Among the more peculiar stories last year was the discovery that the standing grizzly or brown bear on Alaska license plates -- introduced in 1976, banished by public scorn and legislative action shortly after, then revived by the Department of Motor Vehicles -- might not be public domain, exactly. The original artist was identified as Douglas Allen, a well-known wildlife illustrator who lives in New Jersey.
Exactly how Alaska started using the bear in the first place seems lost in the short-term memory fog endemic to the state's bureaucracy, although it seems to have been chosen by then-Director of Public Safety Richard Burton from options provided to him by the 3-M Company.
Allen has expressed no interest in confronting the state regarding the expropriation of his image. But the question of whether the bear could be used on non-license plate items remained up in the air until October. That's when Roger and Rhonda Zak of The Unlimited/Alaska Hat & Apparel received licensing rights from the artist for their line of souvenirs and other merchandise.
The Zaks also obtained permission from the DMV to use the bear on logos that resemble Alaska license plates, as long as they're not the same size as real plates. The main design difference is that Alaska Hat & Apparel bears will be accompanied by Allen's signature, which should help dispel future confusion and give recognition where it's due.
Another difference is that the souvenir license refers to the date of Alaska statehood, with a "JAN" month sticker in the upper left corner and the year "59" on the opposite side. The year sticker also contains copyright information.
Jan. 3 will be the 57th anniversary of Alaska statehood.
The Zaks' line includes hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts, postcards, magnets, bottle openers, cups, coffee and even a proposed beer to be produced locally and named, appropriately, "Growler." Roger Zak was still casting around for a brewer to supply the contents when he stopped by last week.
"We were a little nervous about asking Doug if he minded having his name on a beer label," said Rhonda Zak. But Allen's wife, Bea, assured her that the artist drinks beer and, when shown the mock-up, he was delighted with it. The beer labels, like several other items in the line, show the bear standing in front of a mountain.
A T-shirt given to the Fairbanks Four on the occasion of their release from prison Dec. 17, and featured in a front-page photo, had an image of the bear license with the characters "XONR8!" on it. Roger Zak said that was not his product; he suspects there may be minor differences between the bear in the picture and the one for which he holds the reproduction rights. "I hope they're not ripping me off," he said.
Bear logo merchandise will be displayed at the Alaska Gift Show in the Dena'ina Center from Jan. 7-9. The show is restricted to makers, wholesalers, distributors and outlets of Alaska memorabilia, but those with credentials can see the products at Booth 901.
War and words
49 Writers is seeking participants for an event titled "Danger Close: Alaska," described as "an in-depth, one of a kind, multi-genre writing workshop that will unite veteran and civilian writers in the production of high-quality literature."
The three-day affair will begin on the evening of Friday, Feb. 5, at the Anchorage Museum with a panel discussion. Authors Sherry Simpson, Benjamin Busch, Elliott Ackerman and Lea Carpenter will take part in an exploration of the question: To whom does the genre of war literature "belong," veterans or civilians?
Writing workshops will take place Feb. 6-7. Attendees will include equal numbers of civilians and veterans. The cost is $150 and applicants should submit a three- to five-page double-spaced manuscript by Jan. 11. Apply at 49writingcenter.org. Click on "Instruction" and then "register."
New Cirque is out
As dependably as the cycles of the sun, the latest edition of the Alaska literary journal Cirque was released on winter solstice. The new issue includes an essay by former Alaska Poet Laureate Tom Sexton, with selections of his poetry and a sample from his upcoming memoir, "48 Oak Street." Also featured is art by Jim Thiele and writing by Anne Caston, Amy Meissner, James Sweeney and Karen Tschannen, whose previous work in Cirque has garnered Pushcart Prize nominations in the past. The issue can be read, and ordered, online at cirquejournal.com.
The deadline for submission for the next issue is March 21.
First Friday in Haines
Anchorage art venues are putting off any First Friday openings until Jan. 8, assuming that few patrons will be out and about on Jan. 1, which will in fact be the first Friday of the month.
In Haines, however, the art walk is taking place on New Year's Day. Among the attractions is a retrospective of the Women's Art Journal Project at Art on Mainstreet, from 5-7 p.m. The Alaska Arts Confluence, which is presenting the show, will celebrate with "bubbly refreshments" and chowder.
The journal project, an exchange of handmade books between women in the Chilkat Valley and Washington state, has been going on for some years. Each participant chose a theme and created her own book containing "something autobiographical." After a month, each woman passed her book on to another member, who added her own contribution. In the end they had created "a collection of beautiful, handmade books that represented different aspects of each women."
Alaska participants include Sharon Svenson, Joanie Wagner, Lani Hotch, Jane Weagant and Ali Dyvig. The show will remain on display until Feb. 3. Feb. 6 will mark the one-year anniversary of the start of the Haines First Friday art walk.