• Where can we pay our respects?

• Thanks for the info, we´ll miss him so much, but he will be forever in our hearts!

• While viewing something in its historical context helps one appreciate it more, it doesn't speak ill of the work at all if its impact is lessened by removing it from that context. I'm been an anime fan almost my whole life and I've never heard of Robotech until a couple years ago, when I bought the whole series on DVD and watched it, and I think that it still holds up very well. It doesn't talk down to its audience, it still has well-written stories and characters, and its still an epic and entertaining series. When something makes a large impact on the history of its medium, I feel that it contributes rather than detracts from the work's classical status as well as its lasting importance.

• While I may not be Macek's biggest fan, the man did help make anime more recognizable in the US. I just wish he properly credited Studio Nue, Artland, and all the people who made SDF Macross. I mean, at least mention them in an interivew or something.

• 25 yrs ago my son and I watched his favorite shows together, and at top of list was Robotech. Discovering that the show was originally Japanese, we found tapes of the original Macross and became lifelong fans of anime. When son's baby sister was born she was raised on Japanese shows and culture. Kids are grown up, and we still go to cons and cosplay. We are major fans of Mari Iijima (seiyuu for MinMei). Whatever one may think of Carl's interpretation, he introduced anime to many and should be remembered for that contribution.

• Hey, if the time it came out needs to be taken into account to enjoy it, then that speaks poorly for the work in question. Really, all it means is that you had to have seen the show back in the early 80's or whatever in order to like it. Compare that to say, Star Wars, which stays awesome no matter how old it gets. If something doesn't stand the test of time, then that's that. To an extent, I can appreciate Robotech for introducing anime to North America, but I'll never like the core product. Nor will I ever watch it instead of SDF Macross.

• Jeez, I have no words. Watching Roy Fokker die as a kid is still one of those moments that is etched into my mind, and proved that a show could *mean* something and have a story with consequences. And in all likelihood few to none of us would have seen that without him. /halfmast.

• I'd only wondered yesterday what had happened to Carl Macek - thanks for giving me some great entertainment in childhood all the way to today and opening up a whole new world to me. Off to amazon the Robotech novels and ST right now.

• I remember running into Carl Macek at the old Streamline booth at Anime Expo '94. I was buying an Akira video and he started talking to me...He seemed like a very humble man (alot of people at the convention knew who he was but they were'nt crowding up his booth just because). He was very passionate about his work and was very generous. If it was'nt for him, I think I would'nt even be into anime. Robotech was the series that really showed people what anime was about. Some may argue that he may have butchered the original 3 series,but in my opinion Carl Macek made those series even better!! The stories and even right down to the music I much prefer over the originals. The original theme song to say Mospeada does'nt have the same power as the Robotech theme. The interwining plot about Protoculture seemed alot more cooler too. I love other anime series in it's original form but Robotech is an exception.

• You just can't leave Minmei alone.

• Ummm, he brought anime to the U.S. and you don't understand how some people would think of him as infamous? You answered your own question there, Rob.

• it is a sad day for fans of robotech and animie for like him or not for his methods Carl made it so u.s saw the wonders of animie with robotech. to open up their minds to the genre. rip Carl hope he found his own robotech fighter waiting for him at the pearly gates. sympathy to his friends and family for their loss

• Keep in mind that Robotech, edited, butchered or whatever you wanna call it, managed to expose not only north americans, but a good chunk of western ki,ds to THREE japanese anime series, that were released in Japan just a couples of years before Robotech's premiere. I'm south american, and we had our fair share of japanese cartoons on TV, but this was contemporary, it looked cutting edge at the time. Thank you Carl Macek.

• God speed, Carl Macek. Robotech was what brought me to anime, and I never looked back. Thank you, sir.

• I came into anime fandom the generation after Robotech, but I still definitely admire what Macek has done for the industry and anime in america as a whole. You will be missed.

• I wasn't a Robotech fan ... wasn't much of a Harmony Gold fan as a whole, to be honest. (partly because I was almost out of high school when Robotech hit TV ... sorry, I'm a Star Blazers kind of girl) But credit where credit is due - he did open up anime to a LOT of people, and brought over more than just the fluff factor. Wind to thy wings and godspeed.

• I had the pleasure of having had several lengthy conversations with Carl Macek at various stages in his career. He was a controversial man, to be sure, and he was aware of it, although he never courted controversy. I didn't agree with everything he did, and he didn't mind people saying that if he had an opportunity to explain himself. He was criticized savagely by hardcore fans, sometimes justifiably, but anyone who knew him knew he was a true anime fan, and loved the art form as much as any brain-dead otaku, but had a deeper understanding of the realities of marketing entertainment. He would have liked nothing better than to translate his favorite shows uncut and non-localized for the American market, but that just wasn't possible in the '80's. Not many people know that, prior to Robotech, he made an attempt at a straightforward, uncut English dub of Macross, changing only the names of some of the characters (the first three episodes were available on videotape for years after Robotech became a phenom), and NO ONE was interested in marketing it. Not enough episodes for syndication; too much violence; the story was over the head of the target audience; not the proper mix of ethnic characters for American kidvid...he heard it all, and every change he made was an attempt to work around those often-petty and pointless cavils and get the product out to its audience. Remember, before he came along NO ONE was doing this. The only thing that even came close to it was Star Blazers. He made mistakes because he had no one else's to learn from, the way other people learned from his. I've been an anime fan since the late '70's, and there probably would not be an American market for anime without Carl Macek. When it became possible to walk into a major chain store like Wal-Mart or Target and buy Dragonball Z T-shirts or Sailor Moon schools supplies, it was because Carl Macek starting the ball rolling. I will miss him, and I hope that future generations of fans will be kind to his memory.

