Stepping Down vs. Retiring, Part IX

 March 16, 2025

   Here's another take on last weekend's ceremony:

Russell True Is Honored as 2026 True Westerner

   Meanwhile, I had a very nice sit down talk with James Townsend recently and here is that gabfest:

What We Love About The West

   Here's a little sketch from this morning that I like because it's so loosy goosie:

Daily Mini-Whip Out: "Gunfighter Goosie"

Stepping Down vs. Retiring

   I had at least five people come up to me last Saturday night and ask me what I am going to do in December "when I retire." To repeat, I am not retiring. I am simply stepping down as executive editor of True West magazine. I will still be one of the primary owners of this storied publication and I want it to survive and thrive with new blood. Here's a former president who agrees with me:

"It's fair to say that 80% of the world's problems involve old men hanging on and who are afraid of death and insignificance, and they won't let go."

—Barack Obama

   Well, not only do I want to let go of the editorial product, I intend to be seriously involved in the stewardship of the magazine. I want to hand the reins to someone who knows how to ride a very frisky horse. Speaking of aging out, I just got a call from my step-father Lou Cady, Jr. who is turning 105 this coming October. I told him I was going to catch up with him and he laughed and told me he wanted to buy a subscription for his music teacher. He's threatening to start a musical career and I suggested perhaps we start a band. He laughed and told me he's heard my drumming and needs someone with a little more maturity. 

"Hey, Grandpa, get off the stage!"

—Another old Kingman Guy who is as old as me but crankier

A True Ranching Experience

 March 15, 2026

   Back from a fun run down to the White Stallion Guest Ranch near Marana, Arizona for our thirteenth annual True Westerner Award presentation to this guy.

Russell True and BBB

   Russell is one of my heroes because I watched him single-handedly buck the system to create the a more commercial version of the venerable dude ranching experience. The entire ceremony was video taped by this guy.

Ken Amorosano at White Stallion

(video to follow soon)

Ay Yi Ai!

   It was bound to happen sooner or later, one of my drawings has been labeled Ai by a skeptical observer. Details and a rebuttal tomorrow.

“Serve a great man and you’ll know what sorrow is.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Our 14th Annual True Westerner Award Presentation Is Tonight

 March 14, 2026

   Seems like a couple weeks ago we were getting ready for our first True Westerner Award presentation down in Tucson. And here is one of the receipients of that first award giving his take on the signature event:

Mr. Lonseome Dove Hisself Tells The Tale

   We have had a dozen more since then and at 6:30 tonight we are honoring this guy:

       Yes, an ironic name to go with his iconic prize, this year's True Westerner, ahem, truly, deserves it.

   But, is there another more selfish reason for this award? Details tomorrow.

Stubborn As A Mule Man

"Sometimes you have to jump off the cliff and figure it out on the way down."

—Old Vaquero Saying

Wild Bill Finally Satisfied & The 66 Kids Road Show Returns

 March 13, 2026

   If you'll remember in the James Butler Hickok story, at the conclusion of his very first gunfight on the public square in Springfield, Missouri, he turned and taunted the gawkers gathered there.

      So, it just kind of stands to reason there would be an answer to that.

Daily Whip Out: "Wild Bill Satisfied" 

Road Worthy

  As long as I can remember I have been on a certain road. True, I took some wrong turns here and there but I have always come back to the highway that's the best.

We Will Kick Out The Jams!

Shining A Light On History

   When we are first starting out, we see our research into history as discovering a past scene in relative pristine order, you know, like this:

   But when you actually get out to historic sites, they look more like this:

Good luck finding anything in there!

(based on a photo by Rooster Rob Mathiasch)

   We think there are going to be ledgers still on the tables and diaries in the desk drawers but the rubble seldom retains anything like that.

“It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Steve Young's Seven Bridges Road & The Snide Patrol Gets All Whippersnappy

 March 12, 2026

   As much as I love the Eagles' version, I have to say, the original is just as good, if not better:

Steve Young Does The Original "Seven Bridges Road"

Seven Saguaros On Ratcliff Ridge

   Cool beans.

