Who Watches the Watchers - Forum for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe & Similar Works / Pop Culture Obituaries

**Posted by zuckyd1** 7/31/2020 3:26 pm

Andy E. Nystrom wrote:
RIP director Alan Parker (Angel Heart, Mississippi Burning, etc.)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/alan-parker-dead-fame-midnight-express-mississippi-burning-director-was-76-1294697

I think he was a very underrated director. I'm a big fan of The Wall and Evita, Midnight Express and Angel Heart are both very good, and I even liked The Road to Wellville.

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 7/31/2020 5:30 pm

zuckyd1 wrote:
I think he was a very underrated director. I'm a big fan of The Wall and Evita, Midnight Express and Angel Heart are both very good, and I even liked The Road to Wellville.

Absolutely underrated. I think one reason he isn't more famous is that he didn't have any one style that he settled on. All his movies were so different from one another that you didn't know what you were going to get. I also think the controversy over Lisa Bonet taking on a more adult role during the Cosby era overshadowed Angel Heart for a time, though over time word of mouth and the passage of time from the Cosby Show has allowed it to stand on its own merits more.

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 8/06/2020 7:58 am

RIP Japanese comic book writer/artist Jiro Kuwata (桑田二郎) (8 Man, Batman: the Manga)
https://www.cbr.com/jiro-kuwata-creator-8-man-batman-manga-has-died/

**Posted by Loki** 8/29/2020 2:17 am

RIP Chadwick Boseman, taken by cancer at 43.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53955912

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 8/29/2020 5:33 am

Loki wrote:
RIP Chadwick Boseman, taken by cancer at 43.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53955912

Wow, that's a shocker, and obviously news with significant ramifications on future Marvel movies, since as Black Panther he'd have likely been in quite a few more movies, not just the Black Panther sequel.

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 8/31/2020 5:39 pm

RIP Norm Spencer (Cyclops on X-Men: The Animated Series)
https://www.cbr.com/x-men-animated-series-cyclops-norm-spencer-dead/

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 8/31/2020 6:21 pm

A little tribute I created using Paint.

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 9/05/2020 6:42 am

RIP DC artist Jim Janes, who never got the appreciation he deserved for his Legion work
https://www.cbr.com/jim-janes-obituary/

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 9/09/2020 4:32 am

RIP comic book artist Bob Fujitani, co-creator of Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom
https://www.cbr.com/doctor-solar-man-of-the-atom-co-creator-bob-fujitani-passes-away/

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 9/13/2020 8:51 am

RIP Dame Diana Rigg (Avengers TV series, Game of Thrones, On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54106509

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 9/22/2020 10:26 am

RIP Michael Lonsdale (James Bond foe Hugo Drax in Moonraker)
https://windsorstar.com/entertainment/celebrity/actor-michael-lonsdale-who-played-bond-villain-hugo-drax-dies-at-89

**Posted by Sidney Osinga** 9/30/2020 7:21 pm

It been a week since it happened, but no one else has brought it up.

RIP John Laurinaitis, better known as the professional wrestler Animal of the Road Warriors/the Legion of Doom. He had actually appeared in a few comics with his partner, the late Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand, such as issue 5 of Valiant's Battlemania and the two issues of Antarctic's Fifth Force.

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 10/03/2020 5:52 am

RIP actor singer Mac Davis (Seth Maxwell in North Dallas Forty; Don't Get Hooked on Me, It's Hard to Be Humble) https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/mac-davis-dead-at-78-1.5744385

RIP actress singer Helen Reddy (Nora in Pete's Dragon; I am Woman) https://www.npr.org/2020/09/30/918651061/i-am-woman-singer-helen-reddy-is-dead-aged-78

So both were singers who did a bit of acting and who died on Sept. 29, 2020 at age 78.

Last edited by Andy E. Nystrom (10/03/2020 5:56 am)

**Posted by Loki** 10/31/2020 7:18 am

RIP Sir Sean Connery - James Bond, Ramirez in Highlander, Henry Jones Sr., Quatermain in LoEG, and so much more.

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 10/31/2020 9:32 am

While Connery had views I don't agree with (particularly about women), he was nevertheless in my mind the definitive James Bond, bringing a kind of ruthlessness to the role. RIP.

