June 3, 2004
I’m off to a leadership conference today up in Keystone, Colorado. I told my staff to expect some leading when I get back. Robert Ray told me he needs to go to a “following” conference first. Too true.

While I’m gone I’m going to post some of the artwork I’ve been working on. I finished a nice gouache of the M’Rose shooting this morning. It’s for the John Wesley Hardin piece we’re doing for the next issue (August). M’Rose, a Polish cowboy, was ambushed as he came across the International Bridge in Juarez, Old Mexico. He was met in the middle by U.S. Deputy Scarborough who led him into a trap as they traversed a garbage dump on the U.S. side. M’Rose thought he was going to a rendezvous with his estranged wife, but instead he was led into a trap. Waiting for him were Jeff Milton, a Texas Ranger and some say John Selman. M’Rose was disguised as a Mexican with a big sombrero and a serape. He allegedly was told to Halt! but went for a pistol (that’s the official version). It happened right at sunset, before the electric lights were turned on in El Paso (1895). I think it came out rather nice, all things considered.

“A rock band should be something loud and dangerous, like a tank with a brain.”
—Pelle Almqvist, lead singer of The Hives