Brian Wilson Merges With The Infinite

Musician and legend, Brian Wilson, has passed.

I still remember my brother getting a Beach Boys record for his birthday when I was probably five.  It was a Greatest Hits, and the pop-surf classics that made oldies radio play.  And we dug it.  

But as a kid, I took the Beach Boys for granted.  Their music was everywhere - absolutely on the radio, at restaurants, and in every fifth commercial when summer rolled around. Like Elvis, they simply were.

It wasn't until college that two folks flipped me from "oldies station Beach Boys" vs Pet Sounds Beach Boys.  One was NathanC, and the other was a fellow named Robb, who was absolutely grooving out to Pet Sounds when I dropped in at his place one afternoon.  Robb was also my compatriot in discussing Phil Spector and The Wall of Sound, so this all lined up pretty neatly.

I'm absolutely one of those guys who thinks Brian Wilson was pretty great, but also one of the great American tragedies.  This is not an original insight, but I don't know how else we can discuss him.  He has a certain genius that was still very much in force when I picked up Smile several years ago, and you always wondered what could have been.  

But mental illness is a real sonuvabitch, and he struggled with his issues for so many years.  His family managed to keep him healthy and making music, and I can't imagine the love and care that took.

Still, what a legacy he left behind.

Go put on Pet Sounds and Smile today, if you can.  And here's the the Wilson family today. 

Jonathan Joss Merges With The Infinite

Actor Jonathan Joss has passed.  

He was the voice actor for John Redcorn on King of the Hill, appeared on Parks and Rec, and was in many other productions.

I met Joss once somewhat by accident.  I was attending a small swap meet/ convention, and I guess Joss was packing up his table to leave just as I showed up late.  He saw that when we locked eyes I knew who he was due to what I assume was a stupid grin, and... as people so often do seeing an amiable lumbering fellow, shoved a box of stuff for me to carry.  And so it was, I was briefly assisting Jonathan Joss on his way out to his car.

Anyway, I was so f'ing pleased to meet the guy, who cares about carrying a box or two?

Today I learned he was murdered by a former neighbor at the site of his former home.  It seems to be a textbook hate crime, and I find myself helplessly furious that this happened.  Hopefully justice will be swift and certain.

Peter David Merges With The Infinite

I remember being handed a Hulk comic at summer camp, featuring the gray-skinned Hulk of the period.  I only knew the Hulk as the green skinned guy who yelled a lot and I was stunned at what I saw.  He was now a Vegas enforcer named "Mr. Fixit", and it was absolutely wild.  I soon learned through the Bullpen Bulletins, it was Peter David driving that effort.

Peter David's name was kind of everywhere for the first decade and a half I read comics, and of his many great efforts, I particularly liked his X-Factor and Supergirl.  He had a unique ability to find ideas that were out there, and, like The Hulk, turn them into something familiar but new.  X-Factor became a complex story about a mutant team affiliated with the Pentagon.  Supergirl went from the Matrix character to the Earth Angel inhabiting a dead girl to a girl who could kind of leap far and was bullet proof.  I assure you, this all made sense at the time.

He also transformed Aquaman, created Young Justice, handled She-Hulk, Star Trek, Superman and endless more.

David will be remembered among comic fans as one of the most creative minds of his era, making oddball ideas make complete sense and for caring so much about his work.  

I know he'd been having health issues for a while, and I'm sorry he passed.

George Wendt Merges With The Infinite

George Wendt, actor most famous for his run as Norm on TV's Cheers, has passed.  

For the duration of the show's 11 seasons, Wendt played barfly Norm Peterson - a guy somewhat beat up by life but who was quick to shrug it off with a quippy one-liner.  

He also appeared in numerous films, memorably in Fletch and House.  Post-Cheers, Wendt worked steadily, often doing single episodes of TV or brief appearances in movies.  He would go on to play Santa at least four or five times, including in Santa Buddies and the A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All - uncredited here for reasons I was unclear on.  He was a wildly popular SNL host, and is why, today, we all still say "'da Bears".

