Wally Badgett, creator of "Earl" and his wife Pam pose with Wally's Saddle of Honor Award from the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. (Photo courtesy Rebecca Colnar)
GREAT FALLS, Mont., - On Saturday, August 20, the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame celebrated its third "Saddle of Honor" presentation with the award going to Montana Cowboy Cartoonist Wally Badgett. Badgett's pen name, M.C. Tin Star, became the backbone for his popular syndicated cowboy cartoon, "Earl." The presentation was part of The Russell and Great Western Art Rendezvous held at the ExpoPark Fairgrounds in Great Falls August 18 – 21, 2022.
Badgett, who hails from Miles City, received a bronze sculpture – the last bronze created by the late Jay Joseph Contway. The bronze is a replica of Russell's historic saddle and serves as a symbol for the extraordinary contributions Russell made in preserving the "Art and Soul of the American West."
Badgett was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in April of this year and now joins 2018 Saddle of Honor recipient Charles M. Russell and 2019 Jay Joseph Contway.
"The MCHF is proud to present this award to Wally Badgett, who has humorously contributed to upholding the cowboy way of life with his cartoons that capture the essence of the reality of ranch life," said DuWayne Wilson, MCHF board president.
Reader Comments(0)