areaseven Posted March 7, 2013 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
jenius Posted March 7, 2013 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?
Valkyrie Hunter D Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 I have many precious AnimeCon memories thanks to him, this is truly sad news.
JELEINEN Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 That sucks to hear. I don't think anime fandom would be what it is today without him.
ps99042 Posted March 7, 2013 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.
Beltane70 Posted March 7, 2013 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.
Tochiro Posted March 7, 2013 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 :-(
sketchley Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 Rest in peace. 'tis definitely the end of an era.
F-ZeroOne Posted March 7, 2013 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
Duke Togo Posted March 7, 2013 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.
Marzan Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 RIP Toren Smith. A true pioneer of manga/anime in the West.
Mercurial Morpheus Posted March 8, 2013 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.
JELEINEN Posted March 8, 2013 Posted March 8, 2013 Jonathon Clements has a pretty good obituary for him here: http://www.mangauk.com/?p=toren-smith-1960-2013
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