In Memoriam: Carl Macek
Monday, April 19th, 2010 at 7:49 am Category: Anime, Cool Creators, News, Top
It’s been reported that at the age of 58, Carl Macek, the producer and story editor of the American version of Robotech, suffered a fatal heart attack on April 17, 2010.
Macek has had quite an impressive list of accomplishments, aside from Robotech, his company, Streamline Studios, imported and dubbed some of the most influential anime from the 1980s and 1990s, including Akira, Miyazaki’s Lupin the III and Laputa, and Wicked City. He was also the first to produce and English Language dub of Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totorro, which still stands superior over the more recent Disney dub.
I can honestly say that without Macek, I would have no knowledge or interest in anime whatsoever. But Robotech brought me in, he introduced the United States to Miyazaki and Akira and helped to create a culture here, for better or for worse. And I’m grateful to him for it. His work on Robotech is some of the best, most innovative, and fun storytelling I’ve witnessed. Anime has largely passed me by in the last 20 years, but Robotech and Akira and the Miyazaki movies have been my mainstay that I revisit often. And such is my love for Robotech that my daughter’s middle name is Miriya.
I’d always held out hope that we’d get a big screen Robotech movie and Macek would be involved, but alas, it doesn’t seem as though that dream was meant to be.
Responses to “In Memoriam: Carl Macek”
Truly saddened by this. I never met the man, sadly, but I agree that without ROBOTECH and his efforts to bring anime to the masses, things would have been very different.
Certainly, ROBOTECH brought many of us into this wonderful, weird world of anime, and in my case set me on the course that I’m on now–working in animation and illustration.
And the stories about how he helped others get their start in the industry, how he co-founded Spumco…the man did so much with the time he was given. At a time when too many would rather bloviate on the ‘Net instead of getting things done, that’s saying something.
RIP, Mr. Macek, and thanks for everything you’ve done.
I only met Carl on the preceding Thursday at a special luncheon in Sherman Oaks. I was immediately struck by the meeting of Carl and old friends in the industry and his aura of professionalism. Sadly, no I have to go back and learn more about the man for whom I will never have the opportunity to know. Those present, knew the love that was passed around in that room over lunch. Thank you for your hard work Carl, it is time to rest.
Macek was a controversial figure among anime fans, but the impact of what he did can hardly be overestimated. Not only did he introduce the anime medium to a generation who would become the backbone of American fandom, but he broke all the rules for syndicated “children’s television” of his era. There is a famous story when station managers he was trying to syndicate Robotech two screened the episode “Pine Salad” and asked Macek how he would resurrect Roy Fokker. His answer of course was that he wouldn’t: Fokker was dead and he would stay dead. Because this was war, and war makes people die. He wasn’t going to sugarcoat or nerf it.
“It isn’t a game, Claudia…it has never been a game.” –Roy Fokker
Goodbye Carl, but I know you are with us out there..in space..the hearts and minds you opened will live forever..Robotech and Harlock still live on so many years later..
You opened up kids back then to SF worlds, conventions, and dreams.
See you up there someday !