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i'd never noticed him. What should I read?
He's the Brave Little Toaster author.
Comic book artist Michael Turner dies at 37Michael Turner, a comic book artist who drew covers for major titles such as "Superman/Batman,""The Flash" and "Civil War,'" has died. He was 37.Turner died June 27 at a Santa Monica hospital of complications related to cancer, said Vince Hernandez, editor in chief of Aspen MLT, the Santa Monica publishing company Turner founded in 2003. Turner had battled bone cancer for eight years.Through his company, Turner created online comic adaptations for the NBC series "Heroes" and published his own titles, including the best-selling "Fathom," a deep-sea story about a female superhero.He also drew covers for large projects such as DC Comics'"Justice League" and Marvel's "Civil War" and was a regular cover artist for "Superman/Batman" and "The Flash.""He was definitely one of the most popular and influential comic-book artists working right now," said Andrew Farago, curator of San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum. "He was very, very much in demand as a cover artist on high-profile projects."Ryan Liebowitz, general manager of the Golden Apple Comics store in Los Angeles, said Turner's name was synonymous with special-edition covers that often became collectibles. The milestone 500th issue of "Uncanny X-Men," due out next week, will feature a special-edition cover by Turner.Turner was also known for drawing female comic book characters that evoked both innocence and sex appeal and exuded energy.In 1994, the budding artist was hired by Century City-based Top Cow Productions after an editor saw his work at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego.At Top Cow, Turner co-created "Witchblade," a comic about a voluptuous female detective who fights evil after discovering a mystical glove. The comic went on to make Top Cow's name and set the standard for Turner's future work.
Obituaries in the newsThe Associated PressFriday, July 11, 2008Bruce ConnerSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bruce Conner, an iconoclastic artist and avant-garde filmmaker of the Beat era, has died. He was 74.Conner died Monday of natural causes at home, said his wife, artist Jean Conner.One of the last surviving artists who was associated with San Francisco's Beat scene of the 1950s, Conner remained active and influential in the contemporary art world throughout his life.In 1958, Conner made the 12-minute experimental film, "A Movie," in which he set snippets of B-movies and other found newsreel and film clips to music. The film has been cited as a precursor of music videos, and in 1991, the National Film Registry selected it for preservation in the Library of Congress.Throughout his career, Conner also collaborated with many visual artists and musicians, including David Byrne and Brian Eno on the 1982 short film "America is Waiting" and the band Devo for a film he made in the 1970s.He gained international attention for assemblages he built from old stockings, photographs, broken dolls and other discarded items, which were viewed as a social criticism of American consumer society.___Mike SouchakDURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Former PGA Tour professional and Duke Sports Hall of Fame member Mike Souchak has died. He was 81.The school said he died Thursday in Belleair, Fla. It did not give the cause of death.Souchak won 15 events on the PGA Tour from 1955-66 and had 11 top-10 finishes in major championships. He finished third at the U.S. Open in 1959 and 1960, and played on the winning U.S. Ryder Cup teams in '59 and '61.He set a tour record for four-round low score at the 1955 Texas Open, opening with a 60 and finishing a 257. That record stood until Mark Calcavecchia's 256 at the 2001 Phoenix Open.At Duke, Souchak lettered three seasons in football and four in golf, helping the Blue Devils win two Southern Conference golf titles.___Janwillem van de WeteringSURRY, Maine (AP) — Janwillem van de Wetering, a Dutch-born author who penned a popular detective series set in his home country, has died. He was 77.He died July 4 of complications from cancer, said Nikki Smith, his literary agent.Born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Van de Wetering moved to Maine in 1975 and enjoyed a passion for Zen Buddhism, motorcycles and jazz, among other things.He lived in a number of countries including Japan, where he joined a Zen monastery, which he wrote about in his first book, "The Empty Mirror: Experiences in a Japanese Zen Monastery."Later, Van de Wetering created the popular "Grijpstra and de Gier" series of detective novels set in Amsterdam that drew from his experience as a police officer.In 1984, he was awarded the international Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, a French prize for crime fiction, for his book "The Maine Massacre," a Grijpstra and de Gier mystery set in Maine. He also wrote three children's books set in Surry, Maine, that feature a porcupine named Hugh Pine.Van de Wetering settled in Maine after coming to the state to join a Zen community and he later sailed up and down the coast in an old lobster boat, Smith said.
