Anant Pai, Indian educator and comics creator (Amar Chitra Katha) died he was , 81

Anant Pai  popularly known as Uncle Pai, was an Indian educationalist and creator of Indian comics, in particular the Amar Chitra Katha series in 1967, along with the India Book House publishers, and which retold traditional Indian folk tales, mythological stories, and biographies of historical characters died he was , 81. In 1980, he launched Tinkle, a children's anthology, which was started under Rang Rekha Features, India's first comic and cartoon syndicate, that lasted till 1998, with him as the Managing Director.
Today, Amar Chitra Katha, sells about three million comic books a year, in English and more than 20 Indian languages, and has sold about 100 million copies since it inception in 1967 by Anant Pai, and in 2007 was taken over by ACK Media.^[6]

(17 September 1929 – 24 February 2011) 

Early life and education

Born in Karkala, Karnataka to Venkataraya and Susheela Pai, he lost his parents at the age of two. At the age of twelve, he came to Mumbai, where he studied in Orient School, Mahim. He studied chemistry, physics and chemical technology at the University of Bombay Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT now UICT) and was a dual degree holder from the University of Bombay.

Early career

Endowed with a passion for publishing and comics, his failed attempt at creating a children's magazine (Manav, 1954) was followed by a career as a junior executive in the Times of India books division, putting him in the thick of affairs when Indrajal comics was launched by the Times Group.

The Amar Chitra Katha years

The idea behind starting a comicbook series devoted to Indian culture and history came to Pai from a quiz contest aired on Doordarshan in February 1967, in which participants could easily answer questions pertaining to Greek mythology, but were unable to reply to the question "In the Ramayana, who was Rama's mother?"^[1][7]
He left his job and started Amar Chitra Katha the same year, with the help of late G. L. Mirchandani of India Book House, when most other publishers from Allied Publishers to Jaico had rejected the concept. Later, he took on the role of writer, editor and publisher. The series went on to become a publishing milestone for the Indian comic book scene, selling over 86 million copies of about 440 titles.
In 1969, Anant Pai founded Rang Rekha Features, India's first comic and cartoon syndicate, and started the children's magazine Tinkle in 1980. His involvement with the above, and the rapport he shared with his readers earned him the title "Uncle Pai".

Other works

Ramu and Shamu, Kapish, Little Raji, Rekha, Fact Fantasy, Funland and Funtime are some of the comic strips created by Pai, most of which continue to appear in newspapers and magazines. He has written and produced two video films, Ekam Sat (the Vedic Concept of God) and The Secret of Success, in English and Hindi.
Pai's other works include a number of books on personality development for children and teenagers, ("How To Develop Self-confidence", "How to Achieve Success", "How To Develop A Super Memory", UBS Publishers) and a series of audio book versions of Amar Chitra Katha stories, "Storytime with Uncle Pai" (Universal Music India, Dec 2001), where he plays the role of narrator-storyteller.

Awards

• Lifetime Achievement Award - at the First Indian Comic Convention, New Delhi (19 Feb 2011 - just 6 days before his death) was given to him by Pran, Creator of Chacha Chaudhury
• Karpoorchand Puraskar of Uttar Pradesh Bal Kalyan Sansthan (1994)
• Yudhvir Memorial Award in Hyderabad (1996)
• Maharashtra Rajya Hindi Sahitya Academy Award (1996)
• Dr. T. M. A. Pai Memorial Award in Manipal (1997)
• University of Bombay Department of Chemical Technology's Distinguished Alumnus Award (1999)
• Millennium Konkani Sammelan Award, Illinois, U.S.A (2000)
• Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation's Award (2001)
• Priyadarshni Academy Award (2002)
• Vishwa Saraswat Sammaan (2003)

Personal life

He was a resident of Prabhadevi, Mumbai. He died on 24 February 2011, and is survived by his wife, Lalita Pai.^[8]

Death

Anant Pai was admitted to a hospital regarding the treatment of a bone fracture following a fall from a staircase. After some days, when he was recovering, he suffered from a massive heart attack on 24/2/2011 early in the morning. He died later that day around 5 PM.

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Robert Reguly, Canadian journalist (Toronto Star), died from heart disease he was , 80.

