November 18, 2009
When we first moved to Cave Creek in 1986, I took my sketchbook down into the creek bottom and while reclining beneath a huge sagauro did a series of sketches that ended up contributing to this pen and ink illustration:

The cave that Cave Creek is named for is in the embankment at left. Since these giants are in the creek bottom they are susceptible to more freezing and frostbite damage because the canyon they are in holds the cold air down. When this happens the arms of the saguaro twist, typically going down, instead of up. They appear to be almost in agony and considering the mechanics of freezing they probably are. Makes for some very distinctive saguaro shapes though.

I Can't Believe I Drew it
Another page of sketches from my quest to do 10,000 bad drawings:

Another Decade, Another Cover Quest
Editorially, we're on to 2010 and busy trying to come up with a striking cover for our January issue. As I mentioned the other day, the cover story, by Bob Alexander, involves a gunfight between Republicans and Democrats in Mesilla, New Mexico in 1871 where at least 7 were killed (some reports claim 15) and fifty wounded. Essentially, two parades, one Republican, one Democrat, marching in opposite directions, met, hurled insults and the ball opened. Here is my first rough sketch of the idea:

Supposedly, both sides had some semblance of a band and in fact, one of the participants was saved by a bullet hitting his French horn. Here is a tighter rough of the concept:

Our art director, Dan The Man Harshberger was out for our anniversary lunch yesterday (his 62nd birthday is tomorrow). He is not too enthusiastic about the busy nature of the sketch and would like to see something more isolated, and suggested perhaps a 1900 style editorial cartoon a la James Montgomery Flagg or Heinrich Kley. Adding that perhaps we could show a symbolic elephant shooting it out with a donkey. Hmmmmm:

Also wrestling with the cover head. I want something like:

When Republicans Actually Killed Democrats

It needs to be short and snappy. Suggestions welcome.

It's pretty amazing. We think things are tense today, but this makes everything seem very tame by comparison.

“Politics is like a dysfunctional marriage because every fight is really about something else.”
—Dick Armey