"Godzilla vs. Kong" Actress Kaylee Hottle Killed In Car Accident

Sad and shocking news in the world of Godzilla hit this morning.

Actress Kaylee Hottle was killed this morning due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Maryland.

According to TMZ:

Kaylee Hottle was riding in a 1995 Honda Accord when the driver veered off a Maryland road and slammed into a roadside ditch early Tuesday ... with excessive speed believed to be a factor ... TMZ has learned.

Authorities in Maryland say Kaylee -- the "Godzilla vs. Kong" actress -- was rushed to a trauma center, where she was later pronounced dead.

She was 18.

She played the deaf Skull Island native girl Jia who communicated with Kong by sign language in "Godzilla vs. Kong" and its follow-up. 

Condolences go out to her family and friends.

To read more, go here.

Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies At 71

I just spotted this at X (formerly Twitter):

 

🚨 BREAKING OVERNIGHT: Sen. Lindsey Graham died at 71 following a sudden "cardiac arrest" call at his home, and he was carried away on a stretcher

He had just returned from Ukraine

PRESIDENT TRUMP: "Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever… pic.twitter.com/vykuff9Lhu

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 12, 2026

Bonnie Tyler Dies At 75

Curt Swan Death 30th Anniversary

Curt Swan, the artist who produced the definitive Superman for over 30 years, died on this date in 1996. Today marks 30 years since his passing. He was my favorite comic book artist.

I first discovered his passing while perusing a comic book at a convenience store. In it, a house ad announced his passing.

Above, many faces of Superman artist guide by Curt Swan.

The actual death date is somewhat questionable as he was found dead at home surrounded by comic books. He had been dead for some time. Some placed his death as June 16 (this is interesting as Superman actor George Reeves died on June 16, 1959) while others place it on June 17.

According to a Wikipedia footnore:

 Curt Swan, Social Security Death Index details, FamilySearch gives June 17, 1996, as the date of death, and was verified by a family member; verification date can be the same as the death date, or one or more days afterward.

As Swan's family recognizes June 17, 1996, I will do so as well (although I have it at June 16 in Find a Grave based on information at the time).  

I am lucky to have a page of original Curt Swan Superman art (inked by Murphy Anderson). I bought in the early 2000s at a reasonable price. 

George Reeves Death 67th Anniversary

Above, the home in Benedict Canyon where George Reeves died. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today is the 67th anniversary of the death of the original television Superman, George Reeves in his bedroom in Benedict Canyon. 

Fans of the 1950s Adventures of Superman are familiar with the different theories of Reeves's death. The theories are suicide, murder and accident. Those theories were presented in the feature film, Hollywoodland (2006). I'll leave it to the viewer on which one to believe.

Above, Hollywoodland screenwriter Paul Bernbaum and yours truly in 2014.

Hollywoodland is a fictionalized account of the last days of George Reeves and the aftermath of his death. It was written by Paul Bernbaum and stars Ben Affleck as George Reeves. It is a film worth viewing. 

Above, George Reeves as Superman.

Justin Root posted two videos on the "Mysterious Life & Death of Superman George Reeves." Root goes through Reeves's life and death in detail. Both parts are presented below.

Anthony Head, R.I.P.

Above, Anthony Head. Photo by Raven Underwood.

Although several actors who appears on Buffy the Vampire Slayer have passed away, three principal stars of the show have passed during the past 16 months.

Anthony Head, who played Watcher Rupert Giles, passed away from pneumonia on June 1. He was 72. He was a little bit younger than me as he was born on February 20, 1954. 

The other two who have passed are:

Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris) - Died at age 54 in his sleep from natural causes.

Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers) - Died at age 39 due to complications from diabetes mellitus.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my favorite television show during its run. 

G-Fandom Loses Doug Pelton

G-fandom has lost a good fan and friend.

Doug Pelton, who was a regular fixture at G-FEST conventions has passed away. He was a nice guy and I enjoyed talking kaiju movies with him at the conventions over the years. 