Robert Joseph Reguly was a three-time National Newspaper Award-winning journalist  died from heart disease he was , 80..^[2]
Robert Reguly was born in Fort William, Ontario.^[3] He was one of Canada's top news reporters in the 1950s and 1960s. He was at the forefront of the mid-20th century news war between the Toronto Telegram and the Toronto Star.

(January 19, 1931 – February 24, 2011)

Reguly won a National Newspaper Award in 1966 for tracking down and interviewing Gerda Munsinger, a German woman at the center of a Canadian political scandal. In 1977, he left the Star to join the staff of the Toronto Sun, where he specialized in investigative pieces on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 1981, he left the Sun and became a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Since his retirement, he has become a successful freelance writer, writing mainly for outdoors magazines. In 2001, he was nominated for a Canadian National Magazine Award for an article in Outdoor Canada magazine. His son, Eric Reguly, writes for the The Globe and Mail.
Reguly contracted heart disease in his last years. He died at his Toronto residence on February 24, 2011.
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Jens Winther, Danish jazz trumpet player, died from a stroke he was , 50.

Jens Winther  was a Danish jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger and bandleader died from a stroke he was , 50.. He composed for and played in a long line of European big bands and other orchestras. His work includes compositions for symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and choirs. As a bandleader, he was noted on the international Jazz scene with his JW European Quartet (originally a quintet), particularly since 2007. In 2008, he founded the fusion band JW Electrazz. From 2009, he was based in Berlin, Germany. ^[2]

(29 October 1960 – 24 February 2011)

Jens Winther was born in Næstved, Denmark, in 1960. When aged 10 he started to play the trumpet and at 18, he moved to Copenhagen to become a professional freelance trumpeter, playing with such bands as the New Jungle Orchestra, the Erling Kroner Tentet, Candentia Nova Danica and Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band. In 1982, he became a solo trumpeter in the DR Big Band and from 1985 he also started to compose for it.^[3]
In 1989, Winther left the Big Band and moved to New York City after receiving an invitation to join the two-year Jazz Composer’s Workshop under the direction of Bob Brookmeyer. At the same time, he worked as a freelance trumpeter, playing with groups and musicians such as the Toshiko Akiyoshi Band, Eddie Palmieri, Kenny Barron, Max Roach, Tito Puente, Marie Bauza Orchestra, George Mraz and Xavier Cugat Orchestra.^[3]
In 1991, after the end of the workshop, he returned to Denmark. Subsequently he composed for numerous European big bands, mainly in the Nordic countries and Germany, as well as other orchestras and was a trumpeter in various constallations, including in his own band Jens Winther Group. On 5 May 1994, his first trumpet concerto for symphony orchestra, Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, was performed for the first time. In 1998, he toured with George Gruntz's concert band. On 29 April 1999, Winther and the Århus Symphony Orchestra performed his second trumpet concerto,The Eagle, for the first time in Århus Musikhus. He also collaborated with the Metropole Orchestra in the Netherlands on a number of occasions.^[3]
In 2007, he experienced an international breakthrough with his JZ European Quintet and went on a worldwide tour which included America, Canada, Australia and China. In 2008, he formed the fusion band JW Electrazz which had its world premiere on 22 March in Copenhagen Jazzhouse. In 2009, he moved to Berlin, Germany, and formed the JW Berlin Quintet.^[3]
Winther died on February 24, 2011 reportedly from a stroke in his sleep.

Awards

• 1982: Sonning's Music Grant
• 1983: Elected as the Danish representative in the European Youth Jazz Orchestra.
• 1987 Ben Webster Prize^[4]
• 1999: 2nd prize in the International Competition of Jazz Themes, Monaco
• 1998: Award from the Danish National Art Foundation for the Album "The Escape"
• 1990: 1st prize in the International Competition of Jazz Themes, Monaco
• 1991: 1st prize in the International Competition of Jazz Themes, Monaco
• 1992: 3-year scholarship as a composer from the Danish National Art Foundation
• 1995 Honorary Award from the organisation of Danish Jazz, Beat and Folk Authors
• * Danish Grammy for the best Danish Jazzrecording of the year
• 1996: 1st prize in the International Competition of Jazz Themes, Monaco (First time ever a musician has won the prize three times)
• 2009: Lifelong grant from the Danish Arts Foundation^[5]

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Joseph H. Flom, American corporate lawyer,died from heart failure he was , 87.

