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Post by codystarbuck on May 15, 2021 20:23:19 GMT -5
Yeah, heart attack, though given both his drug history and punishment in the ring, it's not too surprising. Not a fan of the guy, as I never felt that garbage wrestling had any place in professional wrestling; but, he was a smart performer and his promos in Smoky Mountain were some of the best in the business, pushing racial buttons with the predominantly white crows of the promotion, which ran in Knoxville and parts of eastern Tennessee and Kentucky. He was never going to be a performer in the WWE (aside from when ECW worked with them), as he was not going to play Vince's game, while he also didn't have a style that Vince would promote. I was always kind of surprised that he did hire the Dudleys, though they got toned way down (as did RVD). Professional wrestling, since the 80s, has chewed up and spit out a lot of people; most before the age of 50. He's probably lucky he lived as long as he did.
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Post by EdoBosnar on May 18, 2021 15:46:04 GMT -5
Well, crap. Just saw that actor Charles Grodin has died at the age of 86. He appeared in tons of movies, usually playing comic roles - very well. My personal favorite is "Midnight Run" with Robert De Niro.
F-ing cancer...
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Post by Dizzy D on May 20, 2021 2:06:19 GMT -5
Kentaro Miura, writer and artist of the manga Berserk, died earlier this month of an spontaneous aortic dissection. Miura started Berserk back in 1989 and while updates slowed down a lot over the years, chapters came out even this year.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on May 20, 2021 10:21:04 GMT -5
I'm seeing reported on both Facebook and Twitter that David Anthony Kraft has passed away from complications of Covid. For me his greatest contribution was the long running Comics Interview magazine. I'd love to see those interviews more readily available.
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Post by Prince Hal on May 20, 2021 10:29:03 GMT -5
I'm seeing reported on both Facebook and Twitter that David Anthony Kraft has passed away from complications of Covid. For me his greatest contribution was the long running Comics Interview magazine. I'd love to see those interviews more readily available. I spoke to him once or twice on the phone when he was, IIRC, known as David Kraft, an assistant editor at Marvel back sometime in the mid-70s (?). Can't even recall why I was speaking to him -- guessing it had to do with an article I was writing for a college magazine or something like that --, but he was absolutely friendly, unpretentious, and perfectly willing to talk. I've always remembered that and followed a few of the strips he wrote, like Man-Wolf and Defenders, simply because of the impression he made on me. Sorry to hear that he has passed away.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on May 20, 2021 10:36:11 GMT -5
I'm seeing reported on both Facebook and Twitter that David Anthony Kraft has passed away from complications of Covid. For me his greatest contribution was the long running Comics Interview magazine. I'd love to see those interviews more readily available. I spoke to him once or twice on the phone when he was, IIRC, known as David Kraft, an assistant editor at Marvel back sometime in the mid-70s (?). Can't even recall why I was speaking to him -- guessing it had to do with an article I was writing for a college magazine or something like that --, but he was absolutely friendly, unpretentious, and perfectly willing to talk. I've always remembered that and followed a few of the strips he wrote, like Man-Wolf and Defenders, simply because of the impression he made on me. Sorry to hear that he has passed away. I think that Man-Wolf run was probably my favorite comic work of his. But I also haven't read it in eons.
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Post by EdoBosnar on May 20, 2021 11:26:57 GMT -5
Yeah, I just saw the note about his death written by his wife and reposted on the Back Issue fb page. Very sad to hear about this. I mainly know him from his Marvel scripting work in the late '70s - the Defenders and the aforementioned Man-Wolf stories (which I just read sometime last year and rather enjoyed.
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Post by berkley on May 20, 2021 13:12:42 GMT -5
I always liked his work for Marvel in the 70s. For some reason I never read much of Comic Book Interview - I think in the earlier 80s it wasn't available where I lived and later on, when it may have been on the LCS shelves, I had lost interest in the Marvel/DC stuff it seemed to cover. If it ever becomes available online I'll probably give it a look to see what I missed. Maybe there was more independent, non-superhero coverage than I thought?
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Post by codystarbuck on May 20, 2021 23:38:16 GMT -5
Wow, sad to hear.
For me, it was his Defenders work, as that was where I came into it, as a regular reader (a friend had one of the Gerber issues, with the Guardians of the Galaxy).
I read a bit of Comics Interview and it was pretty far-ranging, covering a lot of independent comics and creators, as well as DC and Marvel. It was one of the few places where you got interviews with other people, aside from writers and artists. One of the few interviews I ever read with Leslie Zahler, apart from a dual one with her and Howard Chaykin, when the second Time2 graphic novel was coming out. He did a fantastic long interview with George Perez, for the 50th issue, which covered his career and detailed information about how JLA/Avengers fell apart, complete with art from the unpublished story. That had me jonesing to see it, other than the Lord of Time appearing as the villain (and Kang); never liked that character. The Watchmen issue was another good one.
