Exciting News!  Starting this week, these three newspapers will be carrying one of the sydicated (not-released-in-book-format) Hank the Cowdog serial stories, "The Kitty Cheater":  The Clifton Record The Meridian Tribune Jackson County Herald Tribune  Then, in July, weekly newspapers in these five towns in Texas will also be running one of... Read More

  "Hank the Cowdog Popular Means of Encouraging Children to Read," Article in The Amarillo Globe-News     Hi Hank-Fans, We thought you might enjoy this article, written a few years back, from the Amarillo Globe-News! Link to full article in the Amarillo Globe-News How about you? Did Hank help you or... Read More

Originally posted on August 27, 2012, we thought this would be a fun post to revive!        Our son Mark and his friend Christopher were teenagers. Each by himself was intelligent, courteous, and resourceful. Each by himself was a good worker on the ranch. But when they got... Read More

Hi Hank-Fans! Here's Part Two! We hope you enjoy hearing John Erickson read from "The Case of the Perfect Dog," Chapter 7. And, as always, be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below! ~The Ranch-hands (In case you missed it, click here to view Part... Read More

  May 16-17, 2013 "Heart of a Cowboy," Parts 1 and 2 Click here to hear John R. Erickson's interview with Dr. James Dobson.   From Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk's Website:       "It seems like everywhere you turn, you have to worry about what the kids are watching... Read More

  Dear Readers,    We hope you've had a chance to enjoy "The Case of the Prowling Bear"! But, just in case you haven't, did you know that the Hank the Cowdog books are also available in all major ebook formats? That means you can read it today! If you... Read More

Hi Hank-Fans!  Here's Part One of the latest video from John R. Erickson! See and hear him read from "The Case of the Perfect Dog," Chapter 7. And, as always, we love to hear from you so be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below!... Read More

  Hello Everyone!      First off, congratulations to everyone who entered! A lot of creativity and fun went into each entry we saw, and it took a long time to decide the winners in each category. Second, thank you for entering! We REALLY enjoyed watching everyone's videos and looking at... Read More

Hi Hank-Readers!     We're doing something a little different today and featuring a bit (and the link to the rest) of a great blog post by a devoted Hank fan (who is also the mother of a few more fans!). Take a look at My Whit's End's Rebecca's take on... Read More

Hi Everyone!      Here's the latest from John R. Erickson! Hear the story of behind the making of the first Hank the Cowdog audiobooks.     Fun Fact: Did you know that, from the start, John intended for the stories to be read aloud? One of the most unique... Read More

 Hi Hank Fans! The deadline for The Case of the Prowling Bear Contest is coming up soon (April 30th), and we've already recieved some great submissions! Be sure to submit your entry on-time in order to qualify for one of the great prize packages! Contest details below:    PRIZES (1st and 2nd place... Read More

    Jeff Chase ran steers on the Brownlee-Cook ranch and joined our outfit on the north end. One day he drove down to the river country to ride through his steers, and while he was in the neighborhood, he paid us a visit.     We sat out on... Read More

Hi Hank-Fans!  Here's the latest from John R. Erickson! Hear the story of how he met Hank's long-time illustrator, Gerald L. Holmes.  Hope you enjoy it!  ... Read More

Hi Hank-Readers, We hope you enjoy this interview with the author! Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below. And, let us know if there's anything you'd especially like to hear him talk about in upcoming videos!    To view the video on Hank's... Read More

Author of 'Hank the Cowdog' Reissues First Book By Chip Chandler "Long before Hank the Cowdog was patrolling the ranch, his daddy was getting a first-hand look at the history of his home region. Now, fans of author John R. Erickson can get a look at his first book, reissued... Read More

  …Actually two contests! For Hank #61, we’ve devised two great contests (for different age groups), and we hope you enjoy them!    Contest #1: Coloring Contest (Ages 3-9) ENTRY: To qualify for Contest #1, show us your best coloring of this illustration from Hank #61! Directions: 1.     Print off this illustration, 2.    ... Read More

  Hi Hank-Fans!  "The Case of the Prowling Bear" is on its way! The official release of the book and audiobook will be on May 3rd, but in the meantime, we wanted to give you a sneak peek at the songs. Be sure to let us know what you think... Read More

Announcing....  . Goodreads Book Giveaway Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson Giveaway ends March 31, 2013. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win ... Read More

