June 12, 2008
Back from the Heart Institute. I have good news and bad news about my heart. Prognosis and artwork (of my insides) to follow.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
June 11, 2008
Last night's opening cocktail reception for the Western Writers of America was a roaring success. Sponsored by True West, it was just flat out fun because I got to talk with successful writers from all over the country and compare notes. Introduced the staff to the assembled crowd. Attending from our camp were Trish and Bob Brink, Meghan Saar, Robert and Bea Ray, Sue Lambert and Tom Tumus.
Marshall Trimble showed up with his fiance, Vanessa and I had fun talking with them. Tom Carpenter also came up and shared a few laughs with Marshall and I (we're all northern Arizona guys). Johnny Boggs and Candy Moulton came, as well as Steve Lodge, Cotton Smith, Dusty Richards, Cowboy Mike, Miles Swarthout, Leon Metz, John Nesbitt and a whole slew of people I can't remember off the cuff.
Spent most of today down at the Heart Institute today. Had a test at 8:30, then Kathy and I drove to Scottsdale and met Deena for a bite at the Breakfast Club. Great little cafe across from the old Galleria. Had the oatmeal and jalapeno biscuits. Couldn't drink coffee because of the test.
Kathy, Deena and I drove up to PV mall and did some shopping at JC Penny. Kathy bought me a couple new shirts and a pair of Lee jeans (I've dropped down to a 34 waist, from a 36). We then went across Cactus to TJ Maxx, where Deena bought several mirrors for her remodel.
Went back to the Heart Institute for the second nuclear go-round (they injected isotopes into my veins then photographed my heart). Doctors weren't satisfied and asked us to return in the morning for a third test. So we're going back tomorrow.
For yesterday's sketches I noodled the effects of dust. May add another layer today. Kind of fun doing a pass at these one day, then taking another pass later:
"Everything in life can be nourishing. Everything can bless us, but we've got to be there for the blessing to occur. Being present with quality is a decision we are invited to make each day."
—MacRina Wiederkehr
Last night's opening cocktail reception for the Western Writers of America was a roaring success. Sponsored by True West, it was just flat out fun because I got to talk with successful writers from all over the country and compare notes. Introduced the staff to the assembled crowd. Attending from our camp were Trish and Bob Brink, Meghan Saar, Robert and Bea Ray, Sue Lambert and Tom Tumus.
Marshall Trimble showed up with his fiance, Vanessa and I had fun talking with them. Tom Carpenter also came up and shared a few laughs with Marshall and I (we're all northern Arizona guys). Johnny Boggs and Candy Moulton came, as well as Steve Lodge, Cotton Smith, Dusty Richards, Cowboy Mike, Miles Swarthout, Leon Metz, John Nesbitt and a whole slew of people I can't remember off the cuff.
Spent most of today down at the Heart Institute today. Had a test at 8:30, then Kathy and I drove to Scottsdale and met Deena for a bite at the Breakfast Club. Great little cafe across from the old Galleria. Had the oatmeal and jalapeno biscuits. Couldn't drink coffee because of the test.
Kathy, Deena and I drove up to PV mall and did some shopping at JC Penny. Kathy bought me a couple new shirts and a pair of Lee jeans (I've dropped down to a 34 waist, from a 36). We then went across Cactus to TJ Maxx, where Deena bought several mirrors for her remodel.
Went back to the Heart Institute for the second nuclear go-round (they injected isotopes into my veins then photographed my heart). Doctors weren't satisfied and asked us to return in the morning for a third test. So we're going back tomorrow.
For yesterday's sketches I noodled the effects of dust. May add another layer today. Kind of fun doing a pass at these one day, then taking another pass later:
"Everything in life can be nourishing. Everything can bless us, but we've got to be there for the blessing to occur. Being present with quality is a decision we are invited to make each day."
—MacRina Wiederkehr
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
June 10, 2008
Professor Paul Hutton showed up at the True West offices yesterday at about five, along with two assistants: Meg and Jim, who loaded up Hutton's rental car and my Ranger with WWA materials for the big convention this week down in Scottsdale.
Paul and I rode together and dropped off the materials (issues of The Roundup, statuettes and assorted swag materials) at the Chaparral Suites, then we all walked across the street to the Roaring Fork for dinner. I had the fish special (some Mahi-ha-hi deal) like a good boy. Hutton bought. Lots of laughs all around.
Got home past my curfew (head nurse Rachet, I mean, Radina, told me I had to be home by nine), so when I tip toed in at 10:30 she was understanding, but adamant not to do it again. She is the bomb, as my son Thomas would say.
As promised, here are the unfinished June 9th sketches:
And the finished version (below). All of these were done off the cuff, without much forethought or design, just letting the washes go where they wanted to go. Tried to stop before it got to the rococo stage. Think I succeeded.
Tonight is the opening reception down at the WWA and True West is hosting the cocktail party. Need to get down there at six. I'm also bringing a painting to donate to the auction.
"The problem with snuff movies is that the wrong people die."
—Lucy Ellmann
Professor Paul Hutton showed up at the True West offices yesterday at about five, along with two assistants: Meg and Jim, who loaded up Hutton's rental car and my Ranger with WWA materials for the big convention this week down in Scottsdale.
Paul and I rode together and dropped off the materials (issues of The Roundup, statuettes and assorted swag materials) at the Chaparral Suites, then we all walked across the street to the Roaring Fork for dinner. I had the fish special (some Mahi-ha-hi deal) like a good boy. Hutton bought. Lots of laughs all around.
Got home past my curfew (head nurse Rachet, I mean, Radina, told me I had to be home by nine), so when I tip toed in at 10:30 she was understanding, but adamant not to do it again. She is the bomb, as my son Thomas would say.
As promised, here are the unfinished June 9th sketches:
And the finished version (below). All of these were done off the cuff, without much forethought or design, just letting the washes go where they wanted to go. Tried to stop before it got to the rococo stage. Think I succeeded.
Tonight is the opening reception down at the WWA and True West is hosting the cocktail party. Need to get down there at six. I'm also bringing a painting to donate to the auction.
"The problem with snuff movies is that the wrong people die."
—Lucy Ellmann
Monday, June 09, 2008
June 9, 2008
We're back to the real summer: the triple digit kind. Supposed to hit 109 in Phoenix today.
Because it was her birthday on Saturday, we saw five movies over the weekend, including the before mentioned Iron Man, Don't Mess With The Zohan and Sex In The City. Yesterday we watched I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry and Night At The Museum. The much maligned Chuck And Larry was quite funny (as funny as Zohan at least and much braver, taking on "Gayness" as it did) and I seem to remember it didn't do that well. Meanwhile, Ben Stiller in the Museum deal was obviously aimed at a younger audience and made boat loads of money, and it was okay. For my money Iron Man and Zohan were the most entertaining. (by the way, when I went up to the window I said, "I'll take four for Tin Man," and the young woman behind the window smiled and said, "Just have a heart attack or are you senile?"
Not really. She was amused though.
When I was just starting out in this game I often was accused of drawing while high on peyote. I was from Kingman and barely even knew what peyote was. In fact, I was a drummer in a band that covered the Stones and Led Zep and I was the only straight one. But I do understand the accusation. When I get focused, my stuff looks really spacey and light obsessed. Take yesterday's sketches, please:
Way overworked and spacey. I didn't intend it that way. In fact, the page looked more like today's sketches (below), very light and subtle:
I'll give this page another go tonight and put on the finish so we can all look at the progression. Or, is that descent into rococo hell?
