October 29, 2005
Samantha tells me this month's online orders are rivaling last year’s numbers (when we had the lifetime Maniac memberships in full swing). She attributes it to the increased exposure we are getting in the marketplace, and also to the great deals they are offering over there. Check them out in the shopping cart. You can access it right here.

Kathy and I attended a big wedding reception for Ed and Rose Marie Mell at the Hermosa Inn in the afternoon. Great food, wonderful setting. The historic restaurant and lobby were built by legendary Arizona artist Lon Megargee in the 1920s, I believe. Sat outside and talked to photographer Jon Gipe. Saw Bob Steinhilber (he did the custom lettering for Classic Gunfights), James and Linda Ballinger (Phoenix Art Museum director) and many other Phoenix natives. The Mell family has deep roots in the Valley and many oldtime families were in attendance.

Afterwards, Kathy and I drove over to Glendale to visit Mother Radina. She took us out to eat at Lito’s, a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican food place at about 47th Ave. and Dunlap.Enjoyed visiting with her. She always has such wisdom.

This morning I got this Email from Frank in New York state:

"I took my grandson to the Williamson NY gun club to do some target shooting this morning. We stopped into the club house for coffee and there were about 8-10 gunnies there.

"We were all [talking] and your magazine came up [the gay issue].Now you must remember we in western NY are not like those NYC boys we are most right wing rednecks.

"Well, anyway, one guy used this TW issue as a target and he put a nice pattern in it I must say and two other guys said if you guys publish one more issue like that they will stick to Wild West Magazine. All the other guys have never read your magazine and two never heard of it and all wanted to know if the publisher was a gay advocate."

"Never judge a book by its cover, except on the newsstand."
—Old Publisher saying