnson in So I Married an Ax Murderer, and Ted Maltin in Jingle All the Way. He is also credited with helping create the character Pee-wee Herman.

Hartman was born in Brantford and lived in the city for about a decade. He was inducted into the city’s Walk of Fame in 1997, added posthumously to the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2012 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014.

Hartman’s death in 1998 shocked fans. He was shot and killed by his wife while he was sleeping. To recognize the circumstances of her death, a purple ribbon was included on the mural near her lapel in tribute to victims of domestic violence.

The city commissioned DRIFT Mural Co. to create the mural that now adorns the side of the Sanderson Center for the Performing Arts on Dalhousie Street.

The mural includes several nods to his career, including depictions of Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz, The Unfrozen Caveman, his childhood home, and a selection of album covers he designed.

The artist also included a photo of a bicycle beneath Hartman’s portrait. Eagle-eyed onlookers may notice that the name “Mike” was added to the bike in homage to another well-known figure in the Brantford community, Mike On a Bike.

In a press release, Hartman’s brother praised the mural. “A beautiful tribute to someone who is missed by so many,” said Paul Hartmann. “Phil would be very proud and humbled by this fantastic mural.”

The city held an official event to celebrate the mural’s completion Monday afternoon.