Remembering Carl Weathers

Re-discovering Hedy Lamarr

I’ve been on a bit of a Hedy Lamarr kick recently. While Lamar (born Hedwig Kiesler) was still vaguely a part of the pop culture landscape when I was growing up, I don’t recall her films popping up much on television when I was a kid or the revival theater circuit when I was in college. As a result, this made her an abstract presence—a remote figure famous for being famous. So aside from her name, I was pretty oblivious to her work as an actress or personal biography. In fact, she probably was more familiar to me as the brand image of a computer program I used for many years called CorelDraw—her likeness was used on the application's package for many years. (A screen shot of the box cover is included in the images at the end of this post—in 1998, a few years before her passing in 2000, she settled a lawsuit with the company over this unlicensed use of her image.)

In 2017, however, she popped onto my radar—and everyone else’s—due to a documentary produced by Susan Sarandon about the actress called Bombshell: Hedy Lamarr (eventually featured in an episode of the PBS series, American Masters). The film covers her fascinating life: born to a well-to-do Viennese Jewish family (the father was from Ukraine) that had converted to Catholicism, she appeared nude as a teen actress in a groundbreaking Czech film called Ecstacy where she also was featured in a scene what is considered the first portrayal on screen of an orgasm (which primarily consisted of close ups of her face in the throes of passion); she then married a Jewish munitions manufacturer, one of the richest men in Austria, who counted Nazi Germany and fascist Italy as clients; then left her husband and an unhappy marriage to flee Europe and eventually booked passage to the U.S. where she was signed on route by Louis B. Mayer at MGM before even landing ashore.

More notably, as was more publicly known only late in her life, Lamarr was also a gifted intellect and inventor who, with music film composer George Antheil, patented the technology that in later years served as the foundation for modern day wifi and GPS. Though this technology was not used until well after the patent had formally expired, before she passed, Lamarr was officially recognized and honored for her groundbreaking scientific work and, after her death, posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

As her personal life reveals, she was a woman who followed her own path, passions and impulses, yet tragically felt trapped (and cursed) by her beauty. For these reasons, despite her brilliant intellect, having been defined and admired her entire life because of her looks, she sadly spent her final years in seclusion, unable to age gracefully in the public eye.

More recently, after enjoying the coffee table book, Glamour and Style: The Beauty of Hedy Lamarr, by Stephen Michael Shearer, about the actress’s life and career (the writer also earlier wrote a full-length biography), I decided to track down and watch whatever of her films I could find. These included: Algiers (1938) with Charles Boyer; Comrade X with Clark Gable (1940); Come Live with Me (1941) with Jimmy Stewart; Tortilla Flat (1942) with John Garfield and Spencer Tracy; H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941) with Robert Young; The Strange Woman (1946) with George Sanders; and Dishonored Lady (1947).

While I can’t quite say that Lamarr’s dazzling looks successfully made up for any acting deficiencies, she nevertheless possessed a glowing screen presence when it was allowed to shine through—in the films I watched, I found her more delightful in lighter fare when she got to be more playful, vulnerable and human—such as Comrade X, Come Live With Me, H.M. Pulham, Esq. and Dishonored Lady. On the whole, however, the studios didn’t seem to know what to do with her and the quality of her films reflect that. Her European allure (and accent) limited her to “exotic” roles, such as a Portuguese immigrant in Tortilla Flat and native girls in White Cargo and Lady of the Tropics, where she sometimes sported dark skin coloring while speaking with her native light Austrian accent. She also had the misfortune to be an also-ran among the European actresses in Hollywood: Comrade X was a knockoff meant to capitalize on Greta Garbo’s Ninotchka, while Algiers was a precursor to Casablanca (in fact, the filmmakers reportedly initially wanted Lamarr for the role that Ingrid Bergman ultimately filled).

