WIP: DYNAMIC DUO OF THE OZARKS

Once again, I have used a face swap A-I program to create a conceptual photo for a character. This time I got around to creating a photo of Clint Grogan. Some have accused me of ignoring the character of Clint in favor of Sherry.

The truth is most of the major action happens with Clint. I have just had some sudden spontaneous ideas with the Sherry character, including an epiphany about the last chapter tying Sherry to Clint’s nephew, Dustin. Also, I wanted to have Sherry meet Bethany (Mykel’s snooty high school crush) and I had the idea of making it happen during a summer day trip to the Lake of the Ozarks. I’m also working on a later chapter where Mykel takes Sherry to the radio station to watch him work.

Since I made some A-I mock-ups for Mykel and Sherry, not to mention a photo I made of Bethany and her fiancé, Timothy. I decided I should try to make a mock-up of Clint Grogan. It was hard trying to find the models even though I was only using a simple face swap.

I searched through yearbook photos on Pinterest. I would find some, but I would notice they were from a page dedicated to people whose names are on the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Granted, in the novel, Clint is on the Wall, but I feared using those would lead to some Karen making a “stolen valor” claim to Word Press against me.

I found a 1965 senior photo in a Facebook group I belong to, so next I had to find the right “face.” I wound up with three faces to see if they would work for Clint.

One is a random rodeo cowboy, from a 1966 photo, posted on the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Facebook group.

I also saw, on Facebook, a video by a country singer named Cooper Allen (above). He reminded me of guy I went to high school with, who I didn’t like at first, because he dated a girl I was in love with, but he broke up with her, and I decided he wasn’t a bad guy after all.

Then I saw a photo of NASCAR driver Kasey Kane (above). I’ve tried all three and I believe Kasey Kane looks the most like what I have pictured in my mind that Clint looks like.

I’ve started work on the chapter involving the main event of the novel; Mykel and Clint running around Springville in their homemade Batman and Robin costumes.

I’ve decided it should begin with Mykel learning a dark secret Clint has been keeping from him. They take Clint’s Ford Mustang on their adventure. Mykel hears the song on the radio and wonders, aloud, “Are we playing this song?” Clint sheepishly admits that he sometimes listens to K-B-U-B.

Here is where I’m going to ask for some help. I’m going to let you vote on what the song was that Mykel heard playing on the radio of Clint’s car when they started their adventure as The Dynamic Duo of the Ozarks.

Now, I want to explain why some songs are not listed before people ask or get upset.

• There are no Roger Miller or Eddy Arnold songs in the poll. The reason is, as I’ve mentioned in some other chapters, they were crossover artist and K-I-L-L plays both Roger Miller and Eddy Arnold. As K-B-U-B’s Cousin Clyde said, “they aren’t real county.”
• Likewise, I left of “May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose” by Little Jimmy Dickens and “Flowers On The Wall” by The Statler Brothers, because they were crossover hits.
• I also left off country songs from that era that were covered by pop artist. For instance, I mention, in other chapters “The Race Is On” by Jack Jones (that’s not a typo and that is the ‘guy who sang the Love Boat theme’), “I Love You Drops” by Vic Dana, “Distant Drums” by Roy Orbison, “The Green Grass of Home” by Tom Jones, and “Night Life” by Doris Day (yes, Doris Day did a Willie Nelson song).