RIP - Aging Otakus No Longer With Us

[Drew_Sutton]

Like usamimi, I didn't know Dan either but knew people who knew him. Kevin's piece that Dave linked is pretty endearing and there's a big take-away I found -

But most importantly, be a “Big Dan” for someone else. If possible, be a “Big Dan” to as many people as you can.

With all of the snark, self-righteousness and self-indignation that goes on in our fandom, it's hard to miss that these are all just cartoons and there are some pretty cool cats in this thing.

I also know what you mean about seeing people your age pass and if it's catching - I've lost two friends this year, both early thirties; neither were from any of my anime circles though.

[greg]

I had an online friend who died just before Christmas two years ago. I knew him through a video game forum, and his life was very similar to mine: he was very into Japanese gaming, only a few years younger than myself, a huge Macross fan, was a teacher in Japan, married to a J-girl, had a small daughter, etc.

He lived in Canada and was going through a very nasty, hostile separation between him and his wife. After spending the weekend with his little girl for an early Christmas, he was driving a highway between cities when a 90 year old man weaved into oncoming traffic and collided with him head-on, killing my friend. His daughter had a broken arm, but she survived. Sadder than his death is knowing that he was not successful at collecting evidence of his wife's mental instability and violence before he died, and that his wife has full custody of the little girl and there is little hope of her becoming a well-balanced individual. He didn't want to collect evidence that could be used in court because he kept believing that God could save their marriage. Well, if the woman is holding the baby in one arm and brandishing a kitchen knife at him with the other, I'd rather believe in Ben Franklin's adage, "God helps those who help themselves." He didn't take proper action, and no witnesses because the lived too far away from neighbors who could hear her screaming and death threats. Now that poor, adorable little girl is doomed to be raised by that psychotic woman.

You know, here in Japan, elderly drivers are forced to place a mark on their car, just as new drivers are. It's like a scarlet letter that designates them. I would think that after the age of something like 75 or so that they should be required to continually prove their ability to drive every other year, at least. It just makes me mad thinking about that old man who killed my friend. He had a teenage passenger in his truck with him, and maybe they kid was distracting him or something. But a big truck vs. a small Japanese car in a head-on collision at full speed... The old man lived, IIRC.

[SignOfZeta]

I think a thread like this would be missing something if nobody mentioned...

Steve "Otaking" Pearl

and

Toren "Smith Toren" Smith

Both were hugely influential in their own ways and both died too young. Take care of yourself, guys, mentally and physically.

[usamimi]

I think a thread like this would be missing something if nobody mentioned...

Steve "Otaking" Pearl

and

Toren "Smith Toren" Smith

Both were hugely influential in their own ways and both died too young. Take care of yourself, guys, mentally and physically.

Agreed. Two very amazing people lost much too soon.

[Drew_Sutton]

So a few days ago, I got news via Dave Merrill on Twitter and FB that Robert Gibson, a noted member in Texas anime fandom and San Antonio C/FO passed away this spring at the age of 55.

https://twitter.com/dasseclab/status/621698581796405248
https://twitter.com/dasseclab/status/621700276710457344
https://twitter.com/terebifunhouse/stat ... 2225630208
https://twitter.com/terebifunhouse/stat ... 6292668416
https://twitter.com/terebifunhouse/stat ... 4863223808

I wasn't especially close with Robert but I did get the off chance to meet him a couple of time last September at Anime Weekend Atlanta; he was very personable, knowledgable and, as I noted in one of my Twitter posts, put up with my inane questions about the C/FO days. 55 was way too young to go and honestly, he didn't seem to be in bad health or anything like that.

I don't know if anyone aside from Dave or other Texas people knew him but I figured I would post here since no one else had yet.

[SteveH]

So a few days ago, I got news via Dave Merrill on Twitter and FB that Robert Gibson, a noted member in Texas anime fandom and San Antonio C/FO passed away this spring at the age of 55.

https://twitter.com/dasseclab/status/621698581796405248
https://twitter.com/dasseclab/status/621700276710457344
https://twitter.com/terebifunhouse/stat ... 2225630208
https://twitter.com/terebifunhouse/stat ... 6292668416
https://twitter.com/terebifunhouse/stat ... 4863223808

I wasn't especially close with Robert but I did get the off chance to meet him a couple of time last September at Anime Weekend Atlanta; he was very personable, knowledgable and, as I noted in one of my Twitter posts, put up with my inane questions about the C/FO days. 55 was way too young to go and honestly, he didn't seem to be in bad health or anything like that.

I don't know if anyone aside from Dave or other Texas people knew him but I figured I would post here since no one else had yet.

