Who is Bozo Texino?
Watching your film in Rotterdam was like finding a jewel. it's great to see that cinema can still take this kind of travels.
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everything was great. i have watched it 3 times so far. i'm very impressed. such great footage and some old monikers too. been into this type of thing since 93. this has been the best project i have seen documenting the streaks.
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Really enjoyed your film. I should say enjoy, because I seem to be watching
it over and over.
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Cinematographic
song of praise to the self-imposed life of a hobo. Using a 16mm and a
Super8 camera, Bill Daniel collected images of the hobo subculture over
a period of about 15 years. His years of roaming in goods trains
brought him into contact with countless legendary hobos. Daniel links
their stories and visions of life to their "tags", the signs they left
on trains long before graffiti was any kind of a hype. The film focuses
on the quest for the eminent Bozo Texino, whose tag decorated trains
all over the country for 80 years. In beautiful black & white, to
the rhythm of train wheels and country music, Daniel portrays
passionate people who have turned away from the establishment and it's
rules.
--- from the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
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As a retired locomotive engineer I saw thousands of the drawings like the ones in your film.
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I
arrived at work this morning to find an unassuming little package
waiting for me. I couldn't have been more excited to discover that it
was your documentary patiently waiting to be viewed. And view it I did,
the very moment I got home from work this evening. Suffice it to say,
it was wonderful. I don't quite know how to put it into words without
sounding silly or hopelessly romantic. I love trains, I love graffiti,
and I am absolutely captivated by hobo monikers. Seeing those monikers
drawn out before my eyes like that was like watching folk tales come to
life. Each time a different moniker appeared on the screen I couldn't
help but gasp with delight. And hearing those men speak. . well, there
just aren't words to express how marvelous that was. It was just
awesome. That world is so uniquely American without feeling the least
bit jingoistic. I really like that. Your film was a marvelous glimpse
into a world that I've only ever experienced through the other side of
my camera. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the
time, energy, and love that you put into that film.
Thank you thank you. :)
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bill your movie is so great
really i can't stop watching it
beautiful beautiful
really
thanks for those images
p.s. do we see margaret kilgallen once in the movie?
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Got the dvd - it is just right! Had heard of it through two young hitch-hikers I picked up. They raved about it....
Thank you!
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i got back to europe after surviving deep blues 2008.
the finest g'damn music festival on earth.
3 days of blues punk deluxe.
upon my return i discovered your parcel on my doorstep.
i cracked open a cold one and watched the film...4 times.
i'm weary of the inflationary term "independent film" but "who is bozo texino" re-installed some faith in it.
hands down the best film i've seen in years.
raw, poetic & intelligent.
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So I found your film a few months ago, thought it looked really badass, then for some reason never laid down my $18 for it. About ten minutes ago I ran across an article in an old Cometbus (ok, really in the anthology) by the same name and realized "holy shit, it's the same guy from like fifteen years ago". My mind was fucking blown. I just bought your film.
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I just stumbled across your stuff and the doco. It's a fascinating subject.
I sure hope you have seen 'The Garbage Warrior' documentary. Different subject, but amazing stuff.
Lets face it Bill, popular culture is a sea of shit, but stuff like yours and the above mentioned, they are shining beacons.
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I came to this purchase in a weird sort of way and have a few questions relating to that.
I was trying to buy a t-shirt for some friends of mine that had a photo of poutine on it and searched ebay for "poutine." The search returned a result with a book called Le laboratoire des poisons : De Lenine a Poutine. As in Vladimir Putin, not Canadian french fries. The for sale item also referenced Bonifacio III. BUT it had a photo of Who is Bozo Texino. From there, I found your website. So, although I'm actually glad I found your documentary instead of a poutine t-shirt, what does Bozo Texino have to do with the Pope in 607 or executions in the USSR???
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I grew up over in Lubbock and spent some time doing warehouse work over on the east side back in the 70's. I used to see Bozo Texino everywhere. Haven't thought about it in years. Then the other day I was reading some stuff about train car tagging and it brought back the memory. I plugged "Bozo Texino" into a google search and well you know . . . I'm looking forward to watching your film.
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Just wanted to let you know that i think the movie is incredible and i have probably watched it 5 times already.
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I wanted to write you ever since I have seen and was really struck by it.
The amount of work and passion you must have put into this film shows in
every second.
