September 12, 2003
Wrote up my editorial on Western Waves. I’m going to do a surfing illustration of Davy Crockett, Kevin Costner, Pancho Villa and Tommy Lee Jones hanging ten on huge mirage wave crowning over the desert (it’s a surf-Western movie metaphor via Kingman).

Had a Manager’s Meeting yesterday at 10 to disucss production flow and how to make next year’s Best of the West issue better (or “best”). Some people think we really whored out and others just think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. Who to believe, that is the question.

The Man In Black is gone. Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison” is playing out in the production room even as I type this. Makes me sad. He was a great friend of True West and in fact did an album called “Songs of the True West,” as in the magazine.

As I mentioned earlier this week, Wilbur Zink saved our bacon on the Youngers vs. Pinkertons Classic Gunfight. His account, which he calls “The Roscoe Gunfight” is by far the best. I rented The Long Riders to see how they handled it and got so inspired I copied off the dialogue and we might run an extra page asking the question: “Did Hollywood Ever Get It Right?” The answer, and grades we give it, might surprise you.

Tim Koors, a photographer from the Arizona Republic came out and photographed me for a piece in next Monday’s Scottscale Republic section. I’ve known him for a long time and he has been with the paper for 26 years. The reporter, Daniel, came by at two and talked to me at length. I was drawing a bathtub race illustration for a t-shirt design and tried to do both. Knocked it out and gave it Ron McGee at four (it’s for the Cave Creek Wild West Weekend next month).

Had lunch yesterday at Tonto with Deena and Kathy. Had a half a cobb salad and iced tea (Kathy bought). Nice talking with the girls. They’re both damn cute.

More frustrations with our well. The well guys came back and redid the pipe ($160 house account). Still no water pressure to speak of. So they called me back and wanted to replace the tank. I gave them the approval ($450) and of couirse the water pressure is the same. So we’ve spent over $2K on all of this and the problem is still here. Their advice: call a plumber. How about I call in the dogs.


”"Reality continues to ruin my life."
—Calvin & Hobbes