George Carlin was always moving at full speed while delivering his rapid-fire expletive laden rants. He often looked like an amphetamine-fuelled caged animal on every stage, his iconic side-to-side pacing whilst staring intently at the microphone or the floor seemed to create the energetic fuel link to his brain allowing his always whirring mind to spit out observations so simply brilliant all one could do was belly-laugh. Comedy’s innovative bad-boy died last night from the heart that could never keep up with him, suffering years of attacks and illness. He was 71.

Two comic giants created much of the comedy we saw in the 60’s and 70’s. Bill Cosby was the jovial family guy observing life as a kid in Philly. George was as angry as the 50’s icon Lenny Bruce to whom he was often compared but gone counter culture. The characters he instantly created in his head at warp speed allowed the seeming manic be as controlled as an Oxford gentleman’s use of grammar, debate and pacing. The faster George went, the more characters he created and the more we grew to love the workings of his lightning quick mind.

He became Al Sleet, “the Hippy Dippy weather man with all the hippy dippy weather… man” a guy who on air was always toked up. “Tonight’s forecast – dark. With increasing darkness and chances of scattered light in the morning.” And the hyperkinetic Disc jockey on WINO radio in Western Walla Walla – “Wonderful wino, more hits more often, WINO time bing bong, five minutes after the big hour of five o’clock…”

But it was his observational skills that created the multi-platinum winning album every high school kid owned in the 70’s, Class Clown and its signature “7-Words You Cannot Say on Television” sketch. This one sketch sold out university audiences around the US and propelled him into comic iconic status.

His politic observations during the Nixon Watergate era got him into trouble and further cemented his legend. He was also a man seemingly very angry with God, his Roman Catholic upbringing, organised religions of all kinds and his deep religious questions about divine benevolence came through his comedy work. But mostly he just poked fun at himself and the crazy consumer lifestyle we lead. His sketch about stuff was one I remembered last night before he passed when our returning au pair said, you seem to have more “stuff” than from before. Indeed stuff was a manic delivery about people acquiring more and more stuff and then having to buy a bigger house to keep their stuff!

Fourteen years ago I saw him perform live in Las Vegas and even though he mailed in the performance, often referring to note crib sheets to remember the sketch he was to do next, it was riveting to see how easily he slipped back into that mad, angry professorial way he had of looking at the world around us.

One of his last movie roles was as the voice of Fillmore, the late 60’s summer of love era VW camper in the Disney Pixar hit film “Cars.” The film teamed him up with one half of the other iconic 70’s comedy team, Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong. What fun their time reminiscing about comedy in the past must have been.

Alas though, as the saying goes, if you can remember the 60’s, you weren’t there man. George was there, he may not have remembered much but what he did remember made us all laugh. Now he can rest.

Thanks man.