A Tall Tale Reborn

We recently enjoyed a brief summer getaway to Paul Bunyan Land, in Brainerd, MN. I'd never been there before and, although we inadvertently chose a rather grey stormy day, Lisa and I had a lot of goofy fun. (She still wouldn't go into the Haunted House with me...but I can't say I blame her. It looked precariously spooky.)

However, it was the gigantic Paul Bunyan statue that creeped me out. I already knew that he could speak directly to the park's visitors, sometimes even calling them by name, but I didn't know that the statue could move! When his big-as-melon eyeballs rolled toward us, branch-like lower lip opened, and enormous car-sized hand gave us a ponderously good-humored wave, we suddenly knew what Fay Wray must have felt like.

(Click on the pics for a much bigger image.)


















The main purpose for the trek was to get my picture taken, at the request of editor Donald Lemke, for my new The Tall Tale of Paul Bunyan children's book due out from Stone Arch Books for the holidays. Apparently, they are planning something weird and fun with the "About the Author and Artist" page, and I certainly wanted to contribute.




























Of course, the fact that there were dinosaurs also prowling around close by made this a perfect day, thunderstorms and all.

I always relate that there's a perennial nine-year-old residing inside me, and it was liberating to publicly let him loose for awhile.

No one there seemed to mind.