July 10, 2007
Got the news yesterday that Thomas Etheridge, the man who spent some $30 million on building Wild West World north of Wichita declared bankruptcy yesterday morning and closed the park after being open for only two months. Bad weather is blamed (132 tornadoes on opening day, plus record rain and flooding ever since). See May 15-35 blog entries in archives (top of page).

When it comes to mashing metaphors I will put up my fellow hometown folks against anybody on the planet:

Mashing Metaphors Kingmanistan Style
"Well, Mr. Bob Boze Bell, the dice is in your corner of the stage."

Worked at home yesterday aftertoon sketching Endurance of The Horse illustrations for the big, opening spread we are doing:



Spent last night studying two books: "Frederick Remington: Selected Writings" Castle Books, 1981; and "The Collected Writings of Frederic Remington," edited by Peggy & Harold Samuels, Doubleday, 1979. Great poaching material for period venacular and terms.

Classic Onion Headline de Jour
Fetish Only Realized After Watching Wife Drown

We sometimes get letters from prison inmates who subscribe to our magazine. As you might guess they are attracted to our stories on Old West outlaws. Here's a good example, which came in yesterday:

"I, myself, am trying to get out of the life of crime, so I won’t end up like my ancestors [he claims lineage to the Daltons] but its harder than people think. Especially, if its in your blood. I enjoy being on the run and breaking the law, and get away with breaking the law. I’ve broke the law over 200 times in 4 states, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and only got caught and convicted 20 times, 6 of them being felonies. From 1987-1992 and Dec 1994-Sept 1994 and 1996-2005, that’s 15 years of breaking the law. I’ve only landed in prison 3 times in my life."
—current con

So, he's got that going for him. Perhaps we'll feature him in a 2053 issue of True West.

"Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees."
—Old Vaquero Saying