Jazzy John Romita Sr.

 

If you recognize a drawing of Spider-man, it's likely one of two people.  Ross Andru, whose work was often used in licensing.  Or John Romita, Sr.

Romita wasn't the first person to draw Spider-man.  Instead, he would follow Steve Ditko following his abrupt departure after issue #38 of The Amazing Spider-Man.  Romita would take over as the penciler of Amazing with #39, starting a run that would encompass over 50 covers and an unbroken run of story art for 56 issues.  A run which would cover some of the ground-breaking Spider-Man stories, like the death of Gwen Stacy.

Though Romita never felt comfortable on Spider-Man, his art would become incredibly linked with the character.  He served as the primary penciler for the newspaper strip for the first four years of its publication.  He worked on the first intercompany crossover with Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, doing art corrections over Ross Andru's pencils.  He would provide the cover for Spider-Man's wedding issue, and several spot issues to come.

"For me, John's Spidey is a design of such perfection and beauty so as to be simply the greatest-looking character in comics, by his hand."

Alex Ross, painter, illustrator, Marvels, Kingdom Come

Romita's career in comics lasted from 1949 into 2010, long enough for the Sr. designation on his name to become important.  His son John Romita, Sr. would follow in his footsteps, becoming a celebrated comics artist in his own right.  And on Amazing Spider-man, even.

Romita passed away in his sleep on June 12, 2023, at the age of 93.  While his presence will be missed, his art and his heart will live on, inspiring us to be heroic, to be human.

The King of Calypso

Some music comes in and out of your life.  And some tunes and performers remain a constant companion.

When the name Harry Belafonte comes up, I think everyone's head goes to Beetlejuice and the Banana Boat Song and Jump in the Line.  

I, instead, think back to hearing Schrodinger's Cat sing Jump in the Line a cappella on the steps of the Tower at UT.  I think of Mom coming back from a cruise to Jamaica trying to identify a tune she heard on steel drums, but not exactly sure what it was.  We all thought of Jump in the Line, repeatedly, but that didn't seem to be it.  Until years later she heard Jump in the Line and said "that's it."

I think of Jude becoming obsessed with the greatest hits of Harry Belafonte.  Hearing repeated lines of Mama Look-A Boo Boo, "my daddy can't be ugly so."  Or getting Jude to record Turn the World Around for a Mother's Day present.

I think of Belafonte's episode of The Muppet Show, which we've watched repeatedly.  I know the gags by heart now.  Including the all times when Fozzie is off beat.

Belafonte's music is a joy to hear.  It's music he feels passionate about and it shows.  It's his formative music, the songs he learned by heart from a young age and then reinterpreted through his masterful skill.  It's been wonderful to discover his broader discography over the past couple of years, as he has quickly become perhaps our family's favorite artist as a whole.

Belafonte's life is also something to admire.  Wonderful film performances in Bright Road, Carmen Jones, and The World, The Flesh, and the Devil.  A masterful film noir in Odds Against Tomorrow.   His roles were influenced by his activism, stretching the portrayal of African Americans on film, moving beyond the stereotypical roles that they had previously been sidelined to.  He was a pioneer in that regard, right alongside his close friend Sydney Poitier.  Belafonte took that same stance in politics, marrying pop culture and politics.  He was an ardent supporter and active participant in the Civil Rights Movement, even bailing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. out of Birmingham jail.   He modeled this activism after that of his mentor, Paul Robeson, and carried it with him through his life.

Harry Belafonte has left an indelible impression on my family and this world through song, through film, and through his life.  He will be greatly missed.  

Belafonte passed away on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, from congestive heart failure.  He was 96.

Al Jaffee

 

The world is a little dimmer now, as we lost perhaps the greatest cartoonist yesterday.  Al Jaffee, Mad Magazine satirist and pioneer passed away yesterday at the age of 102.  Officially, the longest working career in comics, Jaffee's influence has spanned over seven decades.

Most known for the Mad Magazine staple, the Fold-In, the back page illustration where folding together the right and left sides would create a new image, Jaffee's wit continued to shine through.  From April 1964 to April 2013, Jaffee's work appeared in all but one issue of Mad Magazine, and Jaffee remained an active contributor until his official retirement in 2020 at the age of 99.  His last fold-in appeared in the August 2020 issue, a tribute to him, the "All" Jaffee issue.

Jaffee's work and list is a tribute to the idea that, while you may age, you never have to grow "old."  That is, you do not have to lose your child-like wonder and humor.  As Jaffee stated in a 2010 interview, "Serious people my age are dead."

While Jaffee will be missed, his work continues to live on.  Time to crack open an old Mad issue, and smile once again.

He's All Risk

The title is a quote by Doris Hardoon, recruited by Crump in the late 1970s for the development of EPCOT. 

