By: Maryann Yin,
on 2/26/2015
Author Bertrice Small has died. She was 77 years old.
Throughout her career, Small (pictured, via) wrote more than 50 books. She become well-known for her historical romance, fantasy romance, and erotica novels.
USA Today reports that “her O’Malley Saga and Skye’s Legacy series are especially beloved. Her most recent release, Lucianna, part of her Silk Merchant’s Daughters series, came out in October 2013.”
Add a Comment
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/17/2015
Brett Ewins an influential artist for many features in 2000 AD artist has passed away. He was known for his collaborations with Peter Milligan, Brendan McCarthy and Steve Dillon, including work on Future Shocks ABC Warriors, Bad Company, Judge Anderson and Rogue Trooper. He co-created the important alternative comics anthology Deadline, home of Tank Girl, with Dillon, and drew Johnny Nemo for the title. In later days he was beset by mental troubles, and had serious run ins with the police, after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. 2000 Ad confirmed his death on their FB page.
We are very saddened to hear of the death of artist Brett Ewins.
Throughout his years of working for 2000 AD, Brett was responsible for some truly unmissable art – from Judge Dredd and Anderson Psi Division to Rogue Trooper and his incredible work on Bad Company with Peter Milligan and Jim McCarthy.
He was also a hugely influential figure in British comics thanks to his founding of Deadline with Steve Dillon in 1988, something that changed the face of the industry forever.
Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Brett’s family and friends.
Ewins, left with Peter Milligan and Jim McCarthy in 1988, photo by Steve Cook.
By: Maryann Yin,
on 2/12/2015
Helen Eustis has died. She was 98 years old.
Eustis’ son, Adam Fisher, announced his mother’s passing on his blog. Eustis became well-known for her Edgar Award-winning novel, The Horizontal Man. In addition to writing, she also served as a translator and worked on projects from French authors Christiane Rochefort and Georges Simenon.
Here’s more from The New York Times: “Ms. Eustis wrote for Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, The New Yorker, and other magazines in the 1940s. She published the short-story collection The Captains and the Kings Depart in 1949. A children’s story, The Rider on a Pale Horse, which first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in 1950, was later published as a book titled Mr. Death and the Redheaded Woman.”
Add a Comment
By: Roger Sutton,
on 2/5/2015
Roger Sutton, Paul Zelinsky, and George Nicholson at Elizabeth Law’s apartment; photo by Elizabeth Law
…to the sad news that George Nicholson, whom I had first met at an ALA, more than thirty years ago, has died. I first knew George when he was publisher at Dell; he later moved over to Harper and then to a successful second career as an agent, at Sterling Lord Literistic. He was a very kind man, scarily well-read, deceptively soft-spoken, and had great hair. Those Yearling and Laurel-Leaf paperbacks you grew up with? Thank George. Leonard Marcus interviewed him for us back in 2007; go take a look.
The post Goodbye, George appeared first on The Horn Book.
By: Maryann Yin,
on 1/9/2015
Poet Miller Williams has died. He was 84-years-old.
Throughout his writing career, Williams published 37 books of poetry and prose. He also devoted more than 30 years to working as a professor at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He was invited to perform a reading at President Bill Clinton’s second inauguration ceremony.
Here’s more from The New York Times: “Mr. Williams’s poems were written in common and accessible language, beginning with his own everyday experience but leading to something a reader could recognize as universal. The poem he read at the 1997 Clinton inauguration, ‘Of History and Hope,’ reflected on the past and future of the country and asked: ‘But where are we going to be, and why, and who?/ The disenfranchised dead want to know.’”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Maryann Yin,
on 12/16/2014
Norman Bridwell, the author and illustrator behind the Clifford the Big Red Dog series, has died. He was 86-years-old.
According to the press release, Bridwell created the beloved crimson canine character Clifford back in 1963. His first manuscript was rejected by nine publishers before Scholastic acquired it.
Throughout Bridwell’s fifty-year career, he produced more than 150 titles for this popular children’s book series. Two Clifford titles will be released posthumously: Clifford Goes to Kindergarten (May 2015) and Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah (October 2015).
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Maryann Yin,
on 12/9/2014
Claudia Emerson has died. She was 57-years-old.
According to The New York Times, Emerson (pictured, via) won the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for a poetry collection entitled Late Wife. From 2008 to 2010, she served as the Poet Laureate of Virginia.
