Jan Berenstain, co-creator of the Berenstain Bears picture books, has died. She and her husband Stan wrote and illustrated the first Bears book in 1960 and it was the first of many books published by Theodore Geisel’s Beginner’s Books. The Los Angeles Times has more here.
Cinematographer Bruce Surtees has died. “He wasn’t afraid of having the character exist in either silhouette or total darkness and letting the dialogue do the work.” The Los Angeles Times has an excellent overview of his career with recollections from Clint Eastwood and Tom Stern.
Ralph McQuarrie has died. McQuarrie was an artist best known for his conceptual work for Star Wars. 24 Frames has a brief obituary with links to some of McQuarrie’s work. McQuarrie’s personal site has more galleries and a place for tributes.
At the Sunset Gun, Kim Morgan says good-bye to Davy Jones.
Liv Strömquist’s heartbreaking comic about Whitney Houston and domestic abuse.
Novelist Samuel Youd, who wrote as John Christopher, has died. Gutter readers might remember him best for his science fiction series, The Tripods, which was adapted for television by the BBC and Australia’s Seven Networks in the 1980s. The Guardian has an overview of his life and career.
Find t-shirts, mugs, totes and more at our new Guttermart location at Teepublic!
The Cultural Gutter 