Dorkgasm - Obituaries

Henry Gibson | Obituaries

kenneth.holm — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:07:06 +0000

Henry Gibson, the actor who brought many memorable roles to life with a style all his own, passed from this world on September 14th, 2009. He was 73. Gibson was known for many things, both earlier in his life and later. His career really began to take off after he appeared in the Jerry Lewis vehicle The Nutty Professor. Folowing that, he made appearances on such shows as F Troop, Bewitched, and even The Dick Van Dyke Show. However, it was his rucurring characters on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In that made him a household staple in the 60s and 70s.

That's not to say that television was his only bread and butter. Henry Gibson played a part in many memorable movies. Some of his more prolific roles included the Head Nazi from The Blues Brothers, Dr. Walter Klopek from Joe Dante's underappreciated The 'Burbs, and Father O'Neil in Wedding Crashers. Even smaller roles in Bio-Dome, Magnolia, Innerspace, and Evil Roy Slade were memorable. Gibson played his roles by taking advantage of his voice, which seemed almost demure at times. However, sometimes this only masked a villainous streak that became apparent in the final reel.

Most recently, he had done Boston Legal, David E. Kelley's courtroom dramedy. His Judge Clark Brown was one of the most memorable and somewhat endearing characters on a show full of oddballs and scene-stealers. Henry Gibson was a personal favorite of mine, and my thoughts are with his family anf friends during this time. The world has lost a great character actor, and it doesn't seem like there is enough of those anymore...

Click here for Henry Gibson's IMDB Page.

Patrick Swayze | Obituaries

MRiedlinger — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:01:21 +0000

Nobody Puts Dalton In A Corner
By
Michael C. Riedlinger
Editor-In-Chief

According to the Associated Press, Patrick Swayze has died tonight, September 14, 2009. He was 57.

We all know he's been fighting pancreatic cancer for the last two years, but that didn't really slow him down, did it? Turn on a TV in America at any given time, and you're bound to see Swayze strutting, busting pool cues, or making pottery with Mrs. Kutcher. Heck, he was in a new show on A&E last season called The Beast. The fact is, Patrick Swayze didn't die today, because you can't kill a legend.

He had a career that wasn't ordinary, by a long shot. While most "leading men" start out in their 20's, Swayze didn't make it as a sex symbol til he was in his thirties. In spite of the women in my life all gushing about his turn in Dirty Dancing, I remember him best for kicking Commie ass in Red Dawn, or kicking preppy "soc" ass in The Outsiders. Face it, Swayze kicked a lot of ass!

Road House, Point Break, To Wong Foo... He kicked ass in all of them! That's right, Patrick Swayze could round house kick your ass out of ANY bar in America wearing a dress! Patrick Swayze was the kind of "movie star" who was never a movie star. He was married to the same woman 34 years. That's longer than most of his fans have been alive! It made him untouchable, and the fact that he made such an impression whenever he was on the screen made him unforgettable. THAT makes him a legend, my friends, and that is undeniable.

Click here to see Patrick Swayze's IMDB page

David Carradine | Obituary

MRiedlinger — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:50:31 +0000

Five Finger Death Punch
By
Michael C. Riedlinger
Editor-In-Chief

Yep, David Carradine is dead at age 72. The BBC is reporting that he hanged himself in a closet with a curtain cord in a Bangkok hotel last night. Why was he in Thailand? He was apparently there to film a movie called Stretch though let's be honest, none of us would have seen the damn thing, would we have? Initial reports coming out of the infamous NAMBLA playground indicate no foul play was involved, but a lot of folks have suggested that maybe The Bride could have done it. Hell, if she had been, this wouldn't be such a sad occurance.

The fact is, there are very few who will likely be truly saddened by Carradine's death. Sure, we'll see the requisite "he'll be missed" crap, but if we're being honest here, then we should admit that he wasn't much more than a bad B-Movie actor whose biggest role came because racist TV execs couldn't fathom putting the "can't hide that he's Asian" Bruce Lee in his own TV show. What else is Carradine known for? There's Kill Bill 1&2, of course, but Uma Thurman caught almost all the attention on that flick, and Dave was pissed as hell about it from all we heard. I ran into David Carradine at a convention around those years, and the guy, quite frankly, was a bigger asshole than Ken Foree. Maybe it was because he was still doing $10 autographs at dork-filled conventions while Uma was hitting the tabloid scene and fielding offers for films that wouldn't be going direct to DVD, but I tell you, he was one VERY unhappy camper around 2004.

