Goodbye, my gentle friend.

Though I felt too lousy upon our return to instantly log some computer time, as soon as I did I got the bad news. It hit me in the chest like a physical blow. A very dear man who I'd met at LVMI (a magic conference in Las Vegas) had been killed in an auto accident. This dear friend was not just an unknown really nice guy, either. This friend has been responsible for some of the greatest animation you have ever seen. His name was Joe Ranft, and he was the storyboard supervisor on such films as Bugs Life, Toy Story I & II, Monsters Inc., and others. He was also the voice of Heimlich in Bugs Life (the caterpillar who wanted to be a beautiful butterfly), and Wheezy the penguin in Toy Story.

I met him at the magic conference, and we immediately connected. We both had passion for magic, and as fortune would have it, for animation as well. Soon after meeting, we headed off for a very long lunch. We mutually decided that we were having too good a time visiting, so we blew off the next lecture or two while we continued to visit. I don't really recall our talking much about magic, but I kept apologizing for talking about animation. He insisted that no apology was necessary, because he loved it that much too, and it wasn't like talking 'shop' to him. He told me that he was just finishing up on the film "Cars," and that it was going to be something special. I won't share what is special about it, I'll let the readers find that out for themselves. He wrote me after we went home from the conference, that the story crew had gathered for a wrap party at his home, and his wife was responsible for a wonderful party.

Joe was kind, gentle, and a man who was perfectly suited for what he ended up doing. Rather than being the best artist in the animation world, he was uniquely suited to 'pitching' a story. If he and his crew came up with a great story line, Joe was the guy to go in and make the story come to life. You may have seen still photos of a guy standing in front of a wall full of drawings, sort of acting out a part - that was Joe. He was a real entertainer, but not a guy who needed all of the attention in a room. If anything, he was more on the shy side. But, give him a story, a magic trick, or a need (or want) to come alive, and Joe was brilliant.

I told someone once that Joe was a guy who left people better off for having spent time with him, and wishing they'd spent more. He had a wife, a son, and a daughter, and the time he liked the best was when he was the stay at home dad. He loved his family. Joe, you and Heimlich have finally become that beautiful butterfly, and we are better off for having known you. God bless you and your family, and I'll never forget what you said was important in animation - the heart, the story. You were all heart, my friend.

Joe Ranft, 1960 - 2005, RIP

But, I thought I'd feel better!

We're back from our vacation. The first week consisted of a cruise up the Inside Passage on the Ryndam (Holland America cruise). Having never been on a cruise before, I didn't know what to expect. We're not drinkers, so 'booze cruise' didn't seem to fit. My lust for food left with my gall bladder, so I didn't figure on eating my way along the coast of Alaska. Our hosts were my in-laws, who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, so it wasn't as if we went to have 'fun, fun, fun 'till her daddy takes her T-Bird away.'

I could never have imagined a better time. Our stateroom window was like an ever-changing painting. The coast of Alaska was so stunning, and never got old. The ship was beautiful, and had something for everyone. Our teenaged son had his own club in which to hang out. There he could safely hang out with other teens, making fun of their families in their own safe haven. Our younger sons also had a club. Theirs was such a compelling good time, that even while we were on shore they were worried that we wouldn't be back in time for Club HAL. This entertainment and freedom allowed us to just 'sit back and enjoy the ride-' literally.

Our ports of call were Ketchikan, a really charming city that I'd seen while flying with the Coast Guard, but I'd never walked on the elevated wooden sidewalks in 81 degree temperatures. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, the whole time we were cruising up the Inside Passage, Alaska was setting new records for high temperatures. We then went to Juneau, where all three of our sons caught their first salmon, and they all caught a stringer full. Our hosts, the Nelsons, made it a day that none of us will ever forget. Thank you, Dan, Julie, Josh, and Jeffrey (sorry we missed you Crissy). We stopped in Skagway, which at one time was a bustling miner's paradise, and is now intent on being as tourist attractive as possible. We landed at Seward, and then headed to Anchorage.

It was there that I felt a little burn in my chest after staying a couple of days at a friend's house. We headed to Kodiak Island for several days, and the burn got much more severe, until I was full-on sick by Friday. We were on our way to the airport when my little guy touched my forehead. He remarked to Mom how hot I was, and she made a quick detour to the Safeway. Returning with a thermometer and some cold medication, she quickly found that my temp was at 103.7 and still rising. I took the meds in the parking lot of the Safeway, and we spent some time driving around, hoping for me to look a bit better before we got to the airport. I got on the plane, and we spent a couple of days in Anchorage watching me be sick.

We have been back in Washington for nearly a week, and I have slowly been on the mend. My wife got ill as well, though her real problem seemed stuck in her sinuses. It didn't ruin the cruise, but it sure made me forget about it for awhile. By the way, if you ever have the inkling to cruise the Inside Passage, do it. Make sure you do it in a ship that is small enough to stay Inside though - some of them have to take detours out in order to fit. What is next? Well, I have to catch up on all of the writing I should have been doing! Magic Magazine is calling, and Mr. Allen is ready for the next article(s).