Now it's time to say good-bye...

[Sad TOZ]

Monty Oum has passed away.

I really don't know what to say.

[Troodos]

I'mm sorry if this post has some errors, my hands are shaking and i diont know if im going to be able to finish typing.

Monty Oum was honestly the person wh I idolized most in my life. I loved his creative spirt, his amazing talent, and his willingness to produce such amazing content outside of any mainstream medium. He was perhaps the greatest inspiration in my life, and I honestly am petrified at having to live in a world withiout him.

[Freehold DM]

Deepest condolences.

[Troodos]

If anyone is interested in helping, I'm working of a RWBY RPG using the PF system. It was going to be a private project, but with this I think it's only fair that I give others the opportunity to join me in remembering his work.

[Alzrius]

I'm devastated to hear that Monty is no longer with us.

I first heard about him when he released the first Dead Fantasy episode, and the more I learned about his work and his background, the more I came to admire him. He was a truly self-made man, and the story of his success was inspirational for myself and, I'm sure, so many others.

Goodbye Monty...you will be missed.

[Petty Alchemy]

Incredibly sad, Monty was amazing not only for the work he did, but also his approach. Extremely unexpected for me as well. I hope all the best for his friends and family.

[Kobold Catgirl]

Damn. I'd just discovered his RWBY series. He did stupendous work on Red vs. Blue—the action scenes really were the best part of that series. He was really one of the greats of the online animation front.

[Joseph Wilson]

This hit me pretty hard today. Out of nowhere, RWBY became an obsession of mine over the past year. The combination of story, humor, originality, visual spectacle, and general creativity just struck all the right chords with me. It served as a new focus and positive distraction at a point when I was having a really tough time.

Naturally, I became a huge fan Monty by extension. Only 33, and now in a fleeting moment, again out of nowhere, he's passed on.

Just one more reminder to appreciate everything we do have in the moment; to dwell on the positive rather than the negative; and to continuously embrace happiness as a state of being. Although it was sudden and unexpected, I hope Monty died happy. At the very least, he died a creative inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people.

[havoc xiii]

I remember obsessively watching the Red vs Blue stuff through high school.....

[Tels]

This is deeply saddening news. I woke up to the news of Monty's death and it's thrown me for a loop all day. The man was brilliant, whether it wad dancing, cosplay, animating or storytelling, Monty was a genius and the world has gotten a lot darker without his presence in it.

[TriOmegaZero]

I've been on the verge of tears all afternoon.

[Rynjin]

Man. I haven't followed Rooster Teeth's stuff in years, but I always liked the work he did on Red vs Blue (even if I sorta blamed him for the series becoming more action/drama than tongue in cheek comedy).

I was first introduced to him via that one Samus vs Master Chief video he did, and have thought he was stellar ever since.

This is kinda depressing.

[Tels]

I can't help but wonder at the future of RWBY and RvB. If they continue, things definitely won't be the same.

[Zavas]

I've enjoyed RWBY since I found it, and even though I didn't know much about him, I was hit pretty hard by the announcement of his death.

[Sharoth]

I have never heart of Monty before, but now I will have to check his work out. It just goes to show you that life is too short, no matter how long you have.

[Tels]

Roosterteeth's podcast on remembering Monty.

[Tels]

Have a Monty Marathon.

Haloid
Dead Fantasy
RWBY Playlist

(I didn't include RvB because that's a huge series that Monty didn't work on until the final episode of Season 7)

[TriOmegaZero]

Grab a tissue and join me here.

[Alzrius]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

Grab a tissue and join me here.

When I saw the tribute art of the RWBY characters looking upwards, and realized that the sun and the birds were Monty's symbol...that did it. I had to close the door to my office, because I couldn't keep my composure any longer. All the moreso when I read the quote from him at the end.

I'm honestly shocked that I'm taking this so hard. While it's one thing to intellectually realize that you can be moved by the loss of someone you never met in person, it's another thing to actually feel it.

I wish that I had some better way of honoring Monty. I wish that I could draw a picture in tribute to the man. But I can't - I have no artistic talent, in terms of pictures or music, whatsoever. All I have is some modest skill at writing, and that doesn't seem like enough.

It's funny now, in a morbid way; last Sunday night, before I heard about Monty's passing, I had tentatively decided to participate in NaNoWriMo this year for the first time - now, knowing that he's gone, and his family's statement that the best way to remember him is to do something creative, that decision seems much more poignant, and important. It's very little, but I feel like I owe him that much.

I didn't post this before, because it seemed self-aggrandizing at the time - thinking on it more, when someone dies, it's natural to talk about what they meant with regards to you personally; I feel like I need to share this.

I once corresponded with Monty. It wasn't very much - a single email response to my having emailed him back in July, 2008 along with a donation as a belated birthday gift (I'd also donate to him the following year, though we didn't converse then).

I had been posting on his DeviantArt page for some time at that point, in a series of fan-articles that critiqued and analyzed his Dead Fantasy series that I called "Dead Fantasizing." I was also pushing for a change to one of his not-officially-announced plans for a future episode of the series. (All of these posts can still be found as comments on his page, though it'd require going back through years of posts by everyone.)