J. D. Lees posted: 

I'm very sad to report that our good friend and indefatigable G-fan Doug Pelton has passed on after brief hospital stay following a fall. Cause of death was cardiac arrest. Doug was a fixture at G-FEST every year until recently, when mobility issues got the better of him, and he was an active participant in Godzilla fandom for many years before G-FAN and G-FEST began. My family was very fond of him and he and Ruth kept up a regular correspondence via Facebook. We and many other G-fans and his friends will miss him greatly. Rest in Peace, Doug. (Picture is Doug with Masaaki Tezuka at G-FEST in 2015.) - J.D.

Rest in peace, Doug! 

Valerie Perrine Buried

Actress Valerie Perrine was finally laid to rest Thursday at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.

As her finances were depleted due to her medical care over the years, a fundraising campaign was started at Go Fund Me and successfully raised enough for a proper service and burial. I donated to her burial fund.

The following was posted:

Nicholas Brendon Dies At 54

Actor Nicholas Brendon at the Big Apple Convention in Manhattan, October 2, 2010. Photo by Luigi Novi.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my favorite television show in the late 1990s. It has been reported by a third actor from the show has passed away. The first was Michelle Trachtenberg and the second was Andy Hallett from the Angel spin-off. Now it has been reported that actor Nicholas Brendon has died.

He reportedly died in his sleep at age 54. He played Xander Harris on the show.

According to Canyon News:

HOLLYWOOD—It was announced on Friday, March 21, that Nicholas Brendon, the star of the hit Warner Bros. series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” died at the age of 54. It was reported that Brendon died of natural causes in his sleep.

The actor appeared on all 7 seasons of the series that ran from 1997 to 2003 alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar, Allyson Hanigan, Charisma Carpenter and Anthony Stewart Head.

Brendon had experienced a series of legal trouble in recent years. In 2017, he was arrested for domestic violence against his girlfriend. In August 2021, he was arrested for allegedly obtaining prescription drugs by fraud in Indiana after he was driving erratically. He provided authorities with California ID that had the name Kelton Schultz, TMZ reported.

To read more, go here.

Chuck Norris, R.I.P.

 

XNGH Tom Bent, R.I.P.

Way back in 1984, I started going to events (clamp-outs, etc.) with the Platrix Chapter No. 2 of E Clampus Vitus for Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

There, I met a number of Clampers, including Tom Bent, one of the Greybeards (and, later, Humbug) of the chapter.

Above, the Godzilla plaque dedication. Tom Bent is at front
in the tan slacks holding a paper. Photo by Jean Carbajal.

The Grim Reaper has struck the chapter again as Tom Bent has passed away. This comes on the heels of the passing of XNGH Abe Hoffman in January. 

Bent was one the chapter could always count on for getting things done for clamp-outs and other events such as the Doo Dah Parade in Pasadena. He will be sadly missed. 

My condolences to his family and friends. 

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Reportedly Killed

Iran's regime supreme leader Ayatollah has been reported killed in an Israeli air strike.

According to Reuters (via AOL):

Feb 28 (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who turned the country into a powerful anti-U.S. force and extended its military influence across the Middle East while crushing repeated ‌domestic unrest, was killed in Israeli and U.S. strikes, a senior Israeli official told Reuters on ‌Saturday.

There was no immediate Iranian confirmation of his fate.

The United States and Israel carried out military strikes on Iran on Saturday, targeting ​its top leaders and plunging the Middle East into a conflict that President Donald Trump said would end a security threat to the U.S. and give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers.

To read more, go here. 

Trump Marks 5th Anniversary of Rush Limbaugh's Death

Above, Rush Limbaugh awarded the Medal of Freedom by Melania Trump in 2020.

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of the passing of legendary talk show host Rush Limbaugh. 

These five years flew by fast. For many out in radioland, Limbaugh's passing was a life-changer as they began their days listening to his radio show. 

President Trump lauded Limbaugh yesterday in a video.

Mediaite posted:

President Donald Trump commemorated the five-year anniversary of the death of conservative radio giant Rush Limbaugh on Tuesday with a video message mourning the loss of “a really great man.”

Trump spoke directly to camera in the video, which was filmed with Trump seated at his desk in the Oval Office and posted to Truth Social. The president praised Limbaugh, who died of cancer in 2021, as “somebody that loved our country.”