Altogether, Emerson has written six books of poetry; the sixth book will be published posthumously. Louisiana State University Press will release The Opposite House: Poems on March 4, 2015.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/1/2014
I’m devastated to learn of the death of Brian Jacoby, the owner of Secret Headquarters, a comics shop in Tallahassee, FL. Jacoby was admitted to the hospital last week with blood clots in both lungs and a leg, and he died suddenly on Thanksgiving night. Jacoby tweeted his health experiences and hospitalization on his Twitter account—painful reading now, but his humor even in illness is evident. The above photo is taken from his Twitter account.
Jacoby is survived by a brother and a 10-year old daughter.
Jacoby was a regular—perhaps even daily—poster here at the Beat, always with a ready opinion on any of the business topics I brought up here. His viewpoints often were the opposite of whatever I was arguing, but he offered his insights graciously and always contributed to the conversation with new information—an all too rare ability in today’s contentious times. I’ll really miss his voice.
A memorial for Jacoby will be held tomorrow:
ANNOUNCEMENT: We will celebrate Brian’s life w/ a memorial service at 6pm, Tues 12/2 @ Culley Meadowwood Funeral Home: 1737 Riggins Rd.
— Secret Headquarters (@SHQtallahassee) November 30, 2014
My sincere condolences to Brian’s friends and family.
By: Maryann Yin,
on 11/28/2014
P. D. James (full name Phyllis Dorothy James White) has died. She was 94-years-old.
James (pictured, via) became well-known for her crime novels. Throughout her career, she wrote and published almost two dozen books.
Here’s more from The New York Times: “Many critics and many of her peers have said that by virtue of the complexity of her plots, the psychological density of her characters and the moral context in which she viewed criminal violence, Ms. James even surpassed her classic models and elevated the literary status of the modern detective novel. She is often cited, in particular, for the cerebral depth and emotional sensibilities of Adam Dalgliesh, the introspective Scotland Yard detective and published poet who functions as the hero of virtually all of her novels.” (via BuzzFeed)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 11/25/2014
Sharon Sakai, wife of Usagi Yojimbo artist Stan Sakai passed away this morning after a long battle with a brain tumor. Sakai wrote on Facebook:
Sharon passed away at 9:00 this morning.
She died exactly the way she wanted to–at home, surrounded by her family. Matthew flew home from up north, where he is going to school, yesterday.
Thank you all so much for your love, prayers and support.
By: Maryann Yin,
on 11/25/2014
Leslie Feinberg, an author and LGBT activist, has died. She was 65-years-old.
As a writer, Feinberg (pictured, via) became well-known for her novel Stone Butch Blues. Prior to her death, she had been working on features for a 20th anniversary edition of the book including a slideshow called “This Is What Solidarity Looks Like.”
Here’s more from The Advocate: “Her historical and theoretical writing has been widely anthologized and taught in the U.S. and international academic circles. Her impact on mass culture was primarily through her 1993 first novel, Stone Butch Blues, widely considered in and outside the U.S. as a groundbreaking work about the complexities of gender. Sold by the hundreds of thousands of copies and also passed from hand-to-hand inside prisons, the novel has been translated into Chinese, Dutch, German, Italian, Slovenian, Turkish, and Hebrew (with her earnings from that edition going to ASWAT Palestinian Gay Women).” (via CNN)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Maryann Yin,
on 11/17/2014
R.A. Montgomery, an author and the publisher who founded the Choose Your Own Adventure book series, has died. He was 78-years-old.
Before this popular series became a fixture in his life, Montgomery worked in journalism and education. In 1975, he launched his own company called Vermont Crossroads Press.
Here’s more from The Huffington Post: “When, in 1977, Ed Packard submitted his choose-your-own-adventure book for young readers, Sugarcane Island, Montgomery leapt at the chance to publish a book that incorporated role-playing principles. But he didn’t stop there — he launched a series then called The Adventures of You and went on to write the follow-up himself. When Montgomery went through a divorce and sold his stake in the press to his ex-wife, he took his series, renamed the Choose Your Own Adventure series, to Bantam.”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 11/4/2014
UPDATE: A GoFundMe has been set up to help Kelly Dale in this difficult time.
Artist Jeremy Dale has passed away suddenly. Best known for his work on Action Labs Skyward title, he had just been at NYCC creating commissions now posted on his website. His wife Kelly reported his passing on FB:
It is with great difficulty that I share with you this awful news. Late in the evening of November the third, my husband Jeremy Dale passed away. He was hospitalized, and surrounded by his friends. His doctors say he passed without pain or suffering.
Jeremy’s passing was sudden, and a shock to everyone. The delay in sharing this sad news was so that we could contact Jeremy’s family and close friends. Final arrangements are still being made, and will be shared on Jeremy’s Facebook page as details come together.
Our thanks go out to everyone for the outpouring of love and concern. Condolences may be shared on Jeremy’s Facebook page for the time being; this will be the same place where we will post any information regarding memorial services, funerals, and other plans.