Monty had recently posted this image on his DA page (it's since been removed, as he had some trouble with DA several years ago - the linked picture is from another website where someone reposted it). To make a long story short - the picture very clearly implied that Kairi's episode would have her face Sonia, whom was clearly meant to be the character in the background-left (Ninja Gaiden II for the Xbox was just about to come out when he made that picture).

I had seen enough of the game to urge Monty to dump Sonia as a character, and instead go with Momiji (from Ninja Gaiden DS - she'd later appear in other games as well).

The point is, I was very pleasantly surprised when Monty emailed me back. He was very kind and casual, explaining that not only did he read the articles I'd been writing, but also took the time to explain some of the technical critiques I'd made of the series. He also expressed agreement with the idea that Sonia wasn't a good character, and that Momiji was a better fit. While it's likely that he would have made the change on his own, I like to think sometimes that I was his inspiration for why he has Momiji fighting in the unfinished Dead Fantasy VI episode unveiled a few years back.

I re-read that email last night...and it really rings true just what an incredible guy Monty was. He was eager to reassure me that he did enjoy feedback, even if he didn't always respond, that he appreciated critical analysis and wasn't too proud to explain his decisions, and even just shoot ideas back and forth with someone who enjoyed his work.

He took the time to write to me - just one fan out of so many - that meant something to me then, and even years later it still does now.

Starlight continues to shine long after the star itself has gone out. That's how I feel about Monty and his work.

[Tels]

That podcast I linked to earlier really hit me hard. Watching these friends of Monty in their state of shock as they shared all of the little quirks that Monty had, like ripping the keys of his keyboard, or his power down states or focus on efficiency. When they brought up the Microwave trick and they all had that grim smile made me lose it.

Hell, I'm loosing it now just writing this. I can tell that all of his friends and colleague loved Monty and they all lost someone very special to them. The world lost a truly unique and gifted man that was an inspiration many people with his work ethic and creativity.

The world will sorely miss Monty's presence.

[Tels]

Alzrius wrote:

When I saw the tribute art of the RWBY characters looking upwards, and realized that the sun and the birds were Monty's symbol...that did it. I had to close the door to my office, because I couldn't keep my composure any longer. All the moreso when I read the quote from him at the end...

Your Kairi picture doesn't work because the website blocks direct links unless you use the provided 'share link'.

[Alzrius]

Tels wrote:

Your Kairi picture doesn't work because the website blocks direct links unless you use the provided 'share link'.

I'm slightly confused. Do you mean the picture on DA of the RWBY cast (the one you quoted), or the link to the picture of Kairi on a different website?

I've double-checked both, and they seem to be working for me. Can anybody confirm that the pictures aren't loading for them?

[TriOmegaZero]

The link to zerochan gives me an notice to use the share links instead. I was able to find it with a Google search however.

[Freehold DM]

I really wish I was more familiar with this guy's stuff. There are people crying over his loss that I don't want to see hurting.

[TriOmegaZero]

I feel the same about losing Monty as I did losing Robin Williams. Maybe because his work has been more immediate and so it is fresher in my mind. I don't know, but there it is.

[Alzrius]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

The link to zerochan gives me an notice to use the share links instead. I was able to find it with a Google search however.

Okay, I've copied the picture and I'm hoping that it it can be more easily viewed from here.

[TriOmegaZero]

That did it.

[Tels]

I have to tell you, logging onto Facebook requires a box of tissues. Everytime I do so, the upper right hand corner of Facebook where 'Trending Now' articles appear has "Monty Oum, creator of RWBY, dies at 33" and then my timeline is filled with tribute art and people posting about their grief.

[Troodos]

Tels wrote:

That podcast I linked to earlier really hit me hard. Watching these friends of Monty in their state of shock as they shared all of the little quirks that Monty had, like ripping the keys of his keyboard, or his power down states or focus on efficiency. When they brought up the Microwave trick and they all had that grim smile made me lose it.

Hell, I'm loosing it now just writing this. I can tell that all of his friends and colleague loved Monty and they all lost someone very special to them. The world lost a truly unique and gifted man that was an inspiration many people with his work ethic and creativity.

The world will sorely miss Monty's presence.

I think it was seeing Gus Sorola with eyes that were obviously red from crying that really made me realize exactly how real this was. I never thought I'd see him like that. Meg Turney's news announcement was also heartbreaking.

[Alzrius]

I've expanded on my above thoughts over on my blog. That will probably be the last I have to say with regards to Monty's passing, as I seem to have reached the limit for how much solace I can find in talking about it.

[Tacticslion]

I'm so sorry to hear this. :'(

[Freehold DM]

My wife has just become a rbwy fan. Not sure how that happened,but it did.

[TriOmegaZero]

As it should be.

[Tels]

Freehold DM wrote:

My wife has just become a rbwy fan. Not sure how that happened,but it did.

