BBB's Blog

January 27, 2012

Ever heard of a story slam? I hadn't either, until my old friend Mark Goldman (from my radio days) contacted me and asked me to come down and participate in The Great Arizona Story Slam. Basically each story teller gets five minutes to tell a story (tonight's theme is "Like Butch and Sundance: Partners In Crime—Friends to the End." Coming off at the Doubletree Inn at 44th Street and Van Buren tonight from six to nine. Tickets are $10 advance, or $15 at the door. I am bringing along a box of the new Arizona Centennial issue, so if you want a free one, now would be your chance to get one.

Let's see, who would my partner in crime be? Certainly the oldest partnership would be this outlaw (Dastardly Dan, on left):

Many wild ones have come and gone and come between us, but here we are still working on Old West graphics (hint: Big D is the True West art director since 1999). The only ding against Dan The Man is probably the fact that he is the most honest, hard working, frugal, funny bastard I have ever known. Not much of an outlaw, unless you count the mocking of Arizona politicos.

Speaking of which, Dan and I produced The Razz Revue (1972-1976) and I don't think either one us owns a complete set. Imagine our surprise when this appeared on ebay:

One of the things Dan and I prided ourselves on was publishing wildly inappropriate comments out of context and at the wrong time. Thank God we outgrew that!

"Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good."

—Joe Paterno

Bob Boze 10:55 AM

---

January 26, 2012

Taped a table read for our proposed TV show "True Arizona" late this morning. Marshall Trimble, Jana Bommersbach and I marched through a ton of material to fill a full 56 minutes of screen time. Going to eventually take the show on the road.

The True West website has been buzzing with comments about Bert Lindley, the first actor to allegedly portray Wyatt Earp in a movie. Here's a still of him from Paul Hutton's collection:

This led to the following posting:

Here's a puzzle concerning the supposed stills of Bert Lindley portraying Wyatt Earp for Bill Hart's 1923 film "Wild Bill Hickok." I checked imdb.com and friendsofhartpark.org, both of which list the full cast and crew of Hart's film, and guess what --- although the cast of characters includes Hickok (played by Hart), Calamity Jane, and Bat Masterson, there is NO Wyatt Earp, nor is Bert Lindley listed among the actors! Now silenthollywood.com says that Abraham Lincoln also makes an appearance in the movie, and he is not shown among the characters either, so possibly Earp (Lindley) appears momentarily, but did not warrant a listing in the cast.

What did P.A. Hutton say about where he obtained the photos of Lindley(provenance)?

—Murray A. Gewirtz

I emailed Paul Hutton and asked him if he could cast any light on these questions, and, without further ado, here is the Distinguished Professor:

BBB: Well, you know just how much I appreciate internet research! And especially the notoriously error-ridden imbd.com (check my two listings--they list me as two people--and both are wrong.) Wild Bill Hickok is a lost film, although a partial print surfaced a decade ago. I have been collecting materials on it for over twenty years because of my interest in the historical characters in the film (it started with trying to get a still of the Custer charcter, then Sheridan, then Earp). My stills are original studio photographs released at the time of the film with (in the Lindley case) the ORIGINAL STUDIO SNIPE pasted on the back (incredibly rare) identifying Lindley as Earp (I have three stills with the Lindley character in it--two portraits and the group shot). I also own a copy of the original pressbook for the film--with full cast listed. I also own a rare little pamphlett entitled "William S. Hart in Wild Bill Hickok" by William S. Hart (Los Angeles: Will A. Kistler Co., Printers, 1923) which is a prose version of the screenplay. It not only has Earp as a character but also lists Doc Holliday, Luke Short, Bill Tilghman, and Charlie Bassett as the other men along with Hickok, Masterson and Earp in the scene where they meet the hide men from the East (I sent you that still). Thus this must also be the first appearance of Doc Holliday in a film (although we dont know the actor). I also have several stills of the Lincoln character in the film (one with him alongside Sheridan) and several of the Custer character. Also the Masterson character. The Masterson character was featured far more prominently than the Earp character, which is interesting considering the Earp-Hart relationship. Of course Masterson, who was friends with both men, had just died in October 1921. Is that bright enough light for ya? Any more questions? PH

"There are lies, damn lies and then there is internet research."
—Old Vaquero Saying

Bob Boze 3:31 PM

---

January 25, 2012

Still finding little gems in my studio (while cleaning and organizing). In 1991 I traveled to Ruidoso, New Mexico for a Billy the Kid symposium. All the big time authors and Billy the Kid experts were there: Fred Nolan, Robert Utley, Paul Andrew Hutton, among others. This was before I published my book on the Kid, so I was there to learn. One of the field trips scheduled was a bus ride to Blazer's Mill to see the site where Buckshot Roberts shot it out with a group of Regulators led by Dick Brewer. To our pleasant surprise, the grandson of Doctor Blazer met us and gave us a tour of the site. Here he is telling where Dick Brewer hid behind a pile of logs as he peered over to take a shot at Buckshot Roberts.

