-FUPPETS-: death

Showing posts with label death. Show all posts

Dec 23, 2010

-FUPPETS- In Memoriam 2010

2010 is almost over, and before it is -FUPPETS- wants to spend a little time remembering some of the people whose stay with us here on Earth made it better in some way, even if just by making us laugh. This is a highly subjective thing so if there's anyone you feel has been left out please comment below.

JANUARY

KENNETH NOLAND: American painter. Painted beautiful abstractions and was one of the "Color Field" painters. Died of cancer.

ANDREW LANGE: American astrophysicist. Self-administered death by asphyxiation.

J.D. SALINGER: American writer. Just plain old.

FEBRUARY

ANDREW KOENIG: American actor. Suicide, probably because people never stopped calling him "Boner."

MARCH

MERLIN OLSEN: American Football Hall of Famer and TV actor. Cancer.

PETER GRAVES: American actor. Heart Attack.

COREY HAIM: American actor. Cause of death is undetermined.

HERB ELLIS: American Jazz guitarist. Alzheimer's Disease.

APRIL

MALCOLM MCLAREN: English band manager and raconteur. Cancer

DIXIE CARTER: American stage, film, and TV actress. Cancer.

GURU: American rapper (Gangstarr). Cancer.

MAY

LENA HORNE: American singer, civil rights activist, actress, dancer.

FRANK FRAZETTA: American fantasy/science fiction artist. Died after a stroke.

RONNIE JAMES DIO: Heavy Metal singer. Died of stomach cancer.

MARTIN GARDNER: American science and mathematics writer.

JOSE LIMA: Dominican MLB player. Died after a massive heart attack.

ART LINKLETTER: Canadian/American TV and radio personality. Natural causes.

GARY COLEMAN: American TV actor. Died after an intracranial hemorrhage.

DENNIS HOPPER: American actor and director. Prostate cancer.

JUNE

RUE MACLANAHAN: American actor. Stroke.

JOHN WOODEN: American basketball player and coach. Natural causes.

JIMMY DEAN: American singer, actor and businessman. Died of natural causes.

GARRY SHIDER: American musician (Parliament Funkadelic). Brain and lung cancer.

MANUTE BOL: Sudanese-born NBA player. Death from acute kidney failure.

JULY

HARVEY PEKAR: American comic book writer. Died after and accidental overdose of antidepressants.

GEORGE STEINBRENNER: American businessman and owner of the hated Yankees. Heart attack.

DERF SCRATCH: American musician (FEAR).

AUGUST

LOLITA LEBRóN: Puerto Rican activist and advocate fro independence.

CATFISH COLLINS: American musician (Parliament Funkadelic/James Brown). Cancer.

SEPTEMBER

KEVIN McCARTHY: American actor. Pneumonia.

EDDIE FISHER: American singer and husband to endless Hollywood starlets.

GEORGE BLANDA: American Football Hall of Famer.

TONY CURTIS: American actor. Cardiac arrest.

Stephen J. Cannell: American TV writer. Skin cancer.

OCTOBER

BENOIT MANDELBROT: Franco-American mathematician. Inventor of the Mandelbrot Set.

TOM BOSLEY: American actor.

BOB GUCCIONE: American publisher. Cancer.

NOVEMBER

LESLIE NIELSEN: Canadian/American actor. Pneumonia.

DECEMBER

DON MEREDITH: American Football player and TV broadcaster. Brain hemorrhage.

BLAKE EDWARDS: American film director, screenwriter and producer. Pneumonia.

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART: American musician.

DENIS DUTTON: Academic. Creator of Arts & Letters Daily.

Jul 12, 2010

In Memoriam: Harvey Pekar

One of the greatest and most-singular voices in American comic books has passed away. (thanks to Toilet & Bowels, of the Sonic Youth Gossip Forum, for the news)

Harvey Pekar, 70, the graphic novelist whose autobiographical comic book "American Splendor" chronicled his life as a filing clerk, record collector, freelance jazz critic and one of life's all around misfits, was found dead early today at his home in suburban Cleveland.

The AP reported that police were called to Mr. Pekar's home by his wife about 1 a.m. and the artist was found between a bed and dresser. Mr. Pekar had been suffering from prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and depression, police said. - ( Terence McArdle - Washington Post )

If there ever was anyone that came out of the underground comics world with honest literary quality it was Harvey Pekar. In a medium known mostly for the artwork, and derided by many for sub-par writing, Harvey Pekar was the first in comics to truly shove his real life in one's face and shout "TAKE THIS SHIT SERIOUSLY! IT IS MY LIFE GODDAMNIT!"
His long-running book, American Splendor, was drawn by so many of the greats, from the original Robert Crumb, to Spain Rodriguez, Joe Sacco, and Gilbert Hernandez. While not for everyone, Pekar's inimitable world-view and deep-bred cynicism struck a chord with many readers who could relate to his tales of the every day degradations and humiliations that a man must suffer to live in the world, and with his caustic humor in the face of it all.
Here is a great interview done fairly recently with Harvey Pekar.
-FUPPETS- is glad that Harvey Pekar existed and that he stuck it out. He did things his way, never earning big bucks, but never selling his soul out to some faceless conglomerate for the sake of an easy pay-day.