Early issues had coverage of Elfquest, Nxus & Badger, Grimjack, Elementals, Zot, Shatter, Robotech, TMNT, and a bunch more. There were pieces on Mister X, Flaming Carrot, Usagi Yojimbo, Airboy, Omaha the Cat Dancer, and more. Outside of the comics Journal and Amazing Heroes, you didn't get much of that and Comics Interview didn't have the editorializing from Gary Groth that TCJ had and was at least on par with Amazing Heroes, if not better, in many ways (more consistently edited).
150 issues was a pretty good run. Some interviews were better than others and he didn't have the critical focus that TCJ had, though you can understand why. I think that hamstrung Amazing Heroes, a bit, over time, as some people wouldn't talk to them because they knew it was Groth's magazine. He couldn't compete with the slicker Wizard, though his content was way better.
He also published other comics, including X-Thieves, Micra, CyCops and Southern Knights (after it started out self-published). I believe Southern Knights was their bestselling title (certainly most critically acclaimed, such as those thigs went.
He also ran Fictioneer Books (which, I believe was listed as the publisher of Comics Interview, or some variation , at first) which reprinted some old sci-fi stuff, like AE Van Vogt, as well as others, including prose stuff from Don McGregor. He also published and acted as an agent for Otis Adelbert Kline's (a pulp writer and assistant editor on Weird Tales, as well as an agent for REH) work.
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Post by codystarbuck on May 20, 2021 23:48:24 GMT -5
Also passing away was comedian and writer Paul Mooney, who was a stand-up comic, actor and writer for Richard Pryor (including his SNL appearance, as well as stand-up material and movies), Redd Foxx (including Sanford & Son), Good Times, In Living Color (1st Season head writer) and Dave Chappelle (Chappelle's Show). He also acted in some of Pryor's movies, Hollywood Shuffle, his own series, Judge Mooney, and portrayed Sam Cooke, in The Buddy Holly Story.
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Post by codystarbuck on May 20, 2021 23:53:57 GMT -5
I'm seeing reported on both Facebook and Twitter that David Anthony Kraft has passed away from complications of Covid. For me his greatest contribution was the long running Comics Interview magazine. I'd love to see those interviews more readily available. He was releasing collections of them and published at least 3 volumes, of a projected 11.
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Post by tartanphantom on May 21, 2021 0:34:43 GMT -5
Sorry to hear about D.A.K. I bought and still own full runs of both Southern Knights (including the spin-off " Dragon" mini-series) and X-Thieves. I was also a fan of Comics Interview, as it wasn't nearly as abrasive or rumor-mongering as Gary Groth's Comics Journal. The Dave Stevens/Rocketeer issues of CI are particularly fond to me.
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Post by Cei-U! on May 21, 2021 6:19:50 GMT -5
Also passing away was comedian and writer Paul Mooney, who was a stand-up comic, actor and writer for Richard Pryor (including his SNL appearance, as well as stand-up material and movies), Redd Foxx (including Sanford & Son), Good Times, In Living Color (1st Season head writer) and Dave Chappelle (Chappelle's Show). He also acted in some of Pryor's movies, Hollywood Shuffle, his own series, Judge Mooney, and portrayed Sam Cooke, in The Buddy Holly Story. I saw Mooney perform at The Comedy Store back in the early '90s. Edgy stuff that clearly made portions of the audience uncomfortable, but funny as hell. It's a big loss for comedy.
Cei-U! I summon the laughs!
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Post by impulse on May 21, 2021 8:54:24 GMT -5
Ugh, this damn virus. It seems like we are starting to come out the other side of the worst of it, but you still see stuff like this. RIP.
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Post by codystarbuck on May 26, 2021 13:25:54 GMT -5
Former Virginia senator and ex-Mr Elizabeth Taylor, John Warner has passed away, at 94. He spent 30 years in the Senate, as a Republican, from the centrist wing and served as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. he served as Secretary of the Navy in Nixon's 2nd Administration and met Taylor in 1976, as am escort, arranged by the British Ambassador, to an embassy party, in honor of Queen Elizabeth II. They married later that December. Warne ran for the Senate in 1979, with Elizabeth campaigning for him, which was credited with drawing much larger crowds and interest in his race. The pair divorced in 1982, but remained friends throughout her life. She used her relationship with Warner to later gain government funds for AIDS research.
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