Remembering George Carlin

The death of comedy great George Carlin on Sunday spurred fans and fellow comics to pay tribute to the prolific and profane performer, who took aim at cultural taboos with cheeky glee and paved the way for younger generations to continue to play with stand-up, and social, conventions.

AP via 19 News:

“He was one of the greats,” says actor Ben Stiller ... . Reacting to word of the comedian George Carlin’s death on Sunday from heart failure, Stiller called Carlin a hugely influential force in stand-up comedy. He says Carlin had an “amazing mind”—and that his humor was brave, challenging and incredibly entertaining.

Director Judd Apatow says “nobody was funnier than George Carlin.” Apatow, the man behind such hit comedies as “Knocked Up” and “The 40-year-Old Virgin” says he spent half his childhood in his room listening to Carlin—experiencing pure joy.

Apatow also describes Carlin as being as kind as he was funny.

Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early ‘60s, says he will miss Carlin dearly. He recalled him as “a genius.”

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AP photo / E Pablo Kosmicki

Take a bow: George Carlin wraps up his act at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colo., last February.