I tend to be the type of person who is always thinking of some sort of bold idea, but the catch is that a lot of them are terrible (Note to our online comment section trolls: here's a free opening for you this week). My wife has to hear most of these harebrained schemes on a daily basis, for which you should probably console her if you ever run into her.
Once, when I worked somewhere else, I wanted to start a 'zine (remember the 90's?) called Company Time, wholly composed and produced while on the clock at a day job. Another: the week when I was convinced we should open a high-end slushie store or kiosk downtown. Actually, that isn't such a bad idea. Could someone get on that?
The catch is that I also have the power to make my flights of wonder happen when it comes to the paper I edit. So, for months, I've been looking for an excuse to do a coloring book-styled page as the front cover. So, no, we weren't too cheap to use much color on the front of the paper this week, it was a deliberate style choice. I thought if anyone was a fitting subject for that treatment, it would be legendary Tap Room bartender Tiger, so I swindled artist Arnie Bermudez to give us a cover image that could be given the Crayola treatment (or colored pencils, if that's your thing).
Based on some of the looks I got around here when I was explaining the concept, maybe this wasn't my best idea, but hey, we're doing another issue next week, so why not try something different, even if it only amuses me. I still think it's cool, so I'm going to ride that out until convinced otherwise.
Since I'm fully committed to this idea, let's have a coloring contest. Yes, I'm serious. Send a scan or photo of your colored in version of the cover to dgibson@tucsonweekly.com, I'll put the best ones on The Range, and pick a winner. This, of course, assumes someone will actually enter, but to make it sort of worth your while, I'll give the best colorist a $50 Congress gift certificate. Next week, however, we'll probably go back to the standard full-color cover aesthetic. Still, this week will be fun for me while it lasts.
