By: M.L. Stein You would think that in Alaska, where moose are almost as common as house pets, pictures of the big-horned animals wouldn't be a big deal.
Think again.
The Anchorage Daily News all-moose 1999 calendar set off a virtual stampede for copies. "People were coming into the lobby to buy 10 or 20 at a time," recalls marketing manager Marj Blixhavn. An initial printing of 12,000 sold out in two days at $2.99 a pop and was followed by additional press runs totaling 49,000 calendars. Every one was snapped up. Last year, the Daily News sold only 10,000 calendars.
Blixhavn says the lobby receptionist was so overwhelmed by the demand that a separate table for calendar purchases was set up. Still, she adds, the lines were long.
The sales splurge was all the more surprising since Alaskans need not go far for real moose sightings. The creatures routinely wander into towns, often stopping traffic. In fact, one picture shows a moose doing just that. Other illustrations are of a moose flopping in a child's wading pool, a white moose who seems to be smiling, another at a salt lick, and two baby moose.
Reminded that the popular TV series "Northern Exposure," set in an Alaskan hamlet, opened with a moose meandering along main street, Blixhavn's assistant, Benita Washburn, commented: "That was about the only thing that was authentic in the show."
Anyway, the motif for next year's calendar was decided quickly. The theme will be urban wildlife with all kinds of the state's species featured, Blixhavn reports.
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