“Well, this is the fifth anniversary of the loss of a really great man, a great conservative, somebody that loved our country, loved his family, loved a lot of things, but he was a friend of mine, Rush Limbaugh,” said Trump.

To read more, go here. 

Aging Often Means Losing Those Around Us

Above, yours truly at a 2021 clamp-out with Glenn Thornhill (left) and Gary Julian
(right) in Quartzsite, Arizona. Fortunately both are still reasonably in good health.

The one unfortunate part of aging is that we see people we have known for years fall by the wayside. 

Abe Hoffman, who passed away last week from a sudden onset of leukemia, I knew since the mid-1980s. We camped together through 40 years of E Clampus Vitus clamp-outs. 

While talking with another longtime friend, Glenn Thornhill, about Abe's passing yesterday, he informed me that one of the guys we've hung out with since college, Mike Collins, passed away a few months ago. This was the first I heard of his passing. He was an avid model railroad buff. 

Psychology Today posted an article on aging which often means losing those around us. While many of us age "gracefully", some people we have known since the days of our youth aren't so lucky. This is something that is expected as we get older. Several people I've known for decades have passed. 

The article begins with:

When Nora Ephron’s son, Jacob Bernstein, wrote about her passing in The New York Times, he said,

“The thing is, you can’t really turn a fatal illness into a joke. It is almost the only disclosure that turns you into the victim rather than the hero of your story.”

He goes on to say that for his mom, tragedy was a pit of clichés that filled her books. While I normally try to take a light approach to topics I cover here in (R)Aging with Grace, this is one where it feels disingenuous to go there, as I am now in my 70s. My third trimester of life has so far been without incident, but all those routine tests and doctor appointments have me breathing a sigh of relief each time I get a “full speed ahead.”

We can look at aging in two ways: 1. Aging sucks, 2. Aging is a privilege. A paradox of living is that striving to age healthfully can lead to increased longevity, meaning you'll have more experiences with death the older you get. As we age, so do the people around us. This is just as much a part of the “aging is a privilege” perspective as any of the rest of it.

Living longer has both joys and consequences. We will lose friends and loved ones to accidents, illnesses, and, as we reach our later years, old age—though we desperately want to know the “whys” of old age losses, seeking answers on how to avoid them.

 To read the full article, go here.

Abe Hoffman, R.I.P.

Above, XNGH Abe Hoffman.

E Clampus Vitus has lost a great member.

XNGH* Abe Hoffman of Platrix Chapter No. 2 has passed away or, as the Order states, "Gone To The Golden Hills". This was announced by Glenn Thornhill. 

Abe was 87.

He wrote: 

It is with great sadness that I must report that Platrix XNGH Abe Hoffman has gone to the Golden Hills. Slippery Gulch shall miss his hail…

He was Humbug of Platrix back when we erected the Godzilla, King of the Monsters! plaque at Frank Del Olmo Elementary School (originally known as Belmont Elementary School) in Los Angeles. He was a retired high school teacher. He authored several books on western U.S. history.

I first met Abe back in 1984 just after joining ECV. We (Abe, Glenn Thornhill and I) always camped together at Platrix clamp-outs along with clamp-outs held by other chapters. He had a great sense of humor and always kept us laughing. 

My late mom found Abe entertaining when we all sat together at the Glenn Thornhill's wedding reception. 

At one of the last Platrix clamp-outs I attended before moving to New Mexico (2017, to be exact), Abe was struggling a little with his tent. I decided to invite him to stay in my RV with Glenn and I. He was very grateful for this gesture. 

Above, Abe and Glenn in my motorhome in 2017 at Tehachapi Loop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

XNGH Gary Julian posted: 

Oh no. Abe and I camped together for so many years. I loved talking with him about the books he wrote on early California and the water wars. I have lost count of all the dinners we had together.

Bless you Abe. See you soon my Brother.

I will always have fond memories of Abe. He will be missed. My condolences to Abe's family and friends.  

*Ex Noble Grand Humbug

UPDATE (06/25/26):

I was informed that Abe passed away from a sudden onset of leukemia. Accordingly, I will be donating to the John Wayne Cancer Foundation in his memory.

