Devastated.

[heidi]

I was going to steal time today during the kids' tae kwon do class to post about how flat Christmas Day always feels for me, and how the Chipmunks movie did not suck as badly as it theoretically could, or my thoughts let me show you them on Doctor Who (which I haven't seen yet, but thought I would haveby that point) but that's not going to happen because...

At about noon today I got a phone call from bekkio that she'd just learned that our friend Eric Bowling had died of heart failure yesterday.

Some of you may've met Eric at Comic Con, where he was our moderator in 2008 and 2009 at the Harry Potter panel - you can meet him now, in a way, through the videos of our panel - start with that one and then you can see the rest here. I'm not sure if there's been an upload of this year's panel which again included me and Melissa, as well as gwendolyngrace, flourish, Lev Grossman from TIME, Dr Henry Jenkins and ArtInsights' Leslie Combemale; will try to find it.

Eric and I taked at least three or four times a week - sometimes three or four times a day. He'd been ill since birth with heart issues and related problems, but he never, never sounded down or angry for more than a minute. He was the Harry Potter guy at Comic Con and fought for years to have an HP panel included - and was still fighting to have it removed from the "Kids' Programming" section, as oh my God we definitely were not. He wore his Gryffindor costume and looked enough like Harry with his dark hair that people came up to him when he was using his cane or in his wheelchair to comment on it. He was instrumental in working Disabled Services at Comic Con and was immensely helpful in putting together policies and procedures for Azkatraz and things we will use next summer at Infinitus. Even though he wasn't sure he'd be able to go, he was on the Academic Programming vetting committee and was in the process of applying to Dr Jenkins' program at USC; he wanted to write his thesis on Snape and moral masochism.

I'm going to end this by quoting flourish:

Eric loved Emma Watson, loved the Harry Potter books, and loved bringing people together to talk about them. He was enthusiastic, sometimes socially inappropriate, and always had a good sense of humor about life - which could describe a lot of fans! But Eric was special. He will be sorely missed.

All I can say is, somebody who's in CA had better step up and make the Harry Potter panel happen this year, or he's totally going to come back as a poltergeist and get all up in CCI's face...

Oh, God, how appropriate is it that this is my mood icon? When flourish said that Eric loved Emma, oh that is putting it mildly. He adored her looks and her smarts and I remember him cheering to me when we heard she was going to Brown.

He would laugh that the mood icon on the post I make about him is highlighted by his adored Emma. And that makes me miss him twice as much.

Comments

[gorgeousnerd]

He sounded like a wonderful person, and I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you and all his loved ones are holding up okay.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh; I have met Eric and talked to him before. My deepest sympathies to you and others who were close to him. <3

[airemay.livejournal.com]

Wow... *hugs* My thoughts are with you and others who were close to him.

[caffienekitty]

*hug* I'm so sorry.

[judyserenity.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is so sad! I'm sorry for your loss.

[gmth.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry for your loss, Heidi. *hugs*

[blackink.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. It sounds like he was an amazing person, and my thoughts go out to his friends and family.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Omigod. I'm in shock. I'd never met Eric, but he and I did some email a couple of years ago. He actually approached me about a novel-length H/Hr fic I'd started posting on Portkey. I've never finished the damn thing (mostly due to writer's block) but I remember that he offered to critique future chapters. His emails were very nice and encouraging. I had no idea he was that heavily involved in the HP fandom. Now I wish I'd made more of an effort to get to know him as a person. I'm very sorry for your loss, Heidi.

[bekkio.livejournal.com]

What a great tribute to him. *hugs*

[foxestacado.livejournal.com]

I don't think I ever met Eric, but this makes me immeasurably sad. He sounds like he did lots of good during his life. He will be missed.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you and to the whole community, all of the many lives he touched. *hugs*

[allysonsedai.livejournal.com]

Heidi, I am so sorry! I know this year has already been so awful for you. Sending support your way...

[sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry. *hugs you tight*

[americonedream.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry for your loss, Heidi *hugs you tight* Eric's name is so familiar that I feel like we might have crossed paths once or twice. My love is with you and his family and friends at this sad time.

[cadetsandkings.livejournal.com]

I don't know him at all, but it is so clear from your beautiful and sad words and from Flourish's that fandom and a lot of other people have lost a very wonderful person.

I'm very sorry to hear about it. 2009... well, it has been a hard year for many people. I am sure the HP panel will be a fantastic "in memoriam."

[acusa-dora.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry that you lost such a good friend who loved HP so much.