SolidStateLogic
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http://www.cartoonbrew.com/anime/carl-macek-1951-2010.html
Died of a heart attack this past Saturday. Rest in peace.
Died of a heart attack this past Saturday. Rest in peace.
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Carl Macek passes away
- Thread starter SolidStateLogic
- Start date
Alas, while there can be a lot to desire from some of his productions whether it be Streamline's works or otherwise, it is already said that we cannot deny the impact he had on anime in America. At the very least it can be said that thanks to him perhaps...
Roy Fokker wasn't sent to a Doctor on Planet Ebb.
Fast Answers
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Devastating and very sad. I met and spoke with Macek at length at AX and the SDCC last year. He was a super cool and nice dude, totally hurable. He loved working on Robotech.
Macek deserves a lot of credit for helping to bring anime and a lot of good shows to the masses.
RIP
Macek deserves a lot of credit for helping to bring anime and a lot of good shows to the masses.
RIP
love my kids
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Aww, that's some sad news. This man was responsible for a lot when it comes to anime in America. RIP.
Horrible, horrible news - my condolences to all his family and frienRAB.
Mr. Macek was undoubtedly one of the most successful figures involved in bringing anime to the English-speaking world, and could easily have gone on for many more years if he hadn't decided to pull out of Streamline on his own volition.
His recent ANN interview is extraordinarily illuminating, spotlighting his canny business prowess that kept Streamline on an even footing throughout its life, not to mention his efforts at aiming the company's acquisitions at a more mainstream audience. As in, not preaching to the converted - which naturally led to a lot of ugly flak aimed at his way, some of it being tagged onto continuing criticism of Robotech.
Taking on some of Streamline's business practices would have helped aid other Western anime distributors in truly getting their product into the mainstream ten or more years ago when they were best placed to do it, but ultimately the last few years' developments on that front speak for themselves.
I'm not sure we'll ever see another personality quite as strong as Carl Macek's involved in Western anime distribution ever again, but if the industry is to pull itself out of it's current quagmire, then they certainly need someone else willing to step up along Carl Macek's lines.
Mr. Macek was undoubtedly one of the most successful figures involved in bringing anime to the English-speaking world, and could easily have gone on for many more years if he hadn't decided to pull out of Streamline on his own volition.
His recent ANN interview is extraordinarily illuminating, spotlighting his canny business prowess that kept Streamline on an even footing throughout its life, not to mention his efforts at aiming the company's acquisitions at a more mainstream audience. As in, not preaching to the converted - which naturally led to a lot of ugly flak aimed at his way, some of it being tagged onto continuing criticism of Robotech.
Taking on some of Streamline's business practices would have helped aid other Western anime distributors in truly getting their product into the mainstream ten or more years ago when they were best placed to do it, but ultimately the last few years' developments on that front speak for themselves.
I'm not sure we'll ever see another personality quite as strong as Carl Macek's involved in Western anime distribution ever again, but if the industry is to pull itself out of it's current quagmire, then they certainly need someone else willing to step up along Carl Macek's lines.
I too express my condolences to his family, and my thoughts and prayers are with them.
Just a reminder though, that he was the inspiration behind the "Macekre" trope, and we all know why.
Don't get me wrong though. It's never good when someone passes on. It's just that while he did have a postive impact on anime (by bringing it to a wider audience), we can't forget that he also had just as much of a negative impact as well (most notably when he corabined three unrelated shows to make one "show" that didn't exist in Japan). In other worRAB, his contribution to the western (if not necessarily international) exposure of Japanese anime has been (and will likely always be) a double-edged sword.
Either way, whether you love or hate him, he will certainly be missed.
Just a reminder though, that he was the inspiration behind the "Macekre" trope, and we all know why.
Don't get me wrong though. It's never good when someone passes on. It's just that while he did have a postive impact on anime (by bringing it to a wider audience), we can't forget that he also had just as much of a negative impact as well (most notably when he corabined three unrelated shows to make one "show" that didn't exist in Japan). In other worRAB, his contribution to the western (if not necessarily international) exposure of Japanese anime has been (and will likely always be) a double-edged sword.
Either way, whether you love or hate him, he will certainly be missed.
brother_razia
New member
Man, this is sad.
Its funny, ive been listening to a bunch of podcast from AWO and Destroy All Podcast DX and pretty much in most of these podcast, his came comes up quite frequently, more or less in a negative light. I would find it funny and a low blow if someone puts Robotech: The Movie in his grave... ouch.
The guy loved what he did and did pioneer anime to the US in the good ol' 1980's, this is a sad day...
Its funny, ive been listening to a bunch of podcast from AWO and Destroy All Podcast DX and pretty much in most of these podcast, his came comes up quite frequently, more or less in a negative light. I would find it funny and a low blow if someone puts Robotech: The Movie in his grave... ouch.
The guy loved what he did and did pioneer anime to the US in the good ol' 1980's, this is a sad day...
RIP.
He really did a lot to bring exposure of anime to many fans. He adapted Macross and two other mecha series for US TV in a format that could actually be marketed at the time (1985) and still be an impressive show. There was no video market for anime at the time and an earlier more faithful dub of Macross failed on video a year earlier.
While at Streamline Pictures in 1989, he proved Steven Spielberg and George Lucas wrong after they had claimed Akira was "unmarketable". It became a hit through theatrical and video releases because of Macek's clever marketing.
