Long story short, The Writer/Bum (below left) wrote a scathing letter to The Smarmy Newspaper Publisher/City Councilman (below right) accusing him of hypocrisy, bad newspaper management and all around smarminess. In fact, he blamed The Smarmy Newspaper Publisher/City Councilman for the general and increasing smarminess of his hometown. The letter touched off at least a month-long round of half-baked print screeds (and even a few talk radio segments) and threatened to stretch into Eternity until The Writer/Bum got it into his head that the best way to settle the matter was with a Public Duel followed by a town forum on (and I paraphrase) "how do we keep our town's soul intact while incorporating an ever-rising tide of Smarm?" I drew the caricatures (extreme bottom left and right) as cover art for use in a "wanted poster" type motif. Apparently these same drawings were also mass produced for a flyers promoting the event.
As I understand it, The Duel went off without a hitch; the chief of police provided the guns (airsoft-like trainer pistols) and someone far less responsible than him provided the beer (Miller Genuine Draft, I've been told). According to reports, The Writer/Bum shot The Smarmy Newspaper Publisher/City Councilman twice, and The Smarmy Newspaper Publisher/City Councilman shot The Writer/Bum once. The following public forum, I'm told, was actually fairly productive and well attended.
I love my town.
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