Former White House spokesman Tony Snow diesWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former White House press secretary Tony Snow -- who once told reporters "I'm a very lucky guy" -- died at the age of 53 early Saturday after a second battle with cancer.Snow, who had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for a recurrence of the disease, left his White House job September 14, 2007, and joined CNN in April as a conservative commentator.President Bush said Saturday that he and first lady Laura Bush were "deeply saddened" by Snow's death."The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father. And America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character," the president said in a statement."It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day."Snow also worked for the first President Bush, who commented Saturday:"In this case it isn't a press secretary. It isn't a speech writer. It was a dear, valued friend that went on to heaven. ... He won the respect of even those who violently disagree with the president's proposals and policies. For that I think he'll be remembered. He brought a certain civility to this very contentious job."Snow's successor, White House press secretary Dana Perino, said, "The White House is so deeply saddened by this loss. He was a great friend and colleague and a fantastic press secretary. And his dear family is in our thoughts and prayers." PhotoSee images from Tony Snow's White House days »Republican Rep. John Boehner called Snow "a proud son of Cincinnati," the Ohio city that Boehner represents in Congress and where Snow grew up."Churchill said, 'I like a man who grins when he fights,' and that was Tony Snow," Boehner said. "For 35 years, as a writer, broadcaster, and spokesman, he fought fiercely for what he believed in, and he did it with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. His loss is a loss for our country."In 2007, Chief of Staff Josh Bolten had told senior White House staffers that unless they could commit to staying until Bush leaves office in January 2009, they should leave by Labor Day 2007, so Snow resigned.In parting comments to reporters at his final White House news conference, Snow said, "I feel great."He also called the job "the most fun I've ever had."Snow said he was leaving the White House position to make more money for his family. His White House salary was $168,000, and he said he had taken out a loan so he could take the job. Snow said he was leaving because the loan money ran out. VideoWatch the White House staff's warm send-off »Snow is survived by his wife, Jill Walker, and three children -- Kendall, Robbie and Kristi.Snow was first diagnosed with colon cancer in February 2005. His colon was removed, and after six months of treatment, doctors said the cancer was in remission.A recurrence of the illness was diagnosed 11 months after he began the White House media job. At that time, doctors also discovered that the colon cancer had spread to his liver.He underwent five weeks of treatment before resuming his daily briefings to the press corps. He was greeted with applause upon his return."Not everybody will survive cancer," Snow told the reporters, "but on the other hand, you have got to realize you've got the gift of life, so make the most of it. That is my view, and I'm going to make the most of my time with you."Perino announced March 27, 2007, that Snow's cancer had recurred, and said doctors had removed a growth from his abdomen the day before. VideoWatch how Snow fought through the illness »Bush tapped Snow to replace Scott McClellan in April 2006.Snow had been an anchor for "Fox News Sunday" and a political analyst for Fox News Channel, which he joined in 1996. He also hosted "The Tony Snow Show" on Fox News Radio.During the 1990s, he was a regular guest host for Rush Limbaugh's radio program. During that decade he was a writer, correspondent and host of a PBS news special, "The New Militant Center," a regular commentator for National Public Radio and a frequent guest on television news programs.Snow was known for his candor.In a November 11, 2005, column, Snow wrote that Bush's "wavering conservatism has become an active concern among Republicans, who wish he would stop cowering under the bed and start fighting back against the likes of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Wilson.""The newly passive George Bush has become something of an embarrassment," Snow's column said."I asked him about those comments," the president joked at the time of Snow's appointment. "And he said, 'You should have heard what I said about the other guy.'"Bush said Snow's long career as a journalist helped him understand "the importance of the relationship between government and those whose job it is to cover the government."Robert Anthony Snow was born June 1, 1955, in Berea, Kentucky, and was raised in Cincinnati. When he was 17, his mother died of colon cancer at age 38.After receiving a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Davidson College near Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1977, Snow pursued graduate work in philosophy and economics at the University of Chicago.He worked as an editorial writer and editor at several newspapers, including The Washington Times and the Detroit News. He wrote a column in Detroit, and later wrote a syndicated column.Snow joined the administration of Bush's father, George H.W. Bush, in 1991, first as chief speech writer and later as deputy assistant to the president for media affairs.Snow became a television personality when he launched his news shows on Fox in 1993.When he returned to work at the White House on April 30, 2007, after the second cancer diagnosis, a usually articulate and loquacious Snow stumbled to find words."You never anticipate this stuff," he said. "It just happens.""I want to thank you all. It really meant the world to me. Anybody who does not not believe that thoughts and prayers make a difference, they're just wrong."He then prefaced a discussion of his health by saying, "I'm a very lucky guy."Outside of work, Snow played the guitar, saxophone and flute, and was in a band called Beats Workin' with other Washington professionals.
