round-up

UT wins Fiesta Bowl

So... UT won the Fiesta Bowl. Who'da thunk it?

I certainly thought UT had all the potential in the world to win and SHOULD win, but given how 2009 had been going so far, I sort of figured... eh, why get your hopes up? In fact, I predicted UT would lose by 14, just to make myself feel better.

Well, UT won this evening in Glendale versus the Buckeyes. Heck of a game once we were in the second half. Colt, Cosby and the rest managed to pull a rabbit out of their hat that I confess, I wasn't sure they had in them (if it had been VY, then I would have believed it, but...).

I am really happy for the UT Horns and am optimistic that next year can be just as great.

Now to look forward to Thursday's game, which I am guessing will be pretty crazy. I am unsure who I am rooting for yet, as both teams were impressive as heck all year (and I seriously question whether UT could beat either team at this moment).

Salvation Army Red Bucket

So I want to both report on how we did and thank some folks for the success of this year's first foray into the Virtual Red Bucket as the League of Melbotis had its first fundraiser.

Our projected goal was $300, and we managed to raise $360! Not bad, everybody!

We'll be back next year (or perhaps in June) with another go at it. I like the idea that maybe I can use LoM for good, occasionally.

So who can I thank?

My in-laws, Dick and Judy get a shout out. My own folks, KareBear and The Admiral. Jason, of course. The Doug gave, as did Heather Wagner. Matt M. and Erik Z. chipped in. My Arizona pal Maria Hanlin gave, too. JimD was more than happy to throw a few clams in the bucket.

PLUS, I had reports from Leaguers such as Carla and Nicole (and Justin?) that they'd found a real bucket out there and made sure to help out. And poor Simon tried to make a donation, but the website apparently was displeased with his Canadian money. So special salute to Simon for trying and trying.


Melbotis Tributes

Thanks so much to all for their support.

Randy makes mention of Mel at his site.

Lauren draws a lovely image of Mel and invites you to join in.

Jason says good-bye.

And so does Jamie. I know how hard writing this must have been for her, and I think its a lovely tribute to our guy. Also here.

Hi all.

Jamie and I cannot thank all of you enough for your support.

Today was better. We tried to keep busy today, and I think that helped.

Doug has been here with us, and, in fact, was with us yesterday at the vet. I can't say how much we've appreciated having him here. We also spent time with my folks, who were headed back to Spring yesterday, Jamie's folks met us last night for dinner, and Jason joined us for dinner, too, as well as going out with us today.

Lucy knew something was wrong while Mel was sick. She now seems a bit out of sorts, knowing something is definitely wrong. She just seems more anxious than usual. Also, she is probably a bit thrown off by the extra attention, but she did act out a bit when we left for a while for dinner. In fact, she got into a box of biscuits the dogs received as a gift for Christmas. I think she's paying for her super-snack right now.

I think she's missing the comfort of knowing Mel is here, too, when the people go out for a while. But we did leave her with Cassidy at Jason's when we went out earlier, and Cassidy is scheduled to stay with us a day or two this week.

Poor little girl.

Thanks again to all for getting in touch. We really appreciate it, and I know Mel would have loved the attention.

Just so you know, Mel will be cremated. Jamie and I will be spreading his ashes somewhere with water, probably next weekend. If you'd like to join us, just let us know and we'll keep you posted. The same place will be making a plaster mold of Mel's footprint. They will need a lot of plaster.

I am realizing how many little places I was used to communicating with Mel. Coming downstairs first thing in the morning was, of course, a ritual, as you'd usually go to him first (Lucy is less patient and comes to you. Mel knew better and would stay on the couch and wait for his morning greeting if he'd already eaten). Or taking Lucy out to throw the ball, I looked back at the window because I was so used to Mel deciding he wanted to join us in the yard, even if he wasn't going to play. He'd just wait patiently for you to see he was there and come let him out, too.

I think it's going to be a lot of little things like that.

I'll quit going on and on.

Anyway, I am glad that I was exiled to the couch on Christmas Eve (Mel and I both snore) where Mel and I shared the L-shaped sofa by the tree. There were probably much worse ways we could have spent our last Christmas together than him keeping my feet warm.

Goodbye to Melbotis

Hi Leaguers.

As some of you know, Mel became very sick after Christmas. I am still reeling from the events of the past 48 hours or so, and suspect it will be a week or so before it all really sinks in. But we had to say good-bye to Mel this morning. We worked hard with our veterinarians to make the best decisions, and we were with Mel when he went.

