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February 2009 Blog Posts (80)

Nuclear Sketches

February 12, 2009

I had a stress test for my heart this morning at 7:45 A.M. down on Bell Road. At eight, they inserted an IV with nuclear isotopes into my right arm, then put me in a waiting room for 40 minutes. I used the time to sketch (and glow):

After forty minutes, they came and got me and put me in a nuclear photo imaging deal, like an MRI machine, and took multiple photos of my heart from a variety of… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 12, 2009 at 4:00pm — 5 Comments

Book Trailers

I decided I needed to increase book sales, so I created book trailers, like they do for movies. I figured it couldn't hurt.

Feel free to check them out and give me feedback. The sound on the TOT trailer is low, but I fixed that on the next ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKozxguZt5g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhbTup9YJ2w

Added by Sherry Monahan on February 12, 2009 at 10:08am — 2 Comments

Wild West Monday

So, I belong to a number of different chat-groups about books, and historical novels and Westerns and all ... and at one of them, fans of Westerns are trying to raise interest in that particular genre, by mobilizing other fans, around the world to go into their local library or bookstore and ask for Westerns - any western, new, traditional or somewhere in between. The thinking is, we can achieve a critical mass of fans, and maybe take the book-selling world - if not by the throat, maybe we can… Continue

Added by Celia Hayes on February 12, 2009 at 9:22am — No Comments

Renovating the West's Bloodiest Hotel

The St. James Hotel of Cimmaron, NM, has the reputation of being one of the most violent places in the Old West. Supposedly 26 men were killed there; bullet holes still dot the ceilings and walls.

The notables and notorious visited here--Jesse James, Black Jack Tom Ketchum, Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, and the list goes on.

The legendary 1870s establishment was sold at the end of 2008 and the new owner has plans to renovate it, bringing back the look and feel of the 19th… Continue

Added by Mark Boardman on February 12, 2009 at 6:21am — No Comments

The Universe Sends Me Artists Tom Lea and Ed Borein

February 11, 2009

Last Saturday I met my daughter Deena Bean and her boyfriend Frank at the Matador, deep inside the Beast. We had the huevos rancheros and hot flour tortillas and coffee and talked about old times in the famed restaurant. We have been going there since Deena was a little bitty baby and in fact, she broke the first glass in the new location, prompting the Greek owner to exclaim, "It is good luck! Thankyou!" So, to this day, Deena is known as the girl who broke the… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 11, 2009 at 10:30am — 9 Comments

Another Storm Study And A New Mickey Free Sequence

February 11, 2009

Cold and frosty out this morning. May reach sixty this afternoon. Clouds clearing out but we've got another one coming in right behind. Got some more storm studies in the works:

This is the mountain range north of our house and as the big storms raked across the ridges, the runoff filled our roads, turning them into shallow streams (foreground).

Started to prep a big canvas last night for the… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 11, 2009 at 9:00am — 4 Comments

Snowed in Tombstone today!

Just thought ya'll would get a chuckle knowing we are freezing certain parts off here in the Old-West....where the cacti are shivering too! It was 9:00 a.m. when some folks walked in to complain about the snow! "Golly" was my reply "We would have canceled it if we knew you were coming today". Expecting it to get down to 24 tonight. Brrrrrrr.... Photo below was taken about noon, just when enough snow had melted to turn Allen Street into a mucky muddy mess. Anyone want to know what it was like… Continue

Added by Tombstone Liz on February 10, 2009 at 4:22pm — 6 Comments

Soaked And Stoked, Part II

February 10, 2009

As I was driving into town this morning, Black Mountain had a huge cloud tethered to its peak at one end. Looked like a giant Hindenberg snagged by an escarpment.

As soon as I got to the office I did a sketch of it:

On Sunday, Peaches and I went for a walk to check out the great clouds (actually Peaches seemed more interested in coyote droppings), but when we got to the top of Old Stage Road it… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 10, 2009 at 4:20pm — 2 Comments

Soaked And Stoked

February 10, 2009

We really got soaked here on the desert for the past three days. Debbie Payne, our yoga instructor, couldn't make it to class this morning because the creek is running so high and she's trapped on the other side.

Makes me proud to be from Cave Creek.

Here's my six sketches from last night:

Soaked with color, even. More rain clouds to come. . .

"God willing and the creek… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 10, 2009 at 9:34am — 7 Comments

On to San Antone!

Okay, I confess.

I haven't been to San Antonio for about 12 years. And that was for a public radio conference (one of my past lives...before I became an Old West fanatic).

I got to see the Menger, and the River Walk, and the Alamo.

And now I'm writing an article on the preservation of the Alamo.

