Perhaps my very first true-to-life hero as a kid was the iconic Evel Knievel. I was maybe four years old when I first learned of the death defying daredevil. I remember watching his televised stunts on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. I had all of the Ideal bendable Evel Knievel action figures and wide-up cycles, vehicles, and accessories. My little brother and I were both Evel Knievel one year for Halloween. I made my parents (actually I think it may have been my dad losing to a match of Roshambo with my mom) to take me to see the movie Viva Knievel.
I just found out about a half an hour ago that Evel Knievel — born Robert Craig Knievel — died Friday. He was 69. While it was well known that his health was deteriorating over the last years, suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis, I still find it hard to believe that he was finally unable to defy that in which he defied for so long — death.
Just yesterday, I was reading his latest, and hypothesized as his last, interview in the December issue of Maxim – ironically entitled “Evel Never Dies.” Well, as it turns out… It does. He does.
“They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives,” Knievel said. “People wanted to associate with a winner, not a loser. They wanted to associate with someone who kept trying to be a winner.”
Knievel led a colorful life, to say the least. Though the colors may have mostly been black and blue. Thanks, Evel.
Tags: Evel Knievel
December 3, 2007 at 1:35 pm |
[...] daredevil passed away last week, and several comic creators paid tribute to him, including Dan Taylor: Perhaps my very first true-to-life hero as a kid was the iconic Evel Knievel. I was maybe four [...]
December 7, 2007 at 7:17 am |
[...] Last week I posted about the daredevil’s passing with the post Death Defying No Longer – Evel Knievel. I mentioned that one Halloween my little brother and I went trick 0r treating as Knievel. Well [...]