Opus is Dying

I don't get the Sunday paper any longer, but my friend Pete pointed me to yesterday's Opus. It looks like Berke Breathed, the creator is sufffering with some serious health problems and he may be ending the comic. It was ironic, because I just pulled out some old Bloom County paperbacks for drawing reference just yesterday morning. See the sadness here.

R.I.P Don LaFontaine

Voice over lost a great talent today as "The Voice" Don LaFontaine passed away at 68 today. I was lucky enough to work with Mr. LaFontaine a few years ago on a commercial project I was working on. I feel grateful to have met him, even it was through a phone patch in an office building in Cleveland. To honor him, here is Don and a few of his good friends.

Cleveland Lets Superman Down...Nice Goin'

Got this from Whiz Kid Dan Coulter today.

Superman was born in Cleveland, OH. Glenville to be exact. And the house where creator Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster came up with the Man of Steel is about to fall in on itself:

"It's actually a great old house -- painted bright red and blue (really) -- and owned by one of the kindest elderly couples in the world. But as the neighborhood sank, so did the house. When you walk inside, you feel like your foot might go through the floor. The roof is flawed. The paint is a mess. When you look up at the ceiling, you see the exposed rafters overhead. It's a mess. Worst of all, the city of Cleveland let it happen. As the owner told me, “They won’t even give us a plaque. Not even a plaque to say, ‘This is where Superman was created.’”

Doesn't surprise me, really. That area of Cleveland is in pretty bad shape overall and even if you DID save the house, there's no telling how long it would stay in good condition. Anyway, you can see how you can help to save it at this website.

Another great notch in the City of Cleveland's belt. Sigh.

Comedian George Carlin Dead at 71

I think he went a little nuts at the end of his career, but some of his performances are legendary. Whenever I pull up behind several people at a red light I always think of Carlin's driving routine where he states that "you have to figure out which one of these idiots is the fastest." He will be missed. Read the whole story here.

D & D Creator Passes Away

Gary Gygax, creator of the RPG Dungeons and Dragons has died. Source.