Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Jonathan Brandis- Tragic Child Star

My sister used to be in love with Jonathan Brandis. I drew this picture of him, explaining how my sister liked watching him on the show "SeaQuest DSV" and asked if he could autograph it so I could give it to her for her Birthday (it was 1995, and she was turning 10). A few weeks later I got it backed signed. From what I read, despite getting volumes of fan mail, he would actually reply to fans who wrote to him. He had appeared in films and television since the age of 9.
Fast forward 8 years later, November 11, 2003- Depressed, subject to bouts of heavy drinking, his acting career in a slump; 27 year old Jonathan Brandis decided he couldn't handle his life anymore and hung himself .

Friday, February 4, 2011

Ricou Browning- The Gill Man



Ricou Browning has been involved in many films over the last 55 years, but the one that everyone knows him from is the 1954 Sci-Fi classic The Creature From the Black Lagoon. Actor Ben Chapman played the Gill-Man in the on land scenes, but the under-water scenes had Ricou wearing the creature outfit.
When I sent this I didn't know what he actually looked like, so I asked if he could give me a photo of himself. He sent the one pictured, ona break from filming. He wrote me a letter thanking me for the picture, and stated about the photo he sent: "The picture was taken many many years ago but I'm still a handsome Devil!"