Not only is it an incredibly interesting topic that can tell so much about
society and people who decide for a different way of being, it is also very
well done respectfully to the protagonists in every way. It can tell great
stories about a transportation of art, music and tradition across the United
States
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I always wondered what the story was behind them but it was not until I viewed your film that I finally got my answer.
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Your film will have an honored place in my collection.
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Wonderful job and thanks a million!
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I really respect you for taking the time out of your life to bring this otherwise hidden world out into the open!
I am getting really sick and tired of the usual cookie cutter "movies" that Hollywood puts out anymore...
I want to discover as much about different types of "Real Folks" and their routines (behind the scenes) as I can before I leave this planet! One day I'd like to take off on an adventure, if I could just tear myself away from my Security Blanket (although sometimes our security blankest are not really as safe as we believe them to be.)
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I'm watching a copy of your film in the DVD format with the wonderful true testimonial booklet inside. this is a wonderful work of craft and art, a telling of living legends, and myths gone by. Reading everything cracked me up and of course, I've heard stories of the making for some time now. I'm glad to see a fruition take place and hold a hard copy of an indelible, historical footprint of lore and legend, mythical in wonder, discovery, and proportions. you've made a real jewel of celluloid and HD. visual imprints for now and forever. this is great work I must say.
growing up in the 1950's and 1960's we traveled all over the states by car. hardly any of it ever on the interstate system. I have fond memories and images of the
hobo way of life as we often witnessed the open cars with numerous guest travelers. our waves were always greeted with a genuine, fond response. take care and travel well.
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I've seen it already, just love the film. Thank you for making it. I talk about it all the time.
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I just wanted you to know how much I love Who is Bozo Texino. If it isn't the most beautiful film I ever saw, my memory is going away!
Of course that is the opinion of the beholder, who has always been in love with railroads and also has taken lots of B&W photos over the years, which seem best to capture the aura of railroading.
I grew up near the B&M, and never could stay away from the Fitchburg mainline or the barely-there branches, like the Central Mass line. Even if there were no trains, just the feel of being out on the line has always been a high for me.
I tried to get work on the B&M after finishing high school, but those days weren't good for that aspiration.
I did ride one freight in the early '70s, from Ayer Mass to Portland Maine, so those on board shots had a familiar feel to them. So beautiful, and so dangerous. It didn't take long to get the idea of staying away from the door, after getting spotted by cops, then almost getting my face smashed by a big rock some kid threw that banged against the back wall of the car. They were aiming at me!
So in an idle moment at my conventional job, I was just thinking about Bozo Texino, who's drawing I've seen countless times, and decided to look that name up on the google. Lo and behold, a documentary on the very subject!
So I bought it, and was NOT disappointed! So many of those other drawings, like Herby and Colossus of Roads, I have seen many times. It was very cool to see the actual artists.
Also though, the 'bos and their philosophies, were great to see and hear. Seems today, everybody is locked down in these lives of stoking the death machine, making trillionaires out of billionaires, being afraid to be free....it's just wrong, and a disgrace to all Creation, whatever that means!
So I'm going to buy some more copies of your incredibly moving movie, and share them with some people who might get something from it, including my Mom, and my eighty-something uncle Bob, people who have done some living and still believe in freedom, and some younger folks too.
Thanks again for the wonderful film!
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I watched Who Is Bozo Texino? twice, and love it. It is so
beautiful to watch, and lovingly told. Thanks for what you've done
and do.
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i used to own this movie but it got lost...i love this movie!
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just wanted to thank you for that movie you made. it blew me away. there are so many great things out there that we either don't know or just forget about. this raw freedom that we have. you have added to my continued inspiration to follow the path which i know to be right. there definitely ain't a lot of folks who remind you of that either. i guess you just have to keep searching. and i know having you guys out there doing your thing, it makes me feel like i'm doing right. i think these days, the things we need the most, are just simple authentic experiences. it warms you up real nice. no b.s.
i'm planning on leaving my bar job in south philly(i'm drinking way too much), and heading out to my brothers place to work at a wood fired pizzeria. they're going to teach me to work the oven and make mozzarella. it's got to beat all those slimy drunks in philly.
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Also, I'm sure that you've gotten a lot positive feedback about this movie. But I'd like to share with you a thought from a conversation that I had with a friend after seeing your movie: "Seeing Bozo in action on those grainers was a total reaffirmation of everything in life that I love and believe in. I feel like the world is still O.K." No joke.
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