I didn't get to meet Richard Kiel last year at the Cincinnati Comic Expo but I did see him interviewed live on local TV very early one morning and he seemed to be having so much fun!
For years he was confused with his fellow ultra-tall actor Ted Cassidy as the two of them traded off novelty parts on various television shows. The young Kiel was particularly memorable as the alien on TWILIGHT ZONE who only wanted "to serve man."
Then Richard played Jaws in a James Bond film, a villain invented solely for the movies and one who caught everyone's imagination to the point where he not only became the only Bond villain besides Blofeld to return. Not only did he return but he was actually able to redeem himself by aiding 007!
After that, he was pretty close to a household word for a while and appeared in a number of major productions.
He even got on to a game show panel where we were able to see him as the humorous gentle giant he was.
Rest in Pece, sir.
Comics writer Paul Kupperberg (the guy who recently killed Archie), shares both his first encounter with classic Batman artist Jim Aparo and MY encounter with him, all over at the spanking new CHARLTON NEO blog!
