[B5JMS] Forry Ackerman is gone.

[b5jms at mail.fsl.cs.sunysb.edu]

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From: mpvorkosigan at hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 13:08:31 -0800 (PST)
Lines: 9

This was posted on Yahoo news just a few minutes ago. Raise a cup, say
cheerio.

Mike


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081205/ap_en_ot/obit_ackerman



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From: "jmsatb5 at aol.com" <jmsatb5 at aol.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 15:10:12 -0800 (PST)
Lines: 27

On Dec 5, 1:08=A0pm, mpvorkosi... at hotmail.com wrote:
> This was posted on Yahoo news just a few minutes ago. Raise a cup, say
> cheerio.
>
> Mike
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081205/ap_en_ot/obit_ackerman

I grew up a fan of Forry's work, I read Famous Monsters of Filmland
cover to cover every month...but ended up with mixed feelings after
one particular incident.

When Robert Bloch (author of Psycho) was dying of cancer, the family
wanted to keep it quiet and not let people know so he could pass in
peace.  Forry broke the news, which I suppose was bad enough, but this
is what happened in the aftermath, per Harlan Ellison, who told me
about it at the time.  (Harlan, Bob, Silverberg, and Julie Schwartz
used to get together for Thanksgiving dinner every year, so we were
all kind of in this circle.)  While Bob was on his death-bed, Forry
sent a letter to Bob asking him to sign the enclosed card so that
Forry could say he got Bob's very last autograph.

There's not much I can say about that, that would be more telling than
the telling of it.

jms


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From: Jan <janmschroeder at aol.com>
Date: 5 Dec 2008 15:59:00 -0800
Lines: 36

In article <40168736-f6de-4c40-8229-f1a4800c1f47 at g17g2000prg.googlegroups.com>,
jmsatb5 at aol.com says...
>
>I grew up a fan of Forry's work, I read Famous Monsters of Filmland
>cover to cover every month...but ended up with mixed feelings after
>one particular incident.
>
>When Robert Bloch (author of Psycho) was dying of cancer, the family
>wanted to keep it quiet and not let people know so he could pass in
>peace.  Forry broke the news, which I suppose was bad enough, but this
>is what happened in the aftermath, per Harlan Ellison, who told me
>about it at the time.  (Harlan, Bob, Silverberg, and Julie Schwartz
>used to get together for Thanksgiving dinner every year, so we were
>all kind of in this circle.)  While Bob was on his death-bed, Forry
>sent a letter to Bob asking him to sign the enclosed card so that
>Forry could say he got Bob's very last autograph.
>
>There's not much I can say about that, that would be more telling than
>the telling of it.
>
>jms
>


That's grotesque.  

Jan 


-- 
"What is built, endures. What is loved, endures.
And Babylon 5...Babylon 5...endures."

Delenn
J. Michael Straczynski


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From: Josh Hill <usereplyto at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:19:18 -0500
Lines: 13

On 5 Dec 2008 15:59:00 -0800, Jan <janmschroeder at aol.com> wrote:

>That's grotesque.  

Really. Reminds me of the old Doctor Who I watched the other day, the
one in which a mad surgeon makes a body out of borrowed parts,
including the arm of his assistant.

-- 
Josh

"What is it exactly that the V.P. does every day?" - Sarah Palin


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From: mpvorkosigan at hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2008 08:12:49 -0800 (PST)
Lines: 24

On Dec 6, 9:19=A0am, Josh Hill <userepl... at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 5 Dec 2008 15:59:00 -0800, Jan <janmschroe... at aol.com> wrote:
>
> >That's grotesque. =A0
>
> Really. Reminds me of the old Doctor Who I watched the other day, the
> one in which a mad surgeon makes a body out of borrowed parts,
> including the arm of his assistant.

And if I remember right, that episode was called "The Brain of
Morbius", a thoroughly hilarious title for old fen like us. Tom Baker
versus a patchwork monster with a Time Lord's brain. Cheesy as hell,
funny to match.

I'm not going to argue that Forry may or may not have done some
stupid, tacky things in his life. We all have, some stupider and
tackier than others. I myself have committed some lulus in my fifty
years. But I can honestly say that the thing with the deathbed
autograph is not something I'd have done. By the same token, I'm glad
that Forry let the world know what kind of shape Bloch was in. I would
have liked to send him a last farewell, had I been able.

