Saturday, September 10, 2022

Stories of the West of the American Imagination

COWBOYS AND WESTERNS
By Alex Ness
September 12, 2022

IN THE BEGINNING


From the beginning, I knew he was the man with the mask, the hero, and I was his sidekick. I grew up as Tonto to my older brother's Lone Ranger. I was Robin to his Batman. We were both adopted at birth, and while my brother isn't my DNA brother, he always represented someone who helped me, the over emotional poet, try to endure the bullies and assholes of life. I dedicated my book Lancelot to him, for while Lancelot morally failed, and messed up, he'd been King Arthur's defender, and greatest knight. I am not anything like King Arthur, or any of the knights of the round table, but I would fit in as a court jester, or perhaps the bard who recorded and remembered deeds of courage. Ultimately, the point I am trying to make, really isn't about me, but how my brother was motivated or enjoyed them.

Throughout our life together, from 1963 to 1982, I learned, from watching my brother, the love of reading, the courage and heroism displayed in the comics or novels, or movies or in child play, that heroes aren't made by the opportunity, but in the preparation and mindset before the event in question.  My brother had guts I've never had.  As I've mentioned here, I had learned at age 54 that I had siblings in my DNA family, my brother Nate, my sister Denise and her wonderful hubby Steve were highly similar in life they each lived and their outlook on politics and life. When someone asked me if I found it to be odd that my adopted brother and new DNA family were similar, I said, I think God knows in his weaving of family, that I was someone who needed support and defenders. Not that I was an emotional cripple, a fool, a broken human, but I certainly was someone who didn't fit in, and one that the rest of the world might hate for being different.

After I graduated NDSU Grad school my neighbors for 3 years in Plymouth MN, when my wife and I were just about to start our family of 3, were German. They were amazing, I loved them. They told me that in Germany and the rest of the world, there is an enormous fascination found in the fictional and true stories of the American West. And that they thought Americans seemed like Cowboys, even if they'd never even ridden a horse, or had a gun duel. I can't say I ever felt the same, but my point in mentioning this, is that from the outside, when people view America, they also view the myths and legends, the narrative of how we became the nation we are now. I miss my neighbors Gerlinde and Peter, yes I miss having great friends and neighbors nearby very much. If I am to be entirely honest, I am far more about knights and castles than someone in a cowboy hat and native people. I'm not writing here about which genre or that genre is my favorite. If only briefly, here is a look at some of the creative works that utilize genre, concepts and settings of the legendary American West.

(My taste in books is more fantasy, elves, dragons, faeries and dwarves, however, I do think that there are some wonderfully written, imaginative, exciting books that qualify as being able representations of the genre. I was going to include Mad Amos by Alan Dean Foster, who writes a distinctly western character and setting, but it was a fairy tale utilizing the western concepts and myths. My heart was sealed when reading it when Amos visits Casa Grande, AZ, where my wife and I once lived. But unlike the other books and games and movies, it has a constant sense of whimsy and humor, as well as being comfortable creating brand new beloved legends. The writing in it does kick ass, it is one of my very favorite books of all time, but some folks I know might say, no, WILL SAY, ah nuts, that isn't a Western. So, there you go.)

THE BOOKS

“Unhappiness is only a change. Happiness itself is only change. So what does it matter? The great thing is to see life--to understand--to feel--to work--to fight--to endure.” Zane Grey

Zane Grey wrote Westerns of a sort that were better than most but not altogether unique. Louis L'Amour wrote the same sort of works. While neither are bad, at all actually, they both do retain a flavor that is similar. Cormac McCarthy writes differently than anyone you might read, he tempts critical comments by his individual sort of punctuation. But his Blood Meridian is a clear work of genius, and it is his individual touches on a dark dark bloody subject matter that allow the reader to endure and finish it. Elmer Kelton wrote as a journalist as well as novelist, and he lived much of what he wrote of. He did still retain a hint of romantic, but managed more truth than most writers of the genre. Perhaps it was the reporter in him telling readers what they needed to know. Robert E. Howard could write in any genre, and all of those that he did write within, were ennobled by his words. He is my favorite author, but stands with others in that realm.

