What's wrong with this picture?

There is lots of bad information floating around in this world.  No, ostriches don't stick their heads in the sand.  What doesn't kill you DOESN'T make you stronger it just makes you scarred and traumatized. And most importantly 40 is not the NEW 30 it is just plain 40.

If any Alaskan travels outside the state they get asked bizarre questions based on bad information.  Do you travel by dogsled?  ( that is an actual repeated again and again question) or one of the most annoying, do you know Sarah Palin?  Well of course.  All 660,000 Alaskans get together for family dinner once a year.  I always make my famous mashed sweet potatoes.  Sheesh.

Getting a book published is challenging and that is a fact I think all people know.  But recently I saw something that stopped me in my tracks.  Here was a book on how to draw animals and featured prominently on the cover was a black bear.  Now, I must pause here to empathise that this artist found a publisher that said, " Wow, you're good!" and shelled out money and effort to promote his book.  Are you ready?  Here is the bear.

 

What's that?  He looks like a moose from the chest down?  EXACTLY!  Has this artist even seen a black bear?  I don't mean in real life but even a photo?  Here let me help.

 

 

One of the charming things about the bear is that they walk with a serious pigeon toe gait.  One of the scary things about a bear is that they are fast, fuzzy tanks.  It's the stocky build coming at you that causes you to panic.

I don't mean to pick on this artist.  I always try to do my research before I paint an animal but I am sure I have misdrawn a beak, paw or snout along the way.  But let's not add to Alaska's misconceptions.  There is very little risk of a bear silhouette being confused with a moose. Yes, we use the U.S. dollar as our currency,  English is our language and we don't kiss by rubbing noses.  I hope that helps clear up some strange ideas floating around out there. Now, I gotta run, my dog sled is double parked.