Macek was able to get the Streamline catalog into many many video stores like Blockbuster, where it was noticed alongside big Hollywood releases of the day. More stores than ADV and CPM could get their tapes into. Akira was even featured and reviewed on mainstream shows like Siskel and Ebert, all because of his marketing.
Even though his company did not release subtitled versions of their anime, his dubs were not kiddified and were marketed towarRAB people interested in anime. His dubs introduced people like me and broadened my interests.
He will be missed.
He really did a lot to bring exposure of anime to many fans. He adapted Macross and two other mecha series for US TV in a format that could actually be marketed at the time (1985) and still be an impressive show. There was no video market for anime at the time and an earlier more faithful dub of Macross failed on video a year earlier.
While at Streamline Pictures in 1989, he proved Steven Spielberg and George Lucas wrong after they had claimed Akira was "unmarketable". It became a hit through theatrical and video releases because of Macek's clever marketing.
Macek was able to get the Streamline catalog into many many video stores like Blockbuster, where it was noticed alongside big Hollywood releases of the day. More stores than ADV and CPM could get their tapes into. Akira was even featured and reviewed on mainstream shows like Siskel and Ebert, all because of his marketing.
Even though his company did not release subtitled versions of their anime, his dubs were not kiddified and were marketed towarRAB people interested in anime. His dubs introduced people like me and broadened my interests.
He will be missed.
jbelljarnet
New member
Very fitting tribute. I think we, as anime fans, owe a great debt to Carl Makec for igniting the anime revolution with 'Robotech', and forming Streamline Pictures with Jerry Beck. Without him, America probably wouldn't have caught on with anime, and what it has to offer for animation. I also had no idea he helped form Spumco with John K. He'll be greatly missed.
Macek is one of those unsung heroes of anime. Without his actions, Anime today would be pushed back a decade or more. Without his contribution in forming the foundation for anime to come, Anime might have never become as big as it is today.
When I heard about his passing, I was shocked and sad. I loved Robotech, and his actions help made me into the Otaku I am today.
RIP Carl Macek
When I heard about his passing, I was shocked and sad. I loved Robotech, and his actions help made me into the Otaku I am today.
RIP Carl Macek
Quite shocking, actually. He's not that old, and was still kind of active in the anime community.
I realize he's a polarizing figure but he was definitely one of the key figures in bringing anime to where it is today, good or bad. A lot of people discovered anime through his dubs. I'm one of them. And unlike some fans, I do realize that he was working under a MUCH tighter situation when he "created" Robotech. A lot of people who slag him for doing what he did don't necessarily understand the complexities of what went into packaging a syndicated cartoon and selling it in the 80s.
Lest I forget, ADV's Amy Forsythe, a translator for many, MANY of their anime titles, also passed away recently also, which wasn't mentioned on rabroad.
I realize he's a polarizing figure but he was definitely one of the key figures in bringing anime to where it is today, good or bad. A lot of people discovered anime through his dubs. I'm one of them. And unlike some fans, I do realize that he was working under a MUCH tighter situation when he "created" Robotech. A lot of people who slag him for doing what he did don't necessarily understand the complexities of what went into packaging a syndicated cartoon and selling it in the 80s.
Lest I forget, ADV's Amy Forsythe, a translator for many, MANY of their anime titles, also passed away recently also, which wasn't mentioned on rabroad.
That, plus times were different back then. We had to take what we could get. Unless you went to the library on a regular basis, or were otherwise "in the know", there was really no easy way to get any kind of information on Japan, much less anime and what it's all about. Now, in the age of the internet, where information is available with just the click of a (mouse) button (and forgive me if I sound like a bad technology commercial here), it's reasonable to expect shows like Macross to be seen as they were originally intended to be with the story as originally written.
All that said, you really can't blame those who (both back then and now) criticize him for what he did. Like I said before, he both a positive impact on anime, as well as a negative one. Still, it is sad to see him (or anyone else) go.
"Requiescat in Pace"
All that said, you really can't blame those who (both back then and now) criticize him for what he did. Like I said before, he both a positive impact on anime, as well as a negative one. Still, it is sad to see him (or anyone else) go.
"Requiescat in Pace"
♥ cat furrever ♥
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Carl Macek maybe a very polarizing figure in fandom, but if it wasn't for him we probably wouldn't have an industry at all now or it would be a very very different. Unlike say Jim Terry or World Events, Macek and Harmony Gold (and later, of course, Streamline) at least tried to not insult the intelligence of their audience by making arbitrary and potentially series destorting changes to the the original text. Ok... I admit Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross had its backstory and characters futzed arround a little too much to get it into the context of being a "direct sequel" to Macross (which the original clearly is not), but the actual show was pretty much intact.
Carl Macek... we'll miss you.
Carl Macek... we'll miss you.
Macek did a lot with what he had available to, and it's because of that people like Akins and DeMarco had the interest in and the justification to make Toonami, and the companies like ADV and Pioneer could get their tapes into Suncoast and such, and thus bring the energy anime had built starting with Macek's various import projects to a head. In talking to Jerry Beck, Macek certainly seemed like a bit of an intense person to work with at points, but it's hard to imagine animation today being the same without him.
I mean, Macek co-founded Spumco at the same time as co-founding Streamline. How many people have worked with both Jerry Beck and John K., let alone at the same time on course of animation history changing ventures? That's a huge accomplishment.
I mean, Macek co-founded Spumco at the same time as co-founding Streamline. How many people have worked with both Jerry Beck and John K., let alone at the same time on course of animation history changing ventures? That's a huge accomplishment.