January 16, 2003
Wild & Wooly, interesting phrase, could be a title of something, could be part of a title, maybe the name of two characters. I’m always open for titles, seeking titles, always mulling random phrases. Most of it turns out to be junk, but then 99% of success is failure. Hmmmmm.

One of our target accounts backed out today. Really disappointing, because we had thrown a bunch of money and effort into building a relationship, but they walked. Bob B. assures me this happens all the time and I can’t take it any more personal than I already have (I want to fucking kill them!). I’ll be fine.

Captured stills off of Gus’s video copy of Stagecoach. Came home for lunch, turned on the TV, fast-forwarded to the scene where John Wayne first shows up, cocking his Winchester with one hand, with his saddle and gear across his other arm. To me, that is the moment the Duke was “born” and I want to do an illustration of it for our “50 Moments That Defined The West.” I literally held my new 3.1 Mega-Pixels Kodak digital camera (which I got for my birthday) up to the screen, with the setting on video. This little candy bar sized piece of metal actually takes stills and video! Unbelievable. Took it back up to the office, interfaced with my iMac and the next thing you know I’m frame-advancing to the exact ten moments I want to capture on paper. Of course, they are quite funky, with lines through them, warped, black bands at all the wrong places, but that is part of the charm and I hope I can do the imagery justice. I may even go down to Armstrong-Prior Printing (they have old, hand presses) and have them run off a series of chine collé, combining several images, including scratchboard, onto funked-up paper for the ultimate effect. I have a call in to them even as I type this (4:20 pm). Hope they can accommodate me. John called back (5:03) and we’re shooting for next week. He’s pumped. Great guy, very talented. I love chine collé (it means layered paper).

Came home at around 2:30 and got to work on art. It’s been over a month since I touched a brush and I’m very rusty. Forced myself to stay with it. Wanted to flee, take a nap, blah, blah, blah. Went for a walk to the cave (Kathy said I need to walk) to get some power from the Hohokam Indians who lived there. Channeled (stole) some of their power, came back, up the trail, hid from some horseback riders (I’m wearing goofy sweatpants and they were wearing goofy helmets), wrote this up (anything not to work!).

Carole called from office and some guy wants to buy the original of the Doctor Will See You Now (cover TW, Nov.-Dec., 2001) and “Doc In His Cups” (Val Kilmer as Doc spinning the tin cup scene, hanging in my office). She asked price, it’s $1,650 for both. Seems too cheap, but hey, I’ve got kids in college.

“You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
—Jack London