I cannot, cannot believe he is gone.

The brown eyes and orange flag of a tail will never be there again when I come home from work. The happy panting as he climbs up on the couch to do nothing more than spend time with you. His patient insistence that all tennis balls belong to him and him alone, and waiting perhaps an hour to finally round them up as Lucy looks on in dismay as her game of fetch comes to an end. Mel's joyful running when we would arrive at the park, his tail spinning in circles as he'd bound free from the car. Seeing his nose and eyes sticking out of the water as he paddles toward you.

When Jamie is sick, he is always the best listener, dispenser of hugs, confidant and distraction. I cannot imagine what it might have been like in Arizona had I not had Mel's steadfast, unquestioning friendship.

I will always remember years ago, when we lived in that clapboard house on Briar street that Mel loved so much. The front yard was fenced with chain link, and he would spend his days in the yard rushing the fence to say hello to any adult and barking in what was the most pathetic excuse for ferociousness you ever saw when kids would come by. Anyway, I loved the afternoons and evening there, throwing the ball for him up and down the side of the house until we'd worked away the grass and he had dug a trench in the earth. I'd then sit on the steps as he'd roll in the yard, letting the sun warm his belly. And if there's any justice or any heaven, that's what he's doing right now, knowing Jamie and I will be up to join him when we get around to it. Knowing we love him so, so much. My boy.

I am not ready to say good-bye. But that's what we had to do today. And I miss him, and I will miss him. Those triangle ears and pink tongue. It's not fair. There's never enough time.

Good bye, Mel. I love you so much. Good boy.

Eartha Kitt Merges with the Infinite

Eartha Kitt, actor, singer and part of the Bat-firmament as one of three talented women to play Catwoman in the classic Batman television program, has passed away.



Kitt is also known for her version of "Santa Baby" (if you're hearing it on the radio or at the mall, that's Kitt's voice). She had a long and prolific career, including, I recall, cabs in New York on the 1990's using a pre-recorded message from Kitt asking you to buckle up (I still recall turning to Jason in the cab and blurting out "That's Eartha Kitt!").

Kitt never seemed to lose her joie de vivre, and never minded talking about either "Santa, Baby" or Catwoman. She'll be missed but not forgotten.

RIP Bettie Page

Even if you didn't know her name, it's most likely you knew the face (etc...) of Bettie Page.

Ms. Page was a pin-up model of the 1950's, who occasionally posed not just for standard cheesecake faire, but also for some racier and edgier material that became a hot item among collectors. Page gained notoriety as she appeared in Playboy and eventually found herself subpoenaed to testify on the adult publication industry of the 1950's (congressmen were really into making a name for themselves in the 50's by calling hearings for all sorts of cultural/ moral issues which appealed to the easily outraged).

Much of Page's mystique springs from how the model basically quit the biz and disappeared off the cultural map for decades, leaving behind a look as iconic as Louise Brooks, or even her contemporaries such as Marilyn Monroe (or Harlow or Mansfield).

Oddly, there is a comics-bent to all this as Dave Stevens (who died in March), creator of the Rocketeer, was semi-obsessed with Page, using her as a model in his work. Jennifer Connolly would go on to play the role Stevens had modeled after Page in the Disney movie of The Rocketeer (which I love. You should rent it). Stevens eventually tracked down Page, who was apparently unaware of her cult status, and who chose not to be photographed so her fans would remember her as the smiling face they knew, forever young.

The 1990's and 00's saw a resurgence of Page collectibles, merchandise, and rock-a-billy chicks took on Page's look. Quite the cultural footprint for someone who was never a movie star, what-have-you.

Sadly, Ms. Page passed away this week at age 85. While her body and spirit have joined with the infinite, she has left an eternal legacy of people pausing longer than necessary when they stumble upon her photographs.

More on Page here.

We love you, Bettie. You'll be missed.

update, B&B, Changeling, Watchmen

Rudy Ray Moore RIP

This is pretty much for Shoemaker, but...

Yeah, dude. Dolemite is dead. Sorry about that.

Long live the Dolemite.


Update

Hey, Leaguers. Not much to report. With the new job in hand, I've been taking it easy of late. Ran by Austin Books yesterday and picked up a mess of stuff (I recommend picking up the latest Superman books, including the New Krypton Special.

It's official. The Superman books are the best they've been in recent memory.

I' m getting to know people at work, and while the Austin branch of my team is small, at least I really like everyone. If it were a small team full of jerks... well... It'd be bad news.

