There was one with a skier in a cornfield, titled “Ski Iowa.” Another titled “Ski Texas” had a downhill racer imaged aside a Longhorn steer. You get the picture. When Varner and Gaines inquired as to whether the clerk had an appropriate “Ski Mississippi” poster, the Clerk sniffed, “those rednecks don’t ski” and went on about his business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That insult launched a small business joint venture between the two that has lasted over a quarter century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next fall, when the cotton was open, the plants were bare of leaves, and pickers were in the fields, friends Varner and Gaines decided to make their own poster, just to fill their own walls and art appetites. Therefore, creative thinking led to a theoretical design of a human cotton-picker, complete with cotton sack and a skier alongside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first problem arose when Gaines, who was the photographer, saw through the camera and could not get the skis in the picture. The skis told the viewer the whole story of the picture, so a quick trip back home was made to get a couple of sawhorses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, balanced upon the sawhorses, Varner, in complete Winter ski attire in late September, was the model. Next to him was the Cotton picker, with his sack. Shot were taken, and pictures were developed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, the pair met failure, as it was unclear as to just what the picker was doing in the field. The stalks hid his cotton sack, and a black-and- white photo was not suitable to show all the features. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next step – take the shot when a mechanical picker was in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G R Hardin<\/strong>, who grew cotton on the west edge of Cleveland<\/strong>, had just such a field, and was glad to cooperate. After one turn on the row, Varner was ready to go again, perched atop the sawhorses, just high enough for the camera to discern the skis. Gaines got ready, and when Hardin brought the picker in view, Gaines snapped away. These shots hit a home run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The picker in the background was big enough, and clear enough to indicate to the viewer that a cotton field was in harvest. And with Varner on top of the skis in full winter-ski regalia, the image was thus set that indeed “the rednecks do ski” on their fields of white, fluffy cotton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what happened next was even more remarkable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All Varner and Gaines had wanted to do, was to make the poster for themselves. They never had any intention of marketing this effort, and after selecting the final photo for the poster, they requested only the minimum the print shop would allow, that being 50. However, once the posters were delivered, and a few of their friends saw it, the posters were quickly gone. So they ordered another 100, and made sure to sell enough to cover costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then those were gone. Then another 100, then another, and within a year, they made a big commitment, and ordered 500. All were sold. And sold and sold. Post cards were made, t-shirts were silk-screened and sold, and the posters ended up in far flung places. Student dorms, bars, taverns, throughout Mississippi carried the poster, and when Varner and Gaines went skiing themselves in the West, they carried copies of the now-famous poster to sell to retailers who once thought that Mississippians were incapable of such things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One poster ended up on the walls of the Mississippi State<\/strong> president, who obviously did not note the “Ole Miss” ski hat Varner wore in the photo. And the most glamorous place the poster was displayed, was in the Louvre <\/strong>in Paris<\/strong>. It was part of a ski poster display, but several Mississippians saw it there, and were stunned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now over 25 years later, Varner and Gaines were forced to re-submit copywrite papers, and make a new image. The original negative had long been lost due to bankruptcy at the printer, and a higher quality image had to be made to meet the continuing demand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just last year, the second edition of “Ski Mississippi” was made, this time on a field between Merigold <\/strong>and Renova<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked about the success of their venture, Varner said, “We had no idea it would be this popular. I was afraid we would never get rid of the first 50, much less still be selling it 25 years later.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gaines added, “I just wish we could have marketed the poster effectively, as every printing has sold out. I have friends in New York and London that have it on their walls, and people think we really do ski on our cotton!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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