For Disney theme park and animation fans, there are certain artists whose style is easy to identify.  Mary Blair's mid-century, colorful style that would make it's a small world come to life.  Claude Coat's moody and atmospheric art that would fit the Haunted Mansion to a T.   Harper Goff's paintings, which would come to define Disney park concept art.

Roland "Rolly" Crump was one such artist.  

If artist could be summed up in a phrase, Rolly's would be, "wouldn't it be cool if we..."

Crump started as an assistant animator on such film classics as Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians.  In 1959, he would join WED Enterprises, the former name for Walt Disney Imagineering.  And it's here that Rolly proved to be a trailblazing pioneer.

Crump would be a key designer on attractions like The Haunted Mansion and the Enchanted Tiki Room.  With the Mansion, it was Crump that brought the funny, blending together with Claude Coat's spooky and atmospheric to create the attraction that is loved by millions today.  Crump would also be a key imagineer for the Disney attractions at the 1964 World's Fair, contributing to the it's a small world attraction by notably creating the Tower of The Four Winds structure that served as the marquee.  When the attraction was moved to Disneyland, Crump designed the animated clock face that served as a timepiece and exterior for the beloved attraction.

His art always went to the whimsical and weird, perfectly encapsulated in his famed lost attraction The Museum of the Weird.  He created many, many bits for this attraction that ranged from a clock with 13 hours, to a chair with a face, to a melting wax man.  It would have been a wonderful attraction and I still hope that it will be resurrected someday.

Rolly passed away Sunday, March 12, 2023 at his home at the age of 93.  His art and legacy will continue to entertain children of all ages for many, many years to come.

Chaim Topol

I've seen a handful of truly masterful performances in my life.  The Van Dyke brothers in The Sunshine Boys.  Sutton Foster and Joel Grey in Anything Goes.  Jerry Lewis in Damn Yankees.  

One of the most exciting ones was in 2009 at the Music Hall at Fair Park, watching Fiddler on the Roof.  This production marked Chaim Topol's farewell tour in the role of Tevye.  He was 73 at the time we saw him in Dallas.  And you would never have known it.  He looked as if he had just stepped off the screen from the movie filmed 38 years prior and continued right on the stage.  He played the role with such vitality and power, it was an exceedingly great tour-de-force.  This show created a life goal to be that passionate, to be doing what I love with such energy when I am that age and beyond.

Topol first starred as Tevye the Dairyman in a 1966 Israeli performance of Fiddler on the Roof, starting a career in which he has played the role an estimated 3,500 times.  A role which has brought him international acclaim.  

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has issued a statement honoring "one of the most prominent Israeli stage artists, a gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and, above all, deeply entered our hearts."  Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated "his wide smile, warm voice, and unique sense of humor made him a folk hero who won the hearts of the people" and former prime minister Yair Lapid remarked "He and his smile will continue to accompany Israeli culture, his rich legacy will forever remain a part of Israel."

Topol passed away March 9, 2023, at the age of 87.

He remains a legend.

Raindrops Keep Fallin'

I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself

Wishin' and Hopin'

(They Long to Be) Close to You

Walk on By

A House is Not a Home

Always Somethin' There to Remind Me

What the World Needs Now Is Love

What's New Pussycat?

Alfie

The Look of Love

I Say A Little Prayer

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

I'll Never Fall in Love Again

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

Arthur's Theme

That's What Friends Are For

There are definitely times when a person can stand on their accomplishments and their accomplishments can stand on their own.  Burt Bacharach's discography certainly stands with the best of them.

Described as "a composer whose venerable name can be linked with just about every other prominent musical artist of his era," Bacharach defined his own style of music.  His five decade plus career was littered with accomplishments that others could only dream of.  Seven Grammy awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 that proclaimed him the Greatest Living Composer.  Three Academy Awards for his contribution to music in film.  An Emmy award, making him one award short of an EGOT.  The 2012 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, awarded by the Library of Congress.

His collaborators include a who's who of American and British popular music.  Songs for Nat King Cole, Marty Robbins, Perry Como, Frankie Avalon, The Drifters, Andy Williams, Doris Day, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, Christopher Cross, Roberta Flack, Neil Diamond, and Rod Stewart.  And of course, the legend, Dionne Warwick.  

While his music would be labeled easy listening and he made it look effortless, the process and the complexity was anything but easy.  He sought to make every composition interesting and in doing so, wrote for unique combinations of musicians, added unusual chord progressions, and played with tight harmonies, syncopated rhythms, pacing, and changing meters.  He was a master of his craft and it showed.

Bacharach passed away Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at the age of 94.

He will be missed.  Thankfully his legacy of music will live on.

Rest in Peace, Dark Knight

 

This one hurts.  

Batman is dead.  THE Batman.