The Snide Patrol Gets All Whippersnappy

   When I asked for opinions on whether to continue running Classic True West in the magazine I received an outpouring of passionate voices supporting it, while one young punk insisted it has been a total waste of space. Here is how his  young, Whippersnapper crowd summarized the support I ran on this blog back on March 6: "Alas, the 'Classic True West' feature remains thanks to the opinions of the soon-to-be-in-assisted living generation."

   And if you are curious who the little punk naysayer is, it should be pretty obvious:

All Yays And One Nay

The History of Whippersnappers
   The word whippersnapper describes a specific kind of bratty, know-it-all kid, and it's only used by an older person who is talking about a younger person. It's a fairly old-fashioned word, having been around since the late-1600s, when it apparently arose out of "whip-snapper," which implied a general sense of lots of noise and very little importance. Around the same time, the word "whipperginnie" was a derogatory term for a woman.

"Yes, I was a whipperginnie for many years, but I grew out of it."

—Honkytonk Sue

One-Eyed Head Hunter With A Six-Pack of Gunny Sacks vs. Eagles Acapella Masterpiece

 March 11, 2026

   Not much makes me happier than a good, solid rock band performing outdoors with a New River Mesa sunset behind them.

Born On The Bayou Busts A Jam

Had a blast at the Cave Creek Museum's Miner Dinner last night held at the new outdoor pavilion at Harold's. Great people and great music. Really dug the band, Born On The Bayou, who made a bold claim from the stage: "We are the only CCR (Credence Clearwater Revivial) cover band led by two females, in Cave Creek, tonight." Truer words were never spoke. They got down and I dig-em!

The CCR girls also did an opening set of eccletic rock and I have to say, this one made me tear up.

Eagles Go All Acapella

I saw the boys—original Eagles all—do this live back in 1980 so it has some extra meaning behind it.

Some of my friends have a way with words, and Buckeye is one of them.

"A one-eyed head hunter with a six-pack of gunny sacks."

—Buckeye Blake, describing Mickey Free

Daily Whip Out: "Head In Hand"

  How's that for a mind warping segue in one blog post?

"Now I have loved you like a baby
Like some lonesome child
And I have loved you in a tame way
And I have loved you wild"

—Seven Bridges Road, Eagles

Listen to the Wind, It Talks. Listen to The Silence, It Speaks. . .

 March 10, 2026

   I seek out creative, narrative structure and I have a big ol' sketchbook full of them to prove it.

Seeking Western Narrative #9

   What happens when you combine these disparate images in a row, together? They start to tell a story, that's what. Which is what happens when you listen to the wind. . .

“Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Sitting Bull's Dream Meets Chinatown's Theme

 March 9, 2026

   The brilliance of the Chinatown screenplay by Robert Towne is on display in the very first scene. A slobbering husband named Curly is looking at photos of his wife being unfaithful and starts crying and says, "I think I'll kill her. They don't kill guys for that." To which the private dick who procurred the photos,  Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) says, "Oh, they don't?" To which Curly says proudly, "Not for your wife. That's the unwritten law." Jake sneers, "I'll tell you the unwritten law, you dumb son-of-a-bitch, you gotta be rich to kill somebody, anybody and get away with it. You think you got that kind of dough, you think you got that kind of class?" And, that my friend is the entire theme of the movie you're about to see, right there in one run-on sentence.

   We're doing a Paul Hedren excerpt in the next issue from his stellar book, "Sitting Bull's War" on the night before the battle of the Little Bighorn. . .

Daily Whip Out: "Sitting Bull's Dream"

   In old Arizona "dust buster" had an entirely different meaning.

Daily Whip Out:

"Dust Buster About to Be Swallowed Up"

  And, speaking of guys who have been swallowed up and spit out multiple times, you would have to go far and wide to find a more hearty group than these grizzled frontiersmen. . .

Every year asks a question and every season has an answer."