As a result, most of Lamarr’s films consist of B-movie and kitschy melodramas that haven’t aged well (this includes the film she produced as a star vehicle for herself, the Strange Woman, considered one of her best performances). And with apologies to actors like Charles Boyer, George Sanders, Spencer Tracy and Dennis O’Keefe (anyone?), it didn’t help that (in my view at least) she wasn’t paired with leading men with the same level of sizzle or provided much onscreen chemistry. Of the films I saw, my favorites were Comrade X with Gable, a conscious knock off of Ninotchka as I mentioned above; Come Live With Me, a somewhat caustic romantic comedy with Jimmy Stewart; and Dishonorable Woman, another melodrama that’s a mashup between a psychological drama (or, more accurately, psychological babble) and a wrongly-accused-of-murder thriller. That all said, I do hope to catch more of her films, particularly Samson and Delilah, her biggest hit, though her career declined after that temporary peak.

Anyway, given the forgettable and outdated nature of her films and roles, I can understand to some degree why Lamarr is not as well remembered as many of her Hollywood contemporaries. Nevertheless, given that she was for a time considered “the most beautiful woman in the world”—an image no doubt ultimately impossible to live up to—and the fact that she also turned out to have an incredibly brilliant mind, I’m glad that the life and legacy of Lamarr has been rediscovered and remembered.

Remembering Gilbert Gottfried

“As Featured on Wired.com....”

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A Report on the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con... 

About the title of this year's report: prior to this year’s Comic-Con, a senior editor at wired.com contacted me with a request to interview me on Preview Night, when the show opens for a few hours the Wednesday evening before the official start of the show. After the interview, he told me the story would post the next day and would send me the link. I never received the follow up email and didn’t see the story, but when I returned home I found the story at the website. I guess I can now precede any mention of my comic-book with “as featured on wired.com"!

Scroll down to read my full report about the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con...

I can't imagine there's an event as large and logistically complex as the San Diego Comic-Con that is as smoothly run and well organized. This year I had the opportunity to experience the show through the fresh eyes of friends of my brother (himself a longtime Comic-Con attendee), who were first-time attendees. They looked forward to their first Comic-Con with much anticipation and it was a pleasure to hear their reactions — they not only enjoyed themselves immensely, but their experience surpassed their wildest expectations. On the flip side, while strolling through the illustrators' booths on the far end of the floor, I overheard an older established artist, who described himself as “not a convention person,” tell a neighboring exhibitor that he found the show surprisingly fun and the fans exceedingly nice without any of the kind of “jerk fans” he said he sometimes encountered. So from the perspective of newbies — who said they quickly figured out how to navigate the show for maximum enjoyment — and a jaded professional at work behind a booth, the show was equally enjoyable.

As usual, my view of the show was limited to my corner booth in the Small Press Area of Hall B2 on the main floor. I’ve noted in the past that my presence at Comic-Con makes me no more privy to any of the special announcements and surprise appearances that occur during the convention than non-attendees, usually requiring me to check the usual entertainment/blog sites for news and announcements coming out of the show. (Hey, the Man of Steel sequel is actually going to feature Superman and Batman! Tom Hiddleston made a surprise appearance in character as Loki in Hall H!) But quoting more wiser souls, Comic-Con is what you make it and exists as a giant tent for people of all stripes and interests, regardless of whether it’s comics, films, television, books, animation, art, gaming, cosplaying, and more, where you often get to see the creative artists and stars both on the floor and at panels and appearances.

Given the difficulty of getting a ticket to the event, everyone who attended was simply happy to be there to follow their bliss, whether it was sitting all day in one of the infamous cavernous halls to ensure seeing a panel later in the day, walking around looking for comics old and new, or meeting their favorite artists.

For years, Comic-Con-related programming both official and unofficial has gradually encompassed the surrounding local area, with companies taking over whole restaurants and storefronts during the entire show or for special events. The television show “Bates Motel” took over a storefront and parking lot, while the upcoming film, Ender’s Game, had a huge interactive tent across the street from the convention center. The videogame, "Assassin’s Creed," even had a full-size pirate ship docked in the marina behind the convention center! This year the show broadened its footprint even more, with some official Comic-Con business and events — like the pick-up of pre-ordered t-shirts — occurring off-site at neighboring hotels. The way most of the businesses in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter get into the spirit of Comic-Con reminded me that if the event moved to another city — as it nearly did last year when re-negotiating with the city — the show would lose a lot of the personality and character that San Diego gives it.

