Robert Culp dies

Robert Culp's passing this week was a bit of a shock to me. I was lucky enough to meet him at Comic-Con almost two years ago. He seemed sharp as a tack and in great health, yet older, taking just a bit more time to get around. So hearing that he died shortly after hitting his head outside his Hollywood home, and to actually be of an age where something seemingly so minor could cause one's death, was kind of scary.

To a majority of TV fans around the world, Culp will forever be associated with the 60's television series "I Spy". But to me (and certainly to a just as powerful fan base) he'll always be Bill Maxwell from "The Greatest American Hero". The night after his death I pulled out "GAH" on DVD to watch a series of random episodes. They brought back a lot of memories from one of my all time favorite TV shows, and made me realize the real loss of Culp's passing. Maxwell's use of the food garbanzo beans in a sentence like "those green guys scared the garbanzo beans outta me!" and his habit of munching on dog biscuits were staples of Culp's character that will forever be immortalized in the show.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet the man in person at Comic-Con and hear him speak about his career and "GAH". Unfortunately due to time constraints today, I'll have to wait until tomorrow to pull up a photo or two from that meeting. In the meantime, read William Katt's reaction to Culp's death, and some really insightful comments from Bill Cosby on his "I Spy" co-star. And finally, here is the opening intro to "The Greatest American Hero".