Turn Me On Dead Man

April 10, 2012

So I'm feverishly working on the Wyatt Earp time travel project (this is day 85 of the effort) which I'd like to premiere in the next issue of True West (July). The story opens at Schieffelin Hall in Tombstone where a group of history buffs are arguing the merits of Wyatt Earp's claim that he killed Curly Bill at Mescal Springs. I have good reference on the historic building from the notorious meeting there in November of 2000 when Allen Barra and Glenn Boyer went at it in the so-called OK Shoutout. Found a photo I took of the building as I was cleaning the studio for my son's wedding last month.

The photo shows the building at a nice angle, but the street is empty save Dan Coleman's big pickup truck. I want to have a smattering of people walking to the building and in the door, with cars going by. Googled "families walking across the street" and got some decent coverage. And, of course, in addition to families walking across the street, there was the famous photo of the Fab Four walking across the crosswalk at Abbey Road. Noticed, for the umpteenth time that Paul McCartney is barefoot, which in turn inspired me to make a notation in my sketchbook, because one of the characters in the story is always quoting the Beatles, via SNL style humor (Gee, I wonder who that is referencing?). Scribbled it down in the dark (which is why it's almost ineligible).

Also still sketching Wyatt's wardrobe for March 23, 1882. Got about half-way into this one and ended up adding Sadie to the mix (couldn't help it). We don't really know what the first words Josephine Sarah "Sadie" Marcus said to Wyatt Earp in Tombstone, but I have a hunch:

See, I try to tell straight narrative, but my mind always goes for the cheap laugh. Gee, I wonder what ol' Gabrielle has to say about this?

"Be careful what you get good at doin', 'cause you'll be doin' it the rest of your life."
—Gabrielle Hamilton