"They could call the show 9021-Old. I know, that's why I have an Oscar."
—Diablo Cody, discussing the return of 90120 with an all new cast, in Entertainment Weekly
We're back to the real summer: the triple digit kind. Supposed to hit 109 in Phoenix today.
Because it was her birthday on Saturday, we saw five movies over the weekend, including the before mentioned Iron Man, Don't Mess With The Zohan and Sex In The City. Yesterday we watched I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry and Night At The Museum. The much maligned Chuck And Larry was quite funny (as funny as Zohan at least and much braver, taking on "Gayness" as it did) and I seem to remember it didn't do that well. Meanwhile, Ben Stiller in the Museum deal was obviously aimed at a younger audience and made boat loads of money, and it was okay. For my money Iron Man and Zohan were the most entertaining. (by the way, when I went up to the window I said, "I'll take four for Tin Man," and the young woman behind the window smiled and said, "Just have a heart attack or are you senile?"
Not really. She was amused though.
When I was just starting out in this game I often was accused of drawing while high on peyote. I was from Kingman and barely even knew what peyote was. In fact, I was a drummer in a band that covered the Stones and Led Zep and I was the only straight one. But I do understand the accusation. When I get focused, my stuff looks really spacey and light obsessed. Take yesterday's sketches, please:
Way overworked and spacey. I didn't intend it that way. In fact, the page looked more like today's sketches (below), very light and subtle:
I'll give this page another go tonight and put on the finish so we can all look at the progression. Or, is that descent into rococo hell?
"They could call the show 9021-Old. I know, that's why I have an Oscar."
—Diablo Cody, discussing the return of 90120 with an all new cast, in Entertainment Weekly
June 7, 2008
Kathy's birthday today. She's 58. Met Deena and Frank back at Harkins for another movie, this time Iron Man ($28 for tickets). Really enjoyed it. Robert Downey Jr. is excellent and personally I think Iron Man kicks Indie's butt.
Afterwards we tried a new restaurant, Bombay Spice Club at Tatum and Shea. Really excellent food (under 500 calories per meal). Deena and I split a bottle of wine so Frank drove us to another movie, this time Don't Mess With The Zohan. Frank and I had front row, center seats and we both suffered from neck whiplash trying to take in the movie, but it was worth it (the girls got seats farther back). This was my favorite movie of the weekend. Adam Sandler really services my level of intellectual enjoyment.
Good sketches today. Nailed the Old West photo patina:
Now if I can just do this every day.
"It seems rather incongruous that in a society of super-sophisticated communication, we often suffer from a shortage of listeners."
—ERma Bombeck
Kathy's birthday today. She's 58. Met Deena and Frank back at Harkins for another movie, this time Iron Man ($28 for tickets). Really enjoyed it. Robert Downey Jr. is excellent and personally I think Iron Man kicks Indie's butt.
Afterwards we tried a new restaurant, Bombay Spice Club at Tatum and Shea. Really excellent food (under 500 calories per meal). Deena and I split a bottle of wine so Frank drove us to another movie, this time Don't Mess With The Zohan. Frank and I had front row, center seats and we both suffered from neck whiplash trying to take in the movie, but it was worth it (the girls got seats farther back). This was my favorite movie of the weekend. Adam Sandler really services my level of intellectual enjoyment.
Good sketches today. Nailed the Old West photo patina:
Now if I can just do this every day.
"It seems rather incongruous that in a society of super-sophisticated communication, we often suffer from a shortage of listeners."
—ERma Bombeck
June 6, 2008
I met Kathy, Deena, Carole Glenn and Julia Flannigan at Harkins Theatre to see Sex In The City. As the ticket taker took my ticket he smiled and said, "You get points for this, you know." Ha.
And I did! Afterwards we all went to Abuelo's and had dinner. Julia and I split a pitcher of margaritas. Had the soup and charro beans (pintos not refried). I bought, (but in this context it's not polite to kiss and tell the amount). Really fun.
Did my sketches before I left. Rather hurried, but hey, I did them:
"Each man's memory is his private literature."
—Aldous Huxley
I met Kathy, Deena, Carole Glenn and Julia Flannigan at Harkins Theatre to see Sex In The City. As the ticket taker took my ticket he smiled and said, "You get points for this, you know." Ha.
And I did! Afterwards we all went to Abuelo's and had dinner. Julia and I split a pitcher of margaritas. Had the soup and charro beans (pintos not refried). I bought, (but in this context it's not polite to kiss and tell the amount). Really fun.
Did my sketches before I left. Rather hurried, but hey, I did them:
"Each man's memory is his private literature."
—Aldous Huxley
Friday, June 06, 2008
June 6, 2008
We had a sendoff party for Samantha Somers yesterday afternoon, complete with champagne, crackers and cheese. A good time was had by all.
Afterwards I met George Laibe ("The Laib Man") and Mike Torres at El Encanto. Haven't been there since my heart attack. Sat outside on the patio, drinking Dos Equis with lime and solving life (and Mike's musical career choices). Had fun (four beers), plus dinner (I bought, $73.79, includes tip).
The Humor Police
"Sex and the City quote attributed to Minnesota Mike actually came from David Letterman. It was in our paper yesterday. Just fyi . . ."
—An Avid Reader And Humorist
Ken Amorosano recently requested head shots of Bob McCubbin, Dave Daiss, Bob Brink and myself to post on the True West Preservation Society website. I knew we had a photo taken by John Beckett several years ago when all of the above, plus R.G. Robertson, were in town for a True West Board Meeting. Yesterday Abby Pearson spent a good hour trying to find it on our server and in our filing cabinet to no avail. I spent about fifteen minutes this morning, looking through my filing system at home (random piles modeled after the Dewey Dismal System), and believe it or not, I found it! Carole Glenn and I think this was taken in 2003 and it was taken in our conference room. Front row, L to R: BBB, R.G. Robertson and Dave Daiss. Back row: Bob Brink and Bob McCubbin. We had some big challenges at that time and everyone in the photo pulled together and essentially saved the magazine. Thanks partners!
Did my six sketches at the kitchen table yesterday. The Apache with the red headband was taken from a photo I found while looking for something else, up at Sunrise Ski Resort on the White Mountain Apache Reservation when Thomas Charles went for a horse back ride at their stables, and this guy was the wrangler-guide. He has a very classic In-din look:
Brooding Bruder
"Brooder Boy should be Bruder Boy. It's Will Bruder. Although the first way is a hell of a lot funnier."
—Dan "The Man" Harshberger
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well."
—Josh Billings
We had a sendoff party for Samantha Somers yesterday afternoon, complete with champagne, crackers and cheese. A good time was had by all.
Afterwards I met George Laibe ("The Laib Man") and Mike Torres at El Encanto. Haven't been there since my heart attack. Sat outside on the patio, drinking Dos Equis with lime and solving life (and Mike's musical career choices). Had fun (four beers), plus dinner (I bought, $73.79, includes tip).
The Humor Police
"Sex and the City quote attributed to Minnesota Mike actually came from David Letterman. It was in our paper yesterday. Just fyi . . ."
