Leonard Nimoy Dead at 83

My parents met at the planning committee for the first Star Trek convention in Kansas City in 1976. My real name is James, after James T. Kirk. Star Trek is in my blood as much as comics are. So it’s with a heavy heart that we bring you news of the passing of Leonard Nimoy.

Leonard Nimoy, a passionate musician, plays drums with Batman 66’s Adam West

"Leonard Simon Nimoy (/ˈniːmɔɪ/ nee-moy; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, film director, poet, singer and photographer. Nimoy was best known for his role as Spock in the original Star Trek series (1966–69), and in multiple film, television and video game sequels.Nimoy was born to Jewish migrant parents in Boston, Massachusetts. He began his career in his early twenties, teaching acting classes in Hollywood and making minor film and television appearances through the 1950s, as well as playing the title role in Kid Monk Baroni. Foreshadowing his fame as a semi-alien, he played Narab, one of three Martian invaders in the 1952 movie serial Zombies of the Stratosphere. In 1953, he served in the United States Army.In 1965, he made his first appearance in the rejected Star Trek pilot The Cage, and went on to play the character of Mr. Spock until 1969, followed by eight feature films and guest slots in the various spin-off series. The character has had a significant cultural impact and garnered Nimoy three Emmy Awardnominations; TV Guide named Spock one of the 50 greatest TV characters. After the original Star Trek series, Nimoy starred in Mission: Impossible for two seasons, hosted the documentary series In Search of…, and narrated Civilization IV, as well as making several well-received stage appearances. More recently, he also had a recurring role in the science fiction series Fringe.Nimoy’s fame as Spock was such that both of his autobiographies, I Am Not Spock (1975) and I Am Spock (1995), were written from the viewpoint of sharing his existence with the character."

Along side Adam West, Nimoy was one of the most iconic pop culture icons of, not just the 1960’s, but of all time. He was an actor, philanthropist, musician, activist, photographer, and a geek right up to his death this morning at the age of 83. He was a shining example of the way culture had shifted away from judgement to Geek Culture becoming mainstream. In the early years following Star Trek Nimoy tried desperately to run away from his Spock persona, and in the last 20, he worked hard to embrace it. The world finally admitted it was ok to be a fan of something that brought so much joy and hope to so many, and Nimoy found himself more popular than ever. He left us a beloved character that spoke to the truth of the human condition and hope for mankind’s future. He will be dearly missed.

Live long and prosper, Leonard.