Remembering Modeler Al
When I heard of Al’s passing, I tried to remember when I first
talked to him, and I couldn’t. He just seemed to have always been
there, and given his attitude on life and modeling, it is easy to see
why. In an online community where critics abound, Al recognized that,
above all, modeling is a hobby, and should bring enjoyment, not strife.
Al’s attitude toward the hobby is the epitome of what Internet Modeler
is about, and over the last decade he has helped guide the magazine forward
while always maintaining that fun, enjoyable edge to the hobby.
Behind the scenes, Al was just as gracious as his public persona. Each
month he would pull one of his classic kits from his collection and write
a column about it, resulting in one of the most popular pages of Internet
Modeler. Unlike many modelers, Al’s interests spanned many genres,
and his knowledge of the history of model kits was amazing. I have heard
from more than one reader that Al’s column was the first thing they
read each month, both for the knowledge and the nostalgia.
The knowledge Al possessed, both about models and about the subjects
in general, was vast and also freely given. If you were interested in
something, a passing mention would bring out a torrent of information,
and Al would bend over backwards to try and provide as much as possible
to help. Although he never asked for anything in return, his very behavior
and attitude made it impossible for anyone to resist reciprocating, and
the transfer of information between us quickly became a multi-lane freeway.
Whether it was with modeling, drawing, or computers, we traded information
back and forth regularly, and as a result both of us grew.
Sadly, I never met Al in person over the ten years I’ve known
him. We always managed to miss meeting each other, yet, through all the
online and phone conversations, I feel that I have known Al as well as
I possibly could, and I hope he knew me the same way. His passing is a
great sadness to the modeling community at large, and I hope to carry
on his legacy at Internet Modeler by following his words “Build
what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.” Godspeed,
Al, and thank you for enriching my life in ways few others have done.
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