—An Avid Reader And Humorist
Ken Amorosano recently requested head shots of Bob McCubbin, Dave Daiss, Bob Brink and myself to post on the True West Preservation Society website. I knew we had a photo taken by John Beckett several years ago when all of the above, plus R.G. Robertson, were in town for a True West Board Meeting. Yesterday Abby Pearson spent a good hour trying to find it on our server and in our filing cabinet to no avail. I spent about fifteen minutes this morning, looking through my filing system at home (random piles modeled after the Dewey Dismal System), and believe it or not, I found it! Carole Glenn and I think this was taken in 2003 and it was taken in our conference room. Front row, L to R: BBB, R.G. Robertson and Dave Daiss. Back row: Bob Brink and Bob McCubbin. We had some big challenges at that time and everyone in the photo pulled together and essentially saved the magazine. Thanks partners!
Did my six sketches at the kitchen table yesterday. The Apache with the red headband was taken from a photo I found while looking for something else, up at Sunrise Ski Resort on the White Mountain Apache Reservation when Thomas Charles went for a horse back ride at their stables, and this guy was the wrangler-guide. He has a very classic In-din look:
Brooding Bruder
"Brooder Boy should be Bruder Boy. It's Will Bruder. Although the first way is a hell of a lot funnier."
—Dan "The Man" Harshberger
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well."
—Josh Billings
Thursday, June 05, 2008
June 5, 2008
Working with gouache paints yesterday. Whipped out these sketches:
Back in 1985 I attended the Mill Avenue Street Fair in Tempe to sell copies of my four comic books on Honkytonk Sue. During the three-day-event a young architectural student came up to me and said he was a fan, and if I ever built a house he wanted first crack at designing it. I told him I was in fact getting ready to build a house in Cave Creek but I couldn't afford an architect. He said, "Oh, you'll be able to afford me, I'll do it for $25 an hour."
Fresh out of ASU, this young baby, Perry Nathan Becker, designed our adobe ranchito with plenty of creativity and zane thrown in for effect. We have lived in this "dream house" for 21 years now.
Fast forward to yesterday, and during an Executive Meeting conference call yesterday I was perusing an issue of Sunset magazine on the table and there on page 78 of the current issue (June) I saw a familiar face:
That's Perry, on right, on fence, and that's his new bride (of five years), left foreground. Perry was a professional bachelor for many years and cut a wide swath across the Valley. Perry Becker turns 50 today. Happy birthday Brooder Boy!
(Perry was a disciple of the local legend architect Will Bruder)
Two Reasons Why It's So Hard To Solve A Redneck Murder
1. All the DNA is the same.
2. There are no dental records.
Alan Huffines sent me a link to the Cormac McCarthy website, wherein the discussion is about making McCarthy's best border book, Blood Meridian into a movie. We have heard that Tommy Lee Jones owned or optioned the property with himself attatched to play The Judge. Not sure if that's still current, but here's director Ridley Scott (Bladerunner) talking about working up the script for BM:
“We got [Blood Meridian] down as a screenplay and the problem is that it is so savage. But that’s what it is. If you did it properly it would be an X-certificate. But you can’t apologise for the violence and you can’t quantify the violence and you shouldn’t try to explain the violence. It is what it is…an exercise in brutality, savagery and violence. For the most part it is probably relatively accurate. It shows the flipside to Dances With Wolves of how the United States was probably taken. It was taken by the throat.”
—Ridley Scott
In the comments below the above quote is this entry:
"Given that Scott seems to interpret BM as primarily a historical narrative that 'is probably relatively accurate,' I hope he never makes the film. BM is to history as Moby-Dick is to sailing."
Ha. I agree.
Death of A Salesman
"Sad to report the death of Alton Kelley, the guy who (along with Stanley Mouse) created all kinds of psychedelic posters back in the '60s--including stuff for the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, etc., etc.
"In 1967, Kelley did a poster for a Vanilla Fudge-Charles Lloyd Quartet three day stand at the Avalon Ballroom in San Fran. It featured the Kaloma image, later used by Glen Boyer as the cover for I Married Wyatt Earp.
"The rock poster brought back the image, which had been popular around WWI.
"I wonder if Boyer somehow saw that poster--which became very famous and well-distributed--and thought, 'That would make a great Josie Earp'?
"Now we know what Boyer's problem is--the brown acid wasn't specifically too good...."
—MHB
“Speaking of aging, you know you’ve gotten old when you watch re-runs of I Love Lucy and realize you identify more with Fred and Ethel than with Ricky and Lucy.”
—Gus Walker
"I understand the age obsession. I turned 60 April 2. The thought beat me to death for months. No other birthday has ever bothered me. This one more than made up for the other 'milestones'. My beautiful bride knows how to gig me about it. We were watching Crossfire Trail. There is a scene where Tom Selleck and Wilfred Brimley are riding together. Vicky commented that I could act in a movie like that to which I obviously replied, you think I could be like Tom Selleck. She said no, Wilfred Brimley and busted a gut laughing. Tom Selleck is 2 years older than me.
"By the way, don’t become critical of Indiana Jones as Mr. Hutton did No Country. You have to leave your brain at the door for Indy and just enjoy the ride."
—Hugh Howard, Maniac# 9
Speaking of The Top Secret Writer
“I was crying during The Searchers a few days ago on the Westerns Channel, and I did exactly the same thing and watched ONLY the Slim scene in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid and choked up (but no tears like for Searchers). Estrogen buddy. The good news is ya gots to be alive to cry.”
—Paul Hutton
“The first weekend of Sex and the City over 5 million women attended the movie along with a flight attendant named Gary. The Big Cactus-out!”
—Minnesota Mike Melrose
Working with gouache paints yesterday. Whipped out these sketches:
Back in 1985 I attended the Mill Avenue Street Fair in Tempe to sell copies of my four comic books on Honkytonk Sue. During the three-day-event a young architectural student came up to me and said he was a fan, and if I ever built a house he wanted first crack at designing it. I told him I was in fact getting ready to build a house in Cave Creek but I couldn't afford an architect. He said, "Oh, you'll be able to afford me, I'll do it for $25 an hour."
Fresh out of ASU, this young baby, Perry Nathan Becker, designed our adobe ranchito with plenty of creativity and zane thrown in for effect. We have lived in this "dream house" for 21 years now.
Fast forward to yesterday, and during an Executive Meeting conference call yesterday I was perusing an issue of Sunset magazine on the table and there on page 78 of the current issue (June) I saw a familiar face:
That's Perry, on right, on fence, and that's his new bride (of five years), left foreground. Perry was a professional bachelor for many years and cut a wide swath across the Valley. Perry Becker turns 50 today. Happy birthday Brooder Boy!
(Perry was a disciple of the local legend architect Will Bruder)
Two Reasons Why It's So Hard To Solve A Redneck Murder
1. All the DNA is the same.
2. There are no dental records.
Alan Huffines sent me a link to the Cormac McCarthy website, wherein the discussion is about making McCarthy's best border book, Blood Meridian into a movie. We have heard that Tommy Lee Jones owned or optioned the property with himself attatched to play The Judge. Not sure if that's still current, but here's director Ridley Scott (Bladerunner) talking about working up the script for BM:
“We got [Blood Meridian] down as a screenplay and the problem is that it is so savage. But that’s what it is. If you did it properly it would be an X-certificate. But you can’t apologise for the violence and you can’t quantify the violence and you shouldn’t try to explain the violence. It is what it is…an exercise in brutality, savagery and violence. For the most part it is probably relatively accurate. It shows the flipside to Dances With Wolves of how the United States was probably taken. It was taken by the throat.”