We can argue about who played Batman best in the movies, we can argue about Adam West's portrayal as Batman and how it fits in the large scope of pop culture, but there was one thing that could never be argued.  There is only one definitive portrayal of Batman across all media.  Only one voice that embodied the character so well, that it forever defined who Batman is.

Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman in the classic Batman: The Animated Series (1992).

Conroy was one of the first actors truly delineate between Batman and Bruce Wayne, to portray the gravel that Batman would add to his voice, and often portraying the heartbreak inherent in the character.  And he did it all with just his voice.

As a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s, Batman: The Animated Series had a huge impact on me.  Their technique of animating and painting on black matte backgrounds to create a noir edge to the art.  The streamline moderne aspect to the art, placing Gotham City in an anachronistic time period that never existed, but somehow fit perfectly.  Plus, it was the first animated series where particular attention was paid to hiring dramatic actors to fill the vocal roles.

Conroy, prior to Batman, was a Juliard trained stage and TV actor who roomed with Robin Williams.  He consistently worked throughout the 80s, often in soap operas like Another World and Search for Tomorrow.  Batman would prove to be his iconic role, one he continued to portray to the very end and one he took to heart.  He was particularly gracious to his fans at conventions, even as his health began failing him.  He passed away Thursday, November 10, 2022, from complication due to cancer, at the age of 66.

If you have not read it, DC comics released a written work by Conroy with art by the incredible J. Bone as part of their DC Pride issue this June, in which Conroy relayed his experiences as a closeted and recently out gay actor working through the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.  It spoke of his experiences fighting to find work in an industry that refused to put gay actors in a lead role and of the deep connection he made with Batman through the audition process and the development of the character.  It is beautiful and heartbreaking and DC comics has made it available free to read to everyone now in honor of Conroy's life.  You can read it here. 

Rest in Peace Dark Knight, you are missed.

George Perez, Comics' Titan

For comic fans, when you mention any superhero, there is always a specific artist that leaps to mind as epitomizing the look of that character.  The artist defines the character.  For some, it is the first artist they have exposure to, with that first exposure burning the experience into their brain. For others, it is someone like Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, whose art for DC Comics characters was used for every piece of merchandise in the 1970s and 1980s, from books, to apparel, to folders and lunch boxes.  Chances are, if you can instantly recognize a particular Superman image outside of comic books, it's Jose Luis Garcia Lopez.  

For me, the artist I always leap to is George Perez. And because of his immense talent and prodigious output, it's not one specific character - it's nearly every Marvel and DC Comics superhero.

To me, he is the definitive superhero artist.

When I picture virtually every superhero, its his art that leaps to mind.  Perez's art in many ways defies description.  It's intricately detailed, but not hyper-realistic nor overly stylized.  It's active and vibrant in the way the best cartoons and comics are, but carries more detail in a single panel than many other cartoons or comics have in their entire product.

His art pushed the boundaries of what is possible in a single comic's page or panel.  Never content with what he had done previously, he always sought to top his previous artwork, increasing the complexity of panel design and crowd composition.  He holds the records for the largest number of characters on a single cover, soaring over 200 with his covers for Crisis on Infinite Earths and JLA/Avengers.

Perez created seminal runs of Wonder Woman, Justice League, Superman, Teen Titans, and the Avengers.  He drew the crossovers that are still seen as groundbreaking today - Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Infinity Gauntlet, and the historic intercompany work JLA/Avengers.  And he could do it all.  He penciled, he inked, he wrote.  And he did it with such perfectionism.

Above all, Perez had the greatest relationship with his fans.  Perez, ever the consummate professional, was known for having the longest lines at conventions, and yet still prioritizing time with each fan, singing and sketching on whatever they brought him.  Hour after hour, I've read stories today of other creators admiring this ability and wondering if he ever ate.  He has been described as the nicest man in comics, and from all indications, it seems to be 100% true.  

On December 7, 2021, Perez announced that he had been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer.  He made the decision to forgo any additional treatment and to focus on making the most of the life he had left.  Particularly, seeking to find ways to celebrate his life with his fans while he was still here.  Looking to sign books, looking to share stories, and to share the hugs that he was famous for.  I shed a few tears that day, moved by the love he had for those around him.  To be at what we would consider such an extreme low, and to be still moved by love.

Perez passed away yesterday peacefully at his home, at the age of 67.  

The light and spirit that he brought to this world and shared with us will be greatly missed.

May he rest in peace.

Thank You For Being a Friend

"Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant

And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say

Thank you for being a friend!"

I'm not exactly sure when it started.  I know I watched some episodes when they originally aired and I remember that period.  We certainly watched that era of sitcoms in our household growing up and I remember the ones around them.  Empty Nest, Nurses, Blossom.  And I remember enjoying it at the time.  