• i love Robotech. R.I.P Carl Macek

• My tribute to the guy is up over on J-List. I remember working our first anime con back in 1990, and he was at the booth next to ours. I was like, what greatness we have that we are behind the dealers' table next to him! Memorable quotes from anime conventions: "Yes, Carl Macek used to hit on my girlfriend, too." "So, I hear you killed my wife?" (We killed her in a Pinesalad Production, oh the memories) I once saw him passed out drunk at an AX. One thing, he was always a cool guy, never a prick. Fans were cruel to Carl, who can arguably be called the Gene Roddenberry of anime. (Very arguably.)

• I wasn't around when Robotech or the Streamline dubs were around but if it weren't for him I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have my Macross dvds or possibly not even know about Macross. Hate or love him, he did a lot for popularizing anime and despite the awkward scripts for the Streamline movies, he was one of the first to actually make accurate anime dubs while making them sound decent. RIP Carl Macek

• About two years ago I met Mr. Macek at a convention and chatted with him for about two hours and gained a great insight into his dealings in the early anime industry. I am proud to know him as something other than "The Butcher of Anime".

• This makes me really, really sad. RT was the gateway drug, the reason I went to Japan, the reason I met my wife. Sad.

• I once met Carl Macek in 1987 at a convnetion. At the time, he was feeling bitter having just been burned by Matchbox over the whole deal with "The Sentinels" having fallen through (looking back, that probably wasn't such a bad thing). Say whatever you will about the man, but personally, Robotech was the first Sci-Fi show that I really, really got into. Sure I had watched Star Trek reruns when I was little, but during that whole time I had never considered myself a Trekkie. As for Star Wars, I enjoyed the films ans had most of the toys, but yet I never obsessively enjoyed it as much as I did Robotech. I guess it just came at the right time for me; I was 16, considered a little too old for kids' stuff, but still too young to enjoy more adult fare. The other 80's cartoons weren't really doing it for me. The Robotech came along. When Roy Fokker actually died, it was like an epiphany; unlike other cartoon shows where the characters got away unscathed and everything went back to status quo by the end of the episode, there were actually consequences to the characters' actions. And it was driven home even further when Ben Dixon bought it a few episodes later. It's why Robotech has been and always will be one of my top favorite shows of all time, and it whet my appetite for the shows that came later like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Stargate SG-1. So while Robotech in and of itself might not be original, it is one where - thanks to Macek's creatvity - the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. He pretty much built a whole universe. And to me that puts him right up there with my other favorite creators like Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, J. Michael Straczynski and Joss Whedon. He will be missed.

• Sad news, although I heard about it when first happened. Personally, I think the opening is preferable as a tribute song, since it doesn't suck like Minmei: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHfNniqT7bo

• Robotech made me a fan of SCI FI.... sigh* First Peter Steel died...now Carl Macek.. 2010 is gonna be a downer of a year I tell ya what..

• Well, this pretty much came as a shock. Bye Carl, thank you for helping me through puberty with Lisa Hayes and Miriya Parina Sterling. Because Transformers just had one dimensional human females...(not much has changed in that camp). In addition to my first viewing of something getting killed in an action cartoon. You really prepped me for Optimus' demise back then.

• I've honestly never seen a single episode of any Robotech series (shameful, I know), but I understand it's importance to anime and nerd culture. Plus, the Valkyries have spawned some of the coolest toys ever. Reminds me of conversations some friends of mine had about who was the better pilot drunk or sober, Roy or Rick. Never knew the guy, never saw his work, but he has my respect. See you, space cowboy.

• As a girl who has done and been hurt by dumb shit for attention/love/what I perceived to be love, I always wanted to punch the man for making Minmei (oh god the English singing voice for starters) an extra-vile character in Robotech that people "wanted to chuck off a cliff". However, one can not dispute the impact he and his company had on the industry. For better or for worse, the internet owes a great debt to him.

• Okay, I'll be the one to say it: Does this mean that we have a chance in Hell of seeing a R1 release of Macross Frontier now?

• Vaya con dios.

• Man I loved Robotech growing up even though I was six or seven years old and having no idea what the hell was going one except that there were jets that could turn into robots,and there were huge space battles,and that's all I needed to make me happy back then.And now to hear that the guy who brought me my favorite show has passed on,it just flat out sucks. Thank You good sir,for all the fond memories,you will be missed.

• I loved Robotech. I still love Robotech. I'll always love Robotech. Thanks Carl. Rest in peace.