—Ridley Scott
In the comments below the above quote is this entry:
"Given that Scott seems to interpret BM as primarily a historical narrative that 'is probably relatively accurate,' I hope he never makes the film. BM is to history as Moby-Dick is to sailing."
Ha. I agree.
Death of A Salesman
"Sad to report the death of Alton Kelley, the guy who (along with Stanley Mouse) created all kinds of psychedelic posters back in the '60s--including stuff for the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, etc., etc.
"In 1967, Kelley did a poster for a Vanilla Fudge-Charles Lloyd Quartet three day stand at the Avalon Ballroom in San Fran. It featured the Kaloma image, later used by Glen Boyer as the cover for I Married Wyatt Earp.
"The rock poster brought back the image, which had been popular around WWI.
"I wonder if Boyer somehow saw that poster--which became very famous and well-distributed--and thought, 'That would make a great Josie Earp'?
"Now we know what Boyer's problem is--the brown acid wasn't specifically too good...."
—MHB
“Speaking of aging, you know you’ve gotten old when you watch re-runs of I Love Lucy and realize you identify more with Fred and Ethel than with Ricky and Lucy.”
—Gus Walker
"I understand the age obsession. I turned 60 April 2. The thought beat me to death for months. No other birthday has ever bothered me. This one more than made up for the other 'milestones'. My beautiful bride knows how to gig me about it. We were watching Crossfire Trail. There is a scene where Tom Selleck and Wilfred Brimley are riding together. Vicky commented that I could act in a movie like that to which I obviously replied, you think I could be like Tom Selleck. She said no, Wilfred Brimley and busted a gut laughing. Tom Selleck is 2 years older than me.
"By the way, don’t become critical of Indiana Jones as Mr. Hutton did No Country. You have to leave your brain at the door for Indy and just enjoy the ride."
—Hugh Howard, Maniac# 9
Speaking of The Top Secret Writer
“I was crying during The Searchers a few days ago on the Westerns Channel, and I did exactly the same thing and watched ONLY the Slim scene in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid and choked up (but no tears like for Searchers). Estrogen buddy. The good news is ya gots to be alive to cry.”
—Paul Hutton
“The first weekend of Sex and the City over 5 million women attended the movie along with a flight attendant named Gary. The Big Cactus-out!”
—Minnesota Mike Melrose
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
June 4, 2008
I've been fascinated (okay, obsessed) with age lately. I was reading in the New Yorker that when Sean Connery played Indiana Jones' father Connery was only 59! And today, Harrison Ford is 64 and still playing Indiana. This seems quite bizarre to me. I was listening to NPR yesterday on my way back to work and Terry Gross was interviewing, what sounded to me, like an old woman about an art show in Philadelphia. I became interested in seeing the artshow until Ms. Gross said, "That was an interview with the curator from 1984. She died Sunday at age 63." Like I said, from where I stand (okay, sit) this seems really, really weird.
Last night, I landed on the Westerns Channel to watch the last half of Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid which I've seen multiple times, of course, but what I noticed in this version is that someone put back in all the Bob Dylan music (which I love). I had heard that Sam Pecinpah hated the music Dylan created for the movie and took it out of the film, replacing it with some typical movie strings crap. So I watched the film with new ears—and eyes. Once again age reared its ugly head (heavy on the ugly). Today, at age 61, I must admit I identify less with Billy and Pat, and mucho mas with the Slim Pickens character (Sheriff Baker) who is building a boat and wants to get out of this god-awful territory, but Garrett cajoles Slim into accompanying him and Pickens gets gut shot and staggers to the river to sit down, realizing he will never get to use that unfinished boat (Top Secret Project anyone?). On the soundtrack Dylan sings "Knockin' On Heaven's Door".
This choked me up. I haven't looked it up, but I have a nasty hunch that at the time of the movie (1973) Slim Pickens was younger than I am now.
Meanwhile, I bang away at my sketches:
Last night I did my latest six (6,422—6,428) and rediscovered my sepia brush and light washes, poaching from a book I have on the French poster master Alphonse Maria Mucha:
The only exception is the top left sketches, which focus on Dan Harshberger from the famous Razz Revue photo taken in 1975, two years after Slim Pickins played an old, grizzled fart in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid.
One of my childhood friends, Elise (Reichardt) Otero, sent me a photo from the Mohave County Miner taken in November of 1959. She told me in an email that she had no idea why the photo landed on the front page of the paper. I told her I remembered exactly why:
Our sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Bonelli, instituted a fine for talking in class. She appointed classroom monitors, all girls as I remember, and they would mark you down if you were talking during study period. Cathy Cannon was the monitor in my row and she would catch me talking, mark me down, and I would say, "Hey, don't mark me down," and she would mark that down, and I would say, "That's not fair," and she would mark that down. This went on for some time at 10 cents a mark. When the totals were later tabulated I owed $11 and the closest talker to me was Jimmy Covarrubias at a piddly $5, followed by the rest of the class who barely broke a buck.
When my father found out about this, he was very mad, until we found out that Mrs. Bonelli was going to donate all the money to the Cancer Society (my Aunt Patsy had cancer and we had been attending fund raisers held at the Jade Cafe). So when the Mohave Miner reporter and photographer showed up, Jimmy and I were right out front as the biggest donors. I'm guessing Elise was one of Mrs. Bonelli's stool pigeons, I mean, monitors.
"A retentive memory may be a good thing, but the ability to forget is the true token of greatness."
—Elbert Hubbard
I've been fascinated (okay, obsessed) with age lately. I was reading in the New Yorker that when Sean Connery played Indiana Jones' father Connery was only 59! And today, Harrison Ford is 64 and still playing Indiana. This seems quite bizarre to me. I was listening to NPR yesterday on my way back to work and Terry Gross was interviewing, what sounded to me, like an old woman about an art show in Philadelphia. I became interested in seeing the artshow until Ms. Gross said, "That was an interview with the curator from 1984. She died Sunday at age 63." Like I said, from where I stand (okay, sit) this seems really, really weird.
Last night, I landed on the Westerns Channel to watch the last half of Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid which I've seen multiple times, of course, but what I noticed in this version is that someone put back in all the Bob Dylan music (which I love). I had heard that Sam Pecinpah hated the music Dylan created for the movie and took it out of the film, replacing it with some typical movie strings crap. So I watched the film with new ears—and eyes. Once again age reared its ugly head (heavy on the ugly). Today, at age 61, I must admit I identify less with Billy and Pat, and mucho mas with the Slim Pickens character (Sheriff Baker) who is building a boat and wants to get out of this god-awful territory, but Garrett cajoles Slim into accompanying him and Pickens gets gut shot and staggers to the river to sit down, realizing he will never get to use that unfinished boat (Top Secret Project anyone?). On the soundtrack Dylan sings "Knockin' On Heaven's Door".
This choked me up. I haven't looked it up, but I have a nasty hunch that at the time of the movie (1973) Slim Pickens was younger than I am now.
Meanwhile, I bang away at my sketches:
Last night I did my latest six (6,422—6,428) and rediscovered my sepia brush and light washes, poaching from a book I have on the French poster master Alphonse Maria Mucha:
The only exception is the top left sketches, which focus on Dan Harshberger from the famous Razz Revue photo taken in 1975, two years after Slim Pickins played an old, grizzled fart in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid.
