Scanning Around With Gene: Why Oh Why Wyoming?

Despite having travelled quite a bit around the United States, I’ve never been to Wyoming. So when the opportunity recently came to go on a magic cartoon journey to the Cowboy State, I took it and decided to bring you along.
All of today’s images are from a 1954 cartoon pamphlet in which Wyoming Joe and his magic horse Desert Dust take an average family on a journey to all the state’s highlights. Click on any image for a larger version.



Wyoming, it turns out, is quite an interesting state. The state motto is “Equal Rights” and Wyoming was the first state to allow women to vote and had the first woman governor.


Wyoming is also home to a number of other firsts, including the first county library system, the first national park (Yellowstone), the first national forest (Shoshone), the first ranger station (Wapiti), and the first national monument (Devils Tower).


The official sport of Wyoming is the rodeo and the state was the home of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his famous western show.

I don’t know how many states have an official state dinosaur, but Wyoming does: it’s the triceratops. And apparently, at least in 1954, Wyoming was famous for its cheese.


Wyoming was home to artist Jackson Pollock, which seems a bit incongruous, and also home to Vice President Dick Cheney, which doesn’t.

Of course we all know that Yellowstone is not only home to Old Faithful, but also to bears, so all of you Stephen Colbert fans be warned. Another animal, the Jackalope, is the official mythological creature of Wyoming.


And where there are forests, there are forest fires, so Wyoming Joe takes the cartoon family to visit a ranger who warns the kids not to play with fire.



As you might imagine, the family has a wonderful magic trip to Wyoming and vows to go back for a proper vacation. And you can bet the next chance I get, I’ll be taking a real visit to Wyoming. I hear the cheese is wonderful.



Follow Gene on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SAWG

James Fritz is a Principal Program Manager: Content Tools and Workflows at LinkedIn.
  • Anonymous says:

    Gene,
    I always look forward to your blog here on Creativepro.com. It never fails to put a big grin on my face. A great blog and on a great web site.

  • Anonymous says:

    Ditto, Gene!

  • Anonymous says:

    Cheap shot at Dick Cheney, he is Wyoming and a true American if you can’t accept that stay the hell out of Wyoming.

  • Anonymous says:

    Beautiful areas in this state. My favorite is Grand Teton National Park. I’ve ridden my motorcycle there more than once and also 4 wheel trips there. For me, it’s a majical place.

  • Anonymous says:

    That was great! Thanks for sharing it. I was born and raised here, left for 20 years and came back for the climate. I have a bone to pick with you, however. “Wyoming was home to artist Jackson Pollock, which seems a bit incongruous, and also home to Vice President Dick Cheney, which doesn’t.” Hey, come on! That’s not fair! I think he (Dick Cheney) was a transplant – or an alien! Not all of us like to acknowledge him. but you’re right, I guess. RURAL Wyoming is about the most conservative place in the solar system!

  • Anonymous says:

    What a find. Love it.

    But there’s still no need to come to Wyoming, Gene. Boring. Sage flats everywhere. We’re the least populous state for a reason. (This is a contest where coming in 50th is actually a win.) The fact that a serious study found Wyoming to be the best-run state in the Union is a secret best left kept.

    The bizarre desire to express pride in Dick Cheney, who helped destroy our economy and tens of thousands of innocent lives, is because Dick Cheney does not care. About anything. Except pure power. So people who don’t care either, but who worship the abuse of power, worship the likes of Dick Cheney.

    They especially admire Cheney for getting drunk, shooting man in the face, and walking.

  • Anonymous says:

    …that you have never visited Wyoming, Gene. It’s true that there are a very few dreadful stretches of highway (the road surfaces are excellent everywhere) but it’s mostly wonderful. Don’t miss the excellent Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, which might sound like it’s a tourist trap but is actually a many-sided, world-class museum.

  • Anonymous says:

    Dick Cheney shot a man and crippled him for life and never apologized. If you can’t accept that, stay the hell out of the comments section.

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