Joseph Harold Flom  was an American lawyer died from heart failure he was , 87.. He was the last living named partner of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He specialized in representing companies in takeover battles.^[1]

(December 21, 1923 – February 23, 2011)

Early life

Flom was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 21, 1923. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from Townsend Harris High School, he attended City College of New York for two years but did not graduate. Instead, Flom enlisted in the Army during World War II. When he returned, he enrolled at Harvard Law School despite not having a college degree. Flom graduated law school in 1948.^[1]

Career

After law school, Flom joined a law firm run by Marshall Skadden, Leslie Arps, and John Slate. He eventually became a partner in 1954, effectively taking over leadership of the firm a couple years later.^[1]
Flom was appointed by Mayor Edward I. Koch as chairman of the New York City Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution in 1987, a post he held till the commission completed its work, issued its report, and was dissolved in early 1990. The commission's efforts included an extensive civic-education campaign and the creation of a celebratory re-enactment on 30 April 1989 of the inauguration of George Washington as the first president of the United States.
Flom died in New York City from heart failure.^[1]
Malcolm Gladwell devoted a chapter to Flom in his book “Outliers: The Story of Success,” (Little, Brown, 2008), crediting him with building out and diversifying the firm and anticipating the rise of mergers and acquisitions as a specialty. “For 20 years, he perfected his craft at Skadden,” Mr. Gladwell wrote. “Then the world changed and he was ready.”^[1]

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Adney Y. Komatsu, American religious leader (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) died he was , 87.

Adney Yoshio Komatsu  was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1975 until his death  died he was , 87.. Komatsu was the first person of Asian descent to become a general authority of the LDS Church.

(August 2, 1923 – February 23, 2011)

Born of Japanese parents in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, Komatsu became a convert to the LDS Church in 1941 at age 17. He was the first Latter-day Saint of Japanese descent to become a bishop of the church. Later, Komatsu became the first person of Asian descent to serve as a Regional Representative of the Twelve Apostles. In 1965, Komatsu became the first person of Asian descent to preside over a mission of the Church; he was president of the church's Northern Far East Mission from 1965 to 1968.
On April 4, 1975, Church President Spencer W. Kimball asked Komatsu to become an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and a General Authority of the Church. In 1976, when the calling of Assistant to the Twelve was discontinued, Komatsu was ordained to the office of Seventy and became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He served in this capacity until October 1993, when he was given general authority emeritus status and excused from full-time ecclesiastical duties. During his tenure as a general authority, Komatsu served for several years as the president of the Tokyo Japan Temple.
Komatsu married Japan native Judy Nobue Fujitani in the Laie Hawaii Temple in 1950; the couple have four children. Komatsu died in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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Jean Lartéguy, French soldier, war correspondent and writer died he was , 90.

Jean Lartéguy  was the nom de plume of Jean Pierre Lucien Osty, a French writer, journalist, and former soldier died he was , 90.. He was born in 1920 in Maisons-Alfort, Val-de-Marne and died in 2011.^[2] Larteguy is credited with first envisioning the "ticking time bomb" scenario in his 1960 novel Les centurions.^[3]

(5 September 1920 – 23 February 2011)

Biography

Lartéguy was born into what he called "one of those families of poor mountain peasants whose names are found inscribed on war memorials, but not in history books." Both his father and uncle had served in the First World War. With his country conquered by the Germans, Lartéguy escaped from France into Spain in March 1942. He remained there for nine months and spent time in a Franquist jail before joining the Free French Forces as an officer in the 1st Commando Group (1er groupe de commandos). During the war, he fought in Italy; Vosges and Belfort, France; and Germany. He remained on active duty for seven years until becoming a captain in the reserves in order to enter the field of journalism. Lartéguy received numerous military awards, to include: Légion d'honneur, Croix de guerre 1939-1945, and the Croix de guerre T.O.E.
After his military service, Lartéguy worked as a war correspondent, particularly for the magazine Paris Match. He covered conflicts in Azerbaijan, Korea, Palestine, Indochina, Algeria, and Vietnam. In pursuit of a story, Lartéguy volunteered for the French Battalion and was wounded by an enemy hand grenade during the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. In Latin America, he reported on various revolutions and insurgencies, and in 1967 encountered Che Guevara shortly before his capture and execution. In the July 1967 issue of Paris Match, Lartéguy wrote a major article entitled "Les Guerilleros", where he wrote: "At a time when Cuban revolutionaries want to create Vietnam's all over the world, the Americans run the risk of finding their own Algeria in Latin America."
In 1955, he received the Albert Londres Prize for journalism.

