What a loss! George Carlin, who died of a heart attack yesterday, was the first "smart" comic I ever knew about. When I was quite young he was playing at the university (CSUN) near my house. My friend and I went to see him. We were maybe 13 years old. During his set, he decided that he should take a break for a smoke. He took a newspaper, sat down on the floor at center stage, lit his smoke, and read quietly for about 10 minutes while we all sat there. Fucking hilarious!
He was a smart, funny guy who taught me how to talk dirty! I will miss him.