I'm digging my office space (it's quiet, so ADD boy here can focus!). It's just a weird shade of green.

The weekend will be good. I'm going to the UT/ OSU game, and then hitting "Hops Fest II: The Hoppening" at Shoemaker's on Saturday. Sunday will be more of the bringing crap downstairs stuff we've come to know and love. I also need to take a look at my Supersuit for proper Halloween candy distribution.

I do find it odd that, aside from 1999, I don't know if I've ever been involved in anyone else's Halloween activities. Somehow that's the one holiday where my pals seem to wind up hanging out with friends where I don't fit on their Buddy Venn Diagram.

No worries. We like handing out the candy. Speaking of... I need to get:

a) candy
b) apples
c) caramel

Batman: Brave and the Bold

Here's the show's website (with audio... so turn down speakers if at work). The show premiers in November, I think. I saw images from ComicCon, and, yeah... Jamie, I'm buying the Blue Beetle toy they're going to make.

Here's Beetle fighting space pirate Kanjar-Ro.


Changeling

That new Clint Eastwood movie with Angelina Jolie? It seems to have been written by J. Michael Straczynski. JMS is probably most famous for 90's era sci-fi show "Babylon 5" (which hasn't really done much on DVD or re-runs). JMS is also now a pretty popular comic writer, and had what I thought to be a good run on Spider-Man.

Anyway, good for JMS. Glad he's got movie work going on as well as the comics.


Watchmen Stuff

I recommend Television Without Pity's new feature "Trailers without Pity". Their Watchmen discussion is your perfect breakdown of what both fanboy and non-nerd alike may wish to know about the upcoming movie.



What Omar and Pedro either missed or oversimplified was their comparison of the Watchmen characters to DC characters (Dr. Manhattan to Superman). The fanboy in me must point out: this is wrong.

Moore had initially intended to use characters owned by Charlton comics, which DC had purchased in the 1980's. However, DC decided to fold those characters into the DCU rather than let Moore do his thing, so Moore just changed who was who. But if you know those characters, it kinda makes more sense than Dr. Manhattan equals Superman.

Night Owl = Blue Beetle (including the generational aspect)
Dr. Manhattan = Captain Atom
Rorschach = The Question (which, in turn, informed how the JLU Question was portrayed)
Comedian - Peacemaker (now in Blue Beetle at DC)
Ozymandias = Thunderbolt
Silk Spectre = Most likely "Phantom Lady"

May I get my nerd-card stamped and get my free sandwich? Thanks.


Also, Zach Snyder cut together another Watchmen trailer, which is pretty much the first trailer all over again.

RIP Paul Newman

Paul Newman has merged with the infinite.

We've lost him at the age of 83.

I've only seen a fraction of Newman's work, but, hell... what red-blooded American made it through college without watching "Cool Hand Luke" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"?

For the Ladies: I also have a firm memory of taking a class on "relationships" at UT, and talking about ideals for men and women, and the cacophony that hit the 400 person auditorium when Mr. Newman's image was presented as the ladies went a bit nuts. Well done, Mr. Newman.

There's no question we've lost one of the best who will ever grace the screen. Few actors have been smart enough to follow Newman's lead either in choice of roles or in his example for how he lived his life off the screen (the food line has been able to give $200 million to charity).

You'll be missed, Mr. Newman.

People I have Mistakenly Believed Were Dead

Actor R. Lee Ermey. The drill sergeant from "Full Metal Jacket". I thought he died two years ago, but it doesn't appear that's the case.

This Guy from my my Church when I was about 14. I totally got my retirees mixed up, and thought the wrong guy died. So I'm sitting in the hallway at church, and here comes the dead guy in white robes walking toward me... Well, as I mentioned, it was a case of mistaken identity, and the other guy was in the choir. But for about ten seconds there, I thought the dude was haunting the @#$% out of me.

Zsa Zsa Gabor. Apparently... still alive.

Musician Matthew Sweet. I have no idea why I thought Sweet was dead, but I was surprised to see he had a new album in a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly. He could have been pulling a Tupac, I suppose. But a quick Wikipedia check indicates the guy is still alive.

New Kids on the Block. Apparently still hangin' tough. They have a new album, too.

Dracula.

Have you ever thought someone (famous or otherwise) was dead, but they weren't?

Movie Trailers now 100% less Awesome

Movie trailer voiceover maestro Don LaFontaine has passed on.