Sales for me at this year’s show were solid and on par with past shows. In addition to the regular longtime readers who stopped by to pick up the newest issue, I met many new fans who purchased a starter pack or the entire series. I’ve said this in past reports, but I can never tell what will compel someone to give Rob Hanes Adventures a try. While some say they love the classic/retro feel of my book, others read all kinds of comics and are simply happy to find something new and different. Some are stopped by me and eventually agree to purchase a sample starter pack, while others seem to “get” the series right away, quickly purchasing the entire series with little persuasion. And as usual, I had quite a few people “rediscover” me after not having seen me for several years and happily catch up on missing issues. Overall, people seemed more prepared to spend money compared to past years (perhaps reflecting the improving economy). Interestingly, although I’ve had the ability to accept credit card payments on my mobile phone thanks to Square, this year a significant number of my sales were with plastic — so thanks, Square!

A few other highlights:

• Both my kids love to get into the spirit of things by trying to sell their own work. In fact, my son even sold a drawing for $8! (See photo at right.)

• As always, I appreciated the fellow pros who stopped by to say hi, including comics writer and blogger Tony Isabella, who as a guest of the show was attending his first Comic-Con in 10 years and who plugged my book during a podcast interview he gave during the show; cartoonist Scott McCloud; Wolff & Byrd writer-artist Batton Lash; and Usagi Yojimbo writer-artist Stan Sakai. Another great thrill was meeting Tom Batiuk, the cartoonist who created and draws Funky Winkerbean and Crankshaft. I not only had the opportunity to tell him that I grew up on his work, but I also learned he actually was familiar with Rob Hanes Adventures from way back!

• Spotting celebrities on the floor is also always something to watch out for at Comic-Con. Actor Tim Daly walked by my booth in casual conversation with a companion and, during most of the weekend, actor Sean Astin was signing at a booth all day just down the aisle from me. My family was thrilled to see Morgan Freeman on the floor and Grant Imahara from one of their favorite television shows, “Mythbusters.” A highlight for my children was the opportunity to see internet personalities Toby “Tobuscus” Turner and his partner, Gabe “Gabuscus” Buscus on a panel and, later, outside the convention hall where the children took pictures with them.

• Two such encounters were particularly memorable. The first was British talk show host Jonathan Ross (pictured at the top of this post), whose work I first discovered online before seeing him on BBC America. While strolling through the Small Press Area, he briefly stopped at my table to look at my work, smiled and moved on. (I've since discovered that he loves comics and, in fact, has written some.) A beat later, I recognized him and mentioned it to a friend. My friend disagreed but, because I was insistent, followed him down the aisle for a better look and perhaps a chance to hear his voice. A few moments later, I spotted Ross again walking down the aisle and, breaking all personal decorum, yelled “Jonathan!” Ross turned and, again breaking with my usual modesty, I waved him over and when he approached, I quietly asked, “Are you Jonathan Ross?” He actually seemed tickled to be recognized, said yes, and said he liked my work because it reminded him of the “ligne clair” of Hergé, the artist of Tintin. When I asked if we could take a picture together, he was delighted to do so. 

• My other celebrity encounter was with “Saturday Night Live” cast member Bobby Moynihan. He too stopped at my booth and when he did so, I said, “I know you.” I asked if I could take a picture and, like Ross, he graciously did so. Though I kept our conversation quiet, I felt a bit guilty immediately afterwards that I had outed him like that rather than give him a chance to look at my book (or have me sell him on it), so a few moments after he moved on, I followed to hand him a free issue of my book, to which he replied, “Hey, thanks, man!”

I rarely attend panels anymore, partly because I need to be at my table during the show. The larger halls, some of which seat up to 6,000 people, are of course a whole different animal, usually requiring a full-day commitment if one expects to get into a specific panel. The line usually starts literally the day before — with people camped out over night. One friend stayed in the room from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. My family love hitting panels, though of course it takes advance planning.

I did get out on the floor during breaks briefly once or twice a day. Though I tend to try and walk most of the floor during these times, I tend to focus on looking at the comics dealers with new comics and graphic novels for sale, original art dealers, and the artists booths. Much of my exploration of the convention floor, however, is done in the early hours before the show opens when it’s quiet and peaceful, though nothing is open or for sale yet. It is at these times I usually scope out what I'm interested in buying so that, during the show, I can go to the booth directly and swiftly make the purchase. Now that my children are getting a little older, there have been some opportunities to participate in a few after-hours activities. This year, for the first time ever, I attended with my family part of the masquerade ball, basically a costume contest, which has been a Comic-Con tradition for many, many years. It's quite a Comic-Con experience, partly because you're sharing the experience with so many fellow geeks.