—Old Vaquero Saying 

ID On That Renegade Tombstone Photo

 Bonus Blog:

The Big Hang Up

 March 8, 2026

   Working with others to find the truth is one of the greatest joys of my life.

The "P" Commission, 1995

Tombstone, Arizona

Photo by Wyatt Earp (no, really!)

   Yes, these crazy Old West loving "kids," posing on Allen Street where an odd altercation the night before threatened the well-being of that big mouth on the far right, are from my tribe. Two of them have since passed, one of them helped me save True West and all of them made me laugh.

The Big Hang Up

   According to several thought pieces I have seen in the last 48 hours, there is a growing evacuation from this site. And by "this site" I mean Social Media and the Internet in general. Several million, mostly millennials, have abandoned their iphones and have become "Homesteaders." And by Homesteaders, I mean they have ditched their iphones and moved to small towns—3,000 inhabitants and under—in an effort to escape the obliteration of our species via doom scrolling and our growing addiction to click bait and troll culture. Wow. Good luck with all that.

“The best way to plan for the future is to learn how to live fully in the present. Besides, we always get the future wrong anyway.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Future "Eye" phones as envisioned in the 1930s

The World's Oldest Profession Meets The Second Oldest

 March 7, 2026

   Sometimes I like to do racy subject matter. Case in point:

Daily Whip Out: "Ladies of The Night"

"The two oldest professions in the world—ruined by amateurs."

—Alexander Woollcott

   Mostly, I gravitate to these guys. . .

Daily Whip Out: "Tap Duncan's Taps"

(taps is short for tapaderos)

“Every man loves justice at another man’s door, but not so much at his own.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Daily Whip Out: "Rurales at The Door"

   And, it must be noted, I have a soft spot for goofy stories:

This may be a repeat, but it never gets old to me:

   The longest drum solo in history was 10 hours and 28 minutes, performed by a child sitting behind me on Delta flight #589 from Osaka to LA.

   Everyone in our family knew him as Uncle Guy. He was my grandmother's brother and my mother told me he was a great storyteller.

Daily Whip Out: "Uncle Guy"

   Speaking of storytellers, did I ever tell you about what really happened to this guy?

Daily Whip Out: "The Apache Kid"

"Storytelling: the world's second oldest profession."

—Danny Harris

Classic True West Poll

 March 6, 2026

   I got some very interesting feedback on whether to keep Classic True West, or not. I consider the comments—en toto—a signal fire.

Daily Whip Out: "The Signal Fire"

   Here, for your amusement, are just a few of the comments I have received, so far, riffing off of Mark Lee Gardner's comment that he never reads Classic True West because it's old and seems like filler:

"I believe Mark's point has some validity especially given the online presence of True West past issues. If, however, the article is drawn from an issue that isn't online, then I think as from the archives is great and provides context for the magazine's history."

—John Langellier 

"I don't agree. These classic articles must be put out there, both for old and new readers.  Obviously, the new and younger readers will likely have never seen them before.  If Mark was right, why would anyone read the Wyatt Earp Anthology?  The whole books consists of classic articles.  And now the book is an instant classic."  

—John Boessenecker

"I love the archive features—J. Frank Dobie on the Alamo, who doesn't think that is a classic. I'm more concerned with the use of AI in TW—its obvious in travel. But whatever is necessary to keep TW going is ok with me."

—Paul Andrew Hutton

"Some are filler, some are not.  I've been a proponent of updating them—correcting them where needed so that people don't get the mistaken impression that we're printing false information (and some readers will do that, skipping over the explanation at the top).  But that takes up more space."

—Mark Boardman

"It is wasted space that could be given to a new article that brings fresh info to the table."

—James B. Mills

"It has been an affordable and interesting way to provide readers a look back in our history and our great contributors."

—Stuart Rosebrook

"I love the Classic True West articles.  I just finished the Alamo story last night.  In fact, I think the magazine under utilizes one of its biggest assets: your deep library."

