Age Related Insights, Totally Free of charge

 April 21, 2026

   I'll make this short and sweet.

Age Related Insights Totally Free

   When you get to be my age, you start to appreciate the little things you took for granted. Like balance and the ability to stand up without assistance. But, other than that, I have to say, it totally sucks.

Daily Whip Out:

"Wisdom of The Oldest Vaquero Still Standing"

“Time may be a great healer, but she’s a lousy beautician.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

The Razz Band Returns to Prescott One Last Time

 April 20, 2026

   We are twelve days away from a Prescott Blow Out, as in Kick Out Them Jams Old Man!

The Razz Band's One Last Stand

May 2nd, be there.

Spanish Eyes

“It’s not easy for a beautiful girl to believe love is blind.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Paulita Maxwell

  Speaking of beautiful women, I asked Rebecca Edwards to come up with her version of a logo for our Pendejo Project and here is what she created.

Pendejos United

   I like it. Very original.

“Don’t worry about people stealing your original ideas. If they really are original, you’ll have to cram them down their throats.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Thanks to James Becker of Boot Hill Books in Sierra Vista I Have A Book to Read

 April 19, 2026

  Two days ago I received in the mail a book I had given away. 

   And, by given away, I mean I took it up to our local library, unread, with a crate full of other books I was getting rid of, and "donated it" to their Page One Bookstore, for resale. Of course, I got a slip of paper that allows me to write all of this off my taxes, so I had that going for me. This was probably two years ago.

   The book that arrived in the mail two days ago was from the owner of a new bookstore in Sierra Vista called Boot Hill Books and on the title page of the book James Becker had sent, the author had written this thoughtful note:

Camelback Falls title page

   And, like any lover of books, James insisted I should have it back. My first thought was, "What a heel I am for giving away a book from an author who thinks I am a "great Arizonan." 

   However, in the scheme of things, why was this book returned to me? What is in it, that the Universe is insistent I have to read? We are about to find out.

A BBB Blog Flashback to 2007

"Seeing your blog each day lets me know how the horses feel when they see me coming to feed them in the morning. Now I know I could live without your 'to the point' and sometimes hard to digest comments but I'd rather not have to. If it does come down to the worst case scenario, please leave Email Bob at the top of the page!"
—Bill Dunn

At least all of you can read. When the Top Secret Writer and I were working on the graphic novel last weekend I told him about a guy who came up to me at my book signing at End of Trail last summer and said, "I can't read your books. I've tried. I like movies." And he walked away. I told Paul, "Here I make my books as visual as possible. They're written for ADD aflicted guys like me, and I still can't reach some of these guys."

The rest of the weekend, whenever we were stuck, or arguing over a plot point, Paul Andrew Hutton would go into a "Rainman" voice (Hutton is a master at mimicry) and say, "Baub Bo Bel, I can't read yor books. Words too big. I like movies, Baub Bo Bel."

"No man is useless while he has a friend."
—Robert Louis Stevenson

The Signal Fire

 April 18, 2026

   Working on a sequence today. About a cavalry patrol out of Fort Bowie, headed for the border. 

A U.S. Cavalry patrol heads out from Fort Bowie

I intend to give this guy some attention that he normally doesn't get.

Chiricahua Chatto

The Signal Fire

   A U.S. cavalry officer looks across the border with field glasses. "What the hell is that fire out there supposed to mean?"

   First Sergeant: "Looks like a signal fire of some kind, sir."

   "Who are they signaling?"

   "I have no idea."

   "What are they saying?"

   "I don't have a clue."

   Mickey Free steps up. “That is definitely Chatto. He’s warning us about something up ahead and we need to proceed carefully.”

The One-Eyed Scout Mickey Free

   "How in the hell are you getting all of that out of that piddly flame out there?"

   "Easy. That’s clearly Chatto’s signature—see the curl at the bottom—and the overall message is pretty damn clear to me."

   He walks away. 

   The next day, Mickey runs into Chatto and says, “That was some signal fire you had out there last night.”

Chatto: “How did you know it was me?”

“Nobody but you is brazen enough to put a warning in front of an entire regiment of White Eyes.”

The Pendejo Project, Part II

 April 17, 2026

   Now, for your viewing pleasure is the first of many Pendejo Project videos created by Jeffrey Schreckler.

Pendejo Brothers

"At the end of the day we are all pendejos."

—Old Vaquero Saying

in The Land of Bashan Plus A Foolish Project by A Bunch of Pendejos

 April 16, 2026

   I've been filing and refiling projects in the studio and found this little set piece from our story about the Oatman tragedy.

