Thought he was going to live forever.
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Whether you loved him or hated him (his interviews were sometimes hilariously unprepared, like when he asked Stan Lee what inspired him to create Batman), there’s no denying he was an institution in the media world. This one makes me sad. COVID too, of course…
Very sad indeed, but at least he had a long and interesting life even until the end. I hope I’m still able to do things in my 80s and not just sit around bored all day.
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Sometimes the guests were unprepared too, like the one who was supposed to be an expert on Y2K and didn’t know what it stood for. 
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I don’t know when this interview was taken but I feel we forget how hard it was to gather information before the internet. He did thousands of interviews during his career, a mess-up here and there is totally within the limit as a journalist. Not talking about pilots or cops.
Late 90s, I think. Internet was around. Look, I liked Larry, but this wasn’t an isolated incident. His gaffes were kind of endearing though.
Wait a minute!
Batman, real name Wayne Williams , debuted in Just Imagine Stan Lee with Joe Kubert Creating Batman (September 2001). Creators Stan Lee and Joe Kubert based this version on the character created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.
Like the original, this Batman has no superpowers. Unlike Bruce Wayne, Wayne Williams is African-American, instead of Caucasian. He is in excellent physical condition and has a vast personal fortune, allowing him access to custom equipment including: night visionlenses, a Kevlar costume, sensors to magnify sound and a wingsuit/hang glider hybrid cape to glide.
Wayne Williams’ father was a policeman who was killed in an ambush. Wayne is framed for a crime, so he vows revenge on “Handz”, the gang leader who set him up. In prison, Williams befriends a scientist named Frederick Grant, who teaches him how to “develop his mind”, as well as sewing and bodybuilding.
While incarcerated, Williams learns that his mother has also died and he blames Handz for her death. After rescuing the warden during a prison riot, he was given a full pardon. On the outside, Williams is on the run from Handz, so, to keep a low profile, he shaves his head. Williams needs money, so he becomes a wrestler under the name of Batman, never unmasking in public. In a few short weeks, Batman has become a superstar in wrestling and has become extremely wealthy. He searches for Grant and entrusts him with his secret identity. Wayne Williams has the money, skill, and strength to fight Handz, but Frederick Grant has the technical know-how, so the two become partners. To keep a low profile, Wayne gives Frederick a mansion and acts as his bodyguard. Batman eventually finds and fights with Handz, who accidentally falls to his death in the conflict. No longer seeking vengeance, Batman begins a mission of justice to fight crime and protect the innocent from villains like Handz.
Oy vey… 
Pretty sure that wasn’t the context. But in any event, this is silly. RIP to both King and Lee.
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That wasn’t on me, I hope. I merely pointed out that during his time research was more difficult and therefore more prone to mistakes. Still have lots of respect for him for his old-school journalism.
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No, responding to the guy above me. And it’s fine, I’m not really annoyed about it or anything. Just feel that was an unnecessarily deep dive into geek lore. 
Long-time Taiwan resident Diane Baker has passed away.
One of the only people to have stuck with the Taipei Times from its launch in the late 1990s to the present, Baker was a tireless supporter of Taiwan dance culture, writing regularly about dance until her death on January 20.
I did not have the chance to meet her, but her passion and commitment were obvious. RIP.
Guy
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In addition to her newspaper and dance activities, this article mentions that she also recorded English announcements for the HSR. Maybe we all “know” her by voice, anyway.
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This guy get a mention?
I felt very sheepish reading about him the other day, because I had totally assumed he was white. I knew he was one of the big big names from “long ago”, but had no idea even what decade he was active in.
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You may have been lost in Asia a bit too long.
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I was saddened to hear of Diane’s passing. I’ve worked in the local VO industry for many years here now, and Diane was a fixture there too. She’ll be missed, but her lovely tones preserved for eternity. A lovely soul. Various public transport English announcements around Taipei and area feature her voice.
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She assured me that hers were not the ones with the butchered pronunciations.
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Zero interest in baseball in my house when I was growing up, so I’m very ignorant about the sport. Aaron was active only a few years before I was sports-aware, so I’m a little annoyed with myself for knowing next-to-nothing about him - I know a reasonable amount about NHL from the early 70s (well, lower than typical for a Canadian Gen X male), but outside hockey, nada.
Well, there’s no requirement to know everyone who did something that just some people care about. I mean, thank gawd.
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