It's hard to explain to today's kids what the world was like when everyone watched network TV, and of network TV shows, Cheers remained an absolute monster hit for its entire run.  Norm was a common denominator for any conversation.  Enough so that when someone licensed the idea of Cheers and put bars in airports that looked a bit like the set, they put a Norm dummy on a stool so you could sit next to him while you waited to make your connection to Duluth.  Apparently that went poorly.*

I cannot imagine what he made over the years on residuals from re-runs, but for twenty years after the show aired, it was still on all the time.

Wendt was much beloved, and seemed an okay guy.  We'll miss you, sir.

*Sadly, when I went into the Cheers bar in Minneapolis, the figures were no longer a feature.

Clem Burke Merges With The Infinite

Blondie's social media has alerted folks to the passing of Clem Burke.

Longtime readers will know Jamie and I are Blondie fans and have seen them a couple of times.  

I say this not lightly - Clem Burke was likely the best drummer I've ever seen live.  Some of that (a lot of that) was technical proficiency, but no small amount of it was that he was having a party behind his drum kit. The man always seemed to love what he was doing.

I confess to following him on social media and going down a COVID-era YouTube hole a night or three just watching him play across the years and sometimes with different bands.  

If you never paid particular attention to Clem, (1) shame on you, and (2) here's a bunch of Clem Burke across multiple bands, and (3) Gerry shared this so I'm sharing it.  

If you want to just listen to Clem Burke in context and songs that are NOT Dreaming (which may be my favorite) here's a favorite:

and another:

Maria:

ah, heck.  Here's Dreaming.

Val Kilmer Merges With The Infinite

Actor, writer and  Val Kilmer has passed at the age of 65.  

Kilmer had been ill for some time, suffering from throat cancer.

I first saw him in Real Genius on home video, saw his great turn in Top Gun: Maverick, and most recently saw him when I rewatched Heat.    

I always thought he was great.  Sure, you heard he was a method actor/ was difficult, but whatever.  When I saw him in a movie, he was always stellar - and for some reason I always think of how great he was in The Ghost and the Darkness.  But that was one of maybe two dozen things I saw him in.  Actually, a scan of IMDB tells me that it's likely far more films and roles than that.  Whether it was playing Jim Morrison, Batman, or Doc Holliday, or whatever... he was always a strength to whatever movie he was in. 

He'll be missed.

George Foreman Merges With The Infinite

This man of God is gonna also put you down for a 10-count

Boxer, father of many Georges, enthusiastic grill monger, Olympian, minister and generally good guy, George Foreman has passed.

Back in the 1990's, former 2-time Heavyweight Champion boxer (back when boxing was something we all kind of followed), George Foreman, became a staple of television as he began to market the George Foreman Grill.  I doubt many folks could tell you about Foreman's more famous bouts, but everyone knew that the grill was reasonably priced, could be used indoors, and let the fat just drip right out of your food and into a washable plastic tray.

Did I have one?  You know I did, and I used it on the regular from circa 1999-2007.

Foreman's boxing career is extraordinary.  He earned the Heavyweight Title in the 1970's, retired, became a man in the community and became a minister.  In the 80's, he came back in his late 30's and in the early 90's secured the Heavyweight title again, whilst in his 40's.  

Foreman and Ali in Zaire

Y'all can read up on it, because it reads like a movie.  Not least of which was Foreman's near-death experience and immediate religious conversion.  He became a minister and made a lot of difference to folks in the Houston area and beyond.

George Foreman was a lot of personality, like a lot of boxers of his generation (see: Ali).   And in the 2000's-era, generally just a beloved figure.  

I'm genuinely sad he's gone.  

Gene Hackman Merges With The Infinite

Gene Hackman, aged 95, has passed.