Michael Reagan Dies At 80

Above, Michael Reagan and Armand circa 1978.

Sad news has been announced.

Michael Reagan, the eldest son of former President Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, died at age 80. He died on Sunday, but the news of his passing was released today.

According to ABC News:

Michael Reagan died following a battle with cancer, according to Andrew Coffin, vice president of the Young America's Foundation and director of the Reagan Ranch.

I met Michael Reagan back around 1978. He later introduced me to his father that year at the opening of Citizens For The Republic headquarters, President Reagan's political action committee. 

My condolences to the Reagan family.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation posted:

Statement by Fred Ryan, Chairman of the Board of The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute on the Death of Michael Reagan

Simi Valley, California – The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute mourns the passing of Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, and a steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy. 

Michael Reagan lived a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals. A successful author, nationally syndicated radio talk show host, and sought-after public speaker, Michael used his voice to champion freedom, personal responsibility, and the principles that defined his father’s presidency. Yet beyond his professional accomplishments, Michael was, above all, a devoted son and a deeply loyal friend to the Reagan Foundation and Institute. 

For decades, Michael remained closely connected to the Reagan Library, faithfully attending each February 6th birthday celebration honoring President Reagan. He was a familiar and beloved presence at Foundation events, welcoming friends, family, and visitors alike. Whether escorting guests through the Library, engaging in heartfelt conversations in the Museum Store, or lingering long after events had concluded, Michael never measured his time—only the meaning of each interaction. He took genuine joy in speaking with visitors who shared their admiration for his father, ensuring that every person felt seen, heard, and connected to President Reagan’s enduring story. 

President Reagan reflected on his son in An American Life, writing of Michael, “When I read his book, I had even more of a fatherly pride in Mike than I had had before…. he was happy and at peace with himself.” Those words speak not only to a father’s pride, but to the quiet strength and authenticity with which Michael lived his life. 

Michael Reagan’s passing is a profound loss to all who knew him and to the millions who valued his dedication to preserving President Reagan’s legacy. His presence, warmth, and unwavering commitment will be deeply missed at the Reagan Library and far beyond its walls. 

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute extends its heartfelt condolences to Colleen, Cameron, Ashley, and the entire Reagan family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this time of sorrow. 

Brigitte Bardot and Guns

Above, Bardot with a Winchester 94 in Viva Maria! (1965).

Brigitte Bardot had an interesting and varied life. She went from sexpot to an advocate of animal rights. 

During her movie career, she used varied guns in her movies, from pistols to rifles. Interestingly, in one of her movies, Shalako (1968) she used a Single Action Army revolver. Shalako is most noted as a western starring Sean Connery.

In Gun Culture (laststandonzombieland), several photos of Bardot with weaponry are shown. 

They start off their post with:

With the passing of the late, great Brigitte Bardot (1934-2025), who held spicy takes about various religions and was a champion of animal rights, it is perhaps fitting to note her work in steel over the decades, particularly in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

To read and see more, go here. 

Lou Cannon Dies At 92

Above, President Reagan with Lou Cannon and his wife, Mary Cannon, in 1985. 

It has been reported that journalist and Ronald Reagan biographer Lou Cannon has passed away.

He reportedly died yesterday at a hospice facility in Santa Barbara, California due to a stroke. He was 92.

I have an autographed book by Cannon that I bought some years ago at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

Here is the cover:

Here is the autograph: 

Passages

For some odd reason, we seem to get an uptick in celebrity deaths during the month of December. This year is no exception.

There are two notable passings that should be mentioned.

Above, Gil Gerard.

First is Buck Rogers himself, Gil Gerard, who starred in the 1979-81 television series, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. He passed away from cancer on December 16 at 82.

Above, Bob Burns.

Bob Burns, actor, but is better known as a big collector of movie props, consultant, producer, archivist and movie historian, costumes, and other paraphernalia from science fiction, fantasy, and horror motion pictures. He passed away at age 90 on December 16.

Rob Reiner

While I was no fan of Rob Reiner, his and his wife's deaths is a terrible way to go.

Some news sources say that his son may have committed the killings. Apparently, he had substance abuse problems.

It will be interesting to see what the investigation turns up.