I’m very sorry to hear of the passing of Frances Bay, an actress who played key roles on two of my favourite 1990s television series, Seinfeld and Twin Peaks.



You’ll remember Bay as Mabel Choate, a combative old lady who refuses to surrender the last marble rye to Jerry when they butt heads at a bakery. Her more memorable role to me — in fact, it’s a character I think of at least every few weeks, for one reason or another — was as Mrs. Tremond, a mysterious and eerie elderly woman who made the short hairs on the back of my neck stand up whenever she appeared on Twin Peaks. 

I was surprised to read on Wikipedia just how extensive Bay’s acting career was, even more surprising since she only began acting in her mid 50s. But the woman possessed a brilliant presence on screen, and her brief but powerful appearances on some of my favourite TV shows left a lasting impact. My sympathies to her family, and my thanks to Frances Bay for her amazing and unforgettable work as an actress.

One of the most passionate and brilliant minds is comics is gone, now that Harvey Pekar has died. His American Splendor was one of the first and most important (and entertaining) autobiographical comic books, and his talent for creating idiosyncratic and thought-provoking comics was outstripped only by his tenacity and will to bring his voice to an often uncaring public. It was my great privilege to interview Harvey around the time DC/Vertigo released his graphic novel The Quitter, and you can listen to that interview on MP3, read it in my downloadable ebook Conversations with ADD, or read it online at Trouble with Comics.

Rest in peace, Harvey. You’ve earned it.

Update: Tom Spurgeon has posted a comprehensive obituary of Harvey Pekar at The Comics Reporter.