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 11/08/2020 2:45 pm

RIP long time Jeopardy host Alex Trebek https://globalnews.ca/news/7450091/alex-trebek-jeopardy-dies-cancer/

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 11/09/2020 5:47 pm

RIP Ken Spears, co-creator of Scooby-Doo
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ken-spears-co-creator-of-scooby-doo-dies-at-82

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 11/23/2020 5:36 am

RIP David Hemblen (Magneto on X-Men: The Animated Series)
https://www.cbr.com/x-men-animated-series-magneto-david-hemblen-obituary/

RIP Michael Z. Hobson, former Marvel Executive VP
https://www.cbr.com/michael-hobson-marvel-comics-obituary/

Last edited by Andy E. Nystrom (11/23/2020 5:49 am)

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 11/23/2020 2:48 pm

RIP Kirby Morrow, Cyclops on X-Men: Evolution. So both 1990s Cyclops passed away this year.
https://deadline.com/2020/11/kirby-morrow-dies-prolific-anime-voiceover-star-was-47-obituary-1234619373/

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 11/29/2020 8:41 pm

RIP David Prowse (Darth Vader's body in Star Wars) https://variety.com/2020/film/news/george-lucas-mark-hamill-david-prowse-1234841823/

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 12/05/2020 12:59 pm

RIP David Lander, Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley; his MS was the cause
https://www.tmz.com/2020/12/05/laverne-and-shirley-squiggy-david-lander-dead-dies-ms-multiple-sclerosis/

Aside from being a fine comedian, he was also a talented singer:

**Posted by zuckyd1** 12/06/2020 11:06 am

What do Squiggy, Spider-Man, and Garfield all have in common?

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 12/14/2020 7:49 am

Don't know the answer to the above.
RIP country music singer Charley Pride (e.g. Kiss an Angel Good Morning), COVID-19
https://ew.com/music/charley-pride-dies-at-86/
RIP author John le Carre (The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The Tailor of Panama, and other spy novels with more realistic than Bond spies)
https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/master-spy-writer-john-le-carre-dies-at-89-agent-says-1.5229600

**Posted by zuckyd1** 12/15/2020 3:26 pm

zuckyd1 wrote:
What do Squiggy, Spider-Man, and Garfield all have in common?

They were all (briefly) members of the Legion of Super-Heroes!

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 12/15/2020 3:44 pm

Or rather appeared together in the same issue. Squiggy's hanging out with the Legion of Substitute Heroes, who were allies of the LSH but not actually members. Maybe he joined their ranks due to his skill in saying "Hello". I think in the cropped section, only Sun Boy and Kid Psycho were actual members, though Night Girl joined later.

I know that ruins the joke, but I can't quite turn off my knowledge of how 1980s Legion worked. The good news for Squiggy is that there was a team of heroes who weren't ready for the Legion of Substitute Heroes so he has a good chance of joining that team.

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 12/17/2020 1:22 pm

RIP Jeremy Bulloch, Boba Fett. Minor nitpick with the article: technically Don Francks was first (Star Wars Holiday Special), but Bulloch was certainly the first live action version and the actor most associated with him.
https://www.cbr.com/jeremy-bulloch-star-wars-original-boba-obituary/

**Posted by Loki** 12/17/2020 1:39 pm

Andy E. Nystrom wrote:
RIP Jeremy Bulloch, Boba Fett. Minor nitpick with the article: technically Don Francks was first (Star Wars Holiday Special), but Bulloch was certainly the first live action version and the actor most associated with him.
https://www.cbr.com/jeremy-bulloch-star-wars-original-boba-obituary/

He was also Edward of Wickham in Robin of Sherwood, a show little known in the US but arguably the best adaptation of the Robin Hood legend ever. Seen here, the bearded guy kneeling:

And more to the point, he was a really nice guy.

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 12/20/2020 9:18 am

RIP Bob Newman, who played Gertrude, Boris S. Wart, Ketchikan the Animal Man, Ggoorrrsstt the Friendly Frpl, Leroy Frump, Zenobia, Swami of Pastrami, Sturdley the Bookworm, and Santa Claus, all on J P Patches Show
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/bob-newman-sidekick-jp-patches-dies-age-88/FVZPCYI73JECTMNWJ2RS7FEUWI/

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 12/30/2020 1:11 pm

RIP Dawn Wells, Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island, making Tina Louise (ginger) the last surviving cast member. COVID.
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/dawn-wells-dead-gilligans-island-mary-ann-1234876755/

**Posted by Andy E. Nystrom** 1/05/2021 8:29 am

RIP Tanya Roberts, apparently this time for real:
https://globalnews.ca/news/7553444/tanya-roberts-dead-70s-show-bond-girl/