Can I get a simulacrum of your wife? Women like that are hard to come by.

[Freehold DM]

Please. You wouldn't want my wife. She's a smart ass and enjoys mocking things you enjoy.

hugs UC Gundam DVDs

[Caineach]

I just noticed RWBY on Netflix last night.

[Caineach]

Freehold DM wrote:

Please. You wouldn't want my wife. She's a smart ass and enjoys mocking things you enjoy.

hugs UC Gundam DVDs

Is that supposed to diminish his request somehow?

[Alzrius]

Caineach wrote:

I just noticed RWBY on Netflix last night.

I saw that too. They've (very cogently) made each "volume" of the first season into a single episode - meaning that they're essentially presented as two movie-length features.

[TriOmegaZero]

The DVD/Blu-ray offers that option alongside episodic format. It's pretty sweet.

[Caineach]

Alzrius wrote:

Caineach wrote:

I just noticed RWBY on Netflix last night.

I saw that too. They've (very cogently) made each "volume" of the first season into a single episode - meaning that they're essentially presented as two movie-length features.

Awe, but that means you don't get to sit through the awesome intro song until it is stuck in your head :(

[Tels]

Caineach wrote:

Alzrius wrote:

Caineach wrote:

I just noticed RWBY on Netflix last night.

I saw that too. They've (very cogently) made each "volume" of the first season into a single episode - meaning that they're essentially presented as two movie-length features.

Awe, but that means you don't get to sit through the awesome intro song until it is stuck in your head :(

You speak as if though it isn't already...

[Kobold Catgirl]

I gotta be honest, I've been watching RWBY slowly since the main appeal is in the action scenes for me (which goes to show how much Monty really brought to everything he worked on). Does the rest of the show get better? I'm gonna keep watching it no matter what, of course. It's not like it's that bad now. Just less my scene.

[Andrew Betts]

Caineach wrote:

Alzrius wrote:

Caineach wrote:

I just noticed RWBY on Netflix last night.

I saw that too. They've (very cogently) made each "volume" of the first season into a single episode - meaning that they're essentially presented as two movie-length features.

Awe, but that means you don't get to sit through the awesome intro song until it is stuck in your head :(

Just to rock out to!

[Caineach]

Kobold Cleaver wrote:

I gotta be honest, I've been watching RWBY slowly since the main appeal is in the action scenes for me (which goes to show how much Monty really brought to everything he worked on). Does the rest of the show get better? I'm gonna keep watching it no matter what, of course. It's not like it's that bad now. Just less my scene.

Season 2 picks up a lot, and I get the feeling season 3 will be practically 1 fight scene.

[Tels]

Caineach wrote:

Kobold Cleaver wrote:

I gotta be honest, I've been watching RWBY slowly since the main appeal is in the action scenes for me (which goes to show how much Monty really brought to everything he worked on). Does the rest of the show get better? I'm gonna keep watching it no matter what, of course. It's not like it's that bad now. Just less my scene.

Season 2 picks up a lot, and I get the feeling season 3 will be practically 1 fight scene.

Probably, I think it's going to be a 'tournament' volume. Lots of tournament duels and fighting, and political plot and shenanigans in the background. If you've seen Yu Yu Hakusho, you know what I'm talking about.

[TOZ]

agh right in the feels

[Tels]

TOZ wrote:

agh right in the feels

You know, my nephews were watching X-men: Evolutions yesterday (I think on Netflix) when I heard the voice of Scott Summers and my first thought was, "That sounds like Monty."

I have to wonder, what will happen to Ren?

I hope this doesn't happen.

[Troodos]

Tels wrote:

TOZ wrote:

agh right in the feels

You know, my nephews were watching X-men: Evolutions yesterday (I think on Netflix) when I heard the voice of Scott Summers and my first thought was, "That sounds like Monty."

I have to wonder, what will happen to Ren?

I hope this doesn't happen.

They'll probably do a Mako/Greg Baldwin deal with him.

[Kobold Catgirl]

Just finished season two.

The dialogue and some of the voice acting were pretty weak at first, but a lot of it's improved with time. Yeng no longer annoys me quite so much, for instance. And that action animation...damn. Oum really was a master of fast-paced action.

I know we should probably expect some initial drop in quality, but I like to think Monty's coworkers will be driven to work even harder to keep his show running as beautifully as ever. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Tels]

Kobold Cleaver wrote:

Just finished season two.

The dialogue and some of the voice acting were pretty weak at first, but a lot of it's improved with time. Yeng no longer annoys me quite so much, for instance. And that action animation...damn. Oum really was a master of fast-paced action.

I know we should probably expect some initial drop in quality, but I like to think Monty's coworkers will be driven to work even harder to keep his show running as beautifully as ever. We'll just have to wait and see.

I think the animators they have can animate well without Monty, the problem is the choreography. Monty is the one who scripted out all of the fights and action scenes. I kind of doubt anyone at Roosterteeth, or anyone Roosterteeth can afford, will be able to choreograph fights like Monty could.