Sam Simon

Others knew of this, but not me. (I found out late last night.) One of the long-time pillars of The Yellow Family has health issues.

The co-creator of “The Simpsons” never imagined he would earn tens of millions of dollars from the show’s royalties when it launched in 1989, but as Sam Simon, 58, faces a terminal diagnosis, he’s decided to give it nearly all away.

When he was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer, the comedic genius behind "Taxi" and "The Drew Carey Show" was given three to six months to live. Simon has wasted no time mulling over his fate, and has decided to focus his waning days on carving out his philanthropic legacy by leaving most of his fortune to the causes he cares for most, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"In the hospital, right after that [colon surgery], I realized I had to start making plans," Simon told TMZ about when he decided to make such a benevolent contribution.

There's a staffer at Film Roman who has pictures up of Sam at different Emmy awards functions. In al the pictures Mr. Simon is tall and robust.

I'm sorry to find out about Sam Simon's terminal cancer. Disney storyboard wizard Vance Gerry died of the same disease a few years ago. I always find it bum* when somebody with powerful creative chops gets taken too soon. I can't avoid thinking, What would they have contributed if they'd had another month ... year ... decade?

* And yeah, it's a down-trip when anyone dies young.