November 11, 2009
Finally caught parts of the new True West Moments running on the Westerns Channel. "Rocks on Graves" is a tad thin (it's very short, maybe 15-20 seconds), but I caught the end of "The Water Trough" last night and it looked pretty cool. Can't wait to see the whole thing.

Speaking of the Westerns Channel, I also caught "Miracle At Sage Creek" starring David Carradine and Wes Sudi. This project was created and spearheaded by our friend Thadd Turner, who cuts a mean figure as Wild Bill Hickok:

Aces & Eights

Thadd has posed for me several times, particularly for the Wild Bill Vs. the Seventh Cavalry Classic Gunfight which appears in Classic Gunfights, Volume I.

In addition to his numerous movie projects, Thadd also helped produce the History Channel segment on Wyatt Earp I appear in which will run a week from Sunday (the 22nd) on a series called Cowboys And Outlaws. Thadd lent me his Wild Bill Colts for the episode shot at the Ewes Ranch in New Mexico last fall.

"We actually have an extended version of Miracle repackaged as 'Christmas Miracle at Sage Creek', has an added scene in the beginning that takes out some of the slow start. David [Carradine] and I got along great, we wanted to work together again, too bad. Wes and I are strong friends now, we have lunch all the time.

"VERY CLOSE to final funding on two other Westerns PALOMINAS and THE HARD RIDE, it's been a long haul -- both stronger action, less family themed. Have several non-western projects in funding process as well.

"Wyatt Earp special should look great -- we gave them movie quality production value, layered all the scenes with good depth, costuming, guns, props, talent, etc -- was working in a tight window, I'm sure your cameo will be the best with those nice pistolas."
—Thadd Turner

Meanwhile, I mentioned that drawing skills seem to be going the way of the wing window and Gus Walker mentioned the demise of letter writing as well, as twitter and email swamp all the longhand boats still afloat.

Ironically, I have received a couple hand-written letters here at True West recently and they both involved our mis-identifed caption regarding Guy Madison as Wild Bill:

Granted, this isn't long-hand, but it's definitely old school. By the way, the yellow-highlights are the letter writer's, not ours.

Another letter I got recently was very touching. It's from an old cowboy (born in 1926), who says:

"Bob, I feel like I know you after readng so many years of your ideas and information in the True West magazine. You are doing a great job. The other reason I'm writing this is to send you an old family photograph, it was taken just before the World War I draft, all four men are close to the same age, in their early 20's and had worked cattle at a very young age. My dad is the one standing in the center, those on either side are his brothers and the one setting is Henry Brown, their friend. . .so many of us are slipping away and I wanted to give you the photo while I still could for your files. . .they were all good men and their word was certainly their Bond. You can see my Dad was left-handed, his hat was creased on the left."
—Forrest, G. Wilkerson
Clifton, Arizona

I'm honored to have received both the photo and the letter. And speaking of veterans on Veteran's Day:

"The soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."
—Douglas MacArthur