Sam the Butcher is Dead

2008 is off to a strong start for celebrity death with the passing of Allan Melvin, best known as Alice's meat packing boy toy Sam the Butcher. He was also the voice of Magilla Gorilla, Drooper on the Banana Splits and Bluto from Popeye. Holding any one of those jobs would be the kind of thing where you could say "My life work is now complete" but Mr. Melvin kept on reaching, so he should indeed be honored.

Suzanne Pleshette of the Bob Newhart Show also died, but to the best of my knowledge she never voiced a talking gorilla wearing suspenders, so I'm so not that into it right now.