—Dennis Corderman

"Those old articles are now part of history. Sometimes it's good to see what a historian wrote decades ago and figure out what has changed, been debunked, etc. Besides, when I see J. Frank Dobie's byline in a magazine that I write for, I figure I've made the big time."

—Johnny D. Boggs

"For some it might be but you have many 
long time members who remembered and subscribed to the old True West over decades.  I would think that they enjoy the trip down memory lane.  And they do not have to read the materials. I don't read every article either, it is my choice but I like the variety."

—Lynda Sanchez

"Keep running Classic True West. I never read the original.  These are all new to me." 

—Paul Hoylen

"I disagree strongly with Mark Lee Gardner's assessment. I love True West's history, and I enjoy reading the classic articles. When I started reading TW, it was in the 1960s, and when the family was on vacation out west I'd snap up all the True Wests and Old Wests and competitors that I could find. And, in my early years working for you, I would often buy magazine lots on eBay, because I particularly liked stories written by people who remembered the events that they wrote about, rather than researching them. In fact, my suggestion to you would be, when you're selecting a Classic, to look for first-person pieces. I haven't got my old copies here in New York, but I'm thinking about the "I was a deputy for Judge Parker" sort of pieces. I just love those."

—Henry Parke

   Thanks for all the great feedback. The takeaway for me is we need to be selective on what we choose to run and if possible feature those old first person accounts, like Henry has referenced, above. So, Classic True West is safe for now, but who knows what will happen next January when one of these radicals (probably in the motley crew, above) take the helm and throw everything out, including my bathwater!

"Nothing changes more than the past."

—Old Vaquero Saying

Classic True West vs. Topless Card Dealers and Bandito Sneers

 March 5, 2026

   In every issue, we run "Classic True West," where we take an old article from our storied past, present it as if from the vault, and print it on colored paper to look aged. 

   Recently, Mark Lee Gardner complained to me that he never reads them and that they just seem like "space fillers." That troubles me. Do you read Classic True West, or, do you agree with Mark's assessment?

   When in doubt, I say, portray a line of feisty females.

Daily Scratchboard Whip Outs:

"A Line of Feisty Females"

   Or, if that fails, a topless card dealer covers many a bet. . .

"Las Tules"

"Men are like campfires. If you don't tend to them, they go out."

—Las Tules

"Eventually, if you're lucky in life, you find someone with the same chemical imbalance you have."

—Robert Breault

“Laws catch flies, but let hornets go free.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Daily Whip Out: "Bandito Sneer"

And, at the end of the day. . .

"When I was young I was poor. But after years of hard work, I am no longer young."

—Old Vaquero Saying

Daily Whip Out: "Poor Paisano"

Biographies Galore: My Own Little Squeak for Attention

 March 3, 2026

   What can we do to advance the stories we want to tell? Plenty. Back in the day, down Mexico way, who did they call to track down the toughest of them all?

Daily Whip Out:

"Diego Avila Rurale Suprema"

   Meanwhile, across the border up on Aravaipa Creek there roamed this strange cat. . .

Daily Revised Whip Out:

"Tom Horn In The Wind"

(there was always something rather windy

about him)

   Some sixty-five years later, across the wide flats (the tortilla ones), the Heatwave Cafe stood and another legend was born.

"When the Queen of Country Swing

 Went Full Outlaw"

Warning: On this one, you might stand clear if you possess gonads.

   Yes, I have all of these mini-biographies I want to do, and perhaps the time will come after December 19 when I will finally have enough time to do them.

"I went to the biography section to find my own book, as first-time authors do, and stared hard at the place it should have been."

—Ian McEwan, What We Can Know

   One more, a couple more paragraphs below that one:

"Or, was it pique at the absence of my own John Clare, my own little squeak for attention."

—Ian McEwan, ibid

“Flattery sits in the parlor, while plain truth is kicked out the door.”

