“Mr OETA” Bob Allen (April 8, 2026) was a lifelong advocate of public TV in Oklahoma. He’s the genius behind the TV syndication of The Lawrence Welk Show.
TV creator Sid Krofft (April 10, 2026), together which his brother Marty, created such strange joys as HR Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, and The Banana Spilts.
Underground artist Frank Stack (April 12, 2026) published under the name Foolbert Sturgeon so as to not upset the neighbors. His 1964 The Adventures of Jesus is considered the first “underground comic.”
Irish singer and harpist Moya Brennan (April 13, 2026) began as part of her family band Clannad. She won and Emmy and a Grammy and contributed to the soundtracks of Titanic and King Arthur.
Actress Joy Harmon (April 14, 2026) was a regular on TV’s Tell It to Groucho and appeared in Cool Hand Luke. Her biggest genre role (ha-ha) was in the 1965 film Village of the Giants.
Songwriter-singer Dave Mason (April 19, 2026) was a founding member of Traffic, and wrote such popular songs as “Feelin’ Alright” and “Only You Know and I Know.”
Actor Patrick Muldoon (April 19, 2026) is known for roles in Starship Troopers, Days of Our Lives, Melrose Place, and saved by the Bell.
Alan Osmond (April 20, 2026) was credited as the leader of his family singing group, the Osmonds, because of his role as eldest sibling.
Oscar-winning production designer Dean Tavoularis (April 22, 2026) was represented by work in Bulworth and the Godfather Trilogy.
Comics editor and writer Gerry Conway (April 26, 2026) co-created the Punisher, Firestorm, Killer Croc, and Power Girl. He wrote 1976’s Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, the first DC-Marvel crossover. He also wrote and/or produced on such TV series as Jake and the Fatman, Diagnosis: Murder, Matlock, and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
Singer Nedra Talley (April 26, 2026) was the last surviving member of the girl group the Ronettes.
American physicist Peter L.P. Dillon (April 30, 2026) invented single-chip video cameras and the sensors which allowed color encoding in video images in small devices such as camcorders and doorbell cameras.
Media mogul Ted Turner (May 6, 2026) pushed professional wrestling, the United Nations, and began by taking over the Turner Advertising Company after his father’s suicide. He got into radio and then TV, airing third-run or older shows. Beginning in 1976 he used satellite transmission to found a broadcast empire which spread to cable television. Turner founded the Goodwill games, the Cable News Network, and Turner Classic Movies, among many other endeavors which shaped the current landscape.
British actor and director Michael Pennington (May 7, 2026) founded the English Shakespeare Company in 1986. He appeared on TV and radio as Professor Moriarty and played Moff Jerjerrod in Return of the Jedi.
Donald Gibb (May 12, 2026) was best known as Fred “Ogre” Palowski in several Revenge of the Nerds films.
Singer-songwriter Clarence Carter (May 13, 2026) was most known for “Back Door Santa,” “Slip Away,” and “Patches.”
Actor Tom Kane (May 18, 2026) worked a lot in video games and animation. He voiced Yoda in the Clone Wars film and series; Professor Utonium for The Powerpuff Girls; and many other Star Wars or superhero games.
Jazz guitarist Joe Negri (May 30, 2026) appeared on a half-dozen albums, but is most known widely as Handyman Negri on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
These people and things impacted the pop-culture REALM, and thus the whole world. Thanks for reflecting on some of those who went before.