For some reason, the cosplaying didn't seem as impressive as in past years, though that may simply be the result of my being at the same location for much of the show. In fact, for the most part, the more subdued nature of the people in costume reflected the crowds and overall tone of the show for me. Given the scale of the show, it's surprisingly mellow and easy-going — even when the crowds were shoulder to shoulder. Not all the attendees are old hands like me and others, but it seems now to be an inherent part of the event's vibe that new attendees quickly pick up on. And that's a tribute both to the attendees and the organizers.

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Related Links:

• Photogallery 1: 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
• Photogallery 2: 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
• Wired.com story on Randy Reynaldo/Rob Hanes Adventures 
• Publishers Weekly More to Come Podcast Edition featuring mention of Rob Hanes Adventures (about 30 min. mark)

 Other Links:

• Complete Comics Beat SDCC 2013 news coverage

Celebrity Sightings

Having lived my entire adult life in West Los Angeles has given me the opportunity to see A, B and C list celebrities out on their daily business. My wife often teases me for my ability to recognize even the most minor of character actors, often stating that, aside from the actor's agent and mother, I'm the only one who would ever recognize them. (I like to think this comes from my work as an artist, which requires me to be very aware of faces!)

I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a kick out of it. By the same token, I'm no autograph hound and never try to bother anyone I see, drawing simple satisfaction from having spotted them. Nevertheless, I've made it a habit, when I remember, to note these sightings! So without anymore further ado, below is a list dating back to the mid-1990s. I'll post pre-'90s sightings in a future post....

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2009
Steve Hytner, actor, played recurring character Kenny Banya on "Seinfeld" (Jan. 4): Having breakfast with his family at Carrows Restaurant in Santa Monica, CA.

2008
Mindy Kaling, producer, writer, actor on "The Office" (Dec. 29): Lobby of the Bridge Cinema Theatre in Culver City, CA.

Tim Robbins (Aug. 23): At a free outdoor performance of the Actor's Gang Theatre production of "King Lear," in Culver City. (Robbins is the founder and current artistic director of the theatre group. Robbins attended UCLA when I was a student there as well and founded the group immediately after college.) As noted below, this was the second time this year I've encountered Robbins.

Lee Arenberg, charactor actor, "Seinfeld" and Pirates of the Caribbean (Aug. 23): In the audience for "King Lear." (I saw him in numerous student productions at UCLA when I was a student there.)

Simon Pegg (July): Walked past him on floor of the San Diego Comics Convention.

Tim Robbins (July 14): Lobby of the Actor's Gang Theatre at the historic Ivy Substation in Culver City during the intermission of the group's production of "Gulliver's Travels."
2007
Kate Hudson (June 22): Having lunch with a friend at the table next to me and my wife at Ford’s Filling Station Restaurant, Culver City. Taller than I expected in person!

Rosario Dawson (July): Working at a booth at the San Diego Comics Convention (see photo at the top of this post). Dawson spotted my daughter in her Batgirl outfit, and Dawson tried to get her to strike a pose for her! Of course my daughter suddenly developed a case of stage fright as a crowd of people looked on.
Parry Shen, actor (July): Stopped by my booth at the San Diego Comics Convention (see photo below).

B.J. Novak, actor/producer on "The Office" (July): Walked past my booth at the San Diego Comics Convention.
Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed (June 16): Along with their son, buying ice cream at the Century City Mall food court. All three are amazons in real life!

Daniel Baldwin (Jan. 27): Having breakfast with a companion at the booth across from me and my family at Carrows Restaurant in Santa Monica. Remarked how beautiful our kids were, and talked with our daughter! (I blogged about it here.)
2006
Colin Hanks, actor, son of Tom Hanks (Aug. 18): Introduced to him on location while he was filming The Amazing Buck Howard.