—Old Vaquero Saying

Gravedigger's Remorse: "Your work is valued even though you cover it up"

 March 2, 2026

   Most projects need two things: patience and the right wind. Here's a good example:

   Just got a link to some new Old West songs created by Jeffrey Schreckler. I really, ahem, dig the first tune about being a gravedigger. I've been listening to it all morning. Very haunting.

Check it out:

Rattle Them Bones: I Am A Gravedigger

   And, here is Jeffrey's insight on how the song came about: 

   "I was up in Flagstaff looking for Commodore Perry Owens' grave.  When I finally found it, there was a gravedigger digging a grave, right next to Owen's plot.  The man in the hole never acknowledged me and I took it as a sign of respect for the dead.  As I walked around the graveyard I stumbled on to the mass grave for the Airplane crash at the Grand Canyon and thought of how hard that job would be. And, as I looked back at the gravedigger at the Owen's site, I thought about what it would be like and how you would have to come to grips with the reality of the job.  He was by himself and I figured probably that was for the best to show no emotion.   It hit me that it would be hard if it was a child. 'The Smallest holes  are the ones you feel. . .' It jolts you back to reality.   The sadness  of unmarked graves as well—you made it this far only to be lost. What if you traveled across  the country following wars ?   One of the most profound thoughts I had, was the respect for the work. 'I take care of your loved ones and I give'm a toast.' What would be the worst part of it?  Digging in hard soil. Hitting rocks—who hasn’t hit a rock digging a hole ?

   "I have written pieces of 1000 songs but this one came  really quick. With only two changes in probably 30 minutes.  Some never get done. This one hung around because it had to have haunting fiddles  I could hear it.  But I could not find a fiddle player.   AI saved me.

   "All my motivation is from  Hank Williams Sr, John Prine, Bob Dylan, Tyler Childress,  Townes Van Zandt, Steel drivers, Lightfoot, Johnny Horton. I wrote it so Colter Wall could sing it. I envision Commodore Perry Owens standing in the moonlight  in a grave, his grave about knee deep leaning on a shovel  with a poker grin. A lantern on the mound, lighting his name on the headstone. We dig our own graves, don’t we?"

—Jeffrey Schreckler

Commodore Perry Owens: "I could see that."

"At the end of the day, you only get to keep what you give away."

—Old Vaquero Saying

The AI Dustup Is Just Beginning And I Feel Fine

 March 1, 2026

   In the pre-dawn of the AI revolution, it's still a little too dark to see, but a couple things seem apparent to me. One is, graphic artificial intelligence is amazing, but still a little crude. So far, I think I can spot it every single time. When it comes to Old West subjects it has a penchant for bad hats (actually, accurate hats from the wrong era) and phony approximations that look too mechanical.

   That said, I sure would like to see an AI application make this move.

Daily Whip Out: "Dusty Faces In The Crowd"

Staying Ahead of The Curve

   When it comes to AI, are we ahead of the curve, or are we right behind the eight ball? There is a certain thing that AI can do that is crazy good, and then there are things yet to be discovered.

   Something on the trail made Mickey's mule Tú come up short. 

Daily Whip Out: "Dead Ahead"

   Meanwhile, up north a powerful dream is unfolding.

Daily Whip Out: "Sitting Bull's Dream"

   Sometimes when I look up it makes me very happy.

Mucho Hats Hung On The Ceiling

   I love this analogy by one of the sharpest minds of our era. If you love sports, at the end of the day, we are all rooting for laundry.

Rooting for Laundry

   "Love my team, even though we know, of course, they're not really teams. We block that out. We have to. Players go to different teams. Teams go to different cities. The uniform is the only constant. Why am I yelling, 'Go, New York, go!' at a guy from East Illinois that'll be playing in Phoenix next season? That's sports. The uniform is the only constant. We just want our clothes to beat the clothes from the other city. We're rooting for laundry. That's really all sports is. If a player leaves your team, then comes back and plays against your team? The hostility. 'Booo. . .Different shirt.' Exact same human being.'I hate this guy. He's in a different shirt.'

—Jerry Seinfeld, Is This Anything?