Category: Celebs

R.I.P. – Fess Parker

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Fess Parker, best known for playing Davy Crockett in the 50’s and Daniel Boone in the 60’s died today at age 85.

Parker first gained fame playing Davy Crockett for Disney.  Although he’d played supporting characters [many uncredited] prior to getting the starring role as Crockett, it was almost a fluke that he ended up in the lead.  Disney execs were screening “Them!” to get a look at James Arness, who was being considered for the role of Davy Crockett, but they were so impressed with Fess Parker’s turn in a bit part that he ended up with the role that was make him known to millions.

After his run as Davy Crockett, Fess Parker appeared in several movies [perhaps the most famous being Old Yeller and guest appearances on tv.  In 1964, he again put on a coonskin cap and hit the big time.  Daniel Boone ran for 159 episodes from 1964 to 1970.  Not long after, Mr. Parker left show business to concentrate on real estate, and a winery.

I was a fan of the Daniel Boone series as a kid and spent many hours playing “Daniel Boone” with my friends.  I also had the Daniel Boone playset as a kid and spent even more hours playing with it.  I can still remember getting to see Old Yeller when it was re-released in the 60’s.  And of course watching Mr. Parker many, many times in his small but important role in the classic Them!

Mr. Parker is survived by his wife of fifty years, a son and daughter and many grandchildren.  My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.

RIP: Peter Graves

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Peter Graves died today from what appears to have been a heart attack.  Mr. Graves was just four days shy of his 84th birthday.

My first memories of Peter Graves are in his role as Jim Phelps, the leader on the Mission Impossible tv series which ran initially ran from 1967 to 1973.   My grandfather loved the show, so if I was spending the night. I’d watch it with him.  In fact, it was my grandfather who made me aware that Peter Graves was brother to James Arness [Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, another show grandpa never missed].  [On a side note, Mission Impossible was revived from 1988 to 1990 with Peter Graves returning in his original role – the only cast member to do so.]

Peter Graves appeared in scores of movies including classics like Stalog 17 and Night of the Hunter.  Many folks will also remember Mr. Graves best for his role as the pilot, Clarence Oveur, from the comedy classic, Airplane.   Before his starring role on Mission Impossible, Peter Graves made guest appearances in dozens of tv shows including: Route 66, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Branded, Daniel Boone, The Invaders and many others.  I’ve always enjoyed Mr. Graves’ appearances, but it’ll be those hours I spent watching Mission Impossible with my grandpa that I’ll remember most fondly.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Peter Graves’ family, friends and fans.

Dave Wachter’s Rocky

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It couldn’t be more appropriate [since there were several pieces about Rocky and the Oscars in this week’s update] that we have Rocky by Dave Wachter for this week’s Stallone art. Dave’s work has appeared on the SZ before with his riff on Sly from Paradise Alley.

After the recent earthquake in Haiti, Dave offered everyone who made a donation to Doctors Without Borders to aide earthquake victims in Haiti a free sketch. The piece about is what I got for my donation. You can see what others selected, and more of Dave’s art by heading over to his website.

Thanks to Dave for my great sketch as well as his efforts to help the people in Haiti.

Mike Torrance’s First Blood

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Mike Torrance pencils, inks and colors. Mike regular posts a sketchcard idea contest at Retro Cowboy Productions and his Deviant Art site. Here’s how it works, Mike posts a subject and the first one to make request which fits the theme is the winner! This is the second time I’ve won [the theme this time: 80’s Action Heroes — the first time I won: Detectives].

Mike is available for commissions and his prices are very reasonable. Check him out.

3rd Time a Charm for Riddick?

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The MTV Movie Blog is reporting that Vin Diesel and David Twohy will reteam for a third time to bring us a new Riddick movie.  Most ZONErs will remember that Riddick made his first appearance as a character in Pitch Black and then moved to the lead in The Chronicles of Riddick.  Although Chronicles wasn’t as popular as Pitch Black, it has done well enough, and the character of Riddick is popular enough to bring him back for a third outing.

I’m especially happy to read that the new film will be…

closer to “Pitch Black” than “Chronicles,” and that the focus will be on Riddick rather than the larger universe he lives in.

To read the full article, click here.

Interview with Rambo Creator, David Morrell

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There’s a nice little interview with Rambo creator, David Morrell over at Jonathan Maberry’s blog. Here are a couple of quotes:

First Blood has been constantly in print for 38 years.

It’s an odd experience to be associated with one of the five most identifiable characters in the world, along with Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, James Bond, and Harry Potter.

It’s pretty cool that Sly is associated with one of the five most identifiable characters in the world.

You can read the entire interview by clicking here.

Robert B. Parker – R.I.P.

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I was shocked to read the news this morning that Robert B. Parker had passed away yesterday.  Although Parker was 77, his death was unexpected.  He seemed to be in good health and as prolific as ever, writing as many as three books a year.  The cause of death has been determined to have been a heart attack.  Parker died at his desk working on his next novel.

My grandfather was a prolific reader and I can remember the evening that he told me about this new author, Robert B. Parker, and this wise-cracking detective that Parker had created.  Grandpa thought that I’d enjoy the novel and passed me The Godwulf Manuscript.  I was hooked.  And I wasn’t the only one.  Parker’s detective, Spenser, would return in 36 other novels as well as a television series and made for tv movies.  Parker is said to have influenced a new generation of writers.  Perhaps best-selling novelist Harlon Coben said it best: “When it comes to detective novels, 90 percent of us admit he’s an influence, and the rest of us lie about it.”

Parker eventually branched out to write other series characters [Jessie Stone – a small town sheriff; Sunny Randall – a female detective; a Western trilogy featuring a couple of gunfighters that many called wild west versions of Spenser and Hawk] as well as some stand alone novels.  But it was always the new Spenser novel that I wanted to read as soon as it became available.   I’ve written many times on my blog that each new Spenser novel is like meeting up with an old friend.  I’m going to miss meeting up with Spenser.

I already miss Robert B. Parker.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and fans.

Sly Checks In

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This was too cool not to post here as well as at the StalloneZone.

Sly has been following some of the discussions on the message boards and wanted to set the record straight:

Dear Craig,

For the doubters and the haters, a picture is worth a thousand words. You
walk the walk, you pay a price. But, as bad as it was at least we have it on
film.

Keep punchin’
Sly


P.S. To the haters, I don’t need to invent pain, there’s enough of it out
there to go around.

P.S.S. The reason I was never seen in a neck brace is because I stayed home
for three weeks to heal.

P.S.S.S. Van Damme may mean a great deal to some of you, but what he’s
putting forth is not truthful.

So there you have it, SZoners. Don’t waste your time arguing with the doubters and the haters. – Craig