(But not SO randomly…)
I was ready to go absolutely scorched earth today. When a monster dies, you take as much pleasure in their loss as they took in causing pain to all around them. I have had a ball mocking Lindsey Graham kicking off this mortal coil. Little bastard hurt so many people and the world is a better place without him. I was gonna draw something TERRIBLE.
Then…sadly…the world found out we lost Sam Neill.
Actor, activist, animal lover…all around wonderful human. Suddenly, my anger was replaced by something else. Stories about Mr. Neill’s absolute decency started flooding the feeds. Fellow actors, directors, and even world leaders posted tributes to the man who helped make us believe dinosaurs could come back.
So many stories by regular people talking about Jurassic Park but his entire output was WAY more prodigious than just Dr. Alan Grant. Here’s a phrase you’ve never heard: “wow, what a lackluster Sam Neill performance”. My wife watched some odd little Ethan Hawke vampire movie on Tubi the other day. We’d never heard of it. A pandemic had turned everyone into vampires and the humans were going extinct. Just a weird little movie and Sam Neill brought almost Shakespearean gravitas as the CEO of a fake blood company.
Mr. Neill was an activist for civil rights and ecological causes. He fought to keep a gold mine in New Zealand from despoiling the natural beauty of the land. His work towards equal rights extended into his acting. (Look up “Event Horizon flag”.)
Judging by social media videos, he loved being on his farm with his animals. He adorably cared for them like his own children and named them after dear friends. He was a role model for artists who want to create powerful work and maintain a peace in their life that we should all hope and strive for.
Losing him replaced the bile in my soul that wanted to create rage with a desire for a better and more peace-filled world for all of us. Farewell, Mr. Neill. We will miss your incredible work but more importantly we will miss YOU.
Now, will I probably get angry again? Oh yeah. And I will DEFINITELY celebrate death again. We already got one of those antique demons teetering (if not already gone) and the “one”? By god I am joining in on that worldwide dance party. But for now I will watch dinosaur movies and appreciate the subtle mastery of art by a man that people should strive to be like. I hope you’re having a good week. Go cause some “good trouble”.
-The Paintmonkey
Linda
It’s so wonderful to read about an absolutely wonderful soul and it gives me hope that the good and decent people in this world will outnumber the monsters. Thanks for sharing this even though it is extremely sad.
John Trotter
An example for all as a life well lived, and I think that’s why it feels extra sad. We know how the world should be. But all we see every day on the news being screamed at us from every direction…are ways of how to be the absolute worst version of a human. We have to show them our power.