July 17, 2009
Really nasty out. 112 in The Beast today, and probably 101 here in Cave Creek. We're usually 8-10 degrees cooler than Phoenix, but after the century mark it just gets pretty oppressive.

Everyone else has left for the weekend but I'm here waiting to do a radio interview on a wild show called Ralph's Back Porch. They're calling at six our time. Thought I'd post another blog and show you what I'm working on today.

Still working on gunshots in a darkened cantina:

Also, I think I forgot to post a couple pages of sketches last week:

And this page:

Got some pretty sweet tattered clouds effects on this one. Just got this from The Top Secret Writer:

This is a publicity shot of the old TV show 26 Men starring Tris Coffin (above) as Arizona Ranger Tom Rynning. Dan Harshberger and I were absolutely smitten with this show and when we played "guns" we tried to dress just like the rangers did on the show. Dan's mom took a photo of us dressed in our best 26 Men outfits out at White Hills ghost town, north of Dolan Springs. We went out there for a Sunday picnic with Dan's family and we had a blast playing in the actual old buildings, pretending we were two of the 26 Men, "who lived to ride again."

That's the future True West Art Director, at left, and the future executive editor of True West at right. And, yes, we are armed with Fanner Fifties and some pretty amazing 1873 Winchester replicas. You couldn't sell those today!

By the way, I'm fast closing in on 9,500 drawings. Gee, I wonder if ol' Awa has a quote that goes with my quest to do 10,000 bad drawings:

"Do your best at each and everything. That is the key to success. Learn one thing well and you will learn how to understand ten thousand things. Ten thousand things are one; this is the secret place of understanding you must find."
—Awa Kenzo