Announcing: "The Case of the Prowling Bear"! Have you been wondering what Hank the Cowdog #61 will be about? Wonder no more! "The Case of the Prowling Bear" will be released this April, and here's a sneak peak at the story:   "Everyone knows that bears live in the mountains…and there... Read More

Dear Readers,  As promised: John R. Erickson's answers to some of your questions . . . Enjoy, and keep reading!    Q) From Sunshine: Will Hank ever get a girlfriend? Or have any "little Hanks"? :) I always feel sorry for him always coming out the loser, when he really... Read More

(Part 1 of 2)     In this post, John Erickson will answer a few questions that he often gets from readers. And, if you have any questions of your own, be sure to leave them in the comments section below, and maybe yours will be featured next week!  ... Read More

Chapter Three (of The Valentine's Day Robbery) . . . Sally May had been sweeping the porch with a broom. Slim made his way up the sidewalk and gave her a greeting. “Morning, Sally May. Is Loper around?”     “Morning, Slim. No, he went north to feed the cows.”    ... Read More

    The word “cowboy” did not exist in the English language until the traildriving period of the 1870s and 1880s. Before that time, mounted men who handled livestock were known as “drovers” or “herders.” When the word first appeared, probably in the railroad terminal cities in Kansas and Nebraska,... Read More

Hi Everyone,  Merry Christmas! You're probably done with most of your shopping by now, but, just in case you're still looking for that perfect gift for a friend or family member who loves Hank the Cowdog, why not introduce them to the Hank the Cowdog ebooks?  Find Hank ebooks for... Read More

    Getting out of this canyon to attend church in the wintertime is sometimes an ordeal. The Saturday before Christmas of 1997, a cold norther blew into the Panhandle. The weather forecasters were predicting freezing rain and snow. They got the first half of it right. It started raining... Read More

Chapter Two:     . . . I went padding up to Slim, just as he was going through the gate. I was glad to see the old rascal, and as you might expect, he was delighted to see me.     “Hi Hankie, what do you think of this snow?”... Read More

    He sat down beside us and gave me his usual silly grin. “Hi Hank. I guess I fell asleep. Did I miss anything?”     “You missed everything, Drover. I’ve just blown this case wide open.”     “I’ll be derned. Which case?”     “The Case of... Read More

(*For 9" or deep-dish pie plate) Crust Ingredients:1 1/4 c. flour 1/2 c. shortening 1/2 tsp. salt1/3 c. cold water Filling Ingredients:7-8 tart apples (or enough to mound over edge of plate) 2/3-3/4 c. sugar mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbsp. flour 1 Tbsp. butter Topping Ingredients:1/2 c. butter... Read More

Hi Hank-Readers!  Just the other day, a reader emailed Hank asking, "What is a cake house?" We're so glad you asked, because that reminds us of one of the best scenes from Book 9, The Case of the Halloween Ghost!   From Chapter 10: ". . .Where do you go... Read More

    It’s me again, Hank the Cowdog. At this point, you don’t know The Big Question and I’m not in a position to tell you, not yet. See, it’s classified information, very secret, and we can’t go public with it until later in the story.     Can you... Read More

Ever wanted to see Hank on stage? Here's a chance to do just that! "When Sally May comes home from the hospital with a new baby girl, it causes a stir on the ranch. Hank thinks it's a Giant Baldheaded Lizard-but Alfred is jealous of the new baby and runs... Read More

    Not long ago a man asked me for some advice on buying his kids a horse. I told him I didn't consider myself an expert, but I had some opinions and he was welcome to them. For what they're worth, I pass them along to others who might... Read More

Hi Hank-Fans!  As you've probably guessed, we're really excited about "The Big Question" (To be released Oct. 11 this year), and we hope you are too! Today, we're pleased to make the songs from the audiobook available to you: the first one is Maters and Taters, sung by Slim, and the... Read More

    The summer of 1998 was the most unpleasant and demoralizing summer in my memory. June and July brought searing heat, brutal winds, range fires, and no rain.     Our grass, what little we had, appeared to be dead. Our ponds dried up and the springs slowed to... Read More

Ever wondered how the Hank the Cowdog audiobooks are made? Well, here’s a look behind the scenes of the recording session for the songs from Hank #60, “The Big Question”! Pictures to the left were taken in the studio: Mark Erickson, Carlos Casso, and Erik Chapman. The songs being recorded... Read More

Hi Hank-Fans!  We loved reading your guesses about what "The Big Question" is all about! And, here's the moment you've been waiting for:  "It’s the day before Christmas, and Loper and Sally May have left Slim to manage the ranch while they go off to visit relatives for the holidays.... Read More

