R.I.P. David Carradine

The sad news hit the internet today that David Carradine is dead.  Some reports are saying that he hanged himself in a Bangkok hotel room, which is even more tragic.

David Carradine was one of my heroes growing up.  I watched Kung Fu every week.  Even though I loved the slow motion action, I also loved the flashback scenes in China and Caine's philosophy of peace that he tried to teach savage Americans.  I asked my brother-in-law to take me to see Death Race 2000 because I was such a fan of Carradine.  I was disappointed when he faded into obscurity after Kung Fu's demise, but I was really thrilled when Quentin Tarentino cast Carradine as the Big Bad in Kill Bill.  Carradine proved his acting chops when he delivered that Superman/Clark Kent speech that Tarentino wrote.

Naturally, being a Marvel Comics addict, my memory flashes back to this 1974 Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #4 cover...

Neal Adams did an awesome job of recreating Carradine's likeness as Caine. 

Rest in Peace, David Carradine.  Nuff said.