One of my childhood friends, Elise (Reichardt) Otero, sent me a photo from the Mohave County Miner taken in November of 1959. She told me in an email that she had no idea why the photo landed on the front page of the paper. I told her I remembered exactly why:
Our sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Bonelli, instituted a fine for talking in class. She appointed classroom monitors, all girls as I remember, and they would mark you down if you were talking during study period. Cathy Cannon was the monitor in my row and she would catch me talking, mark me down, and I would say, "Hey, don't mark me down," and she would mark that down, and I would say, "That's not fair," and she would mark that down. This went on for some time at 10 cents a mark. When the totals were later tabulated I owed $11 and the closest talker to me was Jimmy Covarrubias at a piddly $5, followed by the rest of the class who barely broke a buck.
When my father found out about this, he was very mad, until we found out that Mrs. Bonelli was going to donate all the money to the Cancer Society (my Aunt Patsy had cancer and we had been attending fund raisers held at the Jade Cafe). So when the Mohave Miner reporter and photographer showed up, Jimmy and I were right out front as the biggest donors. I'm guessing Elise was one of Mrs. Bonelli's stool pigeons, I mean, monitors.
"A retentive memory may be a good thing, but the ability to forget is the true token of greatness."
—Elbert Hubbard
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
June 3, 2008
Two new employees started working at True West today. They are Sheri Perkins and Lisa Marie Bailey. We welcome them both and hope they enjoy our company.
Had our second editorial meeting to go over issues and themes for 2009. Meghan, Bonnie and I met with Mark Boardman who is in town and we got some good ideas. Meeting again tomorrow.
Deena got her teeth done several months back and I meant to run this photo of her bright new smile, forgot about, then ran across it while searching for something else:
Working on grief issues concerning my mother's passing at the therapist's office. Thought I was over all that but I had a whole bunch of emotion around it in today's session. Funny how we hide stuff from ourselves and then it comes out in weird ways, like being mad about someone not noticing a news helicopter and a sheriff's vehicle.
"It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not."
—James Gordon, M.D
Two new employees started working at True West today. They are Sheri Perkins and Lisa Marie Bailey. We welcome them both and hope they enjoy our company.
Had our second editorial meeting to go over issues and themes for 2009. Meghan, Bonnie and I met with Mark Boardman who is in town and we got some good ideas. Meeting again tomorrow.
Deena got her teeth done several months back and I meant to run this photo of her bright new smile, forgot about, then ran across it while searching for something else:
Working on grief issues concerning my mother's passing at the therapist's office. Thought I was over all that but I had a whole bunch of emotion around it in today's session. Funny how we hide stuff from ourselves and then it comes out in weird ways, like being mad about someone not noticing a news helicopter and a sheriff's vehicle.
"It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not."
—James Gordon, M.D
Monday, June 02, 2008
June 2, 2008 Bonus Bonus Blog Post
Tonight on KAET, Channel 8, is the first airing of "Arizona Memories From The '70s" which features Wonderful Russ, Hans Olson, Johnny D, Jana Bommersbach, Raul Castro, Wallace & Ladmo, Gerald, Alice Cooper, Al McCoy and me, BBB. Lots of great footage and photos, sights and sounds. Check it out at seven P.M.
Here's the Mickey Free nocturne, whipped out yesterday, of Los Muertos. Groovy hot coals effect in the foreground shadows:
Which wasn't planned (a happy accident as we say). Speaking of which, I wonder if my grandmother has anything to say about this?
"Show me an over-achieving, serious-minded young woman dating a rebellious young man and I'll show you a Happy Accident waiting to happen."
—My Grandmother
Tonight on KAET, Channel 8, is the first airing of "Arizona Memories From The '70s" which features Wonderful Russ, Hans Olson, Johnny D, Jana Bommersbach, Raul Castro, Wallace & Ladmo, Gerald, Alice Cooper, Al McCoy and me, BBB. Lots of great footage and photos, sights and sounds. Check it out at seven P.M.
Here's the Mickey Free nocturne, whipped out yesterday, of Los Muertos. Groovy hot coals effect in the foreground shadows:
Which wasn't planned (a happy accident as we say). Speaking of which, I wonder if my grandmother has anything to say about this?
"Show me an over-achieving, serious-minded young woman dating a rebellious young man and I'll show you a Happy Accident waiting to happen."
—My Grandmother
June 2, 2008 Bonus Blog Post
In reference to my reaction to the Universal Studios fire:
"That's exactly what I said. One of the pictures on-line showed the horse barn and the Western Street Facades intact.
"I was present 27-years ago when the Columbia Ranch Western Street burned to the ground. Those of us who were shooting at that time helped the firemen by shoveling dirt on the falling embers. What a day that was - and very sad. I took a picture of the street the next day After the fire."
—Steve Lodge
In reference to my reaction to the Universal Studios fire:
"That's exactly what I said. One of the pictures on-line showed the horse barn and the Western Street Facades intact.
"I was present 27-years ago when the Columbia Ranch Western Street burned to the ground. Those of us who were shooting at that time helped the firemen by shoveling dirt on the falling embers. What a day that was - and very sad. I took a picture of the street the next day After the fire."
—Steve Lodge
June 2, 2008
Power went out about 7:30 this morning. Not long after, heard the sirens moaning over the horizon, then getting closer. About ten minutes later, I heard the news chopper hovering overhead. Went outside, saw it apparently shooting footage of something on Spur Cross Road. Refrigerator dead, phone out (hard line), well pump out (no water), TV out, electric radios out. Man, would we be screwed if someone semi-permanently disrupted our national grid.
Kathy came home from the gym at 8:30 and I asked her what was going on out on Spur Cross Road. "Nothing," she said, "just some road construction."
As I drove up Spur Cross on my way into work, I saw the four dump trucks idling along the road, along with a sheriff's car with its lights on, and a Channel 10 News van. Everyone was looking off to the right. I couldn't see what they were eyeing, but I assumed it was some sort of accident where a stray vehicle knocked out a power line. I also wondered how Kathy drove through this entire scene and missed the significance entirely.
As I motored on up to Cave Creek Road, this really began to irritate me.
Last week my therapist said to me, "You are so critical of yourself, I wonder if you are super critical of others?" I tried to deny that I was, but as I made the turn onto Cave Creek Road I ruminated on this latest incident. Why was it such a big deal to me? Having just this morning read a passage from "The Power of Now" about how relationship upsets have more to do with ones ego attachments and, or, past pain, I dutifully watched the watcher (me watching myself getting huffy about a trivial thing) and determined that I was being quite critical of my partner and if I have grown at all in the past month I will not mention it the next time I see her.
Worked over the weekend on combining, or mashing, Remington with Tex Willer:
Then shifted gears and tried some sepia noodles:
I really like these delicate ramblings and want to pursue more of these and see where they take me. I also, did a nocturne study of Mickey Free riding into Los Muertos. Poached from a Frank Tenney Johnson. I'll post that one later this afternoon (left the painting in my home studio).
Julia Flannigan came out for lunch today. I rode up with Carole and Julia to Saba's in Carefree and we got there before Kathy, who arrived about the time our iced teas did.
"So you didn't notice the police car and the news van, eh?" I said as way of a greeting to my partner of almost 29 years.
"Maturity is highly overrated."
—Old Vaquero Saying
Power went out about 7:30 this morning. Not long after, heard the sirens moaning over the horizon, then getting closer. About ten minutes later, I heard the news chopper hovering overhead. Went outside, saw it apparently shooting footage of something on Spur Cross Road. Refrigerator dead, phone out (hard line), well pump out (no water), TV out, electric radios out. Man, would we be screwed if someone semi-permanently disrupted our national grid.