Estelle Getty of 'Golden Girls' dies at 84By BOB THOMAS – 39 minutes agoLOS ANGELES (AP) — Estelle Getty, the diminutive actress who spent 40 years struggling for success before landing a role of a lifetime in 1985 as the sarcastic octogenarian Sophia on TV's "The Golden Girls," has died. She was 84.Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica."She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents," her son said. "She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived.""The Golden Girls," featuring four female retirees sharing a house in Miami, grew out of NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff's belief that television was ignoring its older viewers.Three of its stars had already appeared in previous series: Bea Arthur in "Maude," Betty White in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Rue McClanahan in "Mama's Family." The last character to be cast was Sophia Petrillo, the feisty 80-something mother of Arthur's character."Our mother-daughter relationship was one of the greatest comic duos ever, and I will miss her," Arthur said in a statement.When she auditioned, Getty was appearing on stage in Hollywood as the carping Jewish mother in Harvey Fierstein's play "Torch Song Trilogy." In her early 60s, she flunked her "Golden Girls" test twice because it was believed she didn't look old enough to play 80."I could understand that," she told an interviewer a year after the show debuted. "I walk fast, I move fast, I talk fast."She came prepared for the third audition, however, wearing dowdy clothes and telling an NBC makeup artist, "To you this is just a job. To me it's my entire career down the toilet unless you make me look 80." The artist did, Getty got the job and won two Emmys."The only comfort at this moment is that although Estelle has moved on, Sophia will always be with us," White said in an e-mail to The Associated Press after Getty's death was announced."The Golden Girls" culminated a long struggle for success during which Getty worked low-paying office jobs to help support her family while she tried to make it as a stage actress."I knew I could be seduced by success in another field, so I'd say, 'Don't promote me, please,'" she recalled.She also appeared in small parts in a handful of films and TV movies during that time, including "Tootsie," "Deadly Force" and "Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story."After her success in "The Golden Girls," other roles came her way. She played Cher's mother in "Mask," Sylvester Stallone's in "Stop or My Mom Will Shoot" and Barry Manilow's in the TV film "Copacabana." Other credits included "Mannequin" and "Stuart Little" (as the voice of Grandma Estelle)."The Golden Girls," which ran from 1985 to 1992, was an immediate hit, and Sophia, who began as a minor character, soon evolved into a major one.Audiences particularly loved the verbal zingers Getty would hurl at the other three. When McClanahan's libidinous character Blanche once complained that her life was an open book, Sophia shot back, "Your life's an open blouse."Getty had gained a knack for one-liners in her late teens when she did standup comedy at a Catskills hotel. Female comedians were rare in those days, however, and she bombed.Undeterred, she continued to pursue a career in entertainment, and while her parents were encouraging, her father also insisted that she learn office skills so she would have something to fall back on.Born Estelle Scher to Polish immigrants in New York, Getty fell in love with theater when she saw a vaudeville show at age 4.She married New York businessman Arthur Gettleman (the source of her stage name) in 1947, and they had two sons, Carl and Barry. The marriage prevailed despite her long absences on the road and in "The Golden Girls."Getty was evasive about her height, acknowledging only that she was "under 5 feet and under 100 pounds."In addition to her son Carl, Getty is survived by son Barry Gettleman, of Miami; a brother, David Scher of London; and a sister, Rosilyn Howard of Las Vegas.
'Last Lecture' professor dies at 47PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation and a best-selling book, died Friday. He was 47.Pausch died at his home in Virginia, university spokeswoman Anne Watzman said. Pausch and his family moved there last fall to be closer to his wife's relatives.Pausch was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006. His popular last lecture at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007 garnered international attention and was viewed by millions on the Internet.In it, Pausch celebrated living the life he had always dreamed of instead of concentrating on impending death."The lecture was for my kids, but if others are finding value in it, that is wonderful," Pausch wrote on his Web site. "But rest assured; I'm hardly unique."
