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Okay, a writer must write. And, while I have many "works in progress" a writer must sooner
or later focus on one and decide that there is some urgency in getting that one published.
Thanks to the Western Writers of America, I have studied the American west for some 21 years
and visited many of its more prominent sites. So, eastern farm boy that I am, why shouldn't I
pass on what I know of the west?
This "Western Limericks" I'm working on began in 2001 and was in search of a conventional
publishing house for several years. It's now at 126 pages with one limerick and its supporting
sketch on each page. For most people, it will be a fast read presenting a pageant of Old West
situations that's almost sure to rule out boredom. With a wee bit of luck, that wonderful publisher
who is exactly the right publisher for this cheerful tome will be on board in the sweet by-and-by.
Meanwhile, I'll add pages as time and inspiration permit.
I once thought cartoonists had an easy job. Not any more. Each sketch must tell a story and there
are many scenes that might work. After choosing the scene, you may find parts of it that you need
to find a model for. Then, even with much erasing, you may throw away several drawings before arriving
at something you can call an original. After that, you may find that the scanner you use to get it
into your computer is good at reproducing intentional differences in shading, but is so sensitive
that it adds smudges not visible to the naked eye. Then, if you need to photocopy print-outs from
your computer, you may find that commercial photocopy machines won't show the light shades unless
you set the photocopier several levels darker, at which point it adds black spots & smudges. I'd
call it hard work to average any more than 2 sketches per week.
In case you're wondering, the picture on this page is the one that goes with the limerick to
appear on page 4 of the book, comparing the Indian's weaponry to that of the "white eyes."