For the time being, I ask that all friends and colleagues with questions, or concerns beyond expressing their condolences, reach out to Joe Peacock and Allison Sohn for answers and information. Immediate family can and should contact me directly- you know how to reach me.
Jeremy loved you all very much- he appreciated your support and your friendship. Thank you so much for your understanding during this very difficult time.
By: Maryann Yin,
on 10/16/2014
Poet Carolyn Kizer has died. She was 89-years-old.
Kizer (pictured, via) won the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for her collection, Yin. Throughout her writing career, she published several volumes of poetry. Follow this link to read a few of Kizer’s poems.
Here’s more from The Los Angeles Times: “At 17 she published a poem in the New Yorker (her only poem to appear in that publication, as it turned out)…Throughout her career, she stood up for what she believed, persuading Lyndon Johnson to lift a travel ban against Chilean poet Pablo Neruda in 1970, and, 28 years later, resigning (along with her friend Maxine Kumin) as a chancellor of the American Academy of Poets to protest the organization’s lack of diversity.”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Maryann Yin,
on 10/14/2014
Writer Zilpha Keatley Snyder has died. She was 87-years-old.
Throughout her career, she penned more than 40 books for young children and teens. Snyder (pictured, via) won three Newbery Honors for The Egypt Game (1967), The Headless Cupid (1971), and The Witches of Worm (1972).
Here’s more from The New York Times: “Most of Ms. Snyder’s books were intended for readers 9 to 13 and delved into subjects like witchcraft, murder and dysfunctional families. She mixed realism and the supernatural, and her stories often had endings that could be interpreted from either viewpoint. Her plots were tight, and her protagonists were often vital, thoughtful, courageous females.”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Maryann Yin,
on 10/7/2014
Loretta A. Barrett, a literary agent, has died. She was 74-years-old.
Throughout her publishing career, Barrett held editorial positions at Anchor Press and Doubleday. She launched her own literary agency in 1990. Some of the authors on the client list include romance novelist J.R. Ward, LGBT activist Chaz Bono, and artist Judy Chicago.
According to Publishers Lunch, Barrett “was personally responsible for an estimated 3 million new books being given to poor American children to keep as their own” through her work with Reading is Fundamental. She devoted 32 years of service to this organization.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 10/5/2014
With the cancellation of CW’s Vortexx cartoon block, broadcast television has ceased showing cartoons on Saturday Morning.
With it, a cherished memory and ritual vanishes, as technology, economics, and regulations force changes to a way of life.
The decline of Saturday Morning television began in 1992, when NBC began airing a Saturday edition of Today, followed by live action shows aimed at teens.
In 1990, after years of politicking by Action for Children’s Television, Congress passed the Children’s Television Act of 1990, requiring television stations to broadcast three hours of “educational and informational” children’s programming per week. (Here’s a listing of what is replacing Vortexx this Fall.)
With that requirement, and the rise of niche cable channels which are exempt from the E/I bug, Saturday Morning programming slowly withered over the next two decades.
Wikipedia lists several causes:
- The rise of first-run syndicated animated programs…
- Increasing regulation of children’s programming content … [see above]
- Station owners that owned a large number of network affiliates…
- The over reliance on common tropes and clichés. [TV Tropes has the lowdown.]
- The rise of cable television networks like Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network …
- The entrance of more adult-oriented cartoons into the mainstream…
- Concurrent with their film successes, Walt Disney Television Animation and Warner Bros. Animation also began producing content for television in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Both companies invested far more money into their productions than Saturday morning cartoons had done up until that point, raising the standards much higher than most television animation companies were able to reach.
- Increased awareness of childhood obesity and lethargy; advocates often targeted Saturday morning cartoons as the culprit.
- The proliferation of commercial toyline-oriented animated programs in the 1980s also led to advocacy group backlash and a decline in such programming…
- The increased availability of VHS tapes and later DVDs, Blu-rays, iTunes and videos on the World Wide Web, which, like cable, allowed children to watch their favorite cartoons at any given time.
- The development and rapid improvement in quality of video games…
- An increase in children’s participation in Saturday activities outside the home.
- A 1984 decision legalizing infomercials on American television; profits from Saturday morning infomercials were potentially much more than those from children’s programming. …
- The 1984 Supreme Court ruling in NCAA v. Board of Regents of Univ. of Oklahoma, which greatly expanded opportunities for college football on television. …
- Television networks becoming part of larger corporations. These networks included ABC (purchased by the The Walt Disney Company in 1996), CBS (purchased by Viacom in 1999, before splitting in 2005) and The WB (created by Time Warner in 1995, before merging with UPN in 2006 to create The CW). Since the parent companies already owned television animation studios, the networks preferred to air shows from these companies with programming blocks such as “Disney’s One Saturday Morning”, “Nick on CBS” and “Kids’ WB” rather than contracting out independent television animation companies.
