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January 2009 Blog Posts (68)

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Reader's Survey Feedback

January 30, 2009

Our publisher, Trish Brink, just stuck her head in my door, laughing. She said I needed to see a new True West Reader's Survey which just came in. Sheri brought it to me.



Now keep in mind that we are hyping our readers to answer our survey with the chance to "Win A Limited Edition Giclee By Bob Boze Bell of Hugh O'Brian As Wyatt Earp!"



The respondent is a 70-year-old male from Norco, Louisiana who listens to Country, reads Western… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 30, 2009 at 4:00pm — 8 Comments

2001: A Sketch Odyssey

January 30, 2009

George Orwell gave us 1984 and Stanley Kubrick gave us 2001. Both dates were intended to be ominous and had overtones to worry about. But both years kind of fizzled, although 2001 has its own horrors, that dwarf the movie and make it seem silly.



I almost hate to admit it, but I have an odd obsession with numbers, in spite of the fact I hate math and did everything I could to avoid it (like take Fine Arts in college because there were no math… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 30, 2009 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Upcoming True West Moments

January 30, 2009

Yesterday, a friend on this site asked me when we were going to film some new True West Moments. I called my producer, Jeff Hildebrandt, at the Westerns Channel, and he is aiming for late summer, or early fall, to do the next batch. We are also working on a way to feature at least one or two of the questioners in the bumper. In other words, have you ask the question on camera. There are logistical problems (flying someone in from Scotland, for example), but Jeff and… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 30, 2009 at 9:00am — 15 Comments

Mickey Free Storms Back

January 29, 2009

Looks like we got a strong nibble on our Mickey Free project. A company that Paul Hutton worked with in Hollywood has expressed interest in developing Mick for the screen. Very exciting. More later.



Worked with Robert Ray last Friday on creating a 128-page-template for the graphic novel on Mickey Free and spent yesterday spreading out Remington's narrative so that each entry from Freddy corresponds with the images on that page (this was the biggest knock… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 29, 2009 at 2:30pm — 12 Comments

My Kingman Cowboy Cousins

January 29, 2009

Got an inquiry from a Czech Republic film crew who want to film real cowboys in the real West. My first call was to my cousin Billy Hamilton, who has the Turkey Track Ranch in northern Mohave County. Billy, who's ten years my senior, was riding and roping from the time he could walk. Here's a photo of young Billy, in the 1940s at a local rodeo:





Although my family lived in Kingman and Peach Springs when I… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 29, 2009 at 10:30am — 3 Comments

Martha's Clouds

January 28, 2009

Went home for lunch and whipped out a couple cloud paintings. Wanted to get them down on paper while the memories are still strong. First thing, I perused the sketches I did just north of Nothing, Arizona:





Got some good buttes to build on and whipped out this:





I call it "Just North of Nothing." I love that phrase. I can almost see an entire… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 28, 2009 at 4:31pm — No Comments

Six Is Death On The Male Scale

January 28, 2009

My heart doctor asked me yesterday what the pain level is in my chest. I told him that depends. A friend of mine is a paramedic and he told me about going on a call to a trailer house in Prescott Valley. The medical responders found a man lying on the floor of his kitchen clutching his chest. The medic leaned in close and asked him, on a scale of one to ten, what the pain level was, and the man blurted out, "A six."



And then he died.



Men are… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 28, 2009 at 9:30am — 6 Comments

MY OLD STETSON HAT.

Of course I alway's know wher it's at,I never get far from my old Stetson hat,It was there in the beginning,It will be there till the end,you could say that it's probably my best friend,it comes in real handy when I need to spark a fire,or so in the saddle I'll set bout six inches higher,I use it to cover my eye's when I could use a nap,or when my stubborn old horse need's a good slap,it keep's my face dry in a real downpour,,when I still have to ride for a little while more,,It's old and It's… Continue

Added by Rory McClain on January 27, 2009 at 9:38pm — No Comments

True To the Union (part 3 of 3)

In the Texas Hill Country, feelings about the draft were especially bitter. Firstly, most of the Germans were Unionists and abhorred slavery. Secondly, a prime motivation for emigrating from Germany in the first place had been the existence of conscription there. To be forced to fight in the defense of an institution they despised, and for a political body whose very existence they had opposed was an insult past bearing. And finally, Gillespie County was very much still a part of the frontier.… Continue

Added by Celia Hayes on January 27, 2009 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Beyond Nothing And Martha Waters

January 27, 2009

Travelled to Kingman on Sunday for the funeral of Charlie's mother, Martha Waters. Kathy and I stopped in Wickenburg for gas and probably spent ten to fifteen minutes at the Mobil Travel Stop outside of town on Highway 93. Took off once again and cruised through the Joshua Forrest and across the Santa Maria. Just past Kaiser Springs we saw an ambulance pull out of the Bagdad turnoff and speed north ahead of us. Just beyond Nothing, Arizona all the traffic came to a… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 27, 2009 at 2:30pm — 5 Comments

Looking for special clothing for your special event.

