June 13 , 2004
As I’ve mentioned previously, I have a ton of amazing reference materials in my studio. This morning I was looking through my Geronimo files when I ran across this photo of a young Apache warrior about to attack a wagon train somewhere in northern Sonora (probably Fronteras). It’s believed this Fly cabinet card was taken in early 1882 by the famous. . .no wait, that’s not an Apache warrior, that’s my son Thomas!

I guess I was fooled by the authentic headgear, but a blond Apache? Come on!

Since before the Middle Ages artist’s kids have always had a particularly rough time what with being roped into posing while wearing ridiculous costumes and holding absurd positions for hours at a time. I assume this reference photo has something to do with my as yet unpublished Geronimo book (photo taken in 1994), but I’m hard pressed to remember what I was intending to illustrate. It may simply be an underhanded, gleeful attempt by a revengeful parent to get a surly son into a compromising pose so the parent can later show his wife and children. And grandchildren. Now that’s a believable and honorable motive.

As promised, I watched some really crappy tv last night. Saw quite a bit of Lesbian Lovenest, Deadwood (repeat) and the Wayne Dyer (The Power of Intention?) lovefest on PBS. It’s always a good Saturday night when you can report to your wife when she comes home from a bar that you are horny and enlightened.

Kathy just laughed and went to bed.

“I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is.”
—Forrest Gump