At the time of this post, the circumstances of his passing are still not completely reported.  His wife, only 64, and the family dog, were also found dead.  No foul play is suspected, but it's clearly a tragedy in the unfolding.

Hackman is one of the first actors I remember, as my dad took me to see Superman: The Movie in the theater during the film's initial release.  The movie I first recall really liking him in - for one does not *like* Lex Luthor - was Hoosiers, the movie about corn-fed high school basketball players.  After that, it's a blur.  Hackman was omnipresent and in every fifth movie that was released for a stretch of about 20 years.  I wouldn't see The French Connection or The Conversation until college.  

He was always the unlikeliest of faces to make it to star status, but his talent and charisma were undeniable.  Seeing Hackman was in a movie meant it was going to be better than most, and sometimes if the movie wasn't otherwise up to the task, he just chose to carry a movie all by himself.

As a person of a certain age, watching him for me is book ended by Lex Luthor and as Royal Tenenbaum, maybe one of the finest roles ever put to film.  

When he retired, it was a bit odd.  He was just... gone.  I remember my fellow Gen-X'ers online wondering "where the hell is Gene Hackman?" around 2007 or so, and we learned he'd just quit taking new work.  The man earned his retirement, and we forget that actors are allowed to hang it up and go enjoy life.

We'll get more details about what happened at his house.  

We'll miss you, Gene, and I'm sorry for whatever happened.  But you more than earned your retirement and now your rest.

Lynne Marie Stewart Merges With The Infinite

Actor Lynne Marie Stewart has passed.

I remember Stewart from the early 1980's and catching the HBO Pee-Wee Herman special where she played Miss Yvonne - a role she would continue to play her for decades to come.   She was part of the Groundlings crew that didn't go to SNL but made their own way in showbiz, that included Cassandra Peterson, Edie McClurg, John Paragon and Paul Reubens.

Stewart appeared in what had to have been over a hundred roles, and was most famous the past twenty years for appearing as Charlie's mom on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.   

David Lynch Merges With The Infinite

Writer and Director David Lynch has passed.

A lot of ink will be spilled over Lynch, and, in my opinion, rightfully so.  Whether you liked or disliked Lynch's work, he carved a path through cinema and television that was so singular, discussions of movies that went deep would often bring up his work as if by force.  Maybe that's because from Eraserhead to the weather reports he did from his home, Lynch's work was so clearly of David Lynch, it was impossible to ignore.

I have seen some of Lynch's work, but not all.  Like a lot of people my age, I learned who he was through Twin Peaks, and in high school saw Fire Walk With Me, Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart.   I've caught up with much of his work since, finally seeing The Elephant Man, Dune and more.  In recent years I finally watched The Straight Story, which I highly recommend.  

The dreams that Lynch put to screen have been and will be much imitated, but I hope they really just inspire the next wave - and I think they already have.  

Like a lot of folks, I am deeply grateful for Twin Peaks hitting my life at just the right time, in both the early 90's and again a few years ago.  I needed the wonder, mystery, tragedy and uncanny state that the show provided.  I'm grateful for the world of nightmares, the story of true love of Wild at Heart, and the acknowledgement of the dark we keep at bay out here in the world that permeates all of his work.  For the dreams within a dream that are Mulholland Drive.

His fearlessness as a filmmaker, and someone who told us that to love people and love the little things is what staves off the darkness seems so simple - but he knew it's not, and he showed us both.

I'll miss knowing that Lynch, as Gordon Cole, is out there telling people to change their hearts.  We'll see you under the sycamore trees.

President Jimmy Carter Merges With The Infinite

Former US President Jimmy Carter, the President who was in office when I became aware of what a President was circa 1978-79, has passed at the age of 100.

He was proceeded in death by his wife Rosalyn in 2023.  They had been married since 1946.

President Carter was president in the post-Watergate era of the U.S.A., and oversaw challenges such as the Iranian Hostage Crisis and Three Mile Island, which included him walking right into the plant as someone with a background in nuclear engineering.  He opened up Camp David for the Egyptians and Israeli governments to meet, leading to the Camp David Accords.  

