Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Heir Apparent

I've wondered here occasionally if anyone ever actually falls for those Nigerian Inheritance e-mail scams we all get. The answer, it would seem, is yes.

• Posted at 7:28 PM · LINK

More on Stan Lee

Thanks to reader Charles Apple, I have some more for you on Stan Lee's medal at the White House, starting with the above photo. You can see a larger version of it on this page.

The relevant speechifying of the day found a Military Aide (that's what he's called in the transcript) announcing, "The 2008 National Medal of Arts to Stan Lee, for his groundbreaking work as one of America's most prolific storytellers, recreating the American comic book. His complex plots and humane super heroes celebrate courage, honesty, and the importance of helping the less fortunate, reflecting America's inherent goodness." Not a bad way to put it...but I'll bet Stan would still have rather received this next January 21.

• Posted at 8:43 AM · LINK

Still The Man

I've been away and not reading comic book sites so maybe this is old news...but Stan Lee was among those honored the other day at the White House as recipients of the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal. Good for you, Stan, but I think it's a few months early. Barack Obama is the one who's said to be a big Spider-Man fan.

• Posted at 2:54 AM · LINK

Irving Brecher, R.I.P.

Legendary comedy writer Irving Brecher has died at the age of 94. Mr. Brecher created the radio and TV series, The Life of Riley, and wrote several notable movies, including Bye Bye Birdie and two with the Marx Brothers. (Brecher performed another service for the Marx Brothers, by the way. He looked a lot like Groucho and at least once, when that particular Marx Brother was unavailable for a publicity photo shoot, they painted the eyebrows and mustache on Brecher and had him fill in.)

Here's a link to an obit. I'll just add that I met Mr. Brecher on a couple of Writers Guild picket lines and he was funny and feisty and loyal to his union and he had great stories about working with the Marx Brothers, Milton Berle and others. I hope some of them are in that book he has coming out.

• Posted at 1:42 AM · LINK