The sex symbol of an entire generation passed away at the age of 62, after a too long battle with cancer. Can’t say that she was my favorite Angel (where are you, Tanya?) but still, she was the one to leave her mark on popular culture. Yes, there was that poster that sold over 12,000,000 units up until this day… there was the smile and the hairdo… and can anyone remember that Charlie’s Angels pink custom van?

As I revealed in an older post, the first issue of Playboy that I ever bought was with a Farrah cover. Oddly, my favorite Farrah role will probably remain her bit part in Logan’s Run, a film that I endlessly watched in its many TV showing in the early 80s, be it in French or English. Very sad news indeed to lose such an icon.

One of the first female adult movie star (alongside Linda Lovelace and Georgina Spelvin), Marilyn Chambers remained a friendly invidivual on the convention circuit. Of course, she battled her own demons at some point, but she was always perceived as a cool individual and innovator for the XXX movie business. Her interracial scenes in the breakthrough film Behind the Green Door remain taboo-breaking. Interestingly, she was one of the first female adult star to perform before the cameras with a completely shaved pubic area.

Oddly, compared to other adult stars, she didn’t make a ton of films, barely more than thirty in all. If Behind the Green Door is still an important milestone, check out Resurrection of Eve and Insatiable, to have your taste of Marilyn at her best. Of course, there’s a couple of more mainstream projects, like David Cronenberg’s Rabid and and Angel of H.E.A.T. that merits attention.

Marilyn was found dead on April 12, 2009, in her home of Santa Clarita, California; the cause of death has not been made public yet. She would’ve turn 57 on April 22.

Another sad news… can you spell with me “unique talent”?

One of the most intriguing Marvel female heroines has passed away recently, part of a really mixed bag of a crossover entitled Secret Invasion. The plot device pointing to her death was a surprise, but its visual execution in just a few confusing panels lacked respect for such a venerable character.

As typical “female” in super-hero books of the early sixties, Janet was a bit of an empty head at first, more often concerned about her hair and makeup than any deadly threat. But as the years went by, it was disclosed that she was in fact acting up to get the attention of her paramour, namely confused Dr. Hank Pym. The Wasp became one of the most effective Avengers leader in the team’s colorful history, going through many crisis with a very humanistic leadership style.

Of course, this is comic books and she’ll probably be resurrected in some form in a couple of years. Still, let’s salute the fact that she will remain a character whose evolution through the years remain an intriguing read (which could be a bit difficult in track the chronology down).

Sad news, indeed. Go to the main site for my farewell words…

One classy and talented lady has passed away, seen here with a typical co-star. Her gutsy roles paved the way for many take-charge film heroines to come in her footsteps. Another artist that will not be easily forgotten.

Of course engraved in our memories will always be the perfect legs and the exceptional talent, but also we’ll miss a very classy lady…

She only made around 20 films, but Norwegian Julie Ege still left a mark on movie audiences. She was a former Bond Girl and Hammer Glamour Girl, as well as a player in some sexy comedies. She was memorably seen in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (as The Scandinavian Girl), in the prehistoric adventure Creatures the World Forgot (my favorite role of hers, as Nala), in the sci-fi cult classic The Finale Programme and of course in the bizarre kung-fu Dracula film The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. Also a former Miss Norway (in 1962) and Miss Universe contestant, Julie became a sought out pin-up model and former Penthouse Pet, got married two times and had two daughters. After retiring from the public eye, she worked as a nurse, successfully battling breast cancer around 1986 or so. Sadly, that same illness got the better of her last April 29, when she passed on at the age of 64. Another Siren gone to soon.

Nobody lasts forever, they say, but some legends will never die. The memory of Scream Queen Hazel Court will stay with us as long as there are movie fans. She was a unique performer, who could effortlessly mix elegance and sexiness in a single scene.

Court passed away after a heart attack at her home near Lake Tahoe, California, last Tuesday.

Learning about the death of comic book writer Steve Gerber last week was something that gave me the impression of being hit with a hammer between the eyes. I had no clue that he was not physically well and the fact that he’s gone at the age of 60 seems like a cruel twist of fate. He made a last entry on his blog on February 4th… and he was gone by the 10th.

Of course, his main claim to fame is the creation of Howard the Duck, a Marvel Comics character that debuted as a mere one-panel joke. But the joke caught on and I’m old enough to remember that Howard was a third-party presidential candidate in the 1976 bicentennial race in the USA! Get down America! Steve Gerber also was one of the first creators to speak about character ownership, and he had a lengthy battle with Marvel concerning his rights towards Howard. I remembered a strong interview in an old Métal Hurlant magazine (the French Heavy Metal) where Steve admitted that Marvel was scared shitless of Disney Studios’ lawyers, who took an interest in a short-tempered talking duck wearing a blue jacket.

One of Howard the Duck’s colorful nemesis, Phelch the Space Turnip, was also the inspiration for me to co-create in my teens a character named Blundering Man, who has been my alter-ego on the web at least since the past twelve years. This shows you how Steve Gerber was important in my life.

Steve also wrote The Defenders in one of my favorite run in comics history. His stories concerning serious social matters impressed me to no end, and greatly influenced my own way to see the world, mainly concerning racial intolerance and women empowerment. The character of The Valkyrie is surely one of the main reasons why I always admired kick-ass strong female heroines, in any entertainment media.

What has this got anything to do with Cult Sirens, you might ask? Well, Steve Gerber was one of many who helped in shaping me to become the man I am today. The quality of his writing, his amazing sense of humor and his own personal views in countless observations of our society are still part of my personal heritage. It took me quite a few days to decide in writing this, but even if I did it with tears in my eyes, I couldn’t help grinning from ear to ear for the good memories.