An article here.

yeah, it's the "In a world..." guy.

I am sad to hear this news. Not only was LaFontaine only 68, but we'll now be denied the voice my generation associates with the movies.

Godspeed, sir. May your merging with the infinite be as exciting as your voiceovers.

World Now Significantly Less Soulful

If you noticed that things seemed a lot less groovy today, there's a reason.

Isaac Hayes has passed away.

We're losing too many of the great ones.

Grandma Ross

In case you didn't see mention of this at Jason's blog, my grandmother passed away yesterday afternoon. I am still processing the emotion that comes along with losing family. Our family is small, and so while we rarely attend family funerals, each death is a reminder of just how few of us there are in my family and extended family.

The grandmother who passed was my father's mother, Katherine Ross (she had been remarried for a long, long time before I was born. Thus the different last name). The passing was of natural causes.

I hope you'll forgive me if I choose not to go into some lengthy post on the topic.

Also, I'll be leaving for Florida in a day or so to be gone for an as-yet-to-be-decided amount of time, so when the blog goes dark for a few days, bear with me.

If you have any grandparents still with you, do me a favor and let them know you care about them, okay?

A Moment for Baby

I am sorry to report that Randy and the Mysterious M's cat, Baby, has passed away.

If you've known Randy for a while, followed his various blogs, etc... you will know that Randy loves his cats the way we at League of Melbotis consider the pets to be members of the family.

Unfortunately, Baby had been dealt several ailments, and M and Randy had to say good-bye.

So, please take a moment today and visit Randy's post. And take a moment today to salute Baby.

Stan Winston, RIP

I didn't go to film school so I could make movies about people feeling things deeply. I wanted to work on movies with shiny metal robots, gruesome aliens, fearsome dinosaurs and maybe a gorilla or two. The only director/ producer I ever wanted to be was, maybe, the Coens.

But, really, I wanted to be one of five people.

1) Chuck Jones
2) Early career Walt Disney (as I've aged, I see the appeal of being late career, crazy, world-building Uncle Walt.)
3) Rick Baker
4) Stan Winston
5) and, upon occasion, early career Lucas

I don't think it will come to surprise you that I watched a lot of sci-fi and genre movies. And at the conclusion of those movies, I would see the words "Stan Winston" related to the picture in some way. And I think if you check out a lot of great movies, you're going to find Winston's name somewhere in an IMDB listing.

Terminator. Predator. Aliens. All came out of Stan Winston's shop. And a whole heck of a lot more. For me, being able to bring those things to life always seemed as interesting, if not more so, than a lot of the rest of the movie-making process. Even if the movie wasn't all that great, Winston and his shop's FX were always amazing (ex: Congo).

I'm sorry to hear that Mr. Winston has passed away. I am certain that Mr. Winston's contributions to cinema will never be forgotten. He, and his team, have simply changed the way movie special effects, make-up, etc... work and how the audience can relate to special effects as characters in their own right.

Winston was part of the generation who took their artistry to the next level, turning B-pictures into blockbusters, and who understood how to blend how to blend fantasy and reality seamlessly within the frame.

We'll miss you, Stan. May your workshop carry your vision forward.

RIP Tim Russert

Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press" died today while at work. It was completely unexpected. And, I'd say, a huge loss for modern journalism.

Guys like Russert aren't supposed to die early. They're supposed to be there every Sunday for decades, just like they were the week before. You expect to see them take a dignified retirement, only to pop up again as guest commentators during particularly monumental events when the journalist in their blood refuses to NOT be there to help cover the story. It was certainly what I expected for Tim Russert.

I really like Russert. I might not always have thought he was chasing the right path (like the Clintons after the impeachment. Man, he was nuts for that story), but not only did he get great guests (I mean, seriously... it was like people were afraid NOT to show up for Meet the Press), but Russert had crazy enthusiasm for his job. You could feel it every week, as well as whenever he showed up on another show. One got the feeling he didn't just love being a witness to the mix like so many political journalists, but Tim Russert was always happy to be the one to mix things up with anyone who showed up to talk with him.

I cannot imagine what NBC will do at this point. And, if I may, it seems unfair that a guy like Russert dies at 58 when he seemed to be moving at cruising speed.

We'll miss you at The League, Russert. We may have been spotty in how often we made a point of catching Meet the Press, but it seems inconceivable we'll be finishing the 2008 election without you. Let alone, entering into a new presidency without the staff having to come by your table to explain themselves and pay their dues.

