Monday, February 23, 2015

Tragic News.


We will temporarily suspend all activities at TIAH Blog due to the tragic passing of Chris Barat.

Far more than merely a member of our little Blogging community, Chris was one of my closest and very best friends since 1987, and one with whom I shared a great many wonderful experiences over that time.  It's hard to imagine the particular types of fun our group of fandom and blogging friends has had, and not think of him.  He will be so very, very missed.   


We’ll be back soon – hopefully, with a more fitting tribute to Chris. 


In the meantime keep his spirit alive by going to his Blog, and reading any number of the detailed research posts he put up…


…Or peruse same in this Blog and other Blogs he frequented.  (A list of those Blogs displays at his own Blog.)


…Or, read a comic, watch some animation… and imagine the great fun of discussing it with him afterward! 


My memories of such times will be with me forever!

To Chris and his devoted wife, Nicky… Thank you for all of it!  

9 comments:

Ryan Wynns said...

Joe,

When the new monthly Disney comics by IDW begin in April, and there's no Chris Barat reviews, the world will make no sense.

As I said to you in private, I don't know (I've known him since 1994 -- the first letter that I have from him, his reply to my inquiry about The DuckTales Index, is dated June 4th, 1994) if he ever realized how much he meant to me and how much his writing inspired and influenced mine -- I learned to write reviews because of reading his reviews in the APA we were members of. This news has been a real blow.

I'm sure many others are as shocked by this news as I am. My best to you in this distressing time, Joe. I would say that we both loved him.

-- Ryan

Will said...

Joe,

So sorry to hear this news. How old was he when he passed?

Joe Torcivia said...

52. Far too young.

Jim said...

Hi Joe--I'm so sorry for your loss. This is shocking and tragic, indeed as you said. I always enjoyed reading Chris' letters and articles and posts. I held him in high regard. So sorry.---JIM

Joe Torcivia said...

Thank you, Jim - and Ryan, and Will.

I hope to have a better detailed and more heartfelt post up soon.

Comicbookrehab said...

I'm sorry to hear that Chris has passed away. His blog was always fun to read, and you knew he enjoyed writing every post about the stuff in pop culture he loved to watch and/or read. He could also be quite frank and candid, often posting updates about his health, particularly within the last year, yet with good spirit and optimism. I also enjoyed occasional feedback from him regarding some of the posts on my blog. I DO find it tragically ironic that he's not here to post his thoughts about new Ducktales episodes being produced, in light of the fact that he had completed an excellent analysis of each episode of the original series (funny how we'll start refering to it as "the original series" once the new series debuts) and was only beginning to delve into fan-fiction, then he passed on a few days before the revival is announced...just imagine the insight he could've offered...THAT would've been something. Farewell, Chris. R.I.P.

Joe Torcivia said...

‘Rehab:

It may be the ultimate irony that a new DuckTales series is announced during the week of Chris’ death.

No one will cover it the way Chris would have – and that is a loss for all of us.

Fun Ideas said...

There's also a new Richie Rich TV series on Netflix as of February 20th. Who'da thunk? I would have loved to have read Chris' grousing about how cheesy it is, and how unfaithful to the comic book adventures it is, because even I, as a major Harvey fan, am not impressed with it. There's 10 episodes that premiered that day. How I will miss Chris' lengthy and informative dissertations about comic books and animation and the like.

Joe Torcivia said...

There will be a great deal we ALL will miss, because Chris contributed so much – and did it so well.