The Grim Reaper is REALLY pissing me off this week.

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So, the reaper has struck another celebrity, and what a shitty week-plus of deaths too: Hayden Panettiere, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and now Peter Cullen, a decades-long voice-actor whom most people know as none other than Optimus Prime. All of these were sad, particularly the death of Panettiere, who died far too young as was essentially yet another victim of the Hollywood machine that chews up child stars. We failed to save the cheerleader, it would seem, but I digress. 

When I think of fictional heroes from my youth, my small list is pretty crystalized in my mind. I think of Captain James T Kirk, Spider-Man, Superman, the Fourth Doctor, and I think of Optimus Prime.
 
Peter Cullen gave a toy a soul, and did such a good job that Hasbro didn't even realize that the fans cared. Killing off Optimus Prime in Transformers: The Movie was an easy business decision for them because of that ignorance, but a sea of subsequent parental complaints revealed it to have been such a huge miscalculation that they felt they had to backtrack and reverse that character demise as soon as they possibly could. 
 
This is the power of fiction that connects with the audience, of a character they can admire, to root for and to be inspired by. And the two biggest reasons why Optimus Prime grew so far beyond his somewhat humble beginnings as Diaclone's "Powered Convoy" was down to Bob Budiansky's character bios, and Peter Cullen's performance. 
 
Cullen's G1 Optimus was the very picture of strength, both physically and morally. Powerful of limb (and wheel), and powerful in will, while also being fair-minded, diplomatic, and kind. Not just a commander, but a leader. As Cullen himself so famously said, it was his older brother, Larry, a Marine-Corps veteran, who gave him the inspiration to be that kind of leader by saying "be strong enough to be gentle." The rest is history. 
 
Optimus Prime grew into an icon because of that combination of strength and gentleness, and in the various interviews he gave, Cullen definitely seemed to understand that his work had delighted and inspired multitudes of young folks over the years. I'm heartened that he knew just how beloved his work was.
 

I finally got an opportunity to meet Peter a few years ago at Galaxycon Columbus, and he was just as kind as I had expected in the brief time we shared. His wife pointed out my tee-shirt that I'd worn for the occasion. It was a riff of a well-known piece of Clark Kent artwork by Alex Ross, but instead of Kent opening his shirt to reveal Superman's S-shield, it was Cullen opening his shirt to reveal Optimus Prime's distinctive truck-chest. When he saw it, he chuckled in delight. 
 
Rest well, sir. You WILL be missed, 'till all are one. 
 
 

 

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