June 21, 2004
Talked to Juti Winchester from the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody this morning. We are planning two big art-photo essays in upcoming issues. One is on European Wild West Show Tours, so I can use my Spanish rodeo posters, and we want to supplement the piece with that famous photo of Buffalo Bill and the Indians in a gondola in Venice, etc. Going to be cool. She said they have a fabulous collection of French posters and oodles of stuff. Come early, she warned me.

On Friday I’m also going up to the Custer Battlefield for the 128th Anniversary of the battle. Lots of Custer nuts are going to be there and Bob Reece warned me to be ready for a whole slew of guys who think they’re the Boy General, in full Little Big Horn uniform. I wonder if someday the Iraqi prison Abu Ghraib will mark similar anniversaries with people in full costume: “Oh, look honey, there’s another girl contract laborer with a prisoner on a leash. Oh, that’s perfect!”

This morning and at lunch I worked on a certain painting of a certain Apache scout who had a cock eye and red hair. He was hated by the Mexicans, feared by the Apaches and despised by his superiors and General Crook. He even met the president of the United States, who didn’t like him much either. Legendary Chief of Scouts Al Seiber described him as “half Mexican-half Irish and all son of a bitch.” One guy who he did get along with was Tom Horn. Got big plans for the little troublemaker in 2005. I’ll give you some more hints and a sneak peek as I move along.

We got a new poll up. Are current Western movies more or less realistic than those made in the1950s? More/Less. You can click right here to vote.
"Don't tease a big kid."
—a small kid?