David Carradine in Death Race 2000 as Frankenstein
Image copyright New World Productions

I did hear one cool, be it apocryphal, story around that time though. A sword dealer I met claimed that David came around to his booth on the first day of the convention and eyed the array of samurai and ninja swords on display. The booth owner asked if there was anything he liked, and Carradine asked for the sharpest sword he had. After presenting the Kung-Fu star with the weapon, the merchant asked for an autograph and maybe a picture holding said merchandise. David Carradine responded by turning around and slicing the man's table in half. "Not bad," the eponymous Death Race driver responded. He handed back the sword, and took off for the bar across the street... Or so the story goes. I was in the bar when he came in, and all the guy wanted, it seemed, was to be left in peace.

Did you see what I referenced there? Yep, crap B-Movies and TV shows. The fact is, love him or hate him, David Carradine was not a great star. Sure, he had some memorable roles, but Karate Cop and Waxworks 2 are NOT on anyone's "classics" lists, are they? His biggest film was probably Kill Bill, and unlike John Travolta's brush with Tarantino, Dave failed to capitalize on it. Notice that no one talked about Mickey Rourke making a comeback in Once Upon a Time in Mexico or Sin City, but waited for The Wrestler. That's because starring in one or two big-name films does NOT a comeback make. Don't by into the hype, Carradine's career was in the toilet. Sure, he still had a career, and there are those that will remember him for a long time for the junk he put out, but it isn't like he was going to win an Oscar anytime soon. Maybe you're a fan of The Long Riders, or the Kung-Fu series really made you get into martial arts for the first time, but don't be sad. Carradine took the cowards way out of a shitty situation. Yes, Death Race 2000 will always be a guilty pleasure for me, but I know I'm not the only one out there who would have preferred he was found in the arms of a teenaged hooker rather than having strung himself up for no good reason. Goodbye, Dave. Thanks for the memories, but let's hope we can forget the end of your story down the road.

Michael Turner | Obituary

MRiedlinger — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:05:38 +0000

Soulfire Dims
By
Michael C. Riedlinger
Editor-In-Chief

It is with great sadness that we report that Michael Turner has lost his four year battle with cancer. He passed at Santa Monica Hospital in California last night with friends and family at his side at the age of 37. Turner was the creator of several comic book titles including Fathom, Witchblade and Soulfire, and he founded Aspen Comics in 2003.

Discovered by Marc Silvestri in the 90's at a convention, Turner worked at Top Cow for several years when he was diagnosed with cancer in his pelvis in 2000. After surgery and radiation therapy, Turner's cancer went into remission and in 2002 he founded Aspen MLT (Michael Layne Turner). There, Fathom began publication once more, and several major talents began working on their own titles. Most recently, Michael Turner was producing cover artwork for A-list Marvel and DC titles.

In an epic show of loyalty, most of the creative talent featured at the Aspen Comics booth this year at Wizard World Chicago left the Windy City Friday morning to be with their friend. Michael Turner was a great artist and a visionary creator, and his talents will be missed in the the comics world for a long time coming. If you find yourself at Wizard World Chicago this weekend, stop at the Aspen Comics booth (1112) and pay your respects to one of industry's great talents.

George Carlin | Obituaries

MRiedlinger — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:20:26 +0000

Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker and Tits By Michael C. Riedlinger Editor-In-Chief The world is a sadder fucking place now that George Carlin, 71 year-old comedic pioneer, is dead. That's right folks, take him out of your rolodex, or better yet, delete him from your email lists. Shit, who am I kidding? The fact is, George knew he was getting on in years, and he'd be pissed if any of you motherfuckers shed a tear for him. Raise a glass in his name next time you're at a bar and sing his praises. Mr. Carlin brought his abrasive comedic talents to audiences for generations and, while most people laughed, rattled a few cages in his time. Hell, they arrested him once or twice, including in Milwaukee back in '72 for using what they called "profane language". The cocksuckers in the Supreme Court decided that the government has the right to sanction broadcasters for airing "profanity" because of George back in '78. Not 30 years later, Janet Jackson's tits were the subject of just such a fine... All thanks to "the man" freaking out over George. I say fuck the fucking fuckers; they can piss off. George was a comic genius on par with Lenny Bruce, and a political agitator just as subversive as Hunter Thompson. I've even heard one rumor that surviving members of the Weather Underground are going to get back together and blow up a vacant stage at Summerfest in old George's honor and in protest of the War in Iraq! George would have laughed, so should we. Whether storming a stage as a cantankerous old asshole, or hitching a ride for a blow job, George Carlin had a knack for making us laugh and making us question what we thought was true in the world. He beat addiction, as much as anyone can, and became a sort of American God in his own lifetime. If celebrity is akin to royalty in this country, then we just lost our fucking king. Carlin taught me, specifically, not to fear words. Not to fear getting old, the human body, shitty politicians, or going bald naturally. Carlin taught all of us a thing or two. Hell, I've seen Carlin speeches in emails for more than a decade now; senders proclaiming his wisdom as some sort of modern Gospel. My heart goes out to those that survive him, his wife, his daughter and son-in-law, and any other family he may or may not have brought up in numerous routines and interviews throughout the years. A fucking bum heart? Yeah, I guess so... Heart failure in a Santa Monica, California hospital. Can't we just lie, and say he went out fight Nazi Ninja Zombies... From Space? Or is that shit too corny? Ah well, fuck it all, we will all miss him no matter how he died because we loved him for who he was, not how he lived. No plans have been announced yet for his funeral, but I guarantee it'll be a fucking media circus, where ever they decide to bury him. All I know for sure about that is, I don't want it in my backyard. Goodbye George. Thanks for everything, we owe you one.

