please make fun of gawker when you work for them. do it a lot. I fucking hate gakwer! That's why I come here!!
Since I made my announcement that this would be my last week helming TR, I've been flooded with kind words, good memories and unnecessary thanks from you all, and it's just breaking my tiny, scotch-soaked heart. John Mapes, frontman for the legendary Lasagna Cigarette, has even dedicated a special version of "Love Is Lasagna" for me, above. I'll say this again on Friday, but seriously, thank you all for making these last five years possible, and for making them great, too. I lasagna you all.
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I found TR back in 2008 if I recall correctly. It might have been winter of 2007. I had a Sunday shift so I was closing by myself and I was browsing for something either gaming or comic related (I don't recall now, but it's most likely true.) Somehow I ended up here, and realized I had found some place I would come back to again and again (though explaining the name would no doubt be difficult.) Going through a desktop, a laptop, and at least 1 work computer since then, I've always made sure TR is on my bar for quick access as soon as possible. I come here at least weekly, and during some points in the last few years it's been multiple times daily, or simply leaving a tab open that I refresh each morning and night.
I sent more links from this site to friends than I care to count. I guess I never thought anything about TR could change that would ever make me think the site would change. Maybe that's cause I've never done a meet up, or I just forget that this site doesn't just magically get updates straight from the all powerful internet. Either way, it's easy to forget there's a human element behind it all after all this time.
I will miss you Mr. Bricken, you were the "Voice" that I "heard" so many times in my daily life and yet never really considered a real person until now. I wish you the best of luck in all you do from here on. Thank you for your service, your efforts, and your suffering.
that tribute sums up perfectuly what us fans are thinking over you leaving rob. at least come back from time to time and comment on a fan fiction friday. besides just dropping by to say hi.
Hey, I hadn't thought of that. Now he can waste as much time here as the rest of us, instead of getting paid for it.
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If you love something set it free... NO! Dammit Rob, you get back into your blog box!
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There is some more info here: http://www.toplessrobot.com/2012/11/tr_announcement_hello_i_must_be_going.php
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TR readers - so...you got your reward and you're just leaving then?
Rob - That's right, yeah! I got some old debts I've got to pay off with this stuff. Even if I didn't, you don't think I'd be fool enough to stick around here, do you?
TR readers - Come on! Why don't you take a look around? You know what's about to happen, what they're up against. They could use a good blogger like you. You're turning your back on them.
Rob - What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides,reading one more FFF ain't my idea of courage. It's more like suicide.
TR - All right. Well, take care of yourself, Rob. I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?
Rob - Hey, kid...may the Force be with you!
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Dear sweet Rob, I have undying lvoe for you and all you've created here. Topless Robot Forever!
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All I can say is that I found this place not so long ago and fell in love with it. You made me appreciate Dr. Who and embrace my little inner nerd. Love you man and wish you good luck from the bottom of my heart.
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I'm terrible with dates, so I don't recall exactly when or how I found TR. I do remember it was shortly after I got internet access at work. Man, the state paid me for spending a lot of hours reading TR before I retired. Luckily I was friends with the IT guys, so I never had to explain FFF to keep my job.
Anyway, this has been the first site I check every day for nerd news ever since. Even if whomever takes over does a credible job they'll want to put their own stamp on it and the tone and feel will change.
Hopefully your effect on io9 will be to make it more like TR-that-was.
Well, judging by your List of Favorite Lists, it must have been March of 2008 or before.
"The 10 Most Insane, Mind-Warping Moments of '80s Cartoons" is the earliest one I remember reading.
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I first learned about TR when I overheard my friend Terrance talking about it. I didnt actually check it out until a few months afterward, but I've followed it ever since (this was back around late 2010, I think).
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While Im glad you are getting a better gig Rob and I visit io9 as well as topless robot everyday. Your distinct voice will be missed. I didn't know about your blog until you said you were leaving Astro Toy on ANN and ever since then I've been following your blog ever since. Good luck but your cynical voice will be misseed.
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Ohhhh, we're doing "when I discovered TR" posts!
I can't contribute. Unfortunately due the non sequitur nature of my existence I haven't yet discovered TR for the first time... unless you count the parallel universe where Dr Abraxas was supreme overlord of the Americas and daily readings of FF were the cultural norm, seriously people there talked about FF the way people in this universe talk about the weather. Posing as a foreign exchange student I was advised by the locals to visit TR as a way to ease me into the custom, and I learned to loath Care Bears... we shall not disqus the other customs of that land. For the most part TR was pretty much the same as it is in most universes, however FFF was joined by FFM, FFTu, FFW, FFTh, FFSa and FFSu.
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@Gallen_Dugall Oh, that reminds me Gallen Dugall you should check this site out.
http://www.toplessrobot.com/2012/11/oh_my_god_you_guys_are_making_this_so_damn_difficu.php
Boy these universal laws of space and time can be so demanding, last time I divide by zero then throw the paper into a box with radiation and a lighter that I never open.
