With today's sad news about the passing of a truly brilliant comedic personality I wanted to take moment to hop up on the soapbox and talk about the indelible impression that art can make on your life.

For those of you that live under a rock, Harold Ramis: Actor/Writer/Director has passed away today at the age of 69 after a long fight with an auto immune illness. The picture I've included is my favorite roles from his career probably because it is the one I connect the most with; Egon Spengler of The Ghostbusters. I have absolutely no idea how many times I've watch the film and unlike a lot of my friends who gravitate toward the often over the top performances of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, I've always been more in touch with my inner geek. Egon is that geek and as with most of his roles, Ramis was the straight man. A bastion of sanity amongst a crew of far more outlandish characters keeping it together while all around him the cut ups laughed or worked hard to make the audience piss themselves laughing.

I've been in a couple films, and at this point over two dozen plays and, with very few exceptions, I am the straight man. The characters I've portrayed have been described as "the everyman", "the audience window", "the grounding point". That is why I think, more than the loss of Shirley Temple or Sid Caesar this month, I am profoundly saddened by the death of Harold Ramis. It is that kind of connection that I feel when I think of characters like Egon. We as artists of all stripes (Get the reference? I bet only half of you did.), actors, writers, anyone creative can really hope for is for something we do to connect with people. For someone, even if it is only one person, to truly be moved, inspired or infused with joy by our expression. That is how we, as artists, can become immortal.

It is a lot to hope for, that years from now people will look back on anything we have done and still find value in it. To be moved or inspired by our efforts. People, creative ones particularly, pour their soul into their craft of choice. The best bare themselves to the world in the hope that some spark will ignite a passion in someone else to do the things we have only imagined. Harold, you will be missed. The world is a slightly less funny place today without you in it, but you will not be forgotten.

We will carry on your message and tell everyone "about the Twinkie". At least until some Hollywood genius greenlights The Ghostbusters Reboot.

Harold Ramis
Born: November 21, 1944
Died: February 24, 2014
Rest in Peace

Sometimes it is nice to have a quiet week. Nothing major going on this week. A little writing here, a little TV time there.  I'll keep plugging away on Pact with the Wood Witch this week and hope to have it finished before Valentine's day. Then a round of edits and off to my first readers for comment and back in for a final edit or two before publication on schedule on 3/20 or so.

I found out that CBS is looking at launching two new sci-fi shows that are a fusion of Star trek and NCIS or some Hospital Drama. Really, are the creative minds that bankrupt that they need to resort to mismashing these sort of concepts. It doesn't bother me in reference to the sci-fi show I'm developing. Sure they are looking at ship based sci-fi but it was inevitable that folks would spot the same vacuum on the dial as I did and come up with some crazy hair brained idea to try to drag the procedural cop show audience kicking and screaming into the vastness of the sc-fi universe. Sure there are many sci-fi fans that double dip and are also procedural fans, I am to some extent, but this just seems like an odd pairing. I really like Bones and I watched quite a bit of the original Vegas CSI but it was mostly for the characters and the witty dialogue not the actual police procedural stuff. I suppose they could be banking on the same thing here. Find a really dynamic cast that can carry the show regardless of the environment or thematic elements are involved. I've heard of worse ideas.

All in all when it is said an done there was at one time two Star Trek series, two Stargate series and at least one other sci-fi series running in prime time at the same time. I'm not nervous at all that these two rehashes are thinking of joining the airwaves with the show I'm developing, we'll just consider it a bit of competition to keep us all on our toes. If thinks work right in a free market (lol) economy the shows should all strive to be better than the others and the viewer should benefit. Here's to hoping it plays out that way for all our sakes.


-Nuff Said.

P.S. Next week my blog may be delayed as I will be traveling for my day job, but we'll see what I can do.