Who's your favorite Old West personality?

[J.]

The Old West is one of my favorite times in history to study and read about. The way these people solved differences, worked what we would consider menial jobs today, and the sheer toughness of them fascinates me. How did we go from being such hard asses and real men to the girlie men we are today? Eh, that's a discussion for another day.

Anyway, I'm sure this thread will die a quick death, but who's your favorite Old West character/personality/outlaw/lawman. I'm sure we've all seen some old western movies praising the outlaws and making them out to be anti-heros like Young Guns and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

But who's your fave? I've tried to include to more wellknown ones, but I'm sure I missed somebody.

PS - No, John Wayne was not an Old West figure.

 

[lizard]

Doc Holliday for sure...I've got two Doc Holliday tees

I've recently read a book about the myth of Johnny Ringo, and one on Bloody Bill Anderson....Anderson was one wild psycho.

 

[Chromatose]

buford "mad dog" tannen

 

[lizard]

dude you totally need this book:

 

[J.]

haha, Maddog Tannen.

Yeah, I'd go with Doc Holliday as well. I read a biography of his on the intarweb, and that man is just balls to the wall "don't fuck with me".

The movie Tombstone got it right that his last words we're "Isn't that funny" or whatever. Because since he was a lunger, he purposely got in a lot of gunfights and stuff so he would avoid dying in a bed, but the dude was such a badass, he lived through all those fights.

 

[NAD]

I will admit that I am lacking in the manhood department when it comes to Old West knowledge. But honestly, I'm afraid my dick would actually become too large if I watched and read as much of this stuff that I wanted. I'd have to start wearing special pants and either begin short-thrusting or dating exclusively Amazon Women.

I can't really pick a favorite, but they all kicked a lot more ass than I ever will.

 

[J.]

I've recently read a book about the myth of Johnny Ringo, and one on Bloody Bill Anderson....Anderson was one wild psycho.

I'd like to read about Johnny Ringo and Curly Bill Brocius. Those two were supposedly freakin' insane, yet terribly cunning.

 

[lizard]

here's one of my faves, cause criminals are always more amusing when there's things wrong with them when they have physical flaws, like being crosseyed, and having wicked cool nicknames

 

[J.]

yeah, the cool nicknames were....well.....cool. Especially if we move up in time to the depression era, and you have Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Machine Gun Kelly.

And of course, gangsters (not gangstas, I'm talking the real deal) like Lucky Luciano, Mad Dog Cole, and of course Scarface Capone.

 

[lizard]

mobsters always have cool nicks, like Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo.

J, you need to get the books by Bob Boze Bell. He's a historian and artist based in AZ I think, who writes and illustrates for True West Magazine. His books are packed with photos and his own illustrations, and he's done books on Holliday, Earp, and one encompassing "Bad Men" which is pretty cool.

 

[lurch70]

Yosemite Sam bitches

 

[J.]

I'll check out his books, lizard. Always been interested in the stories of these people. The only one I've read is a Billy the Kid biography, giving detialed accounts of what really happened. Everything else has been online.

I've been spending lots of time reading about outlaws and gansters on www.crimelibrary.com. Man, that Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel have interesting stories.

 

[lizard]

Bell's books are the perfect read when you're drunk because they're written in short bursts of facts and stories...they also make an excellent addition to any man's bathroom library

 

[NAD]

crimelibrary.com is so freaking awesome, I've spent a lot of time at that site. Looks like they have a lot more ads than they used to, that sorta sucks.

Yosemite Sam kicks ass.

 

[lizard]

I'm trying to remember who the outlaw was who got hung and as he fell through the trap door the rope ripped his head off.

and the legendary elderly stagecoach robber Black Bart, who left awesome poems with his victims:

At the fourth robbery:

"I've labored long and hard for bread,
For honor and for riches
But on my corns too long you've tread,
You fine-haired sons-of-bitches.
Black Bart, the P o 8"

At the fifth robbery:

"Here I lay me down to sleep
To wait the coming morrow,
Perhaps success, perhaps defeat
And everlasting sorrow.
Yet come what will, I'll try it once,
My conditions can't be worse,
And if there's money in that box,
'Tis money in my purse.
Black Bart, the P o 8"

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Ran Tan Plan

 

[Chromatose]

buford "mad dog" tannen

he bragged that he had killed 12 men, not including Indians or Chinamen

 

[J.]

and he does his killin' before breakfast

 

[Evil C.]

Ive been to Tombstone before driving to California. That is fun to do once.

c

 

[Nate The Great]

I picked Jesse James. Mostly because he hung out close to where I live. BUT . . . most of those guys passed through my neck of the woods on a regular basis. I'm sure you've all heard of Dodge City, Kansas.