I think Robert's passing is going to be ignored by the 'mainstream' anime fandom. He was a vital resource, deeply dedicated to the shows he loved.

I'm starting to feel like 'my' generation of fans is on a death list. This crap, these people dying, shouldn't be happening for at least 20 more years.

And not to start some olde anime farte deathwatch, we have Rob Fenelon with bad health issues and Bruce Lewis with unknown complications following a successful operation on a brain tumor.

I am SICK of this crap, nobody else is allowed to die now!

[Drew_Sutton]

So a few days ago, I got news via Dave Merrill on Twitter and FB that Robert Gibson, a noted member in Texas anime fandom and San Antonio C/FO passed away this spring at the age of 55.

https://twitter.com/dasseclab/status/621698581796405248
https://twitter.com/dasseclab/status/621700276710457344
https://twitter.com/terebifunhouse/stat ... 2225630208
https://twitter.com/terebifunhouse/stat ... 6292668416
https://twitter.com/terebifunhouse/stat ... 4863223808

I wasn't especially close with Robert but I did get the off chance to meet him a couple of time last September at Anime Weekend Atlanta; he was very personable, knowledgable and, as I noted in one of my Twitter posts, put up with my inane questions about the C/FO days. 55 was way too young to go and honestly, he didn't seem to be in bad health or anything like that.

I don't know if anyone aside from Dave or other Texas people knew him but I figured I would post here since no one else had yet.

I think Robert's passing is going to be ignored by the 'mainstream' anime fandom. He was a vital resource, deeply dedicated to the shows he loved.

I'm starting to feel like 'my' generation of fans is on a death list. This crap, these people dying, shouldn't be happening for at least 20 more years.

And not to start some olde anime farte deathwatch, we have Rob Fenelon with bad health issues and Bruce Lewis with unknown complications following a successful operation on a brain tumor.

I am SICK of this crap, nobody else is allowed to die now!

Walter Amos sent in the notice to ANN about Robert's passing: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... way/.90637

and as I am sure you can see, the forum thread isn't very deep.

I totally get what you mean - I don't think there is anyone in this thread that didn't go "before their time". I didn't mention before but I lost two good friends last year - both in their early 30s - that I knew from college/uni and met through the anime/nerd cirlce. I watched and discussed anime with them but neither would have necessarily considered themselves anime fans, at least like we do. So, I do understand to some degree what you're feeling and thinking when this sort of thing comes around. All the more reason to make our time count because it is fleeting.

[usamimi]

One of my oldest and dearest friends recently lost her fiance Chris...he was only 24. They think it was a bloodclot, but they're still not entirely sure what happened.

While he was a little younger than both me and his fiance (my friend), he was just as nerdy and was a great guy. She was absolutely devastated, and I still can't believe that one moment he was with us and the next he was just gone. He's had health issues for a while, so because of this, neither of them had much left in the bank...one of our mutal friends started a gofundme to help with the bills and to get a headstone for his grave (it's supposed to be 1k, she accidentally set it to 10k though) http://www.gofundme.com/XCBTD7Q

[davemerrill]

Two weeks ago I learned than an old friend of mine had an inoperable brain tumor; today I learned he'd passed away earlier this morning.



That's him on the bottom left, in the glasses and Vampire Hunter 'D' t-shirt, in this photo of C/FO Atlanta that was published in the March '87 issue of Animage. His name was Bill Spurlock and he, along with Scott Weikert and myself, started the Atlanta anime club in 1985. You can draw a direct line from that club to AWA, which is still happening every year, drawing 20,000 - quite a difference from the 15 or 20 people we'd get at our meetings.

He moved out of anime fandom, I moved away, and we lost touch, but after he married and had a few kids he started coming back to the anime con to see his old friends and talk over old times. He'd had a stroke a few years back but seemed to be recovering fairly well from it; and then before you know it, this.

Back in the C/FO days I don't want to say he was the "responsible adult" - I think he still owes people money from back then - but he was the "adult", the oldest of the bunch and had a car and his own place and a general knowledge of the adult world that I certainly didn't have (being 15). Certainly the club would have been different, might not have even existed without him; a lot of people and events were influenced by his participation. He'll be missed.

[_D_]

Just lost a friend 2 weeks ago who was a big anime fan. Heart attack at age 50. I didn't realize his collection was so massive. Since he worked a good unionized job he was able to indulge himself. I'm told his figure collection alone (anime and other genres) was worth at least $20,000. I have to attend his wake on Sunday (my birthday) so I'll find out more then. Been a sad 2 weeks...