He lost the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan, but would go on to show how one can be of service to a country, acting as a peace ambassador and representative for Habitat for Humanity.

President Carter will be missed.

Quincy Jones Merges With The Infinite

Quincy Jones, maybe one of the single most important musical minds of the past 70 years, has passed.

Personally - Quincy Jones is how I learned what a producer was as a kid as the media dug into whatever they could discussing the shockingly popular Michael Jackson album, Thriller.  

Jones perpetually found himself in the middle of everything, from playing with Lionel Hampton and Tommy Dorsey as a young man, playing regularly on television, to finding himself the composer of a movie in 1961.  

We became involved in scoring movies while continuing to produce music and creating and arranging, this his collaboration with Michael Jackson.  In 1985, he was one of the key figures in the creation of USA for Africa's "We Are the World".

Jones also produced media, behind shows like Fresh Price of Bel-Air and several movies.  I cannot imagine how much money this guy had, but he did okay.

Jones is a true American success story.  A genius, a mover and shaker, a man who seemingly couldn't sit still...  he managed to have massive impact on the media landscape in music, in television creation, in movies...  

Do yourself a favor and look him up on Wikipedia today.  

Greg Hildebrandt Merges With The Infinite

This is so strange.  Just last month, I was looking for collections of the work of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt.  

I've recently decided that as I slow my comics collecting to make sure I have collections of the works of the fantasy, sci-fi and commercial artists who impacted me as a youth - and the Hildebrandts were certainly among those.  And, whether you knew Greg Hildebrandt's name or not, it's likely you knew and loved his work.

Hildebrandt has passed at the age of 85.   

I can't even put my finger on why I can recognize a Hildebrandt versus a Larry Elmore, for example.  Or Joe Jusko or Frazetta.  Nerds will know what I'm talking about.  It's like recognizing handwriting.  But something about the stances, the framing and how light is painted gives it away.  The Pinocchio below throws me off because of the lack of humans.

Anyway - for decades, the Hildebrandts produced some amazing work that brought to life either words on a page or found the iconography in comics and movies.

Teri Garr Merges With The Infinite

Performer in movies and television, Teri Garr, has passed at the age of 79.

We're aware Garr had been suffering from Multiple Sclerosis for quite some time and had somewhat left the public eye.

Garr is a curious performer as she really bridges the tail end of the Silver Age of Entertainment and carries through the rebellious 1970's and is a star of the 1980's.  A hell of a lot can happen in just over a decade.  

*Everyone loves Teri Garr*, and if you didn't or don't - you're a person I don't want to know.

Kris Kristofferson Has Merged With The Infinite

The great Kris Kristofferson - actor, musician, bad-ass - has passed at 88.  

Dame Maggie Smith Merges With The Infinite

Dame Maggie Smith, who was famous for so many reasons, all good!, has passed.  She was 89.

Smith managed the terrific feat of becoming more and more famous and iconic as she hit her later years, starring in international hits like Harry Potter and Downton Abbey.  But she also appeared in popular films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in the past 15 years, was in the mid-90's famed Richard III as the Duchess of York, in Hook as Granny Wendy and led the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as the titular character.  

I saw her first in Clash of the Titans, because I was an 80's kid who liked monsters.  And I recall her in things later, like Gosford Park and A Room With a View, which is probably where my mind goes when I think of her.

She'll be missed, but, dang.  That's a legacy. 

John Cassaday Merges With The Infinite

For years, I've had a Superman comic on my wall in a frame.  It was a curious moment in comics history - and/ or Superman history.  A much ballyhooed signing of a popular television and movie writer to the title Superman had gone south and the writer had basically walked off the book.  A new writer - a local writer! - came in and took over Superman and... saved the day (thanks, Chris Roberson!).  