Looking for special clothing. Posted on my site are some of the clothes that I have altered or made for some of my customers. I have reasonable rates, and also will work with my customers fabrics or other clothing to make it more them. I can also work with customers who are not in my area. All I need are your measurements (real ones) and if you have fabric you can ship it to me. I can give you a rough estimate as well.

Added by Elizabeth Lind on January 27, 2009 at 12:44pm — No Comments

True to the Union (Part 2 of 3)

More new settlers than just the Germans had been making their way into Texas, in the decades before the Civil War. Once that the coastal lowlands below the Balcones Escarpment could be fairly said to be settled, Texas attracted more than just the land-hungry and restless. It drew ambitious and more prosperous settlers from across the south, settlers and entrepreneurs who brought their slaves with them. These men farmed sugar and rice and built fine plantation houses, gracefully adorned with… Continue

Added by Celia Hayes on January 26, 2009 at 4:30pm — No Comments

New Adventure

I was told this morning that we're taking on another magazine. I'm responsible for the ads and helping out with the layout of the magazine. Robert Ray is working on creating a schedule where this one and ours don't collide with each other’s deadline. The other magazine is only published 6 times a year. So we won’t be pulling our hair out trying to keep up with everything. I think it will be OK, but I'm sure it will be a little bumpy at first. It usually is when it’s new and a routine hasn’t… Continue

Added by Abby Goodrich on January 26, 2009 at 11:26am — 1 Comment

Spring Creek Raid Centennial

On April 2, 1909, masked gunmen representing local cattle interests surrounded and fired a sheep outfit en route to Worland, Wyoming, with over 5,000 head. The “Spring Creek Raid,” marked the last of the cattle vs. sheep wars in North America. (Photo interpretation by M. Huff)



TEN SLEEP, WY - In observance of the centennial of Wyoming's Spring Creek Raid, observances will be held Thursday April 2, 2009 with presentations and displays… Continue

Added by Marcus Huff on January 25, 2009 at 5:56pm — 1 Comment

True to the Union (Part one of Three)

When I was first beginning to write about the the bitter days of the Civil War in Gillespie County, for the second volume of "Adeslverein", I was initially stymied. There was actually not much available in print or on line: just barely enough to give tantalizing hints at what happened during those years. It’s a skeleton upon which to drape a story of split loyalties, of bewildering events and sudden hatreds, seemingly sprung fully-armored out of the ground, like dragons-teeth, much to the… Continue

Added by Celia Hayes on January 25, 2009 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Use Em or Loose Em.

I aint no preacher, I aint no bell ringer, I aint no right wing extremist and I aint no sheep. Your right to own any type of firearm is in jeopardy. Call your congressman, support GOA/NRA or any other A you choose. Do it now right now or loose em. You folks from the UK need to remind us colonials of the losses you have suffered. Sometimes our news is filtered here in the U.S. I will only post one political message and that is this one and will only say it once. Comments are invited.

Added by Sixgun on January 25, 2009 at 4:00pm — 9 Comments

Billy the Kid's Air Quote

January 25, 2009

Recently, someone sent me a funny quote attributing it to Billy the Kid:



"I like dancing, but not in the air."



While clever and tempting to believe I coudn't recall seeing it all of my Kid research, but you never know. So, I emailed Frederick Nolan, who has been studying Billy and the Lincoln County War for close to sixty years. Here's his reply:



"Sorry, I´ve been and still am on vacation in Brazil since the first of the year and… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 25, 2009 at 1:00pm — 2 Comments

Photo's of Iron Springs Expedition

Hello all, I thought I would let you know that I have finally added some photo's of the Iron Springs adventure on my page.
Enjoy,
Larry

Added by Larry Riggs on January 25, 2009 at 9:38am — No Comments

Forting Up (Conclusion)

The execution of approximately a hundred and twenty men, women, and yes, children also - of the Fancher-Baker wagon-train party stands out particularly among revolting accounts of massacres in the old West, and not just for the number of victims. The most notorious 19th century massacres usually involved Indians and either settlers or soldiers in some combination, overrunning a settlement or encampment, or ambushing a military unit or a wagon-train and slaughtering all in or after a brief and… Continue

Added by Celia Hayes on January 23, 2009 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Knife Sheath & Holster Controversy

January 23, 2009

Several weeks ago I posted a study for my big oil painting of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, "Brothers In Arms":





Several of you commented on the placement of Billy's knife sheath in front of his holster: "this was never done in the real Old West," you said. Another comment was made regarding Billy's V-topped boots. "Didn't have them in the Old West. All boots were stove tops." Well, last week we got in a… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on January 23, 2009 at 2:30pm — 11 Comments

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