Tuesday 7 May 2013

some grandads slip away

As I close down for the night, the sad news of Ray Harryhausen's passing has just come through.

I had thought recently that I was in danger of writing a series of obituaries and needed to be careful about it. However, I really think that this guy was a hero. As was Carmine Infantino who passed on last week.

I grew up* reading American comics and watching films like Jason and the Argonauts - I learnt to draw and got to understand storytelling from such people. More on these another time but it's interesting that whilst friends and colleagues are bemoaning the various paedophiles and celebrity rapists as the "loss of their childhoods" (sic) some of us really are losing our heroes who genuinely fuelled our fantasies and taught us so much that we can't learn in school.

*yes, alright . . .

3 comments:

Kate Leeke said...

Well I've never heard of them either, apart from Ken out of Coronation Street. I always blame my ignorance of the 1980s on the fact that our house was declared an 80's free zone at the time. It's like you were in denial that Spandeau Ballet and Nintendos were happening and wanted to shelter me (and yourself) from such terrible, ugly things. In a way it was a blessing that I grew up cosseted by the smooth tones of Sandy Denny and never even knew that George Michael existed, but it's made me a liability in pub quizzes!

Well, I'm sorry that your childhood heroes are joining the great eighties disco in the sky with such alarming regularity, but I think it's time for a new blog. Please. It's been ages. x

eeyorn said...

I too mourn the loss, although I had been blissfully unaware of the identity of the guy who provided huge contributions to my childhood fantasies. I was well into Greek mythology well before Jason, but it certainly made an impression.

Been revisiting the Doors most recently following Ray Manzerak's demize. Yep, definitely time for a new blog.

Springs looking well and truly sprung at last :)


Dave Leeke said...

Katie,

What's a "Spandeau Ballet" and is "Nintendos" a Greek dish?

Actually, George Michael almost managed to stop existing this week due to some bizarre driving accident.

eeyorn,

We've spent most of the day planting vegetables and herbs in our incredibly small garden. The weather's been so bad that we actually had frost last week - this close to the sea! So, yes, spring is sprung, the grass is riz and I know where the bloody greenfinch is . . .