Daily Revised Whip Out:

"In The Land of Bashan"

I told Dan The Man I am doing a "Pendejo Project" with Wonderful Russ, Mad Coyote Joe and Jeff Schreckler and what would a logo for that enterprise look like? So Harshberger sent me this.

   It's actually more true than I ever imagined, if you know what I mean and I think you do.

   Last night, The Historical League at Arizona Historical Center at Papago Park unveiled a new addition to their annual Arizona Historymakers display and here is one of them.

BBB's Arizona Historymakers Display

at AZ Heritage Center in Papago Park

   Yes, that is one of my hats, my drumsticks and one of my sketchbooks, not to mention a couple True West magazines and mucho photos of my family. Very proud to honored in this way.

   The other good news is that overhead is a fantastic mural by Maynard Dixon!

Your morning Maynard, overhead!

   The story about how this wonderful mural survived the trash, tomorrow.

“No poem was ever written by a drinker of water.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Dust Storm Up On The Blue & Celebrating The Centennial of The Mother Road In Style

 April 15, 2026

   You can take the boy out of the dust, but you can't take the dust out of the boy!

Daily Whip Out: "Dust Storm Up On The Blue"

  I've seen all kinds—including this one!—growing up in Mohave County, and I lived to tell the tale.

Mother Road Take Me Home

What would be a cool poster on the Mother Road for the centennial? Here's a rough idea.

   And, here is where Dan The Man took that idea.

   As far as T-shirts go, here is where everyone else is going. . .

  Oh, this is rich. There are no saguaros on 66! Ha.

  Okay, what else we got? Stand by for new designs.

“Truth and roses have thorns about them.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Mickey On The Brink Sees It All

 April 14, 2026

   At the end of the day, what exactly have we learned?

Daily Reworked Whip Out:

"Reflections On The Colorado"

"[We] all are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a philosopher."

—Ambrose Bierce

   After all our sanctimonious posturing, I think it's safe to say, even whores need love.

Daily Revised Whip Out:

"Scarlet The Harlot"

   Especially whores!

   While we're being culturally insensitive. . .

Mexican word of the day: Wheelchair

"Juan and me only have one taco, but it's okay, wheelchair."

   People are shocked I have a police record but I just like their music.

"Here's how messed up our country is right now. I actually know who my congressperson is."

—Matt Goldich

Take A Bite Out of Crime, Literally

   I ate a kid's meal at McDonald's yesterday. His mother was furious.

Visiting ducks enjoying our pool

   Have you started to notice a trend here?

"Everything starts with the page. You can have vision, style, performance, but if it's not written, it doesn't exist."

—Marin Scorsese

Daily Revised Whip Out:

"Mickey On The Brink Sees It All"

"It's not what you look at, it's what you see."
—Old Vaquero Saying

The Wildest Western Artist In History? Well, You Know, As In The History Business. . .

 April 13, 2026

   One of the things I don't want to lose is my rock and roll tendencies. I hate to admit it, but sometimes, when I'm doing True West history, I get tagged as a little too mainstream for my own tastes.

Daily Whip Outs:

"The 47 First Loves of A Soiled Dove"

   On the other hand, I have to concede I can seem to some a little too stodgy:

      Ask my kids and their kids.

      Honestly, I see myself more in the Rough and Rowdy Ways genre (to borrow a phrase from Dylan's world tour). You know, like this.

Daily Whip Outs: "Honkytonk Mahem"

     Speaking of mayhem, this puppy won a prize two nights ago.

   This book—cover designed by Dan The Man Harshberger—is in the National Cowboy Hall of Fame gift shop because one of the songs, “Burnin’ Vein,” won a Wrangler Award for music composition.  On Saturday night Bones (Alan Birkelbach), Karla K. Morton, and Michael Martin Murphy received Wrangler Awards. Speaking for the group, Michael Martin Murphy dropped this little bombshell during his acceptance speech.

“[This book] was illustrated by the wildest Western artist in history, Bob Boze Bell.”

—Michael Martin Murphy

Dating Myself

 April 12, 2026

   Rebecca Edwards and I are working on the next doubletruck for The Tombstone Epitaph and I'm featuring my sketching encounter with the legendary Zonie, Gail Gardner, back in 1985.

My Gail Gardner sketches, 1985

    Rebecca said she couldn't use the jpeg of my sketches (too small) and she wanted to know if I have anything higher res, so I went out into the garage to look for a box of Arizona Highways I bought in 1985 just so I could grab the original article in cases just like this one.

   Couldn't find it. What I did find was a ton of photos from the past which I am having a hell of a time dating. On one, it's very obvious, on the others, well, you'll see. . .