• Another positive point: Robotech taught me to STAY THE HELL AWAY from chicks like Minmei.

• Agreed on all points. Even though I don't care for Anime, the whole sprawling epic made me a big fan of the show.

• Robotech was the first anime I ever watched and is still one of my favorites. It's sad to hear that he passed away.

• RIP Carl Macek. I'm not the biggest anime fan, but it looks like he had a big influence on anime fans in the west, and for that he deserved to be honoured.

• I'd say Robotech is more important. At the very least it was an easier sell for people of all ages. Akira is pretty... insane. You know, the Robotech theme should have been included in the list of greatest 80s themes.

• Wow, very, very tragic. This man should be honored by all.

• There certainly is a lot to complain about as an adult looking back at Robotech, but back in the day when I was much younger, it was far, far more mature than anything else out there. In fact, it's the reason I'm not a Transformers or GI Joe fan. They didn't match up in maturity, animation quality, or story (in my opinion anyway). Watching it now, as an educated adult fan of anime, yes, it can be fairly criticized. At the time though, it was visionary. It needs to be viewed in the context of its original setting. And has been noted, if it wasn't for Robotech, and later Akira, I wouldn't be an anime fan. I'd also have several thousand dollars more to my name, but hey, who's counting? :)

• I was devastated to hear the news. Robotech is very near and dear to my heart, and I really think the anime industry as a whole has suffered a great loss. R.I.P, Carl. Thanks for everything.

• A song for Carl : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVoyGUcXepc

• Well said Mr. Bricken. Thank you.

• Robotech is the only anime I've ever even liked, and I remember it fondly from my childhood. Always sad when someone dies, and moreso when only a few realize the deep impact he had on our culture.

• Robotech was the first cartoon ( I didn't know it was anime I was watching back then ) that I actually woke up at 5:30 in the morning to watch then head back to bed to then wake up at 6:45 for school. I was in middle school and I enjoyed every season of it. Every day was a new part of the saga and I was entranced by the characters. It is still one of my favourite shows to watch. Forgive me if it has already been done, but maybe a top ten Robotech episodes is long overdue? R.I.P Carl Macek

• The man did nothing to introduce me to anime (I'd credit that to Dragonball and Trigun) and, frankly, I believe Robotech butchers the original franchise, but I don't care much for knocking people down after they've died. May he rest in peace.

• I had the pleasure of briefly speaking with Carl Macek in '93, and he was a gracious and pleasant guy. He, via Robotech, was so influential to me as a nerd, as a story teller, and I think a little bit as a person. Thank you, Carl, despite what some say, you truly did anime a service. <Goes off to listen to Yellow Dancer's "Look Up (The Sky is Falling)".

• And I'll always appreciate him for what he did. Not only introducing us to one show, but three presented as one work. He knew there was something about the medium that would catch on and have others pursue what else was out there. While edited for television, the direness of the works was still present, and showed us that animation didn't have to be fuzzy and familiar and something that you could just plop your kids in front of. We knew that somewhere, the work was being taken seriously and approached just like any dramatic outing. Thanks, Carl. For being a pioneer.

• All the Minmei hate... We hate her because we all fell for a girl like her at some point or another... I know I would not be an anime fan, maybe not even the geek I am now, without Robotech. Thank you for posting and for the excellent comments, Rob. For Carl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udGqyjG8UA8

• Yep, Robotech was great. Minmei was annoying as hell, but other than that it just had a certain charm about it.

• (Plays taps)

• This is just terrible news. The podcast that he did with Anime News Network was incredibly interesting, and probably the best one that they ever did. Even though it was 2 hours long, I wanted it to be longer. I was always hoping that they'd do a second one with him, bur now that's never going to happen. God bless you, Carl Macek, and may you rest in peace.

• Completely agree, Rob. Although there were many Americanized anime shows on tv, kids took Robotech seriously. And even though it was edited, it still allowed characters to die in the early 80s, something a cut up Dragonball refused to do in the 90s. Rest in peace, Mr. Macek.

• Yep, Mr. Macek is THE MAN that led my plunging foray into the Japanese culture via Robotech. Robotech was my gateway drug. The fall has been epic and unending since. *raises a glass* Godspeed Carl Macek. You were a better man than most gave you credit for.

• I second that. ::also raises glass in toast::

• Right on target, Rob. While I had watched Kimba, Battle of the Planets, and Speed Racer in the 70s, I never really became a fan of anime until Robotech. Carl Macek made that happen. I may have gone through a short period where I decried his supposed butchery of Japanese animation, but when it comes right down to it, Macek made anime accessible to the American masses. In his honor, I'll wake up at five tomorrow morning and watch an episode of Robotech. Rest in Peace, Carl.

• My childhood changed when I watched Robotech. I realized for the first time that animation could tell ANY story and not just be "for kids" (later confirmed by Akria) and I have this man to thank. Prayers and thoughts his family and friends and the fans he helped open the doors for.

• Carl's gone to the stars.

• I'm just going to have to imagine him having flown in his battered Veritech, and still making it to his date in time. This guy probably influenced me more than I realize. :: raises glass in toast ::

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