A weekend update later
While I was at the Ren Faire, Brian took the time to wander around and see our favorite comedy act, Puke n' Snot (it's a vaudeville-type act, one of if not the oldest Ren Faire acts in the country). Brian said that there was another guy playing Snot and Puke, at one point, gestured to a large bunch of flowers on the stage. When he checked out their website, he found that Joe Kudla, who played and developed the character of Snot for 35 (!) years, had passed away in August. He was an amazing comedian and I'm so very sorry he will no longer be at the Ren Faires.
Obit