Mike


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From: Amy Guskin <aisling at fjordstone.com>
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:10:03 GMT
Lines: 31

>> On Sat, 6 Dec 2008 11:12:49 -0500, thus spake mpvorkosigan at hotmail.com (in 
article <534c5fed-2bdd-4f20-be73-a55805efd778 at f20g2000yqg.googlegroups.com>):

 By the same token, I'm glad
> that Forry let the world know what kind of shape Bloch was in. I would
> have liked to send him a last farewell, had I been able. <<

I'm not (glad).  If you can't honor the wishes of someone you call a friend 
when they're dying, what kind of a friend _are_ you?  Do you really think 
it's more important that fans get a chance at a last goodbye than the man's 
wishes (and his family's wishes) were honored?

This is exactly what happened with Andreas (not the autograph part).  When 
the information went public, thanks to one of his supposed friends, too, I 
didn't send him a farewell card because I knew that the making public of his 
illness was NOT what he wanted.  Acting on it would have been adding huge 
insult to injury, to use an unfortunately apt phrase (and IMHO).

Very sore subject.

Amy
-- 
"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time 
- to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; 
to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American 
Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; 
that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and 
doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that 
timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can."
President-elect Barack Obama, November, 4, 2008


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From: Captain Infinity <Infinity at captaininfinity.us>
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:18:23 GMT
Lines: 30

Once Upon A Time,
Amy Guskin wrote:

>>> On Sat, 6 Dec 2008 11:12:49 -0500, thus spake mpvorkosigan at hotmail.com (in 
>article <534c5fed-2bdd-4f20-be73-a55805efd778 at f20g2000yqg.googlegroups.com>):
>
> By the same token, I'm glad
>> that Forry let the world know what kind of shape Bloch was in. I would
>> have liked to send him a last farewell, had I been able. <<
>
>I'm not (glad).  If you can't honor the wishes of someone you call a friend 
>when they're dying, what kind of a friend _are_ you?  Do you really think 
>it's more important that fans get a chance at a last goodbye than the man's 
>wishes (and his family's wishes) were honored?
>
>This is exactly what happened with Andreas (not the autograph part).  When 
>the information went public, thanks to one of his supposed friends, too, I 
>didn't send him a farewell card because I knew that the making public of his 
>illness was NOT what he wanted.  Acting on it would have been adding huge 
>insult to injury, to use an unfortunately apt phrase (and IMHO).
>
>Very sore subject.

What are your thoughts on trashing a dead man's memory the day after he
has died?


** 
Captain Infinity


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From: "jmsatb5 at aol.com" <jmsatb5 at aol.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2008 15:00:55 -0800 (PST)
Lines: 55

On Dec 6, 11:18=A0am, Captain Infinity <Infin... at captaininfinity.us>
wrote:
> Once Upon A Time,
>
>
>
>
>
> Amy Guskin wrote:
> >>> On Sat, 6 Dec 2008 11:12:49 -0500, thus spake mpvorkosi... at hotmail.co=
m (in
> >article <534c5fed-2bdd-4f20-be73-a55805efd... at f20g2000yqg.googlegroups.c=
om>):
>
> > By the same token, I'm glad
> >> that Forry let the world know what kind of shape Bloch was in. I would
> >> have liked to send him a last farewell, had I been able. <<
>
> >I'm not (glad). =A0If you can't honor the wishes of someone you call a f=
riend
> >when they're dying, what kind of a friend _are_ you? =A0Do you really th=
ink
> >it's more important that fans get a chance at a last goodbye than the ma=
n's
> >wishes (and his family's wishes) were honored?
>
> >This is exactly what happened with Andreas (not the autograph part). =A0=
When
> >the information went public, thanks to one of his supposed friends, too,=
 I
> >didn't send him a farewell card because I knew that the making public of=
 his
> >illness was NOT what he wanted. =A0Acting on it would have been adding h=
uge
> >insult to injury, to use an unfortunately apt phrase (and IMHO).
>
> >Very sore subject.
>
> What are your thoughts on trashing a dead man's memory the day after he
> has died?
>
> **
> Captain Infinity- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I don't know, what are your thoughts about people too cowardly to post
under their real name, preferring to hide behind the curtain of
anonymity while they snipe and run away, as opposed to people who,
critical or positive, at least have the balls to say it like a man,
under their own names?