Kathy came home from the gym at 8:30 and I asked her what was going on out on Spur Cross Road. "Nothing," she said, "just some road construction."
As I drove up Spur Cross on my way into work, I saw the four dump trucks idling along the road, along with a sheriff's car with its lights on, and a Channel 10 News van. Everyone was looking off to the right. I couldn't see what they were eyeing, but I assumed it was some sort of accident where a stray vehicle knocked out a power line. I also wondered how Kathy drove through this entire scene and missed the significance entirely.
As I motored on up to Cave Creek Road, this really began to irritate me.
Last week my therapist said to me, "You are so critical of yourself, I wonder if you are super critical of others?" I tried to deny that I was, but as I made the turn onto Cave Creek Road I ruminated on this latest incident. Why was it such a big deal to me? Having just this morning read a passage from "The Power of Now" about how relationship upsets have more to do with ones ego attachments and, or, past pain, I dutifully watched the watcher (me watching myself getting huffy about a trivial thing) and determined that I was being quite critical of my partner and if I have grown at all in the past month I will not mention it the next time I see her.
Worked over the weekend on combining, or mashing, Remington with Tex Willer:
Then shifted gears and tried some sepia noodles:
I really like these delicate ramblings and want to pursue more of these and see where they take me. I also, did a nocturne study of Mickey Free riding into Los Muertos. Poached from a Frank Tenney Johnson. I'll post that one later this afternoon (left the painting in my home studio).
Julia Flannigan came out for lunch today. I rode up with Carole and Julia to Saba's in Carefree and we got there before Kathy, who arrived about the time our iced teas did.
"So you didn't notice the police car and the news van, eh?" I said as way of a greeting to my partner of almost 29 years.
"Maturity is highly overrated."
—Old Vaquero Saying
Sunday, June 01, 2008
June 1, 2008
I enjoy Sundays because I can recharge and read the newspapers. Discovered something about myself this morning:
When disaster strikes I immediately go through the pecking order of caring: is it one of my kids? Is it a neighbor? Is it someone I know? Is it someone from Cave Creek? Is it someone from Kingman? Is it someone from Arizona? Is it a subscriber?
And the farther away the bad news gets, the less I seem to care. I'm not proud of this, but it even extends to buildings. Case in point:
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (June 1) - A massive fire raged on a back lot at Universal Studios on Sunday, devouring several movie sets, including mock New York and New England streets. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Whew! Didn't get the Western sets.
I enjoy Sundays because I can recharge and read the newspapers. Discovered something about myself this morning:
When disaster strikes I immediately go through the pecking order of caring: is it one of my kids? Is it a neighbor? Is it someone I know? Is it someone from Cave Creek? Is it someone from Kingman? Is it someone from Arizona? Is it a subscriber?
And the farther away the bad news gets, the less I seem to care. I'm not proud of this, but it even extends to buildings. Case in point:
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (June 1) - A massive fire raged on a back lot at Universal Studios on Sunday, devouring several movie sets, including mock New York and New England streets. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Whew! Didn't get the Western sets.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
May 31, 2008
Spent all morning at the Red Cross Center on I-17 and Bethany Home Road. Kathy, who's a disaster relief volunteer, signed us up for CPR training. Got there at 8:30 and went into a classroom in the basement where Sarah, the instructor, went around the room and asked people to state their name and why they were attending the class. My daughter summed it up when she said, "My name is Deena and I'm related to half the people in this room and we're here because of my dad's heart attack. We want to be able to respond like his friends did, who saved his life." Actually, there were more than half, with seven out of 11 in the class being Radinas and Bells.
The class was great and I really had to marvel (and shudder) all over again at the degree of luck I had in Kingman. For some reason I mistakenly believed that CPR resuscitated the heart and got it going again, kind of like jumper cables to a truck battery. No, CPR manually circulates blood and sends oxygen to the brain and critical parts of the body until first responders can get there and apply an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) device. When your heart stops like mine did, every minute your body goes without oxygen your chance of survival declines 10%. In four to six minutes brain damage is possible and over ten minutes, irreversible brain damage is certain. So Terry Mitchell, Wayne and Cody Rutschman kept the flow of oxygen going by tirelessly pumping my chest and breathing into my mouth. It's so unbelievably brave to step up like that. Thanks again guys.
During the first break, a fireman in the class came over and told me how lucky I am, that he had never seen anyone survive what I went through.
Regarding Maurice The Breast Starved Cowboy
"We sent old Maurice a poster of the girl sheriff and a couple of calendars. Should brighten up the bunkhouse."
—Scott Weber, The Gunrunner
"The world is divided into two classes, those who believe the incredible, and those who do the improbable."
—Oscar Wilde
Spent all morning at the Red Cross Center on I-17 and Bethany Home Road. Kathy, who's a disaster relief volunteer, signed us up for CPR training. Got there at 8:30 and went into a classroom in the basement where Sarah, the instructor, went around the room and asked people to state their name and why they were attending the class. My daughter summed it up when she said, "My name is Deena and I'm related to half the people in this room and we're here because of my dad's heart attack. We want to be able to respond like his friends did, who saved his life." Actually, there were more than half, with seven out of 11 in the class being Radinas and Bells.
The class was great and I really had to marvel (and shudder) all over again at the degree of luck I had in Kingman. For some reason I mistakenly believed that CPR resuscitated the heart and got it going again, kind of like jumper cables to a truck battery. No, CPR manually circulates blood and sends oxygen to the brain and critical parts of the body until first responders can get there and apply an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) device. When your heart stops like mine did, every minute your body goes without oxygen your chance of survival declines 10%. In four to six minutes brain damage is possible and over ten minutes, irreversible brain damage is certain. So Terry Mitchell, Wayne and Cody Rutschman kept the flow of oxygen going by tirelessly pumping my chest and breathing into my mouth. It's so unbelievably brave to step up like that. Thanks again guys.
During the first break, a fireman in the class came over and told me how lucky I am, that he had never seen anyone survive what I went through.
Regarding Maurice The Breast Starved Cowboy
"We sent old Maurice a poster of the girl sheriff and a couple of calendars. Should brighten up the bunkhouse."
—Scott Weber, The Gunrunner
"The world is divided into two classes, those who believe the incredible, and those who do the improbable."
—Oscar Wilde
Friday, May 30, 2008
May 30, 2008 Bonus Blog Post
Here's another take on the Boggs "Happy to see me?" quip in the last issue:
"I agree with the new reader who commented on the cigar comment by Johnny Boggs. I don't care about so-called family magazines but I did think it was beneath Boggs and TW. I read all that Boggs writes in your magazine but that item did make my heart sink a bit.
"I might add that I thought Honky Tonk Sue was omitted due to space or some sort of magazine problem. So if she is gone for good----I say RATZ!
"Still love TW though."
—Gerri G. Gosney
And here's a hand written note from an old cowboy down in Texas:
“Talk about fine. How much would it cost for a big picture of the fine Babe Sheriff with half a tit stickin’ out of a white shirt?"
—Maurice Mason, San Angelo, Texas
Here's what he's referring to (above), this ad ran in the January, 2004 issue of True West. And no, you can't make this stuff up.
"The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out."
—Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire
Here's another take on the Boggs "Happy to see me?" quip in the last issue:
"I agree with the new reader who commented on the cigar comment by Johnny Boggs. I don't care about so-called family magazines but I did think it was beneath Boggs and TW. I read all that Boggs writes in your magazine but that item did make my heart sink a bit.