Roberson's work was great - that's another post - but Cassaday on this cover, as he'd been covering the title for a minute, was perfect.  It was Superman, lit from below, iconic, symmetrical, lantern jawed and strong without seeming impossible - a perfect design in my book.  And to this day, looking at that cover is one of the images I have in mind when I think of the wonder that Superman can be.

John Cassaday has passed at the age of 52.

Cassaday's work is some of my favorites from my adulthood, full stop.  His character work was astounding, his lines clean, his ability to convey emotion and meaning with a gesture insane.  His interiors were gorgeous, but I assume he just made so much more money doing covers, he just had to give it up.  I don't remember the last time I saw Cassaday doing a full comic book.  

Like many who survived the 1990's comics market, I came to him through Planetary - a joint with Warren Ellis that was one of those comics you just waited months for because it took that long to come out.  I won't go into what Planetary was about, but now I wish I had the collections.  Maybe DC will reprint it all.  It was a gorgeous, insane book spanning a secret world under our own and a brilliant concept.

He drew the Captain America I suspect they looked at *hard* when Marvel Studios was pondering how they'd portray Cap (yes, I know about Hitch's work... I stand by my statement).  Chris Evans seems much more the Cap of this post 9/11 run that changed Cap forever than he seemed Ultimate Cap's pain-in-the-ass American fighting man.

And, of course, his Astonishing X-Men is legendary.  His Lone Ranger work should have been far bigger than it was.

It's always a tragedy when someone passes.  And when someone who's work you like goes.  And worse when they're just 52.  

But we're comics-folk, and in fifty years, some comic nerd is going to be waving images of Colossus in his hand, talking about Astonishing X-Men and the great John Cassaday.  Someone is going to have his Superman as their lock-screen.  Someone is going to learn that Planetary was a comic in 2002 before it was a movie series starting in 2040, and they'll stare in wonder at what the human hand and eye could do.

Your work will be missed, sir.  And if the outpouring of grief online is any indication, you will be missed by the talent you worked with, the pros you knew and the fans, who universally attest to your kindness.  Not a bad legacy.

James Earl Jones Merges With the Infinite

Actor, icon and voice, James Earl Jones has passed.  He was 93.

There will be plenty written about Jones over the next few days.  As there should be.  

James' history is that of the 20th Century.  He made his debut on the stage and found his way to the big screen.  He went from obscurity to becoming the voice of one of the most complicated villains on the Big Screen in popular entertainment, to a Snake Cult wizard, to a King we all think of as Dad, to a spirit guide for Kevin Costner.

I still get choked up at everything the man does in Field of Dreams.  It's a perfect performance in a perfect movie.  He gave the perfect speech about baseball, and for that alone, we should be grateful.

Jones' IMDB page is interesting - he looks like a journeyman actor given his number of credits.  But he was a legend to many of us.  And for all those guest roles, he was still doing stage work.  

Jones was one of the first actors whose names I knew, alongside the rest of the Star Wars cast.  I never saw him where he was anything less than great in part after part, and I've missed him since he retired. 

Here's to someone who's been there since I first knew what a movie was, and gave us some of the greatest characters we had in film in my lifetime.  

Bob Newhart Merges With The Infinite

Bob Newhart, comedy legend, has passed.

I don't have a lot new to add.  Newhart helped shape comedy for generations of people, and managed to stay in the game longer than almost anyone.

Here's to one of the greats.

Shannen Doherty Merges With The Infinite

After a long struggle with cancer, actress Shannen Doherty has passed.  She was 53.

I primarily know Doherty from her time on Beverly Hills 90210, which I began to watch reluctantly in college.  But I came to know her in 1989 watching Heathers over and over on VHS.  Prior to that, she'd been a recurring player in 1980's television as a kid actor, loaned her voice to The Secret of NIMH and become a main character on Little House on the Prairie (a show I've never actually seen).  

Doherty also appeared on the original version of Charmed, and continued making films and television even during years of illness.