Wyatt's First Ride vs. John Ringo's Last Ride

March 21, 2011

Ran into Greg Worley at Festival of the West last weekend and he told me about a new indie Western on Wyatt Earp that just wrapped (Greg plays a cowboy in the film). It will star Val Kilmer as an aged Wyatt Earp telling the story of the shooting of Dora Hand in Dodge City, which in turn led to one of the most intrepid posses ever to saddle up in the history of the west. Val will allegedly bookend the movie, but in the actual ride down, Wyatt will be played by Shawn Roberts, Bat Masterson will be played by Matt Dallas, Bill Tilghman will be played by Levi Siehler, Scott White plays Charlie Bassett and Trace Atkins plays old man Kennedy (the Texas cattle baron who got his son off scott free). Michael Feifer is the producer and director. The film was shot at the Paramount Movie Ranch and Caravan West Ranch. Since it's an indie, they are looking for a distributor, so spread the word.

From Wyatt's First Ride to John Ringo's Last Ride

Worked all four days of the festival, but did manage to do a study I call "John Ringo's Last Ride," portraying the outlaw cowboy of Cochise County on his last bender (see empty whiskey bottle at bottom, left). Kind of blew it on the final push. Overworked the horse and rider adding too much detail. Ruined the dust effect. Need to be more careful on final.

A shout out to Hondo Ray, a New Yorker, who attends the Festival of the West every year. Saw plenty of old friends. Talked to Peter Brown (Lawman) who is doing a new show "Shootin' The Breeze". Interviewed Lynn Anderson ("I Never Promised You A Rose Garden") for an upcoming What History Has Taught Me. Ken A. and I had breakfast with my producer at the Westerns Channel, Jeff Hildebrandt this morning, to talk about a few ideas we have.

We framed one of our True Grit covers and brought it along to Festival of the West. Could have sold a dozen of the puppies. Everyone raving about the image. Credit where credit is due: It was our art director Dan "The Man" Harshberger who came up with the design and the tag line, "Wrong eye, Pilgrim!" Everyone cracks up when they see it.

Going to be doing an art show in Santa Fe, New Mexico on April 1. Artist and gang member Thom Ross has sprung for new gallery digs just off the plaza. Thom asked me and Davy Powell, Buckeye Blake and a couple other guys to join him in the venture. He wants only outlaw artists, so we threw around names for the group. I told Thom we needed a name somewhere between The Taos Seven and The Chicago Eight. That led us to jokingly come up with The Gang of Bang! and then Thom said, 'What about The Bang Gang?" I said, "That is perfect! That's exactly who we are and I would love to be part of an outlaw group with the name—The Bang Gang. Count me in."

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."

—F. Scott Fitzgerald