Hi Hank-Fans!  We here at Maverick Books are getting excited about the upcoming release of the next Hank the Cowdog book: #60, "The Big Question"! And, this week, we're happy to get to show you a sneak peek at the cover!  But...we aren't going to tell you what it's about just yet...we... Read More

Do you have a favorite quote about dogs? We do! And, if you do, we'd love for you to share it with us in the comments section below! “Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened.” - Anatole France   “He that lieth down with... Read More

    We have insects on this ranch that come armed with a stinger. The first that comes to mind is the yellowjacket wasp. They like our house. They love our house and would move in with us if we gave them any encouragement at all. We don’t, so they... Read More

Ranching As a Business      Now we know the difference between a ranch and a farm, don't we?  We've learned that a ranch is mostly grassland, while a farm is mostly cropland.  And we've learned that cattle are eating machines that can turn grass into delicious beef, which is... Read More

The Case of the Four Chambered Stomach (Warning: You're fixing to learn a lot about cows)      Cows can survive on grass because they've got a special four chambered stomach that can digest it. Animals that live off of grass, such as your cattle, your goats and sheep and... Read More

A Ranch Is Not A Farm       Here's the first thing you ought to know about a ranch. It's not the same as a farm. A farm is mostly cropland, see, which means that the land is plowed and planted to crops, such as wheat, barley, rye, corn, oats,... Read More

Introduction      It's me again, Hank the Cowdog.  So you want to know about ranching?  Well, you came to the right place.       I happen to be pretty muchly an expert on the subject and I probably know more about this ranch than anybody in the whole world,... Read More

     In 1967 I married a Dallas girl.  I have often wondered why my mother-in-law allowed this to happen.      Her name was Mary Dykema, and she certainly gave me the benefit of the doubt.  Of that commodity, doubt, there was plenty.  I had no job nor... Read More

In the fall of 1998, mice began showing up in the bunkhouse, the old shack I went every morning at 5:30 to do my writing.  I didn’t mind sharing my office space with mice who behave themselves, but these got out of hand. They were chewing up papers and envelopes... Read More

(Continued from last week)  . . . When you write a dog’s internal monolog, as I do with Hank, it gives the narrative a fractured, lurching flow that tends to move in circles.  And that can be very funny.     A conversation between Hank and Drover is actually two conversations,... Read More

    I am often asked, “What made you decide to write books about a dog?”     Well, we can begin by saying that it wasn’t planned.  As a university student, I never would have thought about writing humor, especially stories about dogs.  I studied something called Literature,... Read More

QUESTION:  "I was wondering why Drover sometimes is brave, like when Hank joined the coyotes and Drover had to defend the ranch "I ain't gonna run", and sometimes he's a scared cat, "Poof!" He was gone to the machine shed." -Cale   ANSWER:  "Drover and Hank both have problems with... Read More

Hi Hank-Readers,  Ever given letter-writing a try? You might want to once you read the latest article by John R. Erickson, published in World Magazine: "The Importance of Writing Letters" We hope you enjoy! And, as always, be sure to let us know what you think! We love to read your... Read More

Congratulations to the winners, and a BIG THANK YOU from all of us at Maverick Books to everyone who entered! We loved your entries!   In the end, it was very hard to choose between the many wonderful entries we recieved. We hope you enjoy seeing the drawings we picked. ... Read More

Dear Readers,       This week kicks-off what will become a regular feature on Hank's Blog: "Ask Hank."      Because we receive lots of great questions from Hank the Cowdog readers and fans in the mailbag (and in the "Get in Touch" part of Hank's site: http://www.hankthecowdog.com/author), John R.... Read More

On this day (March 22) in 1908, Louis L'Amour, the man widely considered to be "one of the world's most popular writers," was born, and, though he died over 20 years ago, his impact on American storytelling lives on. By John R. Erickson: In 1980 I attended a convention of the Western Writers of... Read More

Winners will be announced Wednesday, March 28 and contacted by email. Winning drawings will be posted this week. Congrats to all who entered!    Announcing: The Case of the Perfect Dog Contest!  1st Place Prize: 1 Personalized, autographed copy of Hank 59, 1 pack of Hank the Cowdog playing cards.... Read More

Hi Hank-Readers, We hope you enjoy Texas Country Reporter's interview with John R. Erickson. This video also includes footage from a 1988 interview.  "In Perryton Texas, mamas still let their babies grow up to be cowboys..."    To view the video on the TCR's channel, just go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMhFPZBXdV0... Read More

