September 1, 2014
Another day another death notice on my doorstep. This morning's paper says Chuck Bowden is gone. The well regarded writer died in Las Cruces at age 69. Last week it was legendary local musician Joe Bethencourt and Wyatt Earp author Lee Silva. And last month it was the English author and expert on the Wild Bunch, Jeff Burton. Dropping like flies we are.
With so much death and mortality lurking around, it's always invigorating to hang out with youthful people just starting out on their journey, like these three:
Deena, Patricia and Brandon at The Barrio Cafe last night. Besides great food, the Barrio Cafe is noted for it's spectacular Mexicano flavored murals on the surrounding buildings.
Two compadres outside the Barrio Cafe and beneath a Frido Kalo inspired mural
Punk Scouts of America
In the eighties I was struck with how the punk movement collided with traditional American culture. Many assumed punks were an extension of the hippy mind set, but many, okay several, of the punks I knew were very conservative and didn't drink or do drugs—they just looked like they did! Anyway, I wanted to convey that in a cartoon and I came up with this train wreck between Norman Rockwell and Sid Vicious:
Daily Whipout: "Punk Scouts of America"
"On my honor I will do my best to shred until I'm dead."
—Old Punk Scouts of America oath