At some point though, The Golden Girls became my go to comfort television show.  It was that way in college, law school, and living on my own.  When I had cable, it was so easy to turn to the Hallmark Channel or Lifetime and catch a re-run.  I even went through it when we had Hulu and rewatched several seasons.  

There was many a night where I would turn on The Golden Girls, lay on the couch after a long day, and fall asleep as the episodes played.

The thing is, it's a deceptively good sitcom.  And it works because of the well created characters found in Dorothy, Sophia, Blanche, and Rose.  Each of the characters is perfectly crafted, and the actresses bringing them to life are at the top of their game.

There's one episode in particular that never fails to make me laugh, and it's a bit with Rose and a Saint Olaf Story.  It involves a herring circus.  The delivery makes it clear that the actresses are struggling to keep their composure through the story.

Betty White played Rose Nylund perfectly.  It always remains interesting that White was originally envisioned for Blanche Devereaux, as it was similar to the role she played on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  Rue McClanahan was originally intended to play Rose, as it was similar to the role she played on Maude.  Both eager not be typecast, they took the suggestion of the director and switched roles at the last minute.  

I'm so thankful they did, because White was able to bring out such a well rounded character in Rose Nylund.  She brought the naivete and innocence required for the role, but also grounded it in warmth, sincerity, and earnestness that quickly shown through.

Her career is littered with such roles, particularly in television, making her honorary title, the "First Lady of Television" quite fitting.  She was the first woman to produce a sitcom, one of her first starring roles in Life with Elizabeth.  The dual natured Sue Ann Nivens on the Mary Tyler Moore Show.  Ellen Harper Jackson on Mama's Family.  A great supporting role opposite Leslie Jordan on Boston Legal.  The judgmental caretaker Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland.  

She was the oldest person to host Saturday Night Live after a successful Facebook based campaign.  The spot garnered her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress on a Comedy Series.  She earned a Guinness World Record for the Longest TV career by an entertainer (female) in 2014 and then again in 2018.  She received eight Emmy Awards, three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award.  She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

She was a comedy genius and her spirit will be missed greatly.  Both as an actress and comedian, and as an activist and philanthropist for animals.

Ms. White passed away on the morning of December 31, 2021, the end result of a stroke she had on Christmas Day.  She would have been 100 years young tomorrow.  Ms. White was preceded in death by her husband Allen Lunden.  Lunden passed away in 1981.  White remained unmarried following Lunden's death, saying, "Once you've had the best, who needs the rest?"  She always believed she would see him again.

Rest in Peace Betty White; may your love story be continuing.

Thank you for being our friend.

TCM Remembers 2021

This week seems it may be a lot of memorials.  I typically share this at the end of the year, but that was a bit full this time.  TCM always puts together a classy memorial reel, providing the most comprehensive look at the loss that film suffered in the past year.

This past years list included legends and so far 2022 is following in that vein.  There will be a couple more posts for specific individuals later this week.

To Sir, With Love

"The time has come
For closing books and long last looks must end
And as I leave
I know that I am leaving my best friend

A friend who taught me right from wrong
And weak from strong, that's a lot to learn
What, what can I give you in return?

If you wanted the moon
I would try to make a start
But I would rather you let me give my heart
To Sir, with love"

One of the great joys of watching film is discovering great filmmakers.  Not only those who make great art, but also those who live great lives.  Poitier was always recognizable, even to me as a young film viewer.  The voice instantly let you know who was on screen.  And his presence on screen captivated anyone's attention.

Over the past two years, I've really explored Poitier's filmography.  Prior to that, my exposure to him was only through Sneakers and Lillies of the Field.  But over the past two years, we've seen No Way Out, Cry, The Beloved Country, Blackboard Jungle, Edge of the City, The Defiant Ones, A Raisin in the Sun, A Patch of Blue, In the Heat of the Night, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.  These roles meant something.  They said something.  And Poitier blazed a trail in them.

"Before Sidney, African American actors had to take supporting roles in major studio films that were easy to cut out in certain parts of the country. But you couldn't cut Sidney Poitier out of a Sidney Poitier picture."

Denzel Washington

Poitier was the first African American to receive the Academy Award for Best Actor, the first in either of the Best Actor/Actress categories.  He has received a Grammy Award, two Golden Globe awards, and a BAFTA.  He further received two Academy Award nominations, ten Golden Globe nominations, two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, six BAFTA nominations, eight Laurel nominations, and one Screen Actors Guild nomination.  In 1995, Poitier received the Kennedy Center Honor and in 2009 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.  He was also named an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974.  

He was an icon, an activist, and an ambassador.  He made our film better and he made our world better.  He will be greatly missed.

"Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. He also opened doors for a generation of actors. Michelle and I send our love to his family and legion of fans."

President Barack Obama