areaseven Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 One of the pioneers of the anime/manga industry in North America passed away this week. Toren Smith was best known for founding Studio Proteus, which was responsible for introducing Masamune Shirow's works to the western world. GAINAX paid a small homage to him with the character Smith Toren in Gunbuster. R.I.P. Toren Smith (1960-2013) Manga Translation Pioneer Toren Smith Passes Away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenius Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Less than 53 but no word on cause of death? Isn't that one of the who what where when and whys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Hunter D Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I have many precious AnimeCon memories thanks to him, this is truly sad news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JELEINEN Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 That sucks to hear. I don't think anime fandom would be what it is today without him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ps99042 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Wow, truly sad news. I remember meeting him back when manga/anime wasn't "cool". Had him sign my old the old Dirty Pair comics he worked on with Adam Warren. He was definitely a pioneer in the manga industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beltane70 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 This is truly sad news. I remember meeting Toren at the second Anime East in 1995. He was also one of the first Americans that I had heard of involved with the anime/manga industry. These past few weeks has taken so many people in the anime/manga industry at such young ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gubaba Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Holy... I did NOT see this coming... RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tochiro Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Wow, what a loss. The man translated most if the manga tht influenced me growing up. The old vanguard seem to be leaving us awfully fast as of late :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sketchley Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Rest in peace. 'tis definitely the end of an era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-ZeroOne Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 (edited) Very sad to hear this. I had a rather odd encounter with Toren Smith - I never met him in person, but he once advertised on his website that he was looking for some "Andy Capp" books ("Andy Capp" is a British newspaper cartoon strip character who appears in "The Daily Mirror"); as it happened there was a second-hand bookshop just up the road from me which I knew had a supply and I offered to pick some up and send them across the pond to him. He accepted, and sent me some "Outlanders" books and an Adam Warren signed "Dirty Pair" print thats hanging on the wall behind me still as I type... ...oh, and lets not forget his doppelgangers role as Norikos love interest in Gunbuster...! Edited March 7, 2013 by F-ZeroOne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old_Nash Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Togo Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Wanted to get this in before this gets locked. Like many of you born in the 70's who found anime and manga early in their lives, Toren Smith had a huge impact on my fandom. I was truly saddened to hear this news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzan Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 RIP Toren Smith. A true pioneer of manga/anime in the West. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercurial Morpheus Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Sorry to hear it. As the huge Gunbuster fan I am, it would be odd of me not to pay respects to a character's namesake. The industry has lost another of it's founders, and is lesser for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JELEINEN Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Jonathon Clements has a pretty good obituary for him here: http://www.mangauk.com/?p=toren-smith-1960-2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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