October 8, 2009
Went home for lunch and took a stab at the O.K. Corral fight scratchboard. As is usually the case for me, whenever I change mediums (from gouache to pen and ink, from pen and ink to scratchboard) I invariably ruin the first attempt:

Granted, it's a failure (not O.K.), but it tells a particular part of the story: Virgil still has Doc's cane extended. When he heard two pistols cock, he reportedly said, "Hold on. I don't want that," meaning he didn't want shooting or gunplay. He was there to arrest the cowboys for carrying weapons in town, a misdemeanor offense. But not only did Frank McLaury (at left) and Billy Clanton (center) cock their guns but they fired, opening the ball. Personally, I think Doc Holliday started the fight by brandishing the Wells Fargo shotgun. After all, the cowboys were standing in Doc's side yard and he was mad and half lit.

As someone witty put it several years ago, it was a misdemeanor arrest gone awry.

Going to make another stab in the morning. I'd still like to get Ike running away and Tom with his horse. Sometimes I think I'm cursed with too much of an imagination and not enough skill to pull it off. Gee, I wonder what ol' Isherwood has to say about this?

"Life is not so bad if you have plenty of luck, a good physique and not too much imagination."
—Christopher Isherwood