Sometimes there is just something about birthdays you simply cannot ignore.  In the past, I've mentioned the fact that my Nov. 5th birthday is the same as Guy Fawkes Day, the British equivalent of Halloween.  Which I think explains my love of the macabre and fantastic.  But there's another strain, one lots more American involved with that same date, that it is the birthday of the King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers.  Yup, Roy was born Nov.5th. 1911.
       
                         
Which I totally believe explains my love of westerns, be it in films, TV, comics or books.  In fact recently I seem to have been riding along a very comfortable trail filled with icons of this genre, much to my amusement.  For the past few months now, artist Rob Davis and I have been working on a new top secret comic book project that tells the story of a real western hero.  This man was a deputy sheriff and had the most successful career of any lawman who ever pinned on a badge.  Yet sadly history has all but forgotten him and Rob and I hope to correct that misjustice when we bring out our series.   I've attached a snee-peek of our hero below for you to enjoy.

                        
As usual Rob is doing a dynamite job with this project.  This pin-up and another are now in our Art Gallery, check it them out.  At the same time I'm writing this new western comic, I also picked up a huge whopping book recently that contains all (and I do mean ALL) the short western stories written by best-selling writer, Elmore Leonard.  Most folks don't know that during the start of his long career, Leonard did start out as a pulp writer and wrote in practically every genre out there until finally hitting the big time with his odd-ball crime novels.  Many of his westerns shorts, to include several novels, were later turned into movies.  The most recent connection being the remake of 3:10 TO YUMA with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.

The actual short story is in this collection and it was really fun to see how much was added by the screen writers while adapting it.  This book is a terrific collection and if you love truly good westerns, don't let this one slip by.  It would make a great Christmas gift to any cowboy..or cowgirl, in your family.

And finally my good pal, Duane Spurlock informed earlier this week that he had his first ever western story published in a collection called WHERE LEGENDS RIDE.  Upon closer inspection of the title, I realized it was connected with Black Horse Books, a British publisher that produces some of the finest western novels available today.  In fact another of my hombre amigos, Howard Hopkins (who writes as Lance Howard) is in this anthology and was a big player in getting it produced here in the US.  The book is available right now from the on-line outfit, Lulu.com.   Please, check it out.  You will be glad you did.

So there you go, the Wild West still lives and I for one couldn't be happier.  Take care, and happy trails to all you loyal airmen until next week.

            UPDATE NOTICE!!!  DAUGHTER OF DRACULA ON SALE AT INDY PLANET!!!!
Foot-note – Daughter of Dracula still finally gone on sale at the Indy Planet website and you can order it by going to our Air Fare page right now.  Or you still take advantage of my offer to order a book from me directly for only $13.  Thus far I've had orders for a half dozen of these and was able to ship them all out, autographed, this past week.  Thanks so much, and please, those of you who ordered these, do let us know your thoughts after reading it.

Okay, partners. that's it from Hangar 27.  Ron – Over and out.