Seth Green (July): Walked past my booth at the San Diego Comics Convention.
2005
Bob Saget: Sitting with his daughters in the lobby of the Brentwood medical building of my dentist's office.

Larry David: At the Westside Pavilion in Los Angeles with his daughters.
2004
Andy Richter: Stood next to us with his family one Sunday morning waiting for the pet store to open at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. I briefly said to him, "Love the show," referring to "Andy Richter Controls the Universe," which he thanked me for.

John O'Hurley, "Seinfeld," "Dancing with the Stars" (Feb. 26): He and his wife were on my flight for a business trip to Florida; he was on my return flight as well.
Richard Simmons (Feb. 26): During the above-mentioned trip, Simmons was both in the check in area of my airline and in the same boarding gate area, though he was on a different flight. Simmons was dressed in his trademark short shorts and caused quite a stir!
2003
Stan Lee, Publisher Emeritus, Marvel Comics (Jan. 14): Sat next to me as a guest at the monthly meeting of the professional cartoonists' association I belong to (see photo below).

Spotted separately at a Starbuck's Coffee House in the San Fernando Valley in the space of an hour (spring 2003):

• Robert Mandan, actor, played "Chester" in the '70s sitcom, "Soap")
• Christine Ebersol, actor
• Corbin Bernson

2001
Tea Leoni (July): While my wife and I were vacationing in New York City, Leoni stepped out of an ice cream parlor in front of us on the sidewalk and hopped into a taxi (with, I presume, her daughter and parents).
2000
John Waters (July): In front the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas (I was in town for my bachelor party).
1999
Jamie Lee Curtis (Oct. 18): Walked past her on the street while visiting my dentist in Brentwood.

Jada Pinkett Smith (July 22): With a girlfriend and their children at the Long Beach Aquarium.

Tanya Roberts (July 25): The Beverly Center, Los Angeles.

Jane Krakowski (July): At the UCLA Sculpture Garden during the intermission of a performance we were both attending of Bertolt Brecht's "Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui," at the UCLA Theatre, Los Angeles.

Lynn Redgrave (July): Same as above, UCLA Theatre, Los Angeles.
1998
Gillian Anderson (Aug.): Sat behind her during a showing of the film The Imposters at the Laemmle Sunset 5 movie theatre on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood .

David Schwimmer (March): Walked in then walked out like he was looking for someone at Le Petit Bistro Restaurant in Los Angeles. A lot taller than I expected!
John Tesch and Connie Selleca (March): Cloverfield Park in Santa Monica at a family picnic.
1997
Leonard Nimoy (March): Attended the same movie showing as me of Kenneth Branagh’s film Hamlet at the Laemmle Royal Theatre in West Los Angeles.
1996
James Remar, actor (Dec.): Oomasa Restaurant in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.

Ethan Hawke (Dec.): Panda Inn Restaurant, West Los Angeles. 

Playwright Neil Simon (June): New York Stage Deli, Century City.

Updates and more to come in a future post!

Celebrity Spottings

Living in West Los Angeles as I do, I've encountered many celebrities both major and minor over the years while I've been out and about. These have ranged from Sean Connery (the day before he won his Academy Award), James Woods (several times!), Pierce Brosnan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Andy Richter, and others. Though I make it a point to rarely bother or approach them, I nevertheless get a kick out of it, and have made a habit of keeping a list of who I've seen. I'm actually planning to post the list soon, so keep tuned. Anyway, here's the latest such encounter…

Nearly every Sunday, my family and I have breakfast at a restaurant next to the Santa Monica airport. This past Sunday as we were seated, I took note of the couple having breakfast in the booth across the aisle from us but didn't give it a second thought. When my wife got up to take the kids out for a quick walk before breakfast came, however, the man started engaging my five-year-old daughter in cute conversation about a book she was carrying. He then spoke with my wife and I a bit, kindly telling us how the kids were a beautiful combination of my wife and me.

The minute he spoke, I instantly recognized him--it was actor Daniel Baldwin, the eldest of the Baldwin brothers!

Given recent personal issues he's gone through as reported in the media, my wife and I agreed afterwards that he looked great. I've always liked Daniel Baldwin, esp. when he was on Homicide, so it was a nice experience meeting him--and, of course, having him graciously complimenting our children certainly didn't hurt!