I'd been feeling a bit uncomfortable about it. Not because I don't like the topic--I do. Not because I doubt my abilities (well, I sorta do at times...). Not… Continue

Added by Mark Boardman on February 10, 2009 at 9:23am — 4 Comments

Old Vaquero Origins?

February 9, 2009

Got this five minutes ago:

"I have to know, do you have an 'Old Vaquero' that sits around your casa and just utters these words of wisdom on a hourly basis ? Is there a 'Call an Old Vaquero' hotline, that for $4.00 a minute, you get the latest sayings? Maybe for Christmas you got a collection of 'Old Vaquero' sayings, leather bound, first edition, signed by the 'Old Vaquero' hisself ? Is it the same 'Old Vaquero' or a guild of them? Maybe your the 'Old… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 9, 2009 at 2:30pm — 8 Comments

Robert Mitchum's Sugarloafs Galore

February 9, 2009

Had lunch today with Lew Jones of Mineshaft fame. Lew and Tara had the infamous Cave Creek bar where The Jones & Boze Show broadcast from in 1998 and 1999. Lew retired to Mogollon, New Mexico but he and Tara kept a cabin in a sweet canyon north of Cave Creek.

We went to Tonto Bar & Grill. I paid ($50, includes tip, business account).

Worked most of the weekend on developing the excellent reference scenes I poached from the 1959 Western… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 9, 2009 at 1:30pm — 1 Comment

Folks with History in their Genes

One of the best parts of this gig is getting to meet so many fascinating folks. Many are not just interested in history, they have history in their family trees.

Case in point: Dorothy Black of Schertz, TX. Mrs. Black is a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and I exchanged emails with her about Alamo preservation. Since she heads the DRT's Alamo Committee, she has much to say.

Of course, her membership in the Daughters tells you that her roots go back to the… Continue

Added by Mark Boardman on February 9, 2009 at 11:05am — 1 Comment

Tombstone's Boothill Gets Grave Upgrade

February 9, 2009

The last time I was at Boothill (when we filmed two True West Moments), I was disappointed to see someone had replaced the wooden tombstones with metal pipe markers, spray-painted a crappy brown. It really looked cheesy.

Well, here's some good grave news:

Councilman To Replace Boothill Markers

One of the most common complaints from tourists and citizens of Tombstone alike are the metal plot markers in the Boothill Cemetery. To… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 9, 2009 at 10:58am — 4 Comments

Kitchen Clouds

February 9, 2009

Really rained this weekend. Huge storms. Great clouds. Took this right out the kitchen window:

"The hardest part about climbing the ladder of success is climbing over all the people sleeping at the bottom."

—Old Vaquero… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 9, 2009 at 9:42am — No Comments

Yella Fella Cliffhangers

February 9, 2009

Terry Jo Neff sent me a link to some cool ad videos for Yellafella:

YellaWood is a product sold by Great Southern Wood, the largest US manufacturer of treated lumber. The company's first commercials featuring several Arizona old west actors going up against "The YellaFella" filmed at Gammons Gulch north of Benson in 2006.

The YellaFella campaign was such a success that the Alabama ad agency, Dill Productions, decided to feature the YellaFella… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 9, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

The Best Sugarloaf Sombreros I've Ever Seen In A Movie

February 8, 2009

I was cruising the Westerns Channel the other night and saw the end of a Robert Mitchum film called "The Wonderful Country" (1959). Head for head, the hats were absolutely the best sugarloafs I have seen in a Western, ever. Being a nut for all things sugarloaf, I set record for the next time it showed which was Friday night. Last night, I watched it from the git go, with my sketchbook in my lap and the remote control to stop the action whenever I saw a scene I… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 8, 2009 at 2:00pm — 1 Comment

Bisbee Vs. Tombstone (Hippie Whine vs. Disney Slime?)

February 8, 2009

A couple of summers ago, when the Top Secret Writer and I were holed up in a Bisbee, Arizona apartment, working out the plot points for Mickey Free, when we would hit the wall, we would venture out, wandering around the old mining town to eat, check out the museums and historic buildings and talk up the locals. One thing became crystal clear: most of the Bisbee-ites we talked to dislike Tombstone—intensely. They don't seem to get why the town too tough to die is so… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 8, 2009 at 11:45am — 10 Comments

All Cheyenne All The Time?

February 7, 2009

I have some very crazy friends, especially in the Old West arena. Just got this from a certain artist. His name rhymes with Thom Ross:

Read this over and let me know your thoughts.

I was working with Guy yesterday down at the studio.

We got to talking about one of our heros, Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker, famous for his role as "Cheyenne Bodie" in the television show of the same name.

We decided that in these times of… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on February 7, 2009 at 1:46pm — 6 Comments

Robbery's

Did the bad guys only rob banks and express offices or did they rob other business?

Added by Glenn Rowe on February 6, 2009 at 8:04pm — No Comments

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