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@Someguy that's odd
every time I click on the link I
that's odd
every time I click on the link I
that's odd
every time I click on the link I
that's odd
every time I click on the link I
that's odd
every time I click on the link I
that's odd
every time I click on the link I
that's odd
every time I click on the link I
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I remember coming to Topless Robot because one of my friends randomly linked me to FFF starring Hogwarts and the Giant Squid. It was a dark, dark day for me, and I have never truly recovered from discovering this site.
And in mean that in the best way possible. I check TR all the time, I love everybody here (because you're all crazy and messed up and awesome), and I'm gonna miss you, Rob. You better creep around here all the time, though. And whoever takes over should keep doing FFF in your honor. Or something like that.
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I forget how I stumbled upon Topless Robot, but ever since that day, Topless Robot has been among my favorite nerdy websites, for its cynical writing style, interesting lists, mind-tormenting Fan Fiction commentaries, and awesome Japanese stuff. Topless Robot is awesome in its display of the more off-beat side of nerdom, and as much as I hope that the new staff will take good care of the site, it simply won't be the same without you. There's no way that the many aspects of the articles that made TR so great will make it on io9 without going through the filter of "professionalism" (and certainly not the FFFs), and as much as I wish you the best for any future endeavors, I can't help but feel that this is the end for the cynical, self-hating, darkly humorous Rob that we've come to know over the years.
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if it makes it easier I can rant about how grateful I am that Rob is leaving
...
what?
Listen when you're as disconnected from reality as I am words lose all meaning
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@Someguy Yes, I received complaints from the Intergalactic Brotherhood of Man and Things
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxtrn0QV8s4
after all it really is Lew's act
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Good work guys! The plan is working! Keep at it!
Seriously, I'm gonna miss your ass when you leave. I found this place when I used to go to ANN. Went right past your Astro Toy articles for months before I got curious on a particularly slow day.
My first time on this site, I toddled over to the Fan Fiction tab, curious as to what wonders would be inside. I still remember the Fan Fic that day... Fan Fiction Friday: Lightning McQueen in "Rite of Passage"... I was so young, so impressionable back then... Your constant scanners head pics had me laughing like my post picture until I couldn't breathe, like I was dying of asthma and a seizure simultainiously, particularly when you screamed "DOUBLE CAR TENTACLE PENETRATION". It was one of the funniest goddamn things I had ever read in my life.
Damnit. I'm gonna miss you man.
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So that's what "The Other "L" Word" was all these years.
Thanks Rob. I..just... thanks.
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I've been trying to come up with a way to describe how much I appreciate and will miss Rob's work, but I'm just to damn pissed off.
It's money, isn't it? You're doing it for the money, aren't you? Got too tired of eatinf ramen 6 days per week?
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For the 3 Years I've been Following TR, I've enjoyed Rob's posts. I've also grown to dislike io9 and the general gawker family cause they haven't been professional or anything remotely near that and keep slipping further and further down. With TR you come to expect it, you live for it, you BREATH it, but this saddens me cause my dislike of gawker vs Rob is creating quite the dilemma.On that note monday on the geeky podcast I host, I'll me throwing a mention out to the fair well of Rob from TR.
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Well, you know Rob, we can handle a lot- Disney buying Lucasfilm? No problem. Michael Bay makes another movie? Been there, done that. Joss Whedon's latest show got cancelled? Even that we can handle. But you leaving Topless Robot?
Our shit! It has been lost!
Good luck, and may the Force be with you.
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I agree Rob, you will be missed. My e-mail bounced back that I originally sent so I'll just say it here. I've been following you since Astro Toy and I've enjoyed every word you've put down. I'll follow you to io9 and hope to follow you to whatever future work you have ahead of you.
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@Lithroe @Timely-Tardis-Lego @JesseDeath Cool, you're just like quantum probability
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@Timely-Tardis-Lego @JesseDeath By the way, imagine that done in a Gary Oldman growl.
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@JesseDeath @Lithroe Also, this might not make sense unless you watch Doctor who, but the series used to be run by Russel T. Davies, but now it's run by Steven Moffat, and the show is still doing fine. That's what's keeping me hopeful in this situation.
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@JesseDeath @Lithroe We still have to remember, it might still be worth visiting this site. We still owe the new guy a chance to prove themselves.
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@Timely-Tardis-Lego @Lithroe Me too guys :( A Rob-less TR is no TR at all. For all the reassurances we've gotten (even in a direct reply to one of my posts from Rob *swoon*) I'm still concerned that his voice will get lost in all the io9 mucky muck. Here's hoping, but really? There's way too much of Rob to be contained in "contributing articles". Here's hoping its much more than that. Plus, I'm gonna miss the community and all of you guys here. God dammit. Selfish though it may be, I can't see anything good about this. :(
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@skrag2112 NONONONONONONONO.
Because it'll include Jurassic Bark, and I'll never be functional in time for the weekend.
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@VindicaSean Some of my choices:
Thorin's death from 'The Hobbit'
Frodo sails into the west from 'The Return Of The King'.
Spock's death from 'The Wrath Of Khan'.
Tom says goodbye when Toonami ends
MST3K's final episode.
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@skrag2112 @VindicaSean I'd add the Pond's departure from "The Angels Take Manhattan" And the Tenth Doctor's "I don't want to go...".