Dating Myself

   I remember taking this photo when we were walking down a side street in Opodepe, Mexico and I looked over and saw this cat sunning himself in an open window.

Window Dressing, Opodepe, Mexico

(circa 1990)

   The reason I say, circa, is because Deena was maybe ten when her school in Cave Creek did an exchange with the school in Opodepe, Mexico and we went down there for a very enlightening exchange program. While there we hiked up to a bacanora still high on the side of a mountain and I took this photo of the entire village in the distance.

Opodepe looking northeast

   Two of my best friends, long gone and I miss them every day.

Edmundo Mell and Charlie Waters

at Boots Nightclub in Phoenix

(maybe 1983?)

The Generation at The Doll House

on Speedway Blvd. in Tucson, circa 1966

(me on drums)

Thomas Bell at Sagunto in Spain, circa 2003

(it is a giant fort that was besieged by Alexander the Great and it is at least ten times larger than the Alamo)

   Other times, the date on a photo I find is carved into my head—in stone.

O.K. Corral Centennial fight location

 October 26, 1981, 2:20 p.m.

(waiting for the exact time, 2:30 to start)

"The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there."

—Old Vaquero Saying

Profiles In Pendejo-ism & Publishing House Doubles Down

 April 11, 2026

   Did some reworking today.

Daily Whip Out: "The Lone Sentry"

   Here's another angle for exploration:

Profiles In Pendejoism

   In the Wild West, so many men did so many pendejo things it's not even funny.

   Well, maybe it's a little bit funny.

Paramount Is Getting Back Into Print

   Why? “Stories that originate on the page have a unique power to build immersive worlds, create compelling characters and forge deeper connections with fans,” a Paramount spokesman said in a statement. “With the launch of Paramount Global Publishing, we’re expanding the reach of our most beloved franchises while also introducing original stories to audiences around the world.”

Notes to Self

   For all my own ridiculousness I was dealt a pretty strong hand.

   Just because you wrote it down doesn't make it true.

   One of the things that needs to be filmed in the remake of "Tombstone" is the end of the story where Wyatt and Josie are trying to figure out how to cash in on his life story and they have the ear of Tom Mix and William S. Hart and they still can't get a commercial story going.

   So, don't worry. Wyatt Earp couldn't figure it out either. His last words were, "Suppose, suppose. . ."

"We remember Wyatt Earp not for who he was, but for what he means."

—Thom Ross

The Pendejo Project

 April 10, 2026

   What does my favorite state look like to me metaphorically? 

Daily Revised Whip Out:

"Arizona Statehood Panorama" 

(Ed Mell meets Maynard Dixon on acid)

  Got a new project pending. . .

Daily Whip Outs:

"A Gaggle of Pendejos"

"Who, me?"

   Yes, you.

The Pendejo Project

   Let's face it, gringo pendejos need love too.

Dos Gringo Pendejos from Bakersfield

      Or, hell, they can even be from kingman.

Especially from Kingman!

This Just In From Mad Coyote Joe

   In honor of our Pendejo Project I made a wing marinade, chipotle, soy, sesame oil, fresh garlic, lime juice, rice vinegar! I have oak grilled them on the Chimmenea (very Pendejo) I give you. . .

Wings Pendejo!

“The past is never done with you.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Red Head Redemption Plus Mickey Free's MoFo Mammoth Jack & Bob Dylan's Poetic Ode to The Western

 April 9, 2026

   I've been roaming around this planet long enough now to come to this conclusion, regarding creating artwork: The trick my friend, is to find the sweet spot between holding on and letting go.

Moon Setting Over The Seven Sisters

at Sunrise

   One stellar sphere goes down, another one comes up.

Sometimes, deep in a honkytonk, you will find redemption.

Daily Whip Out: "Red Head Redemption"

   On the other hand, well, you know where this is going.

Daily Scratchboard Whip Out: "The Mistress"

   On the other hand, some of my friends met their match in those smoky barrooms.

Daily Whip Out: "A Tall Formidable Girl"

   Here's a story idea: What if The Hulk was a giant jackass?

"Mickey's Mean MoFo Mammoth Jack"

   This is an excellent music video and I recognize almost all the movie snippets they used. Can you?

Bob Dylan Westerns Tribute

   It has been called "logrolling" when one author praises another author's books—expecting one in return—but I have to say, when I have needed quotes for my books nobody has been as original and creative as this guy.

"Saddle up for a ride into the Boze Zone—where truth really is stranger than fiction."

—Paul Andrew Hutton