From 1986-1988, Clint Eastwood served as Mayor of Carmel, California.  Lots of paper collectibles emerged from his tenure: booklets, newspapers, newsletters, magazines, posters, postcards, etc.  Because I lived and worked there, I built a huge collection of stuff: the good, the bad and the ugly.

This Guide will identify local paper collectibles related to Clint Eastwood's term as Mayor of Carmel.  I obtained these from a variety of sources: newstands, bookstores, gift shops, government offices, businesses and tourist traps around Carmel and Monterey.  If you have any updates let me know.  I'll keep adding to this Guide to keep it current.

Campaign Books

At least three campaign "souvenir" books were produced locally.  "On the trail with Clint" came in two editions.  The size is 8 1/2" x 11".  The first edition (below) had 8 pages total. 

This copy was personally autographed to me by Eastwood at his final working City Council meeting.  The autograph is in the upper left hand corner.  The booklet was published by Bruce Roberts, Lisa von Saltza and Phyllis Howard from Carmel.  The cover price was $3.

A second edition of "On The Trail With Clint" was expanded to 16 pages, with a completely different look.  The cover price was still $3.

The most extensive local publication was "The Carmel Campaign Scrapbook: Special Commemorative Souvenir Edition", published in 1986 by Joanne Mathewson from Carmel. 

The size is 8 1/2" x 11", 42 pages total.  This is packed with lots of pictures, ads and some text.  The cover price was $6.

Newspapers

The best source for clippings was the local paper, "The Carmel Pine Cone".  Distribution was free and the print run was only 10,000 copies.  Few of these Clint clippings survive today because that paper was a throw-away.

The most popular issue was the April 10, 1986 "Carmel Election '86 Special Souvenir Edition", with the headline "Clint Wins".  The size was 11" x 17", with 36 pages total.  There were lots of articles on the election, some photos, plus local news and ads.  This was sold exclusively through the newspaper offices for $1 each.

Another highlight of local coverage was the "Mayor's Report," an occasional column written directly by Eastwood himself.  I discovered four columns:

1. January 23, 1988, "Was it revenge?"
2. March 3, 1988, "Say Grace"
3. March 10, 1988, "Mission Ranch"
4. March 31, 1988, "Outrageousness of it all"

Some columns, such as the example above, show a label bleed-through.  That's because the paper was a subscription paper, mailed to someone with an address label on page 1.  Clint's column was on page 2, resulting in a bleed-through.   Copies without a bleed-through were newspaper office or newstand copies.

Other Clint-related articles in the Pine Cone featured exclusive interviews that even the national papers couldn't get.  Here's a sample:

1. Sep. 4, 1986, "Clint Eastwood reflects on his first 100 days", pages 3 & 18
2. March 26, 1987, "After a year it's business as usual for Clint", page 3
3. Sep. 3, 1987, "Ruling on Clintville could close its doors", page 7
4. Sep. 10, 1987, "Mayor says businesses need to cater to residents too", page 11
5. Jan. 7, 1988, "Eastwood settles an old score with Maradei", page 3
6. Feb. 4, 1988, "Clint says 'No' to a second term as Mayor", page 1

Other local papers which distributed in Carmel with articles about Mayor Clint include the "Monterey Herald" (paid distribution), "Monterey Bay Tribune" (giveaway) and the "Seaside Sentinel" (giveaway).

Directories

As an elected official, Clint appeared in local government directories as did other Mayors in the region.  The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) produced four directories with Clint's name in an official capacity.

The two examples above were published July 1987 and January 1988, while two other examples were the July 1986 (light green cover) and January 1987 (dark red cover) issues.  These were distributed free in a limited quantity to the government agencies in Monterey and Santa Cruz County.  The size was 4" x 9", approximately 40 pages each.

In another example, the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce featured a small photo of Mayor Clint in the July 1987 Directory on page 31.

Oddball Items

Because of Clint's celebrity status, some entrepreneurs created usual and odd collectibles.  One of the strangest items was the cardboard "Clint for Mayor" sun visor.  I never did see any of these on any heads in Carmel.

It was created for tourists and was unofficial.  The front was about 9 3/8" wide, with a long strap for the head.  In the photo above, the blue strap is folded behind the brim.  I think it sold for a few dollars.

Another oddity of that period is the "Thou Has Made My Day" certificate which commemmorated the visit of Pope John Paul II to Carmel in 1987.

The size of this tacky document is 8 1/2" x 11", with a parchment-type paper.  It cost a dollar and was issued by SHG Enterprises from Los Altos, but sold through some stores around the Carmel area.

Newsletters

One of my favorite local newsletters with Mayor Clint was "Focus", from the Friends of Carmel Unified Schools.  Volume 1, Number 6 has an amusing headline on page 1, "Hooker's Ball", with a small photo of Clint on the lower right side.  The size is 8 1/2" x 11", and there are six pages total in the newsletter.  Distribution was free but limited.

Another prize in my paper collection is a newsletter from "The Monterey Vineyard", Spring/Summer Edition 1986.  The size is 8 1/2" x 11", with 6 pages total.

This remarkable item features a recipe "Spaghetti Western" with a photo of Clint and a fellow chef on page 4.  The recipe won a contest!  The newsletter was super rare and only distributed through the winery offices.

Mayor Clint also appeared in two publications from the Pebble Beach Company:

1. "Fore Front" employee newsletter, 4th Quarter 1987, page 4; photo of Clint with the King of Spain
2. "Scoreboard" resident newsletter, January/February 1987, page 5; large photo of Clint golfing

Bumper Stickers

To my knowledge, no official Mayor Clint bumper stickers were produced, but that didn't stop the entrepreneurs.  Here's a few examples of bumper stickers I collected:

"Clint For President" was published in 1986 from "Cupid" of Carmel.  The size was 3" x 12".

"Clint for Mayor, Carmel-By-The-Sea" was size 3 x 12 1/2" with no sponsor info.

A third bumper sticker in my collection reads "Make his day--Vote Clint Eastwood Mayor of Carmel".  The size is 3 1/2" x 14", all black lettering.  No sponsor was listed on that either.

Cards

Several local artists issued greeting cards, post cards and posters related to Mayor Clint.  The postcard below left of Clint in a suit was published by Ogle Gallery and Graphics of Carmel.  Titled "Smiling Clint during Carmel's Mayoral Campaign," the sketch was by James Ogle.  The size is 3 1/2" x 5 1/2".

The other card, below right, is titled "If you can't stand the heat...".  It was published in 1986 through First Impressions of Carmel by Will Bullas.  The size is 5" x 7", and it opens up to an blank card.

Mayor Clint on eBay

From time to time, I have seen items related to Clint Eastwood's term as Mayor.  Usually, it's some pinback buttons, or an occasional poster.  Overall, I see few items for sale, and almost nothing that was local or authorized.  Perhaps it will become the political rarity of the future if Mayor Clint decides to run for U.S. President.  I know I'd vote for him!  Otherwise, I'm happy with my collection.

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