Robert Burns RIP
Wayne Johnson
austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net
Wed Jun 2 16:15:47 2004
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Jeff. Good piece. Sounds like someone many of us would have really =
enjoyed being around.
wayne
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Jeffrey Byrd=20
To: austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net=20
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 1:27 PM
Subject: Robert Burns RIP
It's surprising to realize someone is heroic when you think they are =
just cranky, skinny and weird. I saw Robert a lot in the last few years. =
He was his usual quirky, optomistic self bringing in obscure, =
counter-culture horror magazines with pictures and interviews that =
featured his horror designs. He was always full of ideas and loved =
parties.
Our relationship didn't start so well. Bob was publishing Free and =
Easy and I was doing the Austin Sun. He thought we were competitors in =
the ad market. I would tell him on the phone that it was a big world and =
that if we both did a good job we would both be fine. "But your guys are =
lying about your circulation. You are telling advertisers you are =
distributing 18,000 papers and you are only printing 12,000!"
"Bob, small papers always exaggerate their circulation. Besides we =
distributed 18,000 once."
Anyway we fought and feuded for awhile. Never with much enthusiasm.
Many years later when I started the talent agency several go-betweens =
said I should sign Robert as an actor. I thought working together would =
create a nice historical symmetry. Besides Bob was a cool character, one =
of those hard to find actors if you needed the maniacal killer who had =
taught his demented son all his tricks. So one day to my pleasure he =
came in with all his horror memorabilia, not to mention the wacked, =
country singing, female-male puppet duo he created. I really =
appareciated his mind. And Bob, like all of us, liked to be appreciated.
We would throw Acclaim Talent mixers in our back yard and Bob would =
show up with a hand cranked ice cream machine or other fun devices. He =
never let on about the cancer. He looked skinny. But hell, when we age =
everyone either gets skinny or fat. Bob never let on that anything was =
wrong. Not the slightest hint. Never an appeal for sympathy. No wistful =
comments like - I hope people appreciate me one day.=20
Like Camus, I believe it's heroic to choose your end. Bob didn't =
burden his friends and family with a long lingering ugly death in a =
money grubbing hospital. In the end - the last couple years - he wasn't =
sad or pathetic. He was heroic.
Nightbyrd
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Jeff. Good piece. Sounds =
like someone=20
many of us would have really enjoyed being around.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>wayne</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
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<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbrazilnightbyrd2003@yahoo.com=20
href=3D"mailto:brazilnightbyrd2003@yahoo.com">Jeffrey Byrd</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
title=3Daustin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net=20
=
href=3D"mailto:austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net">austin-ghetto-list@pairli=
st.net</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, June 02, 2004 =
1:27=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Robert Burns RIP</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<P>It's surprising to realize someone is heroic when you think they =
are just=20
cranky, skinny and weird. I saw Robert a lot in the last few =
years. =20
He was his usual quirky, optomistic self bringing in obscure, =
counter-culture=20
horror magazines with pictures and interviews that featured his horror =
designs. He was always full of ideas and loved parties.</P>
<P>Our relationship didn't start so well. Bob was publishing Free =
and=20
Easy and I was doing the Austin Sun. He thought we were competitors in =
the ad=20
market. I would tell him on the phone that it was a big world and that =
if we=20
both did a good job we would both be fine. "But your guys are lying =
about your=20
circulation. You are telling advertisers you are distributing 18,000 =
papers=20
and you are only printing 12,000!"</P>
<P>"Bob, small papers always exaggerate their circulation. Besides we=20
distributed 18,000 once."</P>
<P>Anyway we fought and feuded for awhile. Never with much=20
enthusiasm.</P>
<P>Many years later when I started the talent agency several =
go-betweens said=20
I should sign Robert as an actor. I thought working =
together would=20
create a nice historical symmetry. Besides Bob was a cool =
character, one=20
of those hard to find actors if you needed the maniacal killer =
who had=20
taught his demented son all his tricks. So one day to my pleasure he =
came in=20
with all his horror memorabilia, not to mention the wacked, country =
singing,=20
female-male puppet duo he created. I really appareciated his mind. And =
Bob,=20
like all of us, liked to be appreciated.</P>
<P>We would throw Acclaim Talent mixers in our back yard and Bob would =
show up=20
with a hand cranked ice cream machine or other fun devices. =
He never=20
let on about the cancer. He looked skinny. But hell, when we age =
everyone either gets skinny or fat. Bob never let on that anything was =
wrong.=20
Not the slightest hint. Never an appeal for sympathy. No wistful =
comments=20
like - I hope people appreciate me one day. </P>
<P>Like Camus, I believe it's heroic to choose your =
end. Bob=20
didn't burden his friends and family with a long lingering ugly =
death in=20
a money grubbing hospital. In the end - the last couple years - he =
wasn't sad=20
or pathetic. He was heroic.</P>
<P>Nightbyrd</P>
<P> </P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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