"I might add that I thought Honky Tonk Sue was omitted due to space or some sort of magazine problem. So if she is gone for good----I say RATZ!
"Still love TW though."
—Gerri G. Gosney
And here's a hand written note from an old cowboy down in Texas:
“Talk about fine. How much would it cost for a big picture of the fine Babe Sheriff with half a tit stickin’ out of a white shirt?"
—Maurice Mason, San Angelo, Texas
Here's what he's referring to (above), this ad ran in the January, 2004 issue of True West. And no, you can't make this stuff up.
"The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out."
—Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire
May 30, 2008
Went to the skin doctor this morning and had my stitches removed from my back (errant mole removal). Cancer is clear for now. One thing at a time. Ha.
Last night Wonderful Russ and I motored down to the Phoenix Art Museum to see the sneak preview of a new Channel 8 documentary on Arizona in the seventies. It airs on Monday night. Theatre was almost full, lots of laughs, especially when we ran Russ for governor in 1974 and they showed the campaign poster that Dan Harshberger designed. Russel is standing outside the state capital with an enema bag and the caption says, "Wonderful Russ for Governer: he knows what Arizona needs." Of course, I was his campaign manager, which means I got him, maybe, three speeches lined up. Thanks to the equal time ammendment Russ was invited to all of the TV debates and made a mockery of all politicians. You can see for yourself this Monday (assuming you get KAET on your cable).
News From The Front Lines
"Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much I enjoy the magazine and the blog. I buy the magazine at the rack instead of subscribing. I have done this for many years, although I really don't know why. I should just subscribe. Maybe it's because it gives me an excuse to go to the book store. I think you have far and away the best western magazine, although my wife wants more home and lifestyle stuff. I find myself quoting from the magazine often, especially when it comes to gunfighter history. I spoke to you years ago, when you were deciding whether or not to drop the Old West Journal. You asked me what I thought. I was flattered! At that time I had been in the newspaper business about 20 years. I said keep it, I like it. Shows you what I know! I really like your blog and read it every day. Living in Tennessee, it makes me feel like I have a constant connection to the west. If forced to miss a day, I hurry to the computer to catch up. Thanks a bunch. Hope you get through your health issues. Suzanne and I will keep you in our prayers, if that's okay by you."
—Mike Dickerson, Sparta, Tennessee
Mike and Suzanne,
Thanks. I appreciate the feedback. The deal on Old West Journal is this: we ended up applying virtually all of the advancements from OWJ to True West. When Bob Brink came aboard he told me I couldn't afford to do both magazines and that my instincts were correct with OWJ, just apply them to True West. And so we did just that and haven't looked back.
—BBB
One of Carole Glenn's friends from Texas, Julie Bradyshoks (who now lives in Tucson), just returned from Italy where she purchased a very popular comic book called Tex Willer, just for me. I'd seen it before, but evidently this is a very big deal in Italy. In addition to the comic book, behind it is a full page newspaper ad (one of several she tells Carole) for the books.
Meanwhile, I'm still noodling different styles. Got on a sepia wash kick yesterday:
And returned to my What Would Remington Do mode today:
Tomorrow I intend to blend Tex Willer (the Italian Stallion) with Remington, and see where that hybrid goes. Should be fun.
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
—Alan Kay
Went to the skin doctor this morning and had my stitches removed from my back (errant mole removal). Cancer is clear for now. One thing at a time. Ha.
Last night Wonderful Russ and I motored down to the Phoenix Art Museum to see the sneak preview of a new Channel 8 documentary on Arizona in the seventies. It airs on Monday night. Theatre was almost full, lots of laughs, especially when we ran Russ for governor in 1974 and they showed the campaign poster that Dan Harshberger designed. Russel is standing outside the state capital with an enema bag and the caption says, "Wonderful Russ for Governer: he knows what Arizona needs." Of course, I was his campaign manager, which means I got him, maybe, three speeches lined up. Thanks to the equal time ammendment Russ was invited to all of the TV debates and made a mockery of all politicians. You can see for yourself this Monday (assuming you get KAET on your cable).
News From The Front Lines
"Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much I enjoy the magazine and the blog. I buy the magazine at the rack instead of subscribing. I have done this for many years, although I really don't know why. I should just subscribe. Maybe it's because it gives me an excuse to go to the book store. I think you have far and away the best western magazine, although my wife wants more home and lifestyle stuff. I find myself quoting from the magazine often, especially when it comes to gunfighter history. I spoke to you years ago, when you were deciding whether or not to drop the Old West Journal. You asked me what I thought. I was flattered! At that time I had been in the newspaper business about 20 years. I said keep it, I like it. Shows you what I know! I really like your blog and read it every day. Living in Tennessee, it makes me feel like I have a constant connection to the west. If forced to miss a day, I hurry to the computer to catch up. Thanks a bunch. Hope you get through your health issues. Suzanne and I will keep you in our prayers, if that's okay by you."
—Mike Dickerson, Sparta, Tennessee
Mike and Suzanne,
Thanks. I appreciate the feedback. The deal on Old West Journal is this: we ended up applying virtually all of the advancements from OWJ to True West. When Bob Brink came aboard he told me I couldn't afford to do both magazines and that my instincts were correct with OWJ, just apply them to True West. And so we did just that and haven't looked back.
—BBB
One of Carole Glenn's friends from Texas, Julie Bradyshoks (who now lives in Tucson), just returned from Italy where she purchased a very popular comic book called Tex Willer, just for me. I'd seen it before, but evidently this is a very big deal in Italy. In addition to the comic book, behind it is a full page newspaper ad (one of several she tells Carole) for the books.
Meanwhile, I'm still noodling different styles. Got on a sepia wash kick yesterday:
And returned to my What Would Remington Do mode today:
Tomorrow I intend to blend Tex Willer (the Italian Stallion) with Remington, and see where that hybrid goes. Should be fun.
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
—Alan Kay
Thursday, May 29, 2008
May 29, 2008
Went to yoga class this morning with all the "old" people. At the end of the class one of my yoga-mates said she was attending her husband's 60th high school reunion. Another yoga comrade mentioned that because of attrition, her class has resorted to five-year-combined class reunions. The oldest guy in the class, Jim, said his class did that (he graduated in 1939) until they dropped under 15, then they downgraded everything to a lunch, but now they've dropped under ten, and it's too far to go for a lunch. So they discontinued everything. Ouch!
QTL Baby!
Kickin' It Old School
And by the way, all you yoga haters (yes, I'm talking to you Paul Hutton), according to Jim, he's in the under ten crowd at his old school because he does yoga.
Speaking of dying too early, fellow cartoonist Dave Stevens, who created Rocketeer died on March 2. The cause was complications from treatment for leukemia. He was 52. That's him, and the Rocketeer in yesterday's sketches:
Also in yesterday's renderings, is Honkytonk Sue, who's mad because she was dropped out of True West last issue and no one noticed.
The screenwriters who brought back Zorro (The Mask of Zorro), and the three Pirates of the Caribbean films are in final negotiations to write a live-action big-screen adaptation of "The Lone Ranger," for Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The tentative name of the movie appears to be Ranger. Kind of cool. Get it? The Lone Ranger, lone word, just "Ranger." Hope they hit it out of the park.
