july stiffs.

It's the time of the month (in a non feminine way) where we celebrate the Arena 'eroes who've passed on in the last four weeks.

Bit of a rush job this time tho' as I've got a strip to finish.

First up was Geoffrey Hutchings, stage, film and television actor best known for his spot on portrayal of Sid James in that bio-pic.

Also this month, the Arena says goodbye to the producer of such classic movies as Mindhunters, Pyrates and Deep Blue Sea, Rebecca Spikings-Goldsman, Blaxploitation goddess Vonetta (Shaft in Africa, Melinda and Hammer) McGee, American Splendor author Harvey Lawrence Pekar, ex-Bread babe Gilly Coman, who played Aveline in the first four series of that scouse scrounger sitcom as well as the voice artist of such shows as Ultraman 80, the Japoaneses dub of Thunderbirds, Ultra 6 and Roku Kyōdai vs. Kaijū Gundan, the silky toned Tetsuo Mizutori.

Staying with voice-types, July also saw the deaths of Tailor Smurf himself, Kip King. King also provided the voice of Shecky in The Biskitts as well as characters inThe Little Rascals, Scooby and Scrappy-Doo, Tom & Jerry Kids and Droopy, Master Detective.

And behind the cartoon pencil, Shirley Silvery, one of the first female animators in the world and all round pioneer in animation, passed away around the same time as popular music star Andy Hummel from top Memphis rockers Big Star.

And finally, back on 'the big screen' we say a fond farewell to Italian screenwriter Suso Cecchi d'Amico and the British cinematographer, famous for his work on Carry On Regardless, The Kiss of the Vampire, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and A View to a Kill, Alan Hume.