January 11, 2010
Although we finished the Durango & Silverton cover weeks ago, we have been wrestling with where to put the ISBN box for several days. Meghan didn't like the price box over Marilyn's butt. Dan The Man was adamant he didn't want it over her leg ("Might as well put it over her face," he sneered). The suggestion to put it in the lower right-hand corner was seen as "stopping the train." After several versions (Dan counted 14), we finally got it locked down where everyone can live with it:



Speaking of the cover, we had Johnny Boggs' name in the first rough of the cover, but he didn't make the final cut as we decided we had too many names in the box, nullifying the newsstand effect (you can't read it from ten feet), so we edited the list down to just the biggest star names. The irony is that this really should be called the "Johnny Boggs Memorial Issue" because his Santa Fe house is featured in Westward Home (with photos by Bill Lindley) and Johnny co-wrote Renegade Roads with Candy Moulton, and, of course, he has his regular column Boggs Unleashed. And, I mentioned him, and Rusty York, Thom Ross and Tracy Lee Hutton in my editorial. It's going to be a Boggs Bonanza!

Last night on The Simpson's 450th show, and the premiere of their 20th season, Krusty the Clown gets an unwanted partner, Princess Penelope (guest voiced by Anne Hathaway). At the end, the Princess ends up singing in a French cafe. When she finishes her sad song, the camera pans over to a table and there is Tintin weeping.

Speaking of the French phenom, got this from the Netherlands over the weekend:

"I read on your blog about your interest in Tintin. I myself am responsable for the electronic newsletter for the members of the Hergé Genootschap, a society with about 750 members collecting Hergé. (http://kuifje.nl/laatste_nieuws.htm).

"You might be interested in what's going on concerning Tintin here in Europe. The rights for all material belongs to Studios Hergé/Moulinsart. Spokesman is Nick Rodwell who married Hergé's widow. He is chasing after everybody who uses Hergé drawings without paying for it. A French autor, Bob Garcia, has to pay € 48000,00. A Danish artist who makes a kind of sexy cartoons with Tintin is fighting more than 11 years now but still continues with his art. Hid did not hear from Moulinsart since 18 months now. http://www.oleahlberg.dk/.

"Our society used to make 3 magazines each year. We were charged for € 35000,00 just for using illustrations we "were not allowed to", just for one issue. Since we did have permission by e-mail we are not willing to pay and wait for their next action.

"If you are interested I can give you more information."

Best regards,

Gé Bom
Moerasberg 19
4708 NK Roosendaal
Netherlands

Meanwhile, I did a page of Mickey Free sketches asking myself "What would Herge do?"

I believe this qualifies as satire and I am not liable for fees to Mr. Rockwell. And, on a related note, I also wondered if Heath Ledger would be a good model for Tom Horn:

Okay, maybe not.

"Pretend you're writing for a dog that can talk."
—A Simpson's writer on the secret for writing Homer lines