Bob Boze Bell's Blog – May 2011 Archive (28)

May 31, 2011

Spoke yesterday at the Pioneer Park & Military Memorial Park in downtown Phoenix. Really an honor. In addition to remembering the fallen, I encouraged everyone to also remember the rememberers, the people who give so much time to help us remember.

Finally put the finishing touches on the Orme aerial illustration this morning. Been working on this for months in my spare time:

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May 27, 2011

   Earl Jasper "EJ" Radina graduated from high school this morning in the endzone at Cardinal Stadium, in Glendale. He gave the keynote address and received a standing ovation from the student body at the end of his speech. Given the restraints the school put him under (his original speech was heavily edited and he was "encouraged" to not use his hands, and he was reprimanded for walking "too aggressively" to the podium during rehearsal. Hey, he was…

May 26, 2011

   Crazy weather, crazy times. Started this yesterday at lunch, finished it this morning before I came into work: "White Dove In A Crazy Storm."

Speaking of crazy, lots of heat on Mickey Free lately. After my foray into Rattlesnake Kate country, I'm…

May 25, 2011

True West, often gets lost on crowded newsstands We are up against huge media companies with multiple titles that pay people to put their titles in front. If you see True West, like in this Barnes & Noble in Scottsdale, AZ rack (sent to me by phone from Allen Fossenkemper), put True West in front, and at eye level, please. Thank you.

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May 24, 2011

Went home for lunch yesterday and whipped out a little study called "Updraft In The Land of The Tilted Mesas."

This would be near Coyote Pass in Mohave County, Arizona. Where it's always windy and dust devils are on the prowl almost every day in the…

May 23, 2011

   Worked over the weekend on the Orme aerial map illustration and on two different Mickey Free sequences. One on Mickey's ride into Los Muertos (town of the dead). Found some good reference out of my sketchbooks, this one from September of 2006:

This was…

May 21, 2011

A friend of mine is working on "Cowboys & Aliens" the big $180 million movie coming out this summer. They are in post, and he tells me, from the parts he's seen, it's spectacular and going to be very big.

With the unqualified success of the Coen brother's "True Grit" ($300 million plus, so far) it looks like the Western has some traction.

Lots of projects happening, including Alan Huffines new book "Killed By Indians,…

May 20, 2011

Had a speech this morning in Wickenburg at the Desert Caballeros Museum. Spoke at their annual board meeting. They have great volunteers and a class operation. Got home at 12:30, had lunch, whipped this out. A good example of my patina based experiments. Not sure where it's going, but, so far, it has integrity.

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May 19, 2011

   I actually did two dust studies at lunch today. This second one, "The Prince of Dust Rides Through A Very Tall, Navajo Haboob With A Column of Soldiers" is actually pretty good.

Of course, "haboob" is a new word to me. I don't remember it…

May 19, 2011

Finally finished outlaw women, for now. Someone requested: "More dust" Or, was it "more cowbell"? Actually, I think it was both. So, I went home for lunch and whipped out this little study I call "The Prince of Dust Returns".

Can't see him? How about…

May 19, 2011

   Our June issue goes out the door today and we're fighting fires and making last minute corrections. Put in a quick email to John Boessenecker. I was proofing the Classic Gunfight of the California Rangers gunfight with Joaquin Murrieta and I seemed to remember that I just read that the ranger Harry Love cut off Murrieta's head and packed it in "brandy," to be preserved, as opposed to whiskey. John confirms it was whiskey but there is a twist. As I now…

May 18, 2011

   One of the things I love about my job is getting to do due diligence on Classic Gunfights. As I mentioned early last week, I called John Boessenecker in San Francisco to ask him the location of Cantua Creek where California Ranger Harry Love and his men surprised Joaquin Murrieta and his gang in an early morning raid on their camp on July 25, 1853.

   John informed me it's just north of Harris Ranch and just off I-5. I had stopped at…

May 17, 2011

   Went home for lunch and whipped out my first drawing, actually a scratchboard, of Rattlesnake Kate:

A Big Girl, In A Big Land

She carries a big pipe wrench (stock tank repair) but she's just as adept at switching out…

May 17, 2011

   Received an inquiry from a film company in California asking me about a good project for a 3-D Western. They are wondering if there is an untold story of the West that is ripe for a movie. Here is my reply:

Thanks for the inquiry. This is something I think about every day. My first reaction would be to nominate the story of Mickey Free and the Apache Kid, which has never been told before, but we have featured parts of this story in True…

May 16, 2011

We're doing an upcoming feature on "Viva, Outlaw Women," written by Stuart Rosebrook who did a great job rounding up all the hottest, Western movie outlaw actresses like Raquel Welch, Angie Dickenson, Jane Russell and Sharon Stone who have heated up the silver screen. Dan Harshberger did a great job laying it all out, plus a very smokin' hot cover (I ran a sneak peek at it last week).

Our production manager, Robert Ray, commented last…

May 13, 2011

   Friday the thirteenth. Never have been superstitious about this, have you?

    I was inspired this morning by an Arizona Republic camping photo a week or so ago which showed a light blue and purple sky. Grabbed the image out of my clip file this morning and whipped this study out before I came into work: I call it "Rocky Trail Rider."

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May 12, 2011

   It was a hoot to follow Al Herndon across the Wild West last week. He made it home safe and sound and quite happy. Here is his report:

BBB,

Well, after about 3800 miles and 500 or so pictures, I have landed back at my home roost.  To say I had a great trip would be a woeful understatement.  Again, I am indebted to you and your hospitality and your willingness to steer my travels to give me more western bang for my buck.  My trip…

May 12, 2011

Grabbed a cloud study out of my M file this morning and added a rider before I came into work. You know how Pigpen has that cloud that follows him around? Well, I think Mickey Free has his own storm system, dumping constantly on his parade.

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May 11, 2011

   Getting set to do a new batch of True West Moments for the Westerns Channel next month. My producer, Jeff Hildebrandt, is lining up the shoot in New Mexico. i am developing 14 scripts, plus the pilot for a proposed new segment which we will also shoot in and around this historic location.

   Meanwhile, I have been asked a couple of questions:

Mr. Bell

 I enjoy most of your magazine very much. I would be interested to…

May 10, 2011

Still working on a heroine who descends to earth and roams the west with some concern. Here is a more ethnic version of Rattlesnake Kate:

And here's a more traditional version: Sent to earth for a good humbling, Rattlesnake Kate finds herself, not in…