MSNBC
Washington Post 1
Washington Post 2
Buffalo News


So long, Mr. Russert.

Will Elder, RIP

Apparently I missed whatever press this got, but cartoonist Will Elder passed away in May.

Will Elder was one of the original EC comics artists who helped launch MAD. He was also responsible for Playboy cartoon strip "Little Annie Fanny".

For a quick recap, we turn to Wikipedia.

But here's an actual obit that might do him a bit more justice.

I think its safe to say that without Elder, there would be no MAD Magazine. And without MAD, The League's youth would have been a lot less... well... The League's youth.

Thanks, Will.

So long, Harvey

Harvey Korman, 1927 - 2008

End of an Era: Dave's Long Box is put in the attic

Let me get this out of the way: I love Dave's Log Box.

Sometime in 2005/2006, JimD turned me onto the site, and it's consistently been one of the best comic blogs on the planet (nay... in the UNIVERSE), since its inception. Dave may have invented the idea of theme weeks for blogs, as near as I can tell. He brought the frenetic energy of fandom to the fore, celebrating both the good and the absurd in superhero comics with equal enthusiasm.

Blogging isn't a paying gig, Leaguers. So when folks discovered Dave's talents from the world of dollars and cents, he was able to parlay his blogging gig into a paying gig, writing for the Invincible Encyclopedia, a comic or so, and now writes for ABC.com. And for that, I salute him. We'd all of us bloggers probably have a secret wish that someone would put us on a payroll and give us medical and dental just for doing what we're already doing, and every once in a while, it actually works out for the best of the bloggers.

And Dave is one of the best.

Last Wednesday, I missed Dave's final post thanks to a few factors:
1) I check it once a week, because that's about how often Dave had been updating
2) Doug's malevolent presence

But he did leave a farewell post. I invite you to read his good-bye's. And not just because League of Melbotis gets a passing mention (In the privileged position between "the creators of Laser Force", and Bahlactus. Pretty solid company, if I say so, myself).

He's moving on to ABC.com full-time. And I wish him well.

There's a promised new blog coming, so I'll keep my eyes peeled. And you should, too.

I'll also be cleaning up my blogroll to include Dave's ABC work and the new site, whatever that might be.



Vaya con dios, Dave's Long Box.

Cheston Merges with the Infinite

Toll the bells, and come not to me with words of good cheer, Leaguers. Aye, turn your eyes neither toward Earth nor Heaven in joy, but let them hear your weeping and lamentations. So above, so below.

The great one is gone. He shall stride the world no more.

Ne'er again shall we see his like. His grace. His very Chestonness which made him the Cheston. He's been called home by the cosmos, too great for this wretched world, yet always making this orb greater by his presence.

Now gone. Gone forever.



I say adieu. And goodnight, sweet prince. The world shall be poorer without your light.

Charlton Heston has merged with the infinite.

The League is in mourning.

RIP Dave Stevens

I've just seen a report that Rocketeer creator, Dave Stevens, has passed after a long battle with leukemia.



Most people will know Stevens through the movie adaptation of his creation, The Rocketeer, rather than through his phenomenal artwork. Unfortunately, its been a while since The Rocketeer has seen print.

A few months ago I picked up The Rocketeer on DVD, and wondered why I didn't own any of the comics. I noticed Stevens' website didn't seem as if it was receiving maintenance. But it was a nice reminder of the quality of Stevens' good girl art and realistic, if romantic, style of rendering. Unfortunately, it provided no clues as to further printings of The Rocketeer, nor did it suggest anything about his Stevens' health. In short, I had assumed Stevens had moved on in the art world, and was not aware of any health issues.

It would be a nice move for Image or Darkhorse to ensure that Stevens' work saw print again in order to preserve his memory and legacy.

RIP Gary Gygax

At first I was merely horrified when Jason chose to out me as a former RPG'er. And, no, kids... RPG did not always mean "World of Warcraft". At one point, it meant cloistering yourself with neighborhood kids, a set of books, a pile of dice, and a Dungeon Master's screen.

Then I found out Gary Gygax died, and, you know... I would not have hesitated to tell Mr. Gygax all about my former RPGing, no matter what crowd I was in. And so today I salute Mr. Gygax and his creation, Dungeons & Dragons. And would tell him, thanks for making my life a bit richer. I salute you, and Zack the 25th Level Elven Thief (Chaotic Good) salutes you from whatever Avalon of forgotten RPG characters he sailed to long ago.

read Steanso's tribute here.