Harvey Pekar Obituaries and Remembrances

The New York Times
The Washington Post
Newsweek
The Los Angeles Times

Here is an infamous 1988 appearance by Harvey Pekar on Late Night with David Letterman. Harvey later said of his many appearances on Letterman's show, "[W]ith Letterman ... you either lay down and let him insult you or you do something about it. Most people keep their mouth shut and let him dump on them. I don't wanna do that."

May 17, 2010

No More Rockin' For Dio

DIO - Rainbow In The Dark (live in Japan)

Ronnie James Dio has died.
-FUPPETS- has but one tale to tell in which the almighty midget of Metal makes an appearance. T'will be told in proper Dio fashion.
T'was a quiet air about that day, a very early morning in fact, a morning yet to see the rays of the new Sun break the dark canopy of nighttime. The Guild of Instigators laid about the carpeted living room, minds slowly unbending from the night's rigors and potions, when the tale was told.
The tale belongs to the mists of legend, to the vague half-memories of truths told not in daylight but in the darkness of a near-dawn. As our protagonists lay, hoping to catch some slumber to rest their weary cerebrums, the tale began. Dio, the self-proclaimed magical dwarf of Metal, sought counsel with the mighty warlock Merlin. Merlin beseeched Dio to pray tell his request. Dio asked the wizened magician to please, please construct him a magical armor, an armor perfectly tailored to Dio's diminutive stature, yet overloaded with all the protection the spells and incantations of the Dark Arts can grant.
The great and powerful Merlin heard this request, thought for a second, looked down upon his petite supplicant, and said "I can't do it. Sorry"
The Guild of Instigators slept well that day, yes they did.

Apr 20, 2010

GURU, In Memoriam

Guru, the legendary rapper of GangStarr and Jazzmatazz fame died yesterday. A month ago -FUPPETS- had talked about his then-recent heart-attack and the coma that followed. Doctors performed surgery on Guru (real name Keith Elam), who seemed to be doing better as a result.
However, it appears that his medical issues had left him very weak, and he died yesterday, April 19, 2010.
Originally paired with DJ Premier back in 1985, with whom Guru had a falling out and had not talked to for 7 years, and then joining up with producer Solar, Guru had the lyricism, rhymes and voice to make -FUPPETS- hair stand on end. He will be missed.

GANG STARR - Full Clip

Dec 28, 2009

-FUPPETS- In Memoriam 2009

As another year comes to a close, -FUPPETS- takes the time to remember some of the well-known or influential people who died this year. There is no way to cover everyone, so this is just a sampling. At times in 2009 it seemed like respected personages were dropping dead at astounding rates, but that is just an illusion. As one ages, the sphere of people that one knows expands, which gives the impression that more "famous" people are dying that ever before. That is never the case.

JANUARY

PAT HINGLE: American character actor, working in film and television since 1948. Died of cancer.

RON ASHETON: American musician. Original member of the Stooges. Died from a heart attack.

RICARDO MONTALBáN: Mexican-born radio, film, and television actor.

ANDREW WYETH: American painter. Maintained a realist style through the uproars of abstraction. Died at an advanced age after a short illness.

JOHN UPDIKE: American author and critic. Considered the pre-eminent man of letters during his lifetime. Died from lung cancer.

FEBRUARY

JAMES WHITMORE: American actor. Member of Skull & Bones. Died from lung cancer.

BLOSSOM DEARIE: American Jazz pianist and singer. She recorded 6 LP's on the Verve label in the late 50's. Died after a long illness.

PHILIP JOSé FARMER: Award-winning American author, who worked mainly in the science fiction and fantasy genres.

MARCH

MARIO ACUñA: Argentinian-born, American astrophysicist, and pioneer in the field of planetary magnetism. Elected to the National Academy of Science. Died of cancer.

APRIL

HARRY KALAS: American broadcaster, and the voice of NFL Films. Died of heart disease.

BEA ARTHUR: American stage, screen, and television actor. Died from cancer.

MAY

DOM DE LOUISE: American comedic actor. Died from kidney failure.

CHUCK DALY: American basketball coach. Coached the NBA Champion Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990. Coached the Gold-medal winning U.S. Basketball team in 1992 Olympics. Died from pancreatic cancer.

DAVID IRELAND: American sculptor. Died from pneumonia

JUNE

DAVID EDDINGS: American fantasy author.

KOKO TAYLOR: American blues musician. Died from complications from surgery.

DAVID CARRADINE: American film and television actor.

ED MCMAHON: American film and television actor, and sidekick to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. Fighter pilot and flight instructor. Pitchman extraordinaire.

MICHAEL JACKSON: American singer. His album THRILLER remains the best-selling album of all time. Died of a drug overdose.

FARRAH FAWCETT: American actor and sex-symbol. Died from cancer.

JULY

KARL MALDEN: American actor, and winner of Best Supporting Actor Oscar for A Streetcar Named Desire.

STEVE MCNAIR: American football player. Murdered.

WALTER CRONKITE: American broadcast journalist.

AUGUST

EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER: American activist and founder of the Special Olympics. Sister to John, Robert, and Ted Kennedy. Mother of Maria Shriver, First Lady of California.