Animated Views Celebrity Obituary Thread

News, People and Events, including Awards, Festivals and Tributes
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GeorgeC

Re: RIP Dwayne McDuffie

Post by GeorgeC » March 16th, 2011, 8:06 pm

Bad news about DC plans for the McDuffie memorial comic solicited for June --

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=31345

Some of his Milestone collaborators and personal friends ARE contributing to the book.

However, proceeds from this book have NEVER been planned to go to charity let alone McDuffie's widow and children.

One of McDuffie's friends was very outraged and brought this to the attention of comic fans in a recent twitter post.

Yet another example of corporate "memorialism" at its finest.


You think DC and Marvel would learn after all these years!

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Post by Randall » March 16th, 2011, 11:43 pm

Reading the solicitation for the book this week, it never occurred to me that it was for charity. Just a nice way of paying tribute.

However, a charitable book WOULD be classy, especially to benefit his family. It would also get more pros contributing.

For my part, I'll be buying some Milestone trades; hopefully the royalties at least still go to his wife.

GeorgeC

RIP, MIchael Gough; Alfred from Tim Burton Batman movies

Post by GeorgeC » March 17th, 2011, 2:56 pm

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/03/17/michael-gough/

Long-time British actor Michael Gough, best known to moviegoers as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler in the Batman movies of the 1990s, has passed away. He was 94.

Prior to his stint as Alfred in the Batman movies, Gough carved out a name for himself as one of the steady stable of actors in the Hammer horror film series. His most memorable turn may be as the unbelieving assistant of Peter Cushing's Dr. Van Helsing in the final moments of "Horror of Dracula," the first in the memorable vampire series released by Hammer.

In his post-Batman years, Gough appeared as a town elder in Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" despite earlier retirement after "Batman and Robin". He was coaxed once more by Tim Burton to voice the the Dodo Bird in the 2010 release of "Alice in Wonderland."

Gough is survived by his fourth wife, a son, and grandchildren...

*******

He was one of the few elements of the Batman series that I enjoyed in the Burton films besides the Danny Elfman scores. He was very good even in the Schumacher-helmed films.

I remember him in "Sleepy Hollow" as well but was unaware of his character in "Alice in Wonderland" (2010).... there were a ton of other British character actors in that film as well.

It surprised me that he was in Hammer's first Dracula film and I had to look hard to recognize him at first. He really didn't change that much when he was older besides greying, thinner hair.

Regardless of how he was in real life, he always struck me as the perfect example of a British gentleman on film. His family, friends, and fans are going to miss him...

I much preferred him to Michael Caine as Alfred in all honesty... He just seemed like the kind of grandfather/father that would be good for the emotionally-scarred Bruce Wayne. A perfect Alfred (besides Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. voicing the character in Batman:TAS) you will never find again.

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Post by EricJ » March 17th, 2011, 3:29 pm

On topic, he also retired to occasional animated voices, taking over for Rowan Atkinson on "Lion King" marketing, and for Howard Morris's Gopher on the later Pooh spinoffs.

Most don't remember him as the Hammer era's third creepiest typecast-villain, however--
Except for Doctor Who and (Steed/Peel) Avengers fans, who remember him as the Celestial Toymaker and inventor of the Cybernauts. :)

GeorgeC

RIP, Hiroshi Kakoi, Macross animator/producer

Post by GeorgeC » March 18th, 2011, 4:42 pm

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... y-in-quake

Hiroshi Kakoi, an animator and producer on many anime series, including the iconic original Macross TV series and its Macross II video follow-up, died in the recent 9.1 earthquake that rocked Japan. He is survived by his wife. He was employed by both anime studios Artland and AIC.

Besides Macross, his best-known works include the original animation video series, Moldiver, and the 1980 colorized remake of Astro Boy. Both of these series, in addition to the original Macross and Macross II (theatrical movie), have seen publication on DVD in the US.

Kakoi's passing was confirmed by Japan-based American animator Jan Scott Frazier, a close friend of the deceased.

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Post by Ben » March 21st, 2011, 5:58 am

The whole Japan quake is overwhelming to comprehend. I wonder how many other talents we will hear about over the coming days. :(

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Post by Ben » March 21st, 2011, 5:59 am

KONGA! :)

GeorgeC

Re: RIP, MIchael Gough; Alfred from Tim Burton Batman movies

Post by GeorgeC » March 21st, 2011, 4:03 pm

What? You wanna start line-dancing? :wink:

GeorgeC

RIP, Elizabeth Taylor; 1932-2011

Post by GeorgeC » March 23rd, 2011, 12:22 pm

I just heard it off the news.

Passed away age 79.

If you don't know who she was, you're either dead or very, very young.

Taylor has been called one of the last celebrities to emerge from the old studio system. Known for dramatic roles and more popularly a long string of failed marriages, she became an activist and worked for several charities -- most notably AIDs research -- after her motion picture screen career waned.

She is survived by 4 children and 10 grandchildren.
A private funeral is planned for later this week.

******
I'm not surprised she just died. This woman had episodes of poor health for most of her adult career. Whether they were related to addiction or poor decisions, she was in and out of hospitals all the time.

I had heard of her heart problems (congestive failure) a few years back. She'd also had surgery for a brain tumor not long ago.

Whether you like her or not -- I've got my own opinions but I'm keeping them to myself because of her family --, you have to admit she was an icon and legend.

It's become cliche and overly trite to say that an era in Hollywood has passed with yet another legendary performer's passing. It's still very true, nonetheless.


EDIT: Fixed post heading.... For some reason this post did NOT have the heading I wanted originally.
Last edited by GeorgeC on March 23rd, 2011, 5:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

GeorgeC

Post by GeorgeC » March 23rd, 2011, 5:19 pm

For anybody that doesn't know...

.... Taylor did a cameo a while back on The Simpsons.

Guess which character she voiced, and what did that character say?


Hint: It's a character that's been in every episode of The Simpsons.

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Re: RIP, Elizabeth Taylor; 1932-2011

Post by droosan » March 23rd, 2011, 6:55 pm

RIP, Ms. Taylor. :(

I still watch National Velvet every year, or so. She's wonderful in that. :)

---------

I 'passed' on the trivia question, since GeorgeC said it was "for anybody that doesn't know." :wink:

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Post by Randall » March 23rd, 2011, 8:14 pm

I know, too. Guess I'll keep quiet. ;)

GeorgeC

Post by GeorgeC » March 24th, 2011, 12:12 am

Oh smurf up and behave!

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Post by Randall » March 24th, 2011, 1:03 am

OK. Maggie spoke her first word, and said, "Daddy."

GeorgeC

Post by GeorgeC » March 24th, 2011, 1:25 am

At the rate famous smurfs are smurfing lately, do you think they'll be any smurfs left over 70???

For smurf's sake, you know that smurfs alway smurf in groups of 3!

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