Archive for the 'Deaths' Category
June 21st, 2009, 12:01 am by Jayson Peters
Parents — and I am one of them — are more aware today than ever of the power Hollywood has over our habits, our time and our money. They say movie studios are heartless corporations only looking to make a buck.
 Colby Curtin For once “they” are wrong — and so am I.
On Thursday, The Orange County Register, the flagship publication of my employer, Freedom Communications, published a story about a 10-year-old Huntington Beach, Calif., girl named Colby Curtin. Like many people of many different ages, Colby was enchanted with the Disney-Pixar film Up ever since she saw it advertised.
But Colby was dying of vascular cancer. She would not make it to a movie theater. A family friend contacted Pixar, and the CGI animation company actually sent a representative to the Curtin home with a DVD of the movie for a private viewing. He even brought gifts: Up merchandise such as plush toys and a poster, and an “adventure book” like the one seen in the movie.
By the time of the special screening, Colby was in so much pain she could no longer open her eyes — but the miracle would not be denied. Colby’s mother described the action for her, as if it were a bedtime story.
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Posted in: Deaths • Disney • Movies • Pixar • Toons • Advertising • Colby Curtin • Media • Up | Post a Comment »
June 4th, 2009, 12:43 pm by Jayson Peters
Wired is reporting that fantasy author David Eddings has died:
The world of fantasy literature has lost one of its modern giants. David Eddings, best known for his Malloreon series and The Belgariad, passed away Tuesday at the age of 77.
The news comes on the same day that actor David Carradine was found dead in a Bangkok hotel at the age of 72. Carradine, who is believed to have hanged himself, is best known for his starring role in the 1970s TV show Kung Fu and, later, as the title character in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill.
Posted in: Books • Deaths • Movies | Post a Comment »
April 8th, 2009, 10:21 pm by Jayson Peters
 Dave Arneson, who created the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game with Gary Gygax in 1974, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 61.
The blog Grognardia, which has been in communication with Arneson’s family, reports that the game designer, teacher and entrepreneur died peacefully April 7 surrounded by his family.
Arneson was a miniatures wargaming enthusiast in college. He and Gygax met at a gaming convention and wrote up the custom rules they had created to combine their hobby with fantasy roleplaying. When no publisher would bite, Arneson and Gygax created TSR and the rest was history.
Gygax, his friend and onetime business partner (though their relationship was later strained), died in March 2008.
UPDATED with official D&D tribute
Source: SCI FI Wire
Posted in: D&D • Deaths • Gaming • RPGs • Dave Arneson • Dungeons & Dragons • Gary Gygax | Post a Comment »
March 4th, 2009, 1:07 pm by Jayson Peters
 One year ago today the original dungeon master, Gary Gygax, passed away at the age of 69.
Gygax, along with Dave Arneson, created the original Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying game in 1974. The game is currently in its fourth edition and has spawned countless imitators and influenced computer and video games to no end.
Posted in: D&D • Deaths • Gaming • RPGs • Dungeons & Dragons • Gary Gygax | Post a Comment »
January 28th, 2009, 9:43 am by Jayson Peters
 As reported here earlier this month, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife, actress Majel Barrett Roddenberry, will blast off into space. Majel, the “First lady of Star Trek,” appeared in the long-running sci-fi franchise’s first episode and remained involved up until just before her her Dec. 18, having completed recording for the voice of the USS Enterprise computer system in J.J. Abrams’ summer blockbuster, Star Trek. Gene died in 1991.
SLIDESHOW: ‘First lady of Star Trek’ in pictures
The Associated Press this week reported that Celestis, a company specializing in “memorial spaceflights,” will ship the couple’s remains into space next year, and not in 2012 as earlier reports had it.
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Posted in: Deaths • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Star Trek | Post a Comment »
January 14th, 2009, 2:42 pm by Jayson Peters
 The Associated Press is reporting that Ricardo Montalban, the star of ABC’s Fantasy Island who was Capt. Kirk’s nemesis Khan in an episode of the original Star Trek as well as in 1982’s The Wrath of Khan, has died at the age of 88.
My ears cringe when I think of that movie, for two reasons: the horrible mind-control parasites that Khan drops into Mr. Chekhov’s ear, and the melodramatic “KHAAAAAAAAAN!” that erupts from Kirk when taunted by the megalomaniac.
Paramount image
See also:
Posted in: Deaths • Star Trek | Post a Comment »
January 14th, 2009, 1:11 pm by Jayson Peters
Patrick McGoohan, who starred in and helped to create the cult classic television series The Prisoner, has died at the age of 80. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Deaths | Post a Comment »
January 5th, 2009, 3:55 pm by Jayson Peters
 Majel Barrett Roddenberry, the widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and the only actor to appear in all incarnations of the landmark sci-fi series, was remembered Sunday at a memorial service in Los Angeles.
In tribute to the Roddenberry spirit, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights will launch the ashes of both Mr. and Mrs. Roddenberry into space in 2012. Also, as reported by TrekMovie.com (which also has a lot of great photos from the public service), the family is making a contribution to the San Diego Zoo for what will become the “Majel Barrett-Roddenberry Tiger Maternity Ward.”
You can read a brief AP story about the funeral here and check out a slideshow of images of the actress here. The original post about her death is also reprinted on the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Deaths • Star Trek | Post a Comment »
December 18th, 2008, 2:29 pm by Jayson Peters
 Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who was married to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and is the only actor to appear in every version of the series, has died at age 76, according to The Associated Press.
Just last week we reported that she is reprising her role as the voice of the Enterprise computer in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming feature film, also titled Star Trek.
A fan favorite, Barrett appeared in the very first Star Trek pilot “The Cage” as the Enterprise’s first officer — a role that NBC executives were reportedly uncomfortable giving to a woman in 1964. When the series was retooled, Barrett went on to play Nurse Chapel instead.
Associated Press file
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Posted in: Deaths • Movies • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Star Trek • Television | Post a Comment »
September 2nd, 2008, 11:00 am by Jayson Peters
Phoenix Con Games, which for the past several years has brought gamers together in Mesa, is no more.
The organizers cited a variety of reasons for the decision to disband the annual event in their e-mail Sunday to past guests, including personal factors and “industry and economic changes.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Conventions • Deaths • Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Post a Comment »
July 1st, 2008, 9:44 pm by Chris "KeL" Adams
Image courtesy of Marvel Comics
Famed comic book artist Michael Turner recently passed away after a struggle with cancer. Turner broke into comics in the late 90’s working for Image comics where he developed his own creator owned title, Fathom. He eventually left Image and founded his own studio Aspen MLT. He was most recognized for his beautiful work on covers. Both DC and Marvel called upon him to draw the covers to their most notable books, including recent “event” books such as Identity Crisis for DC and Marvel’s Civil War. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Comics • Deaths • Captain America • Iron Man • Marvel • Spider-man • X-Men | 1 Comment »
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