About Bob

Bob Waldmire (April 19, 1945–December 16, 2009) was an American artist who is well known for his artwork of U.S. Route 66. Being the son of Ed Waldmire Jr., he is often associated with the Cozy Dog Drive In restaurant in Springfield, Illinois (on U.S. Route 66), where the elder Waldmire (along with his friend Don Strand) created the corn dog.

One of Waldmire’s modified vehicles, an orange 1972 Volkswagen Microbus, was the inspiration for the character “Fillmore” from the animated motion picture Cars.

Waldmire was a well-known snowbird, spending his winter months in Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains in a self-sufficient home of his own design. During the summer, he traveled the country, but based himself in his native Central Illinois, living in a converted Chevrolet school bus near Springfield.

In 2004, Bob Waldmire was given the John Steinbeck Award because of his contributions to the preservation of Route 66.

On December 16, 2009, Waldmire died from cancer.