The middle sketch is of a legendary Zonie, Dick Wick Hall. Recently someone gave me a box of back issues of "The Journal of Arizona History." In the Spring 1984 issue is a big piece by Don Chaput on this odd character who he says, "was a strange amalgam of corn-pone philosopher, happy small-town business man, prankster, friend to all, and nationally famous 'writing man' from Salome—'where she danced'—Yuma County. He peaked in the years 1921-26, when his musings from the Salome Sun (a mimeographed sheet) were reprinted regularly in the Saturday Evening Post. His Yuma County characters were known across the land: The Reptile Kid, Gila Monster Jake, and the Salome Frog (who, due to Salome's climate), would never learn to swim."
Dick Wick was certainly an odd duck (maybe that's why I kind of identify with him), bordering on a con artist (he owed money to almost everyone) who went through all his money and became rather pathetic. His writings are juvenile and first line humor ("made with a laugh on a mimeograph") and at best sophomoric.
Like I said, I kind of identify with the guy.
On May 29, 2008, at 9:36 AM, Barbara Fahrlender wrote:
I was going to pick up a copy of your latest issue for my son who is a Western history buff last night UNTIL, I noticed the cover and the cover story. For your information, George W. Bush Is NOT a cowboy and never has been. As a Texan from a long line of REAL Texas cowboys, I found your story, “The Last Cowboy President,” to be extremely offensive. Using a phony Texas accent, wearing boots and a Stetson (in photo-ops) and owning a place with a lot of acreage and NO livestock, does NOT make a person a cowboy.
I didn’t buy your magazine
—Barbara Fahrlender
Barbara,
You'll be happy to know that we had the same discussions on our editorial staff with many of us coming to the same conclusions as you have. I'm sorry you didn't pick up the issue, because the phenom of the "wannabe" cowboy politician was discussed in the excellent piece inside. Sorry, we turned you off to the degree you didn't get the magazine. Please try us again in the future, I have a hunch your son will enjoy the wall to wall Western history.
Bob Boze Bell
Executive Editor, True West magazine
”Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.”
—Old Vaquero Saying
Went to yoga class this morning with all the "old" people. At the end of the class one of my yoga-mates said she was attending her husband's 60th high school reunion. Another yoga comrade mentioned that because of attrition, her class has resorted to five-year-combined class reunions. The oldest guy in the class, Jim, said his class did that (he graduated in 1939) until they dropped under 15, then they downgraded everything to a lunch, but now they've dropped under ten, and it's too far to go for a lunch. So they discontinued everything. Ouch!
QTL Baby!
Kickin' It Old School
And by the way, all you yoga haters (yes, I'm talking to you Paul Hutton), according to Jim, he's in the under ten crowd at his old school because he does yoga.
Speaking of dying too early, fellow cartoonist Dave Stevens, who created Rocketeer died on March 2. The cause was complications from treatment for leukemia. He was 52. That's him, and the Rocketeer in yesterday's sketches:
Also in yesterday's renderings, is Honkytonk Sue, who's mad because she was dropped out of True West last issue and no one noticed.
The screenwriters who brought back Zorro (The Mask of Zorro), and the three Pirates of the Caribbean films are in final negotiations to write a live-action big-screen adaptation of "The Lone Ranger," for Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The tentative name of the movie appears to be Ranger. Kind of cool. Get it? The Lone Ranger, lone word, just "Ranger." Hope they hit it out of the park.
The middle sketch is of a legendary Zonie, Dick Wick Hall. Recently someone gave me a box of back issues of "The Journal of Arizona History." In the Spring 1984 issue is a big piece by Don Chaput on this odd character who he says, "was a strange amalgam of corn-pone philosopher, happy small-town business man, prankster, friend to all, and nationally famous 'writing man' from Salome—'where she danced'—Yuma County. He peaked in the years 1921-26, when his musings from the Salome Sun (a mimeographed sheet) were reprinted regularly in the Saturday Evening Post. His Yuma County characters were known across the land: The Reptile Kid, Gila Monster Jake, and the Salome Frog (who, due to Salome's climate), would never learn to swim."
Dick Wick was certainly an odd duck (maybe that's why I kind of identify with him), bordering on a con artist (he owed money to almost everyone) who went through all his money and became rather pathetic. His writings are juvenile and first line humor ("made with a laugh on a mimeograph") and at best sophomoric.
Like I said, I kind of identify with the guy.
On May 29, 2008, at 9:36 AM, Barbara Fahrlender wrote:
I was going to pick up a copy of your latest issue for my son who is a Western history buff last night UNTIL, I noticed the cover and the cover story. For your information, George W. Bush Is NOT a cowboy and never has been. As a Texan from a long line of REAL Texas cowboys, I found your story, “The Last Cowboy President,” to be extremely offensive. Using a phony Texas accent, wearing boots and a Stetson (in photo-ops) and owning a place with a lot of acreage and NO livestock, does NOT make a person a cowboy.
I didn’t buy your magazine
—Barbara Fahrlender
Barbara,
You'll be happy to know that we had the same discussions on our editorial staff with many of us coming to the same conclusions as you have. I'm sorry you didn't pick up the issue, because the phenom of the "wannabe" cowboy politician was discussed in the excellent piece inside. Sorry, we turned you off to the degree you didn't get the magazine. Please try us again in the future, I have a hunch your son will enjoy the wall to wall Western history.
Bob Boze Bell
Executive Editor, True West magazine
”Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.”
—Old Vaquero Saying
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
May 28, 2008
Another day spent at the Arizona Heart Institute. Need another test. Sigh. This one is nuclear, not sure exactly what it does, but nuclear is in the title.
News From The Front Lines
Both Bonnie and I had voice mail messages this morning from a new subscriber, Laura Nelson, who wanted to tell us how she subscribed to the mag cause she loves the Old West stuff and that it is a very beautiful and great magazine. But she called to voice her disappointment in the June issue. On the top of page 69, author Johnny Boggs mentions ". . . is that a cigar in your hand or are you just glad to see Squirrel Tooth Alice. . ." She went on to say that this comment just totally ruined the great issue for her and that if she continues to see such "cheap" comments, she'll request her money back and cancel her subscription. She said she thought of it as a great family magazine until she saw that.
These are tough calls. She sounds like a very nice person, and we certainly don't want to offend her, but Johnny's comment is not exactly Howard Stern territory. Maybe "Three's Company" territory but it seems rather harmless enough to me in today's climate.
"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."
—Christian Morgenstern
Amen, neighbor
Another day spent at the Arizona Heart Institute. Need another test. Sigh. This one is nuclear, not sure exactly what it does, but nuclear is in the title.
News From The Front Lines
Both Bonnie and I had voice mail messages this morning from a new subscriber, Laura Nelson, who wanted to tell us how she subscribed to the mag cause she loves the Old West stuff and that it is a very beautiful and great magazine. But she called to voice her disappointment in the June issue. On the top of page 69, author Johnny Boggs mentions ". . . is that a cigar in your hand or are you just glad to see Squirrel Tooth Alice. . ." She went on to say that this comment just totally ruined the great issue for her and that if she continues to see such "cheap" comments, she'll request her money back and cancel her subscription. She said she thought of it as a great family magazine until she saw that.
These are tough calls. She sounds like a very nice person, and we certainly don't want to offend her, but Johnny's comment is not exactly Howard Stern territory. Maybe "Three's Company" territory but it seems rather harmless enough to me in today's climate.
"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."
—Christian Morgenstern
Amen, neighbor
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