Animated Views Celebrity Obituary Thread

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » December 29th, 2004, 4:20 pm

This really hits home.

I knew a fellow from almost 2 years back who died from cancer... Also caused by a prostate condition. He was one of my Dad's best friends and it his death hit everybody who knew him really hard. His widow really hasn't completely recovered yet.

The sad thing is that if this type of cancer is caught early enough, men generally survive it. (Ladies can't get prostate cancer because they don't have a prostate gland, do don't worry gals!)

Most of us know Jerry Orbach from roles other than Lumiere in the Disney Beauty & the Beast movies. He was the longest-continuing cast member of NBC's Law & Order and part of the heart-and-soul of that highly-rated TV series.

He was also, from most reports, a heck of a nice guy and a decent human being.

He will definitely be missed by Disney fans, Law & Order-philes and castmates and crew, and his family.

Good-bye, Mr. Orbach. You entertained a heck of a lot of people and helped them forget their troubles for a while. I hope you're in a better place now. You left a rich legacy for anybody who's crossed your path or seen any of your movies and TV shows.

Post by **Ben** » December 30th, 2004, 7:05 pm

As with many, I was introduced to Jerry Orbach through his role of Lumiere in Beauty And The Beast.

It wasn't until much, much later that I finally caught the Bryan Brown thriller "F/X: Murder By Illusion" and I was shocked that the main heavy was an f-ing and blinding Orbach!

Over the years I've seen him pop up in the strangest of roles, and he certainly was a very versatile actor.

In a town where "they will be missed" notes flow far too easily, Jerry Orbach, for once, is truly a talent that the industry will have a hard time replacing.

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » January 4th, 2005, 11:54 am

Will Eisner, who influenced generations of comic book artists and undoubtedly had a huge influence of graphic artists of all stripes (including storyboard/animation artists) has passed away at age 87. He died in a hospital following complications from a recent quadruple bypass surgery.

A full story is at http://www.newsarama.com/pages/Eisner.htm

This is the biggest death in over 10 years as far as the American comic book/graphic novel scene is concerned. Although there have been recent deaths of other great artists, editors, and writers, nobody's passing since the late Jack Kirby (d. 1994) has had the resonance that Eisner's surely will. And believe me, a lot of guys who I admired as well have passed away recently, too!

I'm grateful that much of Eisner's work is still in-print and that the complete Spirit is being reprinted. I just wish that as in the case of many other fine comic book and animation artists that I had gotten the chance to tell Mr. Eisner how much I appreciated his work and what he's done for the graphics arts field and US GI's.

A very decent human being and great artist has passed away.

Post by **James** » January 4th, 2005, 12:15 pm

I've already got this in my queue of stories to be posted today. BTW - he is also the person of whom the Eisner Awards (for Comics) are named.

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » January 4th, 2005, 12:54 pm

Yeah,

A couple of comic book creators have mentioned the Eisner Awards.

One fellow (probably J. Michael Stracynzski, creator of Babylon 5 and current Amazing Spider-Man writer) posted on another site that this year's awards were going to be weird since it would be the first year Will Eisner wasn't around (alive) to present the award.

The same fellow said that getting an Eisner was different than getting an Emmy or Oscar. There was nobody named "Emmy" or "Oscar" to give you your award but the fact is that the Eisners were named after a real person who DID you give the award!

Post by **Ben** » January 4th, 2005, 3:32 pm

This is more sad news.

His stunning, graphic art is a clear influence on the many artists who followed him, and even still being seen in work today, as recently as the Rex Steele books and the short film.

On a side tangent, and something I've observed for a while now, is that I find it amusing that his trademark "signature" was very Walt Disney in its look, and he has the same name as Disney's current CEO. A strange twist of fate perhaps...

Post by **James** » January 4th, 2005, 5:19 pm

For those who don't want to wait for more info, and for any of our other contributors here that wants to go ahead and write this up here are the sources I was going to use:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/books/0 ... index.html

http://www.newsarama.com/pages/Eisner.htm

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/ ... gi?id=4627

I'll won't have time until later tonight to write an obit up. I usually try to write them from scratch, not by just quoting someone else, which obviously takes more time to do.

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » January 5th, 2005, 1:09 am

Ben wrote:
On a side tangent, and something I've observed for a while now, is that I find it amusing that his trademark "signature" was very Walt Disney in its look, and he has the same name as Disney's current CEO. A strange twist of fate perhaps...

20 lashes with a wet noodle for even comparing Will Eisner to that OTHER Eisner, Ben! LOL

Seriously, though... Everything I've heard and read about about Will Eisner is that he had more character and integrity in his little pinky than Michael Eisner has in his entire body. There's no comparison whatsoever.

And I'm sure that even if those two were related that Will Eisner would have denied it! LOL Seriously, the current Head Mouseketeer is the antithesis of everything the late Will Eisner stood for.

When I can afford it, I intend to get as many of the DC Spirit Archives as I can as well as The Plot, the latest book that Will Eisner had coming out before he died. The Plot is very timely since it examines the whole mythology of the anti-Semitic dribble that's percolated over the past 100 years.

Post by **Ben** » January 5th, 2005, 9:42 am

Woah!!

I wasn't comparing them AT ALL!! Hold off with the lashes!! Plleeeeaaaaasssseeee!!!

Just struck me as funny that not only do they share the name, but that Will's signature has some very close "Walt-isms" ('specially the W and that E)!

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » January 5th, 2005, 1:19 pm

Relax, Ben!

I kid, I kid! LOL

I do see your point about Eisner's signature. Very Disney-ish.

What I like about it even better is that unlike most comic book pros and white collar professionals is that I can actually read the darn signature! LOL

Post by **askmike1** » January 5th, 2005, 4:53 pm

Wow, it took 4 whole posts before complaints against Michael Eisner, you guys are slipping.

Post by **Randall** » January 5th, 2005, 11:30 pm

On the way home today, I was listening to CBC Radio, and was very impressed that they were interviewing Art Spiegleman on-air about Will Eisner. I thought that was pretty cool. Naturally, the interviewer knew nothing about comics, but obviously someone was doing their research.

Post by **Ben** » January 6th, 2005, 1:42 pm

askmike1 wrote:Wow, it took 4 whole posts before complaints against Michael Eisner, you guys are slipping.

No complaining here! Was merely bringing up a point which amused me!

Post by **Stego** » January 7th, 2005, 12:00 am

RandCanuck wrote:On the way home today, I was listening to CBC Radio, and was very impressed that they were interviewing Art Spiegleman on-air about Will Eisner. I thought that was pretty cool. Naturally, the interviewer knew nothing about comics, but obviously someone was doing their research.

I believe i heard that as well...wasn't that on NPR? I was in the other room at work at the time so i only heard a brief mention of it and what sounded like an interview about comics. Or is CBC also NPR?

hmm...

Post by **Randall** » January 7th, 2005, 9:20 am

Stego wrote: I believe i heard that as well...wasn't that on NPR? I was in the other room at work at the time so i only heard a brief mention of it and what sounded like an interview about comics. Or is CBC also NPR?

hmm...

It may have been different interviews. CBC is definitely not NPR. Regardless, it was nice hearing so much about Mr. Eisner in the general media this week.

Animated Views Celebrity Obituary Thread

Animated Views Celebrity Obituary Thread

Will Eisner, RIP -- Creator of "The Spirit" and gr