Monty Oum, the 33-year-old Web-animator best known for a comic science fiction Web series called “Red vs. Blue” and for an anime-style series called “RWBY,” has died from a severe allergic reaction following a “simple medical procedure.”
The Austin-based animator for the production studio Rooster Teeth Productions died on Sunday afternoon, company chief executive Matt Hullum said in a statement. Hullum said Oum suffered a severe allergic reaction during a procedure about 10 days ago and fell into a coma.
“Although he fought bravely, his body was not able to recover,” Hullum said. “Monty is survived by his wife Sheena, his father Monty, his brothers Woody, Sey, Chivy and Neat, and his sisters Thea and Theary, as well as a countless number of fans and friends. We were so proud to be a part of his life and we will miss him greatly.”
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The details surrounding Oum’s death are still unclear. In November, he wrote on Twitter that he was being tested for allergies.
Getting tested for allergies. Apparently im allergic to juniper. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
— Monty Oum (@montyoum) November 6, 2014In December, his wife, Sheena Petra, reportedly
: “All I hope for 2015 is for everyone to spend more time on the things and people they love and less on everything else that makes them unhappy! LIFE IS SHORT make every moment count ok. I am trying, too.”
Then on Friday, a GoFundMe page was set up for Oum’s medical care. “It is with great regret that I must inform you that our co-worker and our dear friend, Monty Oum, has had a medical emergency,” a statement on the site reads. “He is currently hospitalized in critical care and it is not known if he will recover. He is receiving the best medical care possible and is surrounded by both family and friends who love him very much.
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“Monty is a tremendous talent who has accomplished so much in his young life. He has an amazing creative ability and the drive to put it to use. That is a rare combination and we are proud to have shared in it.”
Share this articleShareBy early Tuesday morning, more than $215,000 had been raised for the family.
Oum established his name in the industry early and was once called the Kanye West of online animation. The Cambodian,Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese techie entered the animation scene in 2007 with a Web film called “Haloid.” In 2010, he started working for Rooster Teeth as a character animator and choreographer and, within two years, became a show creator and lead animator for the company.
In 2013, Oum told the “geek-culture news” site Nerd Reactor that animation came naturally to him.
“I’ve always had an interest in how still images become moving images,” he said. “I mean I’ve been doing flip books for as long as I can remember, and then that transitioned into the day I got computers.”
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He said online animation was his calling.
“It took a while. I made a few attempts,” he said. “The thing that really got me was seeing that other people were doing this sort of thing. … I was like, well, these guys are capable of telling the story with just this limited tool set and so when I started I was – I just felt like I needed to do my version. It took a few years, and there were definitely bumps along the way. It really started picking up when I did Haloid, and I was just certain that this one was going to work.”
After Oum’s death was announced on Monday, Rooster Teeth released a short version of its news show, “The Know.” A tearful team member told viewers that, in honor of Oum, the company would not release any other videos that day.
In its statement, Rooster Teeth asked fans to honor Oum with their talents.
“As for honoring Monty, we will do that in our own way,” Hullum said. “In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that you simply do something creative. Use your imagination to make the world a better place in any way that you can. If you know Monty like we do, then you know he would certainly be doing that if he were able to.”
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