Astronaut, test pilot, and aquanaut -- via the New York Times. One of the original seven Mercury astronauts, Carpenter hailed from Boulder, Colorado. The park in his name in town sports a space-themed playground equipment, including a rocket-shaped climbing gym.
Interesting, overlooked, and significant obituaries from around the world, as they happen, emphasizing the positive achievements of those who have died. Member, Society of Professional Obituary Writers.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Andy "Handy Andy" Pafko
Former MLB outfielder -- via ABC News. A four-time All-Star, he was also in left field when Bobby Thomson hit "The Shot Heard 'Round the World."
John Stephenson aka August John Vercruyssen
Actor and voice artist -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. Best known as the voice of Mr. Slate on "The Flintstones," he also voiced Dr. Quest on "Jonny Quest" for the show's first five episodes.
Kokontei Shinba aka Yoshino Keiichi
Rakugo storyteller -- via MSN Japan. A rakugo storyteller is a lone performer who relates long and complex comic stories. Kokontei Shinba is an honorific title, passed from rakugo master to rakugo master. This performer is the ninth to bear the name.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Bill Eppridge
Photojournalist -- via the New York Times. Most famously, he took the heartbreaking photo of Robert Kennedy dead on the floor of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
Bill Eppridge - The Importance of the Still Image from Summit Series of Workshops on Vimeo.
Bill Eppridge - The Importance of the Still Image from Summit Series of Workshops on Vimeo.
Vo Nguyen Giap
Guerrilla and military leader -- via the BBC. I normally don't include warriors, but hey. This guy had no training, and terrible resources. Facing enormous odds, he first kicked France's ass and then America's. That's damn good work!
Phil Chevron aka Philip Ryan
Songwriter, guitarist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist with the Pogues -- via rte.ie. He wrote "Thousands Are Sailing" and "Lorelei," among many others! Although Shane MacGowan is the well-publicized, dysfunctional face of the group, Phil was really the anchor. Love you, man!
Monday, October 7, 2013
Patrice Chereau
Opera and theater director, filmmaker, actor, and producer -- via Liberation. His groundbreaking production of the Ring cycle at Byreuth in 1976 paved the way (for better or worse) for an age of "director's theater" (Regietheater).
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Anthony Hinds aka John Elder
Film producer and screenwriter; the father of "Hammer horror" -- via the Telegraph. The son of the Hammer film studio's father, he made the momentous decision to make a feature film of the BBC-TV sci-fi series "The Quatermass Experiment," courting the then-infamous "X" film-rating certificate for adults only. He then moved on to color in "The Curse of Frankenstein," bringing together great team members such as Jimmy Sangster, Terrence Fisher, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Bernard Robinson, and James Bernard, focusing on "color, sex, and death" (much tahnks the Telegraph for these insights!). His inspiraton vreated some of the favorite creepy-crawlies of my youth!
Friday, October 4, 2013
Ruth Maleczech aka Ruth Sophia Reinprecht
Actress; co-founder of Mabou Mimes -- via the New York Times.
Ruth Maleczech as Lucia Joyce in Lucia's Chapters from Mabou Mines on Vimeo.
Ruth Maleczech in Summa Dramatica from Mabou Mines on Vimeo.
Ruth Maleczech as Lucia Joyce in Lucia's Chapters from Mabou Mines on Vimeo.
Ruth Maleczech in Summa Dramatica from Mabou Mines on Vimeo.
June Reimer Springer aka Monica Lane
Actress, singer, and dancer -- via Playbill. A billboard sporting her image inspired Roy Lichtenstein's 1961 painting, "Girl with Ball."
Douglas Grassel
Guitarist; original member of the Ohio Express ("Yummy Yummy Yummy") -- via the Mansfield News Journal.
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