Charlton Heston | Obituary

kenneth.holm — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:38:55 +0000

~~Guess It'll Be Easier To Take That Gun Away Now, Huh?~~ ~~Charlton Heston Is Soylent Green!~~ ~~Don't try to follow me. I'm pretty handy with this.~~ Little Light Left In The Forest By Kenneth Holm
Senior Staff Writer Today it was discovered that Charlton Heston, that God among men, had died at his Beverly Hills home on Saturday evening. He was 84 years old. While there has not been an official announcement on the cause of death as of this point in time, it is widely known that the charismatic actor had been battling Alzheimer's disease for the past several years. Charlton Heston was born on October 4th, 1924 in Evanston, IL to a mill owner. After treading the boards in local theaters and the stages of Broadway, he got his big break in the 1950 film Dark City. After he had been noticed in this film, he went on to star in many award-winning films such as The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur. However, some of his best work appealed directly to the Dork market. With futuristic yarns like Soylent Green and The Omega Man to appeal to the burgeoning sci-fi crowd, he also had a handful of high drama flicks such as Orson Welles' Touch Of Evil and the Spanish blockbuster El Cid. \ Even with these huge films under his belt, the role that he is probably most known for is George Taylor from Planet Of The Apes. His immortal uttering of the famous line "Get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty apes!" is still known as one of the most memorable quotes of all time. The role has been parodied several times, but no one can take the powerful performance away from Charlton Heston. As time progressed, he was seen less and less in movies, preferring instead to focus his efforts on conservative politics. He was also the president of the NRA, which is a controversial anti-gun control group. Even though he was a conservative for most of his life, he was one of the staunchest supporters of Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. and the fight for civil rights. While the passing years have somewhat softened Mr. Heston's images, due largely in part to an unfortunate appearance in Michael Moore's Bowling For Columbine, many of us will remember Heston's movies as being larger-than-life, just like the actor. He brought dignity to each and every role he took on, from the three seperate times he portrayed Marc Antony to the role of "Good Actor" in Wayne's World II. Our prayers and well wishes go out to his family, friends, and fans during this time. What day is it, anyway? Monday? Huh? The hell it is. It's Sunday. Sunday I always dress for dinner. - Charlton Heston as Robert Neville in 1971's The Omega Man.

Gary Gygax | Obituary

MonsterRiveter83 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:42:22 +0000

The Late, Great Gary Gygax: A D&D Nerd's Fond Farewell By George German, Jr. My fellow pen and paper role playing dorks, it is a sad day for us, indeed. As posted on Yahoo! News at about quarter to 1 PM Central time, Dungeons and Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax, 69, of Lake Geneva, WI, has passed away. Gygax’s health had been on the decline for several years now, including an abdominal aneurism. Despite his condition, though, Gygax continued to host weekly Dungeons and Dragons games out of his Lake Geneva home as recently as January. Gygax’ wife, Gail, said that he enjoyed hearing from the game’s loyal players about how he helped them become doctors, lawyers, policemen, and how else Gygax’ realm inspired them to do great things with their lives. In addition to creating the Dungeons and Dragons world and game system, Gygax also authored a plethora of fantasy novels. The system has also been adapted by other games since its creation. Funeral arrangements have not been made as of yet.