Of course, Buckshot had been gut shot by Chuck Bowdre in the first exchange of gunfire at Blazer's Mill and Roberts holed up in an office in Blazer's building and grabbed a rifle off the wall (he emptied his Winchester into Bowdre and the crowd surrounding him). Bleeding like a stuck pig from the gut wound Roberts grabbed a mattress from a bed in the room and threw it across the doorway, laid down with the foreign rifle to defend himself. The leader of the Regulators, Dick Brewer, ran down to a saw mill about 100 yards from the doorway where Roberts was holed up. Brewer hid behind a wood pile and popped off a shot at Roberts. His shot was a tad high and thudded into the wall behind Roberts' head. Noting where the puff of smoke came from, Roberts looked down the hill and trained his rifle at the spot where he saw the report. Brewer, meanwhile, waited a few seconds then peered over the cord of wood to see if he got his man. Roberts factored in the distance, took aim and pulled the trigger. The bullet entered Brewer's eye and took out the back of his skull.

Someone in our group asked Art if the Blazer family still had the rifle. Art chuckled and said:

"We all used it for hunting, but nobody in the family could hit a damn thing with that rifle."
—Art Blazer
Bob Boze 4:16 PM

---

January 24, 2012

Here's a photo of my son Thomas Charles "Wombat" at his favorite taco stand with his fiance Pattarapan.

We met here at noon on Sunday, had tacos, then proceeded to go to five other cafes, restaurants and bars to imbibe and inhale his favorite liquids and solids. If you want to try this fantastic place yourself, it's just south of Van Buren on 16th Street. Great tacos!

Meanwhile, I sent John Boessenecker two other sketches of Sheriff Bob Paul:

John's publisher, leans towards this one:

Meanwhile, Paul Andrew Hutton sent me a packet of his incredible Wyatt Earp images. These are stills of actors who have portrayed Wyatt in movies. One of the pics is from 1923. Here 'tis:

What's amazing about this photo is that Wyatt Earp was a "consultant" on the film "Wild Bill Hickok" a William S. Hart movie. On the back of this publicity photo it says, "Wyatt Earp, deputy sheriff to Bat Masterson of Dodge City, known as one of the three greatest gun-men that ever lived, along with Bat Masterson and 'Wild Bill' Hickok. Bert Lindley. . . .Wyatt Earp."

At first glance it doesn't look much like our image of Wyatt Earp, but take another look. If you blond out that mustache this is pretty close to how Wyatt actually looked in Tombstone. Add to that the fact that Wyatt probably had a hand in Lindley's wardrobe and stance (notice the cigar) and this is absolutely striking. Anyway, it's all quite convincing to me. What do you think?

"All people dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind, wake in the morning to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they dream their dreams with open eyes, and make them come true."
—T.E. Lawrence
Bob Boze 3:25 PM

---

January 23, 2012

My son, Thomas Charles, turns 29 today. Yesterday I treated him and his fiance Pattarapan to a day of feasting. I asked Tommy what his favorite restaurant was and I'd take him there. He thought for some time then said he couldn't make up his mind between three places. I said, Hell, let's make a day of it and go to all three! So we started at noon at 16th Street and Van Buren at La Frontera for street tacos. Then over to La Posoleria, then to his fave sushi place on Northern and I-17. It was a long day, but we paced ourselves.

My good friend John Boessenecker is doing a biography on Sheriff Bob Paul, the intrepid sheriff who stood a solid six foot four. Most photos show him as an older man. My challenge is to show him in his prime when he loomed over Southern Arizona.

Lots of goals for the coming weeks. Lots to do.

"The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score."
—Bill Copeland

Bob Boze 9:34 AM

---

January 20, 2012

Found the very first cartoon I ever sold to the Arizona Republic's Arizona Magazine. The editor was, I believe, Bud DeWald. Got paid $75 for a page of cartoons about growing up in a small town. Caption says: "If you were at the movie and you got a message from home, they would flash it on the screen."

When I was growing up, this happened at the State Theater in Kingman all the time. I think they wrote the note on a piece of paper and slipped it into the projector in front of the film. I remember it would flutter and bounce around a bit, totally taking you out of the movie, but hey, what a sweet memory it is.

On the back it says, #2 page 50, 5/28/72 ($75). It's interesting to note that I make almost double that today.

Meanwhile, here's a decent little concept piece I sent to the National Lampoon five years later.

They rejected it, but they went out of business not long after. Not that I'm gloating.

Okay, maybe a little.

And here's a edgy doubletruck (suggested by New Times Weekly publisher Jim Larkin by the way) that caused a little damage eight years later (1985). Literally. When this piece ran in the Tucson Weekly their offices were firebombed by radicals who took offense at the humor. No, really.

And, coming full circle, if you think I only make fun of people of color, here's a drawing that's close to my heart, my home and my family.

This is "Kingman Cow People." If you went to school with me you know exactly who this is.

"Home is where the ha is."
—Old Vauqero Saying

Bob Boze 3:15 PM

---

January 18, 2012

Kathy and I trained our kids early to enjoy road trips. Here they are at a Fina gas station on the road to see Billy the Kid's grave in the summer of 2004. That's Thomas Charles, 1 1/2, and Deena, 4.

