R.I.P Greg Hildebrandt (1939-2024), legendary fantasy and Sci-fi artist and the Illustrator of the original Star Wars poster.

Greg Hildebrandt, iconic Star Wars and Lord of the Rings artist, has died at 85

One of fantasy and sci-fi’s all-time greats has passed away. Artist Greg Hildebrandt, known for his iconic work on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel and Magic: The Gathering, died on Thursday at 85. He and his twin brother Tim, who died in 2006, were a powerhouse duo — the Brothers Hildebrandt — until they decided to pursue solo careers in 1981.

The duo was perhaps best known for their “Style B” poster (above) for the original Star Wars in 1977. Released in the UK (Tom Jung’s “Style A” was the original US poster), the art shows Luke Skywalker heroically hoisting his lightsaber high above his head like King Arthur wielded Excalibur. He’s flanked by a blaster-toting Princess Leia, with C-3PO and R2-D2 looking on from behind. Darth Vader’s imposing mask peers down on them in the background among a sea of stars, the Death Star and starfighters.

As for Luke and Leia’s noteworthy lack of resemblance to Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, neither the Brothers Hildebrandt nor Jung had access to the actors’ photos. So, they made do with generic hero images that could have been ripped from 1970s fantasy book covers. (Still rad, if not screen-accurate.) The Hildebrandt poster was used in the UK until January 1978, when it was replaced by Tom Chantrell’s “Style C” poster, which depicted the actual cast.

The brothers were also strongly associated with a series of The Lord of the Rings calendars. Decades before Peter Jackson brought the films to live action (and even before the 1978 animated version), their art — which drew on their influence from classic Disney films — was the most prominent visualization of Tolkien’s epic for many a 1970s fantasy reader.

Among Hildebrandt’s many other projects were comics for Marvel and DC, illustrations for Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering and Harry Potter), magazines Omni, Heavy Metal and Amazing Stories, album art for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Black Sabbath and a long list of book covers.

Hildebrandt also fought for freedom with his artistic gifts. After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he contributed illustrations for Operation USA’s benefit anthology comic book series. Profits were donated to Ukrainian refugee relief efforts. Explaining his decision, he wrote, “Any project that I can lend my art to that will thwart Putin is a project I will join with all my heart, soul and mind.”

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/greg-hildebrandt-iconic-star-wars-and-lord-of-the-rings-artist-has-died-at-85-193026772.html

Longtime Washington Post columnist Hugh Hewitt quits newspaper

Longtime Washington Post columnist Hugh Hewitt quit the newspaper on Friday, he told Fox News Digital.

Hewitt, a conservative who hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, had been a contributing columnist for the newspaper since 2017 and has written hundreds of pieces.

"I have in fact quit the Post, but I was only writing a column for them every six weeks or so," Hewitt told Fox News Digital, adding he'd recently offered to write another pro-Trump column for the paper ahead of the election. He informed editorial page editor David Shipley on Friday morning.

His last piece was published on Tuesday. He called on the MAGA movement to evolve if Trump is elected president again. He was a rare pro-Trump voice at the liberal outlet, whose opinion roster and editorial board lean sharply to the left, but his pieces touched on a wide variety of topics.

Hewitt quit after a clip of him went viral earlier on Friday when he walked off the Washington Post's online show, "First Look," with liberal columnists Jonathan Capehart and Ruth Marcus on its "Washington Post Live" platform. It came during a discussion of former President Trump's rhetoric around election integrity.

"Does it seem like Donald Trump is laying the groundwork for contesting the election by complaining that cheating was taking place in Pennsylvania?" Capehart asked Marcus. "By suing Bucks County for alleged irregularities, and this is on top of his continual assertion that if he loses, it's because of cheating."

Marcus said Trump had been preparing to blame an election loss on cheating for months.

"No election can be fair in Donald Trump's mind unless Donald Trump wins it," Marcus said.

As Marcus went on, Hewitt tried to interject, but Capehart snapped, "Let Ruth finish, Hugh."

"Well, I’ve just got to say, we’re news people, even though it’s the opinion section," Hewitt said. "It’s got to be reported. Bucks County was reversed by the court and instructed to open up extra days because they violated the law and told people to go home. So that lawsuit was brought by the Republican National Committee, and it was successful. The Supreme Court ruled that [Virginia Gov.] Glenn Youngkin was successful."

"We are news people, even though we have opinions, and we have to report the whole story if we bring up part of the story," Hewitt added. "So, yes, he’s upset about Bucks County, but he was right, and he won in court. That’s the story."

After a brief pause, Capehart said, "I don't appreciate being lectured about reporting when, Hugh, many times, you've come here saying lots of things that aren't based in fact."

Hewitt stood up and said, "I won't come back, Jonathan. I'm done. I'm done. This is the most unfair election ad I've ever been a part of. You guys are working. That's fine. I'm done."

With that, he left, leaving a blank corner of the screen while Capehart went back to Marcus to talk about her column saying the stakes of the election were democracy and "decency."

But then Marcus' screen froze, and further technical difficulties derailed the show from there.

Reached for comment, a Washington Post spokesperson didn't respond to a question about Hewitt's exit but said, "As the newsroom’s live journalism platform, ‘Washington Post Live’ is known for its dynamic conversations and thought-provoking perspectives on top issues of the day, such as this morning's "First Look" program."

Hewitt's leaving the Post comes on the heels of the decision, at the behest of owner Jeff Bezos, not to endorse a candidate for president this year. The Post's abdication set off an uproar among staffers and readers, leading to resignations and hundreds of thousands of canceled subscriptions.

Bezos also has reportedly called for having more conservative opinion writers, so Hewitt's departure is a blow to that goal.

The Post was set to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris — it hasn't backed a Republican for president since it began regularly offering White House endorsements in 1976 — before Bezos pulled the plug, citing efforts to rebuild trust with readers skeptical of the media.

Not a regular columnist for the newspaper, Hewitt had written only seven pieces for the Post in 2024 after penning 48 pieces for it alone in 2023.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/longtime-washington-post-columnist-hugh-hewitt-quits-newspaper-after-seven-year-run

Results released after hundreds of Walton High School students, staff get tested after possible tuberculosis exposure

MARIETTA, Ga. — After hundreds of students and staff at Walton High School in Marietta were tested on Tuesday due to possible tuberculosis (TB) exposure, none received positive results, officials said.

According to Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH), its agency and the Walton High School administration identified those who may have been exposed to TB germs and administered a mandatory Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) to them.

The possible exposure came after one person tested positive for the disease, CDPH said.

Although it was originally reported that approximately 300 people had been identified, only around 200 students and faculty tested through CDPH.

The agency said on Thursday that none of those individuals had tested positive. They will be required to do a confirmatory test in eight to 10 weeks and will be notified by the school with the date and time for that second test.

CDPH said that those who did not get tested on Tuesday must get tested by a private physician. Before they are allowed to return to school, they will be responsible for providing a written report on a physician's office letterhead verifying the test was completed with the date and result.

Following the announcement on Tuesday about a need for testing, a spokesperson for Cobb County Schools said the district "continues to work closely with the local public health department to protect student and staff health while respecting medical privacy."

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/walton-high-school-tuberculosis-test-results/85-7419954a-85c6-450b-9f7b-e8c36aefcb5c

Bolshevik communist playbook occurring in Russia. If you are a sexy hot Russian with big tits, now is your time to come to North America before Putin annihilates all you blyats.