- Many of the same networks that often showed Saturday morning cartoons began airing similar programs on weekday afternoons…
- The success of live action teen sitcoms, starting with NBC’s Saved by the Bell, which led to the rapid development of more live-action teen programming, with networks slowly squeezing out the cartoons.
- The gradual loss of most of the American companies which were, at one point, iconic and prolific producers of animated children’s shows. …
- The 2005 to 2009 decisions by breakfast cereal companies and fast food restaurants to reduce their advertising towards children. …
——————-
Some links from across the web:
Mark Evanier recollects his experience as both a viewer and employee of Saturday Morning cartoons, explaining the lucrative economics of early series, how toy companies
That was often cost-effective and deficit-financing became even more the norm for syndicated shows. Toy companies found it paid off to underwrite the cost of a series that promoted their products. A Mattel or Hasbro could easily sink a few million up front into a show about characters they were marketing to make those characters more famous. Not every time but often enough, having the show out there, five days a week in syndication, would boost toy sales enough to make that a good investment.
With such shows siphoning viewers away from networks, the networks did the logical thing: They stopped paying high license fees for Saturday morning programming. Thereafter, if you wanted to get your production on in one of those time slots on a broadcast network, you had to give it to them for a very low price and make up the rest of your costs elsewhere. Selling it cheap usually meant doing it cheap and there was a change in priorities.
No longer was it all about doing a show that would be a hit on Saturday morning because that alone was no longer enough to make a profit. It was just a way to pay part of the cost of production. You had to have your eye on foreign sales and merchandising. I wasn’t approached a lot to work on such shows because, well, I wasn’t the cheapest talent available. But the times I was asked, the producers made it clear they didn’t care that much if show drew an audience on Saturday morning. That was no longer where the game was.
And of course, since airing cartoons on Saturday mornings became a lot less lucrative, one by one the networks stopped doing it. Which got us to where they are today: They don’t do it at all anymore.
TV Party has a great rundown of the many seasons of Saturday Morning cartoons!
Some memories, slightly sugar-coated…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7P6Fk5PdzI
So, cartoons on television continue, mostly on Cartoon Network and Disney XD. There’s YouTube and Warner Archives, and streaming and downloads. Gone is the joy of uncertain discovery, and unspoilt wonder. But it does make it easier to share!
Part of me wonders if kids will find other distractions, like shown in the satirical and prophetic “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge” from 1990?
And part of me knows that kids will seek out the stuff that’s cool and fun and bad in large quantities, like pre-sweetened breakfast cereal. They’ll laugh uncontrollably, and some of them… well, they’ll make their own cartoons!
For those who want one last sample of just how special Saturdays were when I was younger and life was unscheduled…
We’ll be right back after these messages…
By: Maryann Yin,
on 9/4/2014
Stan Goldberg has passed away. He was 82-years-old.
Goldberg (pictured, via) devoted six decades of his career to the comics industry. He has produced work for several high profile publishers including Marvel, DC Comics, and most famously, Archie Comics. In 2012, he was inducted into the National Cartoonists Society’s Hall of Fame.
Here’s more from Comic Book Resources: “Goldberg famously drew Archie’s portion of the 1994 crossover Archie Meets the Punisher. His final work for the publisher was released in 2010. However, he continued to freelance for other companies, notably producing an Archie parody for Bongo’s Simpsons Comics and Nancy Drew and Three Stooges graphic novels for Papercutz.”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 9/1/2014
Legendary Archie artist Stan Goldberg has passed away at age 82. The artist suffered a stroke two weeks ago. His passing was noted on his Facebook page, where fans are invited to share memories.
It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of Stan Goldberg. Stan touched many lives through his artwork but was also a dear friend, beloved husband, loving father and doting grandfather. Through the years, countless fans shared how much his work meant to them and what a thrill it was to meet him or have a piece of his work. Stan felt just as strongly about all the people he met and would fondly recall the stories that fans would share with him.
His friends and family were what he treasured most. May his memory be for a blessing.
CBR has a fine obit for Goldberg.
Photo Via Godlberg’s Facebook page.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/11/2014
Actor Robin Williams was found dead in his house this morning, a suspected suicide.
For a little while there, WIlliams was the biggest movie star on the planet. Just listing his prominent roles is exhausting. From Mork from Ork to Garp, Good Morning Vietnam, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Birdcage, Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, Hook, Aladdin, Toys, Jumanji, What Dreams May Come, Insomnia, Happy Feet, and most recently, the Night at the Museum movies.