Chipper, Cox, other Braves mourn CarayBroadcast partner Van Wieren says his honesty will be missedBy CARROLL ROGERSThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 08/03/08 News of Skip Caray's passing hit the Braves family hard -- his longtime broadcast partner, and players who identified this organization with Caray long before they ever became a part of it, even the most veteran of players, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones and John SmoltzSmoltz and Caray's broadcast partner Pete Van Wieren were on the Braves' charter flight to San Francisco when they learned of Caray's death."It's a sad day," Smoltz said. "There are no words. Sad doesn't do it justice. I will always remember Skip for his humor and his ability to go about life the way he did. I gained so much respect for what he did and how long he did and how he did."Jones was at home with his family on Sunday evening when he was informed."I figured Skip Caray is as much a part of Atlanta Braves baseball as any of us," said Jones, who will rejoin the team in Arizona later this week. "We all grew up listening to Skip, whether it be on TV or radio. Any time the guys on ESPN imitate [you] calling the highlights, you're pretty much a legend. From a fan's standpoint, he's going to be a huge loss for them because he relayed the games to fans for so long."The loss transcends the game for players. Jones said his friendship with Caray was formed over long charter flights and daily visits in the clubhouse."He always made a note to come by my locker and shake my hand, ask me how I was doing, how the family was, how my kids were," Jones said. "Personally over the last 15, 16, 17 years, I haven't gotten his play-by-play on the radio or TV, but I had a lot of plane flight conversations with him. I really respected him, as well as the whole Caray family. They have a pretty good legacy working over there. It's a sad day for Braves baseball."Said manager Bobby Cox: "This was completely unexpected and is a complete loss. I had just spoken with Skip this week when we did the radio show and I didn't know he wasn't feeling well. He seemed in his normal good spirits. We've all lost a very good friend. For me, he was a good buddy -- at the park and away from the park. We always had a lot of great laughs. He will be very sorely missed."Cox tapped a napping Van Wieren on the shoulder during the flight to inform him of Caray's death.Fans related so well to Caray, Van Wieren said, because he told it like it was, even if he couched it in humor."But behind the humor there was an honesty and a commitment to telling it like he believed it to be that never, ever varied," Van Wieren said. "If he didn't like it that a game was two minutes late getting started, everybody knew about it. If he had an opinion on a player, he said it. And he had a way of saying it that was sometimes humorous. The way he could take a bad ball game, in some of those bad years especially, and turn it into a fun broadcast, whether it was by talking about something in the game or whether it was talking about something that didn't have anything to do with the game, maybe it was a movie that was coming up after the game or maybe it was a restaurant that he'd gone to. It could have been anything. He was just a very entertaining broadcaster and a very good one. The game was still the most important thing, but if game was decided by the fourth or fifth inning, people would still watch the rest of the game just to hear what he had to say about things. That's a very, very unique ability."Caray's health had deteriorated over the past year, and he faced several close calls during a hospital stay last fall. But Caray, who was broadcasting only home games this season, worked as recently as Thursday's game before taking the weekend off."Regardless of how much you prepare yourself for it, you're always surprised," Glavine said. "Skip, of late, seemed to be doing a lot better. His immediate future was off of everybody's minds. It's a surprise, a shock."Glavine said he'll cherish the relationship he developed with Caray over the years."We were able to joke around with one another, laugh at one another, and we also had a mutual respect for one another," Glavine said. "I'll miss that, seeing him around the game, taking a jab or two."He knows it will be a difficult loss for Braves fans, too."For so long, he was what people associated with the Atlanta Braves," Glavine said. "Turn on TBS, and there was Skip. Good times, bad times, that was the constant. The voice people identify the Braves with is Skip Caray. That's going to be missed."Not only are the Braves losing somebody special from their organization, baseball is too."It'll be especially tough for the players who knew him for so long."It's wild how when somebody spends so much time in one organization and has had the history that he's had, it's very difficult to have it abruptly end, especially while he's doing it," Smoltz said. "Unfortunately he ended up dying doing something he loved. It'll be a tough day, a tough week."For Jones, this was the most tragic turn of a Braves season already marred by injuries and disappointment."You sit back and as a Brave, and anybody affiliated with the Braves, you wonder what else could happen to this team this year," Jones said. "It's been one blow after another."