Writing

His experiences as a soldier and war correspondent influenced his writing. Some of the most emphasized topics in his writing are decolonization, nationalism, the expansion of Communism, the state of post-war French society, and the unglamorous nature of war. Several of his book titles were translated into English, with the most successful being his Algerian War series: The Centurions and The Praetorians. The former was adapted into a major motion picture in 1966, entitled Lost Command and starred Anthony Quinn.
Also, with his novel The Centurions, Lartéguy is credited with being the first to envision the 'ticking time bomb' scenario, which has regained relevance in recent debates on the use of torture in a counter-terrorism role. His novels have been read by military professionals, to include General David Petraeus, in the new context of modern terrorism.

Bibliography

• La ville étranglée (1955)
• Les âmes errantes (1956)
• La tragédie du Maroc interdit (1957)
• Les dieux meurent en Algérie (1960)
• Les baladins de la Margeride (1962)
• Les mercenaires (1963) (Originally published as Du sang sur les collines, without success, reprinted with the new title after the success of Les centurions)
• Les chimères noires (1963), translated into English as The Hounds of Hell
• Guerre d'Algérie, two volumes

1. Les centurions (1963), translated into English as The Centurions, adapted into film as Lost Command
2. Les prétoriens (1964), translated into English as The Praetorians

• Le mal jaune (1965), translated into English as Yellow Fever, (Reprint of two previously published titles: La ville étranglée and Les âmes errantes)
• Un million de dollars le Viet (1965)
• Sauveterre (1966), translated into English
• Les guérilleros (1967)
• Les chimères noires (1967)
• Les tambours de bronze (1969), translated into English as The Bronze Drums
• Ces voix qui nous viennent de la mer (1969)
• Tout homme est une guerre civile, two volumes

1. Le prêtre astronome (1969)
2. Les libertadors (1970)

• Lettre ouverte aux bonnes femmes (1972)
• Les Rois mendiants (1975)
• Enquête sur un crucifié (1976)
• Tout l'or du diable (1976)
• Les rois mendiants (1977)
• Les naufragés du soleil, three volumes

1. Le gaur de la rivière noire (1978)
2. Le cheval de feu (1980)
3. Le baron céleste (1982)

• Dieu, l'or et le sang (1980)
• Le commandant du nord (1982)
• Marco Polo espion de Venise (1984)
• Soldats perdus et fous de Dieu, Indochine 1954-1955 (1986)
• L'or de Baal (1987)
• Tahiti (1988)
• Le Roi noir, (1991)
• Mourir pour Jérusalem (1995), (non-fiction)

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Mullapudi Venkata Ramana, Indian screenwriter and film producer died he was , 79,.

Mullapudi Venkata Ramana  was a Telugu story writer. He was especially known for his hilarious style of writing died he was , 79,.. He also created a child character called Budugu. Many other memorable characters like Radha, Gopalam, Contractor (in Muthyala Muggu), Tutti (in Mister Pellam) in Modern Telugu Literature/Cinema flown from the ink of this master writer's pen.
Mullapudi was also the dialogue, story and screenplay writer for many of the movies that came as a Bapu-Ramana combination. He was versatile in penning both heart-touching and rib-tickling dialogues.

(June 28, 1931 – February 23, 2011)

Biography

Early life

Ramana's childhood was mostly spent in Dhavaleswaram near Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. Ramana had one elder sister and a younger brother. It was a happy family with no troubles until his father expired when Ramana was 9 years old.^[1] This turned their family status upside down and they shifted to Chennai (called Madras in those days) for better opportunities. Ramana's mother Mrs. Adilakshmi took all the pains to raise the family in such situation. Ramana's education and career happened in Madras itself.

