I was first introduced to Gahan Wilson's work in Playboy magazines when I was way too young to be reading them. How they skewed my sexuality is a story for another time, but let me say Gahan Wilson skewed my sense of humor and I will always love him for it.
Mr. Wilson is now 89. His wife of 53 years died in 2019 and he suffers from dementia. For me, a diagnosis of dementia would be as bad as cancer. There is a GoFundMe account trying to raise money to help him. I sent some money this morning. If his work means anything to you, I hope you will help as well.
One of the joys of trivia is seeing references to earlier work in favorite films. The first clip is from Night of the Hunter.
First things first. This is a wonderful scene. Robert Mitchum has an enchanting baritone and Lillian Gish joining in gives me chills. And then there's the cinematography, the perfect use of black and white, evil confronting good, but good is not defenseless. Lillian Gish as Mrs. Cooper might be the best example of Christian love ever put on film. And then there's her last line, said with such sadness.
"It's a hard world for little things."
The second scene in H.I.'s nightmare from Raising Arizona. The Coen brothers are serious students of film and the borrowing (or theft) of this line is not coincidence.
The films are different as can be, but they have a common thread, protecting children from evil. If you haven't seen them, I strongly recommend both of these films.