On a more personal note, the news saddens me greatly. I remember being a bit of a social outcast my sophomore year of high school until, one day, a couple of guys in my gym class invited me to a Dungeons and Dragons game hosted at a mutual acquaintance’s house. I’d never played D&D before, but had had many great experiences with other role playing games such as Vampire: The Masquerade, Mech Assault, and GURPS. When I arrived, there were a group of guys that I had hung out with since junior high crowded around an old poker table. Pens, paper, dice, and manuals cluttered up the surface. At first, I was a little confused about the character creation process, but once I was done, I was content with what I had created. Then, I started to play. The freedom of being able to play the kind of character I had always imagined gave me such a rush. No longer was I restricted to reality’s strict guidelines of morality. I was free of the real world’s legal system. More importantly, I was bonding with a group of fellow dorks, campaigning, and having a shitload of fun. The events continued on a weekly basis for most of my high school career. So, it is with fond remembrance of Raven Blacke, the chaotic neutral Rogue/Assassin and of my later gargoyle character… Nay, remembrance of the feeling of acceptance and camaraderie that I found with other Dungeons and Dragons dorks and the memories of the late nights of soda, chips, and campaigning for hours on end, that I say this from the bottom of my heart: Gary Gygax, thank you for creating Dungeons and Dragons. Thank you for creating a world and a system that allowed outcast dorks to find friendship and fun. Thank you for inspiring me to attempt to create my own fictional reality and system. But thank you the most for being a dork yourself and embracing it so all the rest of us could as well.

Gary Gygax Dead, 69

JBolyard — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:15:36 +0000

Gary Gygax Fails Saving Throw By Joel Bolyard That's right folks, one of the creator's of DnD has passed on to the great beyond. Too bad there wasn't a cleric on hand with a cure disease or ressurection spell. But in all seriousness... I read a few of the articles about him today and found he had been going through some health issues. However despite having issues he had been running games as recently as January of this year. Let's face it folks without Gary Gygax we wouldn't have half the popular game we have today. Despite it's often derogatory connotations, D&D is a pop culture icon. His legacy will endure for years to come. I only hope that GenCon this year will do some kind of tribute to him. A number of us here at Dorkgasm have played RPGs (DUH!!!) and thank Gary for putting the first book into print. Dorks everywhere have been and will continue to be inspired by his example. Thank you Gary. I'll be sure to raise a pint to you this week. Cheers.

Roy Scheider | Obituary

MRiedlinger — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:04:43 +0000

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Roy Scheider. He passed Sunday at the age of 75 in Little Rock, Arkansas from... Well, shit, they haven't said yet! In any case, I guarantee you've all seen his work in 2010, The Punisher, or, at the very least, Jaws. He was a great performer and gave us many memorable performances throughout the years. He will be missed. With the Oscars coming up, we should also remember that he was nominated twice. First in 1971 for The French Connection, then again in 1979 for All That Jazz. He deserved them both. Let's face it, the next time some shit hits the fan and your buddy cracks "We're gonna need a bigger boat!" it's going to be just a little less funny. Our thoughts go out to the Scheider family. May you find peace and may Roy finally find that bigger boat.

Heath Ledger | Obituary

kenneth.holm — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:09:24 +0000

Manhattan today was the scene of a truly sad event. Heath Ledger, star of many films that spanned a twelve year career, was found dead in his downtown Manhattan apartment. He was twenty-eight years old.

Currently, there are no conclusive reports as to his matter of death, but as most young deaths in Hollywood go, there may have been drugs involved. At least, that is what the police are saying right now. I am sure that we will be seeing reports over the next few days in regards to his official cause of death.

Ledger was most recently seen in the film I'm Not There, a unique take on the life of musician Bob Dylan in which several different actors played Dylan in several different phases of his life. Ledger played one of the versions of Dylan, and garnered much praise for his work. However, most of our readership will know him as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's as-yet unreleased The Dark Knight. No one is sure what this means for the film, but I have faith that his performance will be one that is talked about much.

Heath Ledger first got his shot at stardom across the seas from his native Australia in the short-lived Fox adventure series Roar. As his star rose, he took parts in such diverse films as the teen comedy Ten Things I Hate About You and the critically acclaimed Monster's Ball, which co-starred Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry.

He was also on the forefront of one of the most controversial movies in recent memory, starring as a gay cowboy named Ennis del Mar in Ang Lee's superb Brokeback Mountainabout a man who found his true love with another man, Jack Twist, who was played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Ledger was a truly superb actor in whatever he chose to do. I, personally, am a huge fan of his work, and I am truly saddened to hear of his death.

All of the thoughts and feelings of Dorkgasm are with his family and friends, including his young daughter Matlida, who was born to Ledger and actress Michelle Williams. We are truly sorry to hear of his loss, and the movie industry will shine a little less today.