Early career

After complete SSLC in Madras, Ramana have done many petty jobs before finally taking an first official job as a reporter in Andhra Patrika in 1953^[2] First, he was working for the "Daily" section of the news paper, and then shifted to "Weekkly" section. He was responsible for the "Cinema Page" section in the paper. That was the time when all the big names of Telugu literature like Nanduri Ramamohan Rao, Pilaka Ganapati Sastry, Surampudi Seetaram etc. were working for the same news paper. Due to the literary environment and friendship with all the poets/writers, Ramana's interest in writing was born and then he never turned back. That was the same time when he got introduced to film industry and befriended the famous stars of film fraternity.

Association with Bapu

Ramana’s association with Bapu on a career plane completes 60 years. They first met in 1942 in P.S. High School, Madras. They studied there in standards V and VI and then continued schooling at Kesari High School.Ramana’s first short story Amma Maata Vinakapothe was published in 1945 in Bala, a children's magazine published by Radio Annayya (Nyayapathi Raghava Rao),he was 14 then. Bapu illustrated the story. That was the beginning of their career as a writer-producer -illustrator- filmmaker duo”.
While Bapu achieved much of his fame sticking to a subtle style of artistic elegance, Ramana announced his entry through a bunch of talkative characters, who try to make no sense out of the sensible world around them, because of their askew point of view. Ramana is the dialogue, story and screenplay writer for many of the movies that came as a Bapu-Ramana combination. He provided an able foil, providing script/dialogue that suited bapu's visuals and this celebrated friendship and professional associatioon gave many good cinemas.

Autobiography

Kothi Kommachi is Ramana's Autobiography in a Book and Audio form. Just like the title, the story keep hoping different timelines and incidents.

Awards

He was awarded the Raja-Lakshmi Literary Award for the year 1995 from Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation, Chennai.

Death

Ramana died of old-age related illness in Chennai on February 23, 2011.

Filmography

This is partial list of his films. Kindly help expanding it.

Year	Film	Language	Credits
1962	Raktha Sambandham	Telugu	Writer
1963	Mooga Manasulu	Telugu	Writer
1964	Daagudumootalu	Telugu	Writer
1965	Preminchi Choodu	Telugu	Story
1966	Kanne Manasulu	Telugu	Story and Dialogues
1966	Navarathri	Telugu	Writer
1967	Poola Rangadu	Telugu	Story
1967	Prana Mithrulu	Telugu	Story and Dialogues
1967	Saakshi	Telugu	Writer
1968	Bangaru Pichika	Telugu	Writer
1969	Buddhimanthudu	Telugu	Story and Screenplay
1970	Balaraju Katha	Telugu	Dialogues
1971	Sampoorna Ramayanam	tTelugu	Writer
1973	Andala Ramudu	Telugu	Writer
1975	Muthyala Muggu	Telugu	Story
1976	Bhakta Kannappa	Telugu	Writer
1976	Jeevan Jyoti	Hindi	Story
1976	Seeta Kalyanam	Telugu	Writer
1978	Gorantha Deepam	Telugu	Story and Screenplay
1978	Manavoori Pandavulu	Telugu
1980	Hum Paanch	Hindi	Screenplay
1980	Kaliyuga Ravana Surudu	Telugu	Writer
1980	Rajadhi Raju	Telugu	Story and Screenplay
1980	Vamsa Vriksham	Telugu	Screenplay and Dialogues
1981	Radha Kalyanam	Telugu	Writer
1981	Thyagayya	Telugu	Writer
1982	Pelleedu Pillalu	Telugu	Story and Dialogues
1983	Manthrigari Viyyankudu	Telugu	Writer
1985	Bullet	Telugu	Story and Screenplay
1985	Jackie	Telugu	Writer
1986	Kalyana Thamboolam	Telugu	Writer
1991	Pelli Pusthakam	Telugu	Dialogues and Screenplay
1993	Mr. Pellam	Telugu	Writer
1993	Shrinatha Kavi Sarvabhowma	Telugu	Writer
1994	Pelli Koduku	Telugu	Writer
1996	Rambantu	Telugu	Writer
2005	Radha Gopalam	Telugu	Story and Dialogues
2008	Sundarakanda	Telugu	Story, Screenplay and Dialogues
2011	Sree Rama Raajyam	Telugu	Story and Dialogues

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