It's always disheartening to learn that one of your cherished icons has passed on, but it's even more disheartening to discover their death months after the fact.
Randy Solem, creator of Video Game Director's Cuts and the "Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom" Flash series, passed away at age 36 on March 16, 2012, due to a negative reaction to his heart medications. He was one of the great legends from the early days of Newgrounds as well as the guy who almost single-handedly popularized "sprite films," Flash movies that use old videogame graphics, typically from the 8- and 16-bit eras.
Randy was an influence to many young Flash animators -- I myself was inspired to submit a few high school and college presentations in the sprite film format. Back in December, I even wrote an Video Game Director's Cuts retrospective, which will hopefully serve as an adequate memorial of Randy's legacy in the absence of a proper, timely article.
Let's honor the man's memory by hitting the jump and re-watching the amazing "Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom" in its entirety.
Though Randy may be gone, VGDC will not die for a long while!
In recent years, the VGDC homepage has been neglected and hit hard by a torrent of intrusive spyware. Animator Jeff Russell and a few more of Randy's friends have thus decided to rehost the site over at http://www.videogamedc.krahs.com/ and remove all the harmful ads. Eventually, VGDC is aiming to become a repository for videogame-themed Flash and fan art for anyone who wishes to contribute.
Beyond that, there are plans for a "Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom 5" as long as there is enough support from the fans to see the project through.
Randy also left behind a daughter, now two years old. PayPal donations for her education are being accepted via riellesolemtrustfund@yahoo.com, if you wish to toss some support to his surviving family.
I thank Randy Solem for all the joy he has brought us over the years, and I hope new fans will continue to enjoy his movies for many more years to come.
I remember Newgrounds losing several talented animators at once, meaning I heard about this in March. A tragic loss, which is made worse considering the lives they have left behind. Edd Gould, who created Eddsworld, was two years older then me, which severely shook me. Also, the thought of a young girl growing up without her father is too terrible for me to comprehend. At least their works will always live on through sites like Newgrounds and Youtube.
Tony, thank you so much for writing the article on VGDC as well, as I remember instantly re-reading it again after hearing the news. The cartoons were an inspiration to me as a teenager, and they continue to inspire me now.
Wow. I don't know what to say. My entire worldview (and my history with the internet) would be so different without those flashes (and Newsground back in it's prime). I'm genuinely shocked and upset by this. RIP man.
I found out about this months ago, but it is still heartbreaking. His work was legendary and he was apparently a family man. It sucks to see him leave this world.
I was a depressed teenager that had stopped playing handhelds, stopped reading, had a crap computer and didn't think I could afford a console or comics when I found this. A sense of wonder and the idea that you could genuinely accomplish something with what you loved no matter how nerdy was what I took away from his movies. Now as an aspiring writer I can say that randy solem gave me the courage to dream again. I wish I could have told him that myself but I hope his loved ones know what he did for people like me.
I was a depressed teenager that had stopped playing handhelds, stopped reading, had a crap computer and didn't think I could afford a console or comics when I found this. A sense of wonder and the idea that you could genuinely accomplish something with what you loved no matter how nerdy was what I took away from his movies. Now as an aspiring writer I can say that randy solem gave me the courage to dream again. I wish I could have told him that myself but I hope his loved ones know what he did for me and many others.
I was a depressed teenager that had stopped playing handhelds, stopped reading, had a crap computer and didn't think I could afford a console or comics when I found this. A sense of wonder and the idea that you could genuinely accomplish something with what you loved no matter how nerdy was what I took away from his movies. Now as an aspiring writer I can say that randy solem gave me the courage to dream again. I wish I could have told him that myself but I hope his loved ones know what he did for me and many others.
Man, this really sucks. I loved his animation and it was a big part in making me more interested in computers and video games in general. Rest In Peace.
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