Fina Deena, indeed. I drove by last year (north of Socorro, at the I-25 exit, Hwy 60 to Mountainair, Vaughn and Fort Sumner) and this place was closed up, fenced off and falling over.

Cleaning in my studio I found this historic photo.

Actually, it's a faux photo, based on a famous Texas Rangers image. It was taken at Festival of the West in 2003. Can you name the gents in this pic? Hint: one of them was in the TV show Lawman, and another was in Gunsmoke AND Cowboys & Aliens.

"That ol' boy was always sittin' on the south side of his pants."
—Old Texas Saying
Bob Boze 5:15 PM

---

January 18, 2012

My third day in the studio emulating Ron Carlson and Jerry Seinfeld. Ron told me to commit two hours a day to my graphic novel project and Jerry told me to make a big, red X on every day I succeed. So far, so good. Ha.

Another studio find: in 1991 I was doing research on Billy the Kid at the University of Arizona Special Collections Library. As I walked across campus I saw a sign for a luncheon honoring the author Ray Bradbury. Walking up the steps to the Student Union, I followed the noise and found the room. I leaned in the door, just in time to hear Ray say about writing, "Throw up in the morning, clean up in the afternoon." As he finished and walked by, I took this photo.

I've been throwing up ever since. That is, I write everything down that comes out of my mind. Don't try and rework it, just throw up all over the page. Then, after lunch, come back and clean it up. Great advice and I just happened upon it. Serendipity, no? Or, do I thank Billy the Kid?

Been noodling possible cover images for this year. What do you think of this shot?

File this under, "Studs With Guns." Recognize who this is? A hint: HTWWW.

"Write every day, without hope, without despair."
—Another piece of advice that has served me well
Bob Boze 10:47 AM

---

January 17, 2012

Last night I was killing time before Kathy got home from work and I found myself watching "The Cimarron Kid" (1952) starring Audie Murphy on the Westerns Channel. At about eight, Kathy walked in and joined me in the living room. Intrigued, she sat down to watch a bit of it with me. In addition to the Daltons and Bitter Creek Newcomb, there is a character in the film called The Rose of Cimarron. Kathy asked me if Rose is based on a real old West character.

I smiled, put the movie on pause, went out to the studio and grabbed this cover (which I found over the weekend while cleaning), came back and plopped it down in front of her.

"That depends on who you believe," I said as casually as I could.

"Should history be taught as a mode of contrarian argumentation, a communion with past Truth and Beauty, or just one f---king thing after another?"
—Alan Bennett
Bob Boze 4:53 PM

---

January 17, 2012

Went home for lunch and worked in the studio on a new project for author John Boessenecker. Took a break and looked at more of my photo files and found a couple more shots of Jackie King. Here she is in Durango spreading the word about True West magazine (September, 2004 Wild Bunch issue):

And here's Jackie with her faithful dog:

And here she is stretched out after a hard day's photo shoot:

I believe her sister shot these photos and sent them to me. They have been lost in my studio for eight years! Crazy. And, finally, here she is on the trail above Durango. I assume that's the Animas River roaring below her.

"Nothing beats a horse between your legs."
—Honkytonk Sue
Bob Boze 3:03 PM

---

January 17, 2012

Just got off the phone with a foundry in Prescott Valley that wants to convert my painting "Not So Gentle Tamers" into a bronze statue for the town. I've never done sculpture before, but I am honored.

Still cleaning my studio and finding little gems like this Empire Magazine, from The Denver Post, dated March 27, 1983:

Didn't know Jay Dusard at the time. Just really dug the pics. I met Jay in 1986 while on assignment for Arizona Highways. He was living in Prescott at the time. We are still friends to this day.

Meanwhile, I had forgotten that I documented my big break in show biz. In July of 2002 I attended a writer's conference in Gunnison, Colorado and on Saturday we got on a school bus to drive up to a ghost town called Tin Cup. On the way up, I was sitting in the back yakking about the movie Tombstone. Halfway up the mountain the bus stopped and we all got off. A woman was setting up a camera in front of an old crumbling cabin. A guy named Jeff Hildebrandt was setting up the shot.

This Jeff guy turns and says to me, "Bob Boze Bell, come over here and look into that camera and tell us what you know about Wyatt Earp and the movie Tombstone."

Twenty minutes later he told me to shut up and we got back on the bus.

What I didn't know at the time—this was my audition for what became True West Moments on Encore Westerns. I've been doing them ever since (almost ten years!).

Of course, some of the things I found in my studio made me cringe. Here is a photo of a certain friend of mine shooting a Shetland pony in the neck.

While I certainly don't condone this kind of animal cruelty humor, I also don't think it's fair to judge people from a different time by the standards of today. As you know Shetland ponies can be quite mean and I've seen them bite little kids, more than once. Still, to take a Flintlock rifle and shoot a Shetland pony in the neck is really deplorable and I strongly object to airbrushing any photo that would imply that this actually happened, in a photo essay in the Razz Revue, circa 1974.

"Every exit is an entrance."
—The theme of my next book to be written with Charles Jaurez

"

Bob Boze 11:01 AM

---