     Well, Hank must be right, Labradors really are America's favorite dog!      Last week, the American Kennel Club came out with its yearly rankings based on registration statistics, and, for the 21st year in a row, Labrador Retrievers came in at first place.      Also of... Read More

"Success in the Arts" Excerpts below:       When I speak to young people about writing, I wonder if they will have the discipline and fortitude to endure the years of hardship that most apprentice writers have to experience. I also wonder if they will have the wisdom to cope... Read More

    I’ve never known a cowboy or rancher who wanted to go to the doctor.  Part of the reason is that they pry into your personal life and ask embarrassing questions, such as, “What happened?”     Glenn Green gave one of the all-time best answers to that question... Read More

March 29th!    Hi Hank-Fans!  Are you as excited as we are about reading The Case of the Perfect Dog? Well, keep your eye out for upcoming news and contests related to the release of this exciting new addition to Hank's adventures!  Hank the Cowdog book #59 will be available to... Read More

Hi Hank-fans,  Check out this reader's story! Excerpts below:  How long does it take to read a million words? Just ask Show Low’s Linden Elementary School second-grader Kathryn Shea Middleteon, who goes by Shea. She is the first second-grader ever at Linden Elementary to read one million words, 1,044,410 the... Read More

Hi Hank-Fans!  Have you ever thought of having a Hank-themed birthday party? Over the years, we've received countless emails from Hank readers (parents and kids alike) asking for ideas for how to throw a Hank the Cowdog party. And, here's our answer! And, please be sure to email us (using... Read More

January of 1997 brought us several weeks of bitterly cold weather.  What we got out of it was mild compared to the reports that came out of the Dakotas, but our share was bad enough. We needed our best clothes for this one.  For days the temperature didn't rise... Read More

Live in or near Oklahoma? Well, if you're ever near Forgan, Oklahoma, be sure to check out this monument dedicated to Hank!   "Don't take noth'n fer granite ...." - Hank the Cowdog Exploring Oklahoma - Hank the Cowdog Monument    ... Read More

His name was Ray Hopkins and we had heard that he was due to arrive in Perryton near the end of the 1961 track season.  He was to be our new varsity football coach.  We were all anxious to meet him, but also a little nervous. What kind of... Read More

When Leo arrived at Frankie's ranch, all the cowboys were gone.  Leo was the only human on that seventeen square mile outfit in Lipscomb County.  Naturally he began looking around for the raw materials for a prank.     Within minutes he had found what he needed:  a box... Read More

An Englishman had recently come back home from a visit to Texas and was telling his friends about his trip. One fellow asked, "What most impressed you about Texans?"      He replied, "Their confidence. A Texan took me duck hunting and we sat in a blind all day and never... Read More

Back in the 1970s, I had a cowboy friend who worked for an outfit that ran a thousand head of steers on wheat pasture on the flats around Perryton.  He was a nice feller, mild mannered and easy going, but there was one sure way of bringing fire to... Read More

One of these years, I hope to achieve the level of wisdom and maturity that will allow me to look out at a snowbound ranch and say, “You know, I don’t think it would be smart to feed cattle today.  I’ll just sit around the fire and read a... Read More

December of 1995 was a hard time for ranchers in the upper Panhandle.  On our ranch in the Canadian River valley, we got a blowing snow the week before Christmas and that complicated my simple routine of feeding cattle every day. First, I had to plow my way through... Read More

Classic Film Comedies.  My friend Paul Boller introduced me to the classic films of Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, and the Marx Brothers.  Before they were widely known to my generation and available on DVD, Boller collected them in a film format known as Super Eight.  Any time he came... Read More

Books and Authors.  Teachers and librarians are often surprised (and maybe disappointed) to learn that, as a boy, I wasn’t an avid reader.  In my parents’ home, we had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in our living room, loaded with books, and my bedroom upstairs had a smaller version, filled with books my... Read More

In Story Craft, I compare the creative process to the tending of a compost heap.  “I never know exactly what will come out of my mental/spiritual compost heap.  The characters, dialog, and plot lines that end up in my stories bear some resemblance to the experiences I’ve had, yet they’ve... Read More

In 1875, Mark Twain wrote to a friend about the book he had just finished writing: Tom Sawyer. “It is not a boy’s book, at all. It will only be read by adults. It is only written for adults.” Several months later, he wrote the same friend, saying that he... Read More