“I don't believe I ever saw an Oklahoman who wouldn't fight at the drop of a hat -- and frequently drop the hat himself.” Robert E. Howard

I've read other writers who suggest that Chuck Dixon's writing is good but formulaic, and I will disagree loudly with that suggestion. All of his works do observe a format not a template, and if they use local color in language they completely obey all of the good writing reminders, and also the books are good for the reader and they don't feel like a formula. These aspects of writing include moving the plot forward by both action and dialogue... but in the work Snakehand he utilizes a second author to balance his approach, and it was really excellent. John Morgan Neal seems to have given weight to the emotional aspects of the story, which gives more power to the action scenes. And I am happy to say, that I believe a second volume approaches in the future, but I've been out of the Dixon zone of information for quite a while now so I could well be wrong. (Since writing this I learned that book two is out and was written by Dixon alone, available on Amazon and I guess elsewhere, and that book three is currently in progress, written by John Morgan Neal.  Color me very interested.)

SOME OF THE MOVIES

When I taught in the Humanities we used the movie Unforgiven as a way to teach students how archetypes and genre roles are used, along with mythic information, to tell stories, and to disavow them of any trust in movies for the future thereafter. Nope, not getting into the reason I say that, but if you are worried about spoilers, then you should be more timely in your movie watching. I think the movie is great, but brutal, and I won't watch it again. Three movies with Clint Eastwood and two with John Wayne, along with the Lone Ranger?  How wide of a variety am I offering? Well, one movie is way more of a romance, one is more action, one is a dark hero's journey, and the other a traditional movie by a traditional film director all the way down to a scene in Monument Valley. You really can't go wrong. Unless you don't like the subject matter, then I can't see any of these working for you.

AN RPG: BOOT HILL from TSR

I loved D&D and Gamma World (GW) from TSR. I wanted to like Gangbusters but it kind of was a better idea than a game, and Boot Hill was a game I liked but I rarely ever found anyone interested in playing it.  Just as I did with Gamma World, I used Boot Hill to take fantasy characters into a hot desert gold mining ghost town or former frontier town, and would challenge the players with new ideas, meet intelligent characters, and try to work out who they were quickly, or get shot. I still recommend Boot Hill, but I prefer D&D and GW to it, and think it is a harder sell to get people interested. That doesn't mean it isn't fun. It might be hard to find though, as I am uncertain if it is still in print or out of print copies are easy to find. I can still remember my players going from fighting Orcs, to discovering a Gatling Gun, and wanting to go to war with the enemy.  It was funny, and a fun diversion.


LASTLY, COMIC BOOK WESTERN TALES

The talented creatives, Chuck Dixon, Timothy Truman, Joe Lansdale, Cullen Bunn, Moebius, Tom Pomplun, Leonardo Manco, John Ostrander, Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and more, told stories with an edge. The characters all at home in Western tales, were made better than the typical story, due to quality of writing and art, but as often due to refusing to tell stories using stereotypical depiction, avoiding tropes, and simply telling human stories. Jonah Hex by Timothy Truman and Joe Lansdale is my favorite of the bunch shown, as it makes use of metaphors and allegory, action and thoughtful writing and image. However, again, while Westerns aren't my genre, all the books shown have a great deal of quality and intrigue. The most clever book shown is Justice Riders, where the story of a team of vigilantes in the American West is shown, utilizing the templates of the Justice League characters, with a Western motif. The story is great, but more than that, the adaptation of the setting with modern characters and their powers is wonderfully done.


MY LINKS:

My Poetry blog with 5000+ poems:  AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com

My published Work:  AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html

An Amazon Author Page: Amazon.com/author/AlexNess

Cthulhu Based Horror: CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com

Atlantis & Lost Worlds: AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com

I make precious little money from royalties and direct sales of my works.  If you know me in person you'll know I am not starving, so I am not arguing that I have no money for food or rent, but that isn't my why I sell books. I never have paid anyone to publish my work, I've been both self published and published by publishers, but even not going the vanity press route, I still need money to pay for book copies, to pay editors or others, and to invest in research to in the end make the best work I am able.  Also, it would be true to say that since 2013 my royalties and money went to pay health bills not anything like paying for the ancillary costs of publishing, nor investment into books for research. So, if you have an interest in helping me raise money, for whatever purpose (I still have health bills not completely paid), please click upon the link below... it will take you to works that I have for sale, and there are more, but I chose to share these because you can write to me at AlexanderNess63@gmail.com and inquire after books I've written.  Not all remain in print, in fact, about half are in print still.  I have author copies to sell, so, please feel free to inquire...  FOR SALE

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