Day: August 25, 2008

… was born on this date in 1913 — that’s Walt Kelly, creator of Pogo. The tribute to Kelly at The International Museum of Cartoon Art Hall of Fame, now The National Cartoon Museum, reads:

Like a number of other successful newspaper cartoonists of his day, Walt Kelly learned his craft as an animator at the Walt Disney Studios between 1935 and 1941, and the Disney style was always evident in his work. After a brief stint as a comic book artist and an editorial cartoonist, Kelly launched his masterpiece, Pogo, in 1949. The strip featured a colorful cast of furry and not-so-furry creatures who inhabited the Okefenokee Swamp, including Pogo, Albert, Howland Owl, P.T. Bridgeport, Beauregard and Churchy la Femme. Out of the mouths of these innocent animals came everything from profound musings on the human condition to downright nonsense. The superb artistry, satirical humor and playful language of Pogo enchanted millions of readers and even now, years after his death in 1973, Kelly still has a loyal following.

According to the web site I Go Pogo:

Walt Kelly first used the quote “We Have Met The Enemy and He Is Us” on a poster for Earth Day in 1970. … In 1971, he did a two panel version with Pogo and Porky in a trash filled swamp.

Sean Connery is 78 today.

Van Johnson is 92 and “Let’s Make A Deal” Monty Hall is 87.

Regis is 77.

Tom Skerritt, “Viper” in Top Gun, is 75.

Baseball hall-of-famer Rollie Fingers is 62.

Rollie Fingers’ 17-year career epitomized the emergence of the modern-day relief ace. After watching him post inconsistent results as a starter, the A’s moved Fingers to the bullpen. He excelled quickly and frequently in his new role. Relying on a sharp slider, Fingers went on to notch 341 career saves. Known for his handlebar mustache, Fingers became a familiar site during the post-season, appearing in 16 World Series games. He won both the American League MVP and Cy Young Award with the Brewers in 1981.

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Academy Award nominee for supporting actress in Fatal Attraction Anne Archer is 61 today.

Gene Simmons is 59.

The more talented Elvis, Elvis Costello, is 54 today.

Born Declan Patrick McManus, Costello had the audacity to adopt “Elvis” as a stage name (at manager Riviera’s suggestion) and the talent to live up to such a seemingly scandalous appropriation. Greil Marcus profiled him in 1982: “He combined the brains of Randy Newman and the implacability of Bob Dylan, the everyman pathos of Buddy Holly and the uniqueness of John Lennon.”

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Director Tim Burton is 50.

Hannah Montana’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, is 47.

Rachel Ray is 40.

Claudia Schiffer is 38.

Leonard Bernstein, “one of the most prodigally talented and successful musicians in American history,” was born on August 25th in 1918. The quotation is from his obituary in The New York Times.