It’s a film legacy that’s unsurpassed.
At his height, Williams was simply the funniest man alive, a non stop barrage of improv and free association that was the Sistine Chapel of rapid fire humor. It was an act inspired by his idol, Jonathan Winters.
One of his most famous roles, of course was the Genie in Aladdin, a voice which took advantage of his singing and fast paced pop culture references. The animation itself was a reflection of his persona, and one of the most memorable Disney characters of the 90s.
Williams was a comics fan, long before it became fashionable, known to go to shops in the Bay Area with his kids. For years there was some talk of his appearing in a straight out comic book movie, but it never happened.
I know this seems like second guessing, but I sensed a sadness in him whenever I saw him on TV in recent years. It struck me that someone who was happiest at such a manic level would have a hard time adjusting to the gradual, inevitable slowing down that is the human lot. It’s a lot that isn’t innately sad or tragic. But some people handle it better than others. Williams’ drug use and depression was an open secret for year as well. I’m sure we’ll hear more about all that, and rehab and what might have been. He left behind a family and a wife, and I hope their privacy can be a little respected.
There’s always hope. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Call if you need help.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/11/2014
Dominic Postiglione, better known as Nick Post, owner of Source Comics and Games and one of the main forces behind Minnesota’s Midwest Comic Book Association and their two shows, passed away last week, and his Facebook page has many touching remembrances. Postiglione was a tireless supporter of comics, and affected many with his enthusiasm and friendship. I only met him a few times but after even a brief interaction, his kindness and love of comics shone through. According to his obituary he’s survived by a son, his parents, and three siblings. A memorial service will be held this Tuesday, 8/12 at 11 AM at the Cornerstone Bible Church, 735 East 10th St., Hastings.
IN addition, memorial t-shirts are being sold to those who wish to remember him. More details on the FB page.
The comics community needs more people like Nick Post; his loss will be felt. My sincere condolences to his many, many friends.
.jpg?picon=160)
By: Matthew Cheney,
on 7/14/2014
 |
| via The Paris Review |
By: Maryann Yin,
on 7/7/2014
Writer Nancy Garden has died. She was 76-years-old.
The New York Times reports that Garden became most well-known for her 1982 young adult book entitled Annie On My Mind; it was one of the first to feature a lesbian relationship. Since its publication, “the novel has sold more than 100,000 copies and has never been out of print.”
To honor Garden’s memory, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group will make a donation of $2,500 to the National Coalition Against Censorship. According to the press release, these funds will directly support the Kids’ Right to Read Project which offers aid, education, and direct advocacy to people fighting book challenges or book bans in schools and libraries.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Maryann Yin,
on 7/2/2014
Walter Dean Myers (pictured, via) has passed away. He was 76-years-old.
Myers enjoyed a 45-year career as a writer who penned more than one hundred children’s books. Some of his most beloved works include Fallen Angels (1988), Monster (1999), Bad Boy: A Memoir (2001), Autobiography of My Dead Brother (2005), and Sunrise Over Fallujah (2008). The publishing houses he worked with have a number of projects that will be posthumously released including On a Clear Day (2014), Juba! (April 2015), and a graphic novel adaptation of Monster.
Here’s more from the press release: “His impressive body of work includes two Newbery Honor Books, three National Book Award Finalists, and six Coretta Scott King Award/Honor-winning books. He was the winner of the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award, the first recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, and a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. In 2010, Walter was the United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and in 2012 he was appointed the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, serving a two-year tenure in the position.”
Editor’s Note: This GalleyCat writer is currently employed at the Children’s Book Council.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/17/2014
Famed New Yorker cartoonist Charles Barsotti has passed away at age 80. He was 80. Barsotti had been suffering from brain cancer since last year, and he died quietly at home yesterday.
With his extreme simple line style, and talking and thinking dogs, Barsotti was most often compared to James Thurber, and his whimsical humor was firmly in that vein. Panhandlers, kings, harried businessmen…all the icons of New Yorker humor got memorable treatment in Barsotti’s work.
In 2007 a collection of his dog cartoons was published called They Moved my Bowl.
Poor Brett. I loved Skreemer and grew up reading a lot if his stuff without knowing it was him.
In other obit news, R.I.P. singer and “Batman” guest star Lesley Gore (1946-2015):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XoNF-fzYMw
I also loved SKREEMER and DEADLINE was a mindblowing experience to me as a kid. Rest in peace to a remarkable talent.
An eye-catching artist and (alas) a much-plagued man, who will be missed.