Carl Macek

[PetarB]

Thanks for everything Carl! We had some good times.

Regards, Petar

[MjrMisaHayase]

Sad day for everyone who knew him.

[Nied]

Given some of the scorn that was heaped on him here during his life, it's heartening to see such a classy response from MW to his death. Like (I think) most here I wouldn't have even been introduced to Macross if it weren't for Macek coming up with the Robotech "wrapper" and for that he definitely has my gratitude.

[JELEINEN]

Although not a fan of his work, every thing I've heard about the man himself makes me think he was a pretty good guy. Certainly anime fandom and the industry in the US would not be what it is today without him. 58 is way too young and my condolences go to his family.

[KiriK]

RIP Carl and condolences to his family. Totally sucks when this comes out of nowhere and you leave behind your family. Robotech and Macross seem to be a part of my daily routine now so I guess he's influenced my life quite a bit. I remember only watching a few episodes of Robotech as a kid and never seeing the entire series until i was older, but it was always about the toys for me. Those mini "veritechs" i flew around my room have definitely helped shape my hobbies, as well as the dedicated room in my house to toys... haha

[Scream Man]

Always loved Robotech, and in many ways i still do. he opened my eyes to what anime is and can be. RIP sir, and thank you.

I just listened to the ANN cast he was on a week ago....

[Jasonc]

This is definitely sad news. I know most here wouldn't be Macross fans if it wasn't for Carl making Robotech. Politics aside, he helped shape all of us here, whether we know it or not, and his work in entertainment will not be forgotten. Thank you Carl for the love and dedication you put into your work. My condolences to the family. May they find comfort in knowing that many people loved and respected the man.

[derex3592]

R.I.P. Carl, thanks for the memories. I lived for Robotech when I was a kid. Life long fan of that show and it lead me to Macross and everything sense.

[Excillon]

I don't know whether to thank him for introducing me to Robotech as a kid and later Macross as an adult, or hate him for standing in the way of Macross in the US.

Either way, I pay my respects because he was way too young and had a family. As someone else mentioned, he did give me Lensman, one of my favorites, so I can't hate the guy entirely. RIP Carl.

[Ginrai]

Bye, Uncle Carl.

[Lott Sheen]

I remember being 7 years old and crying after the announcer read over the end credits `that was the final episode of Robotech`. I`m not sure but I believe that RTs run was cut short in the area of the United States I was living then (Washington DC) due to complaints from parents. Can anyone confirm this? I later saw the full run of RT on Australian TV. It moved me, and even if that was 90% Mikimoto, Kawamori, Itano & Co it was 10% Macek and thanks to that I`m a Macross fan for life and I experienced a great non dumbed down piece of entertainment very early in life and I think that shaped my tastes today. The best shows when you were a kid were the ones really meant for adults and I couldnt really see myself learning Japanese or reading subtitles when I was 7 years old. Thanks Carl, I salute you.

[Mercurial Morpheus]

Shocking to hear. It seems like only yesterday that I essentially dogged him at AOD for his autograph. I'm definitely one of those with mixed feelings on his work, as I'm not a fan of "overly creative" dubbing and editing, but like everyone, he had his gold along with his rubbish. I've never hated the man, just the conditions he had to work with. I'm still fond of the Dirty Pair dubs, and Grospoliner's voice in Silent Mobius. The man knew casting for the most part. HG may overplay Robotech's importance (or should I say downplay the numerous other anime of the time), but it's still important to many. Yes, I first saw most of Macross through Robotech, but long after I'd seen M+ and knowing it's sordid history. Same goes for a lot of the Streamline stuff

Recounting my own meeting with him at New People basically involved tracking him down to the stairwell, as he was pretty much avoiding the loud gathering to talk with associates. I got to listen to him regale them with stories of the numerous alcohols he'd had in his travels and his own famed Margerita mix (made without tequila). Not to mention winning the oppertunity to spend the night with a local girl or a prized bottle of liquor (he took the latter).

I finally got around talking to him and discussing the dubs I had brought with me. Combined with the ANN interview that came out the week prior, my view of him was a friendly, interesting person, with a bit of a "I know best" take on work (mostly from the interview in which he's quick to point out the flaws in other people's method, justified or no). Any problems I had with accuracy issues was generally pawned off with the fault being the translator or him putting faith into it being accurate. I didn't get to go into it as much. I enjoyed his sense of humor, and he even signed my Silent Mobius tape with the words, "Sorry for the dub" (though i did get to tell him about the Emperor of Swords)....

It was definitely one of the more interesting meetings I've had with a guest, and I'm sorry it won't be repeated.I think AOD we be the be all, end all when it comes to Mecek for me. Now I'm really peeved I couldn't find my Roujin Z tape (though it's no biggie in the end, I guess). Like everyone, he had his gold and rubbish. Viewed from the perspective of the time, he definitely played an important part in the shaping of the industry, whether you agree with his methods or not. Personally, I'll never think or Robotech as superior to Macross, and , while important, is horribly overplayed by HG's desperate bid for relevance. I loath what it essentially is, a hackjob of one of my favorite shows. Though even there, given the time constraints he had making it give me respect for his skill. The Dirty Pair dubs are woefully inaccurate, but still highly entertaining. Silent Mobius' script removed a good portion of what made the film great, but still had some good casting choices. So take the good with the bad. Hate the game, not the player.

RIP, Carl Mecek. I'm definitely grateful that i got to meet you, and form my own perspective outside of the "love him, hate him" rhetoric.

[Legioss]

I went to his panels and bought stuff from him at Robocon 10, and I've read interviews and seen videos of him throughout the last 22 years I've been into Robotech and Macross. It was always interesting to hear about his experience in the industry and his ideas for Robotech, even if he wasn't always truthful. In my opinion it's not a good sign for Robotech that his input is no longer available. Robotech will suck even more. Maybe someday someone will make it entertaining again.

I used to idolize Carl Macek. I genuinely thought he was a creative genius. If this was like 18-19 years ago I would have been extremely sad over it. Today it makes me feel bad for some reason anyway. I have to comment on this and not be excluded.

[Renato]

RIP, Carl.

I got into all of this because of Robotech, too.

He was too young to go. My condolences to his family and friends.

He certainly played a large role in the early, dark ages when nobody knew what anime was all about and it was all fresh and exciting. I am extremely grateful, even more so now, for that recent ANN interview, an extremely informative insight.

[azrael]

As I said earlier, our regular procedure is to close these kinds of threads after a while. This being no exception.

If you wish to leave condolences to the family you can do so at the following locations:

Carl Macek's Facebook page

Robotech.com's forum thread

Robotech on Facebook