Jerry Nelson, R.I.P.

Sad news. I've been a life long fan of The Muppets and Sesame Street. Rest in peace Mr. Nelson.

From the Los Angeles Times --

Jerry Nelson, the puppeteer who gave voice to dozens of characters on "Sesame Street," "Fraggle Rock" and "The Muppet Show," died at home in Cape Cod, Mass., on Thursday night after suffering from emphysema for several years. He was 78.

A statement on the Sesame Workshop's website (the company that produces "Sesame Street") paid tribute to Nelson, saying, "A member of the 'Sesame Street' family for more than 40 years, he will forever be in our hearts and remembered for the artistry in his puppetry, his music, and the laughter he brought to children worldwide through his portrayal of Count von Count, Herry Monster, Fat Blue, Sherlock Hemlock, the Amazing Mumford and many other beloved characters."

Though Nelson retired from physical puppeteering in 2004, he continued to lend his voice to several muppets right up until his death. The 43rd season of "Sesame Street," which begins Sept. 24, will feature Nelson's voice as Count von Count in several episodes.

Lisa Henson, daughter of Muppet creator Jim Henson and current chief executive of the Jim Henson Co.,  also paid tribute to Nelson in a statement, which read: "Jerry Nelson imbued all his characters with the same gentle, sweet whimsy and kindness that were a part of his own personality. He joined the Jim Henson Co. in the earliest years, and his unique contributions to the worlds of Fraggles, Muppets, Sesame Street and so many others are, and will continue to be, unforgettable. On behalf of the Henson family and everyone at the Jim Henson Co., our deepest sympathies go out to Jerry's family and to his many fans."

Nelson was born in Tulsa, Okla.,  in 1934. He was one of the earliest members of Henson's troupe of muppeteers, joining the group in 1965. He started on "Sesame Street" in the show's second season in 1970.

On "The Muppet Show," Nelson performed Sgt. Floyd Pepper (bassist for the Electric Mayhem), the boomerang fish thrower Lew Zealand and Kermit's nephew, Robin. On "Fraggle Rock," he was Gobo Fraggle and Marjory the Trash Heap, among other characters.

He played the role of the telethon announcer in last year's big screen "The Muppets."

He is survived by his wife, Jan. Their daughter, Christine, died of cystic fibrosis in 1982.

Phyllis Diller, R.I.P.

Phyllis Diller and the Muppets

I always thought Phyllis Diller was a very funny person. I found her autobiography at a thrift store a couple of years ago with her autograph in it. Rest in peace Mrs. Diller.

From EW.com --

Comedian, actress, artist, and author Phyllis Diller died Monday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 95.

“She was a true pioneer,” Diller’s longtime agent Fred Wostbrock told EW. “She was the first lady of stand up comedy. She paved the way for everybody. And she conquered television, movies, Broadway, record albums, nightclubs, books, and radio. She did it all. A true pioneer.”

Mad Monster Party

The housewife-turned-advertising copywriter and mother of  six got her big showbiz break in 1955 at the age of 37 when the owner of San  Francisco’s now-defunct Purple Onion nightclub gave her a substitute stand-up  spot one night. “When I went on, the room went totally quiet and I knew that I  had this magnetic thing that you had to be born with,” Diller told EW in 2005.  “You can’t buy it or even learn it.” Diller’s shtick — often revolving around  her pathetic fictional husband “Fang” and her less-than-gorgeous looks (“I love  to go to the doctor. Where else would a man look at me and say, ‘Take off your  clothes?’”) — quickly made her famous. She became a legend to generations of  female comics (“To a lot of us she was better than Bob Hope,” Roseanne Barr told  EW).

In the 1960s and ’70s, Diller became a frequent guest on The Tonight  Show, The Flip Wilson Show, and Laugh-In, though TV series meant to showcase the  comic (The Phyllis Diller Show, The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show) never took  off. She continued to get work as she got older, appearing in movies like A  Bug’s Life as well as TV shows such as Family Guy, 7th Heaven, and The Drew  Carey Show. In 2005, the same year she published her autobiography (Like a  Lampshade in a Whorehouse), she appeared along with Sarah Silverman and Bob  Saget in the humor documentary The Aristocrats, proving that even 88-year-olds  can tell dirty jokes — in her case, in a typically zany wig and punctuated by her  trademark cackle of a laugh.

Joe Kubert, R.I.P.

From Bleeding Cool --

Co-creator of Sergeant Rock, Tor and Ragman, famed for recreating Hawkman, pursuing war comics, founder of the Kubert School, author of Fax from Sarajevo and father to Adam and Andy Kubert, Joe Kubert has passed away, aged 85.

Even now, he had Before Watchmen: Nite Owl on the stands with his own Joe Kubert Presents projects coming out at the end of October from DC Comics.

Richard Bruning, ex of DC Comics, where Joe did much of his best known work, said it best;

"Joe Kubert one of the finest men I’ve ever known Rest in peace, Joe."

The Fat Albert Hey Hey Hey Holiday Collection

This is a pretty good deal for three specials. From TV Shows On DVD --

Hey! Hey! Hey! How about a Fat Albert DVD for all seasons! There's something for everyone in this collection that includes Fat Albert's Easter Special, Fat Albert's Halloween Special, and Fat Albert's Christmas Special. 

Fat Albert's Easter Special: While Fat Albert and the Cosby kids give old Mudfoot's home a surprise cleaning on Easter, Rudy decides to play a trick on his friends. Things get serious when Rudy's practical joke backfires and Mudfoot ends up in the hospital! 

Fat Albert's Halloween Special: After a night filled with more tricking than treating, Rudy and his friend, Devery, plan one last prank for spooky Mrs. Bakewell. But when two of the kids disappear into the old widow's house, Fat Albert and the crew set out to find their missing friends. 

Fat Albert's Christmas Special: When a family in need shows up at their clubhouse on Christmas Eve, Fat Albert and the guys offer to lend a helping hand. But when Tyrone, the grumpy junkyard owner, steps in, their good deeds could turn into a bad situation.

Classic Media - who were bought by Dreamworks less than 2 weeks ago - has scheduled a September 4th DVD release of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids - The Hey Hey Hey Holiday Collection. This single-disc release contains 3 holiday-themed specials which have previously been available on DVD, but for $7.77 they are now collected all together!

Pre-order it at the Amazon link below.