Chris started many of my favorite discussion and photo threads on SB: Vintage Mail Day, Vintage outdoors..., and the Bootleg Thread. His enthusiasm is one of the reasons I was interesting in joining the forum to participate here. Quite the loss for this community.
Chris always messaged me to make me feel better when I messed up. He just understood me...we had a lot in common, I am so sad. May you rest in Peace truly brother. Cancer is a hell that is more unfair than another way of passing. It rips your life from you cell by cell, tears your family apart, and takes every last scrap of dignity you might have had before it kills you. The only...(and I mean ONLY) silver lining is that the pain is over now. If you're reading this Chris's family, know that we loved him here. We would have done anything for him, and we will never forget the great person Chris was. Please know that. Please know that tears are pouring out of my face writing this because I loved him so. It's not fair at all. Not even close. God must have needed him badly up there. Hugs forever, Ryan
God damnit. I only learned of this via Instagram this morning. Since then, I get choked up any time I stop to think about it. I wasn’t as close with him as some of you guys (we even bickered back and forth a time or two but always made up) but his passing has really hit me. As this thread attests to, he was a well respected member and contributor to our community, and his absence is a loss for us all...not only for his knowledge and photos but for his spirit and genuine love. Fuck cancer.
Sad news. Dealt with him many times here, and he was always very helpful with questions I had about toys in his collection. I recall giving him an early copy of S7 to help him complete the run, and felt like it was an honor just to be a part of that epic collection. Condolences to his friends and family. RIP
Incredibly sad and shocking news. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends. While I did not have the privilege of knowing Chris personally, he was still a big and appreciated part of our online community. He will be sorely missed.
Ugh... I have been inactive due to returning to school and pursuits of science myself, and am just finding out Chris passed in the last hour. I didn't even know he was sick. Chris was among my most dear sofubi buddies, and will always be inextricably linked to this place and the hobby itself for me. We became active around the same time, and him being more outspoken, I always loved his no-nonsense style of communication, and palpable passion for the toys and things he loved. His photos were abundant and excellent, and he was enthusiastic and supportive of my own photography pursuits. There are numerous toys in my collection that I acquired from him or because of him PMing me a link just being a good guy. I really wish I could have sent him regards before he passed.... how fast things change... but it's great to see how supportive everyone here has been and I know he knew he was appreciated. Chris, you will never be forgotten, memories will always be sitting on my shelf.
I’m so very sad to hear of this. My communication with Chris was limited, but my respect for him went beyond this hobby which means so much to some of us. His type of clarity, sincerity and straight shooting is a rare thing these days. I’ll miss him on this board for his passionate and always inspiring contribution. Sleep in peace, fellow warrior.
Chris has been heavily on my mind since I read his final post Sunday. I was out birding this morning and again my thoughts turned to Chris. truly heartbreaking, my thoughts and prayers <3
awful news. chris and i became good pals over time through here and flickr, bonding over vintage stuff. he will be missed
Having been away to attend some necessary family matters, I am so saddened to learn of this news on my return. I confess that it caught me completely off-guard, and has hit me pretty significantly. I have no great words of comfort or inspiration, I can only deign to try and convey what Chris meant to me, and, perhaps, some others or his family reading this will see in it the man that they knew. The sort of 'community' we have built here is a difficult thing for most people to understand, which I fully recognise; we bandy that word around quite a bit, and it means different things to different people. And, even for those among other internet circles, perhaps we are a bit odd - but I gather that anyone looking in might not easily grasp the sense of connection and friendships this little forum has actually built. And it is without any sense of exaggeration that I say Chris was a major part of that. To his family, and anyone reading this who might not have had the chance to interact with him as much on here, let me say that he will be dearly missed, on Skullbrain as a whole, but particularly on a personal level to me. Over the years Chris and I bonded on many things, not the least of which was toys. We enjoyed conversations on anything from hockey, drinks, science, the joys/perils of schooling, our mutual misanthropy, clothing, relationships, and a few others I will keep just for me - basically, the same sort of random conversations you would have with any friend. We might only have met each other regularly on the internet, but that doesn't mean I value the relationship any less. Chris was an outstanding person and honest as you could have hoped for. His contributions here are countless, and the unspoken and immeasurable ways he touched people on this board even more so. His passing leaves this place lesser. People have already highlighted so many wonderful parts of Chris' collecting life, the Hukkokudo, Buta, Shikaruna, M1-Go, etc., but his vintage collection will also be something I feel particularly very close to. Chris and I bonded over vintage tokusatsu heroes for a great, long time. He inspired me (and I am sure a few others) to chase after many a figure, and there was a lot of YJA hunting I lived precariously through him to give me great joy and experiences. I am very grateful for those times. When, just a couple weeks ago, a giant Redman came up for sale, I instantly knew exactly who to pop out a message to. It was something he had been searching for since getting into the vintage scene, and was a grail for him if anything is to anyone. There was, of course, considerable time difference between us, so I was incredibly anxious and on edge for quite some time. I was so happy to know he was able to adopt him in the end, and I have no doubt that it gave him a great thrill and joy to have finally completed that quest. Seeing it among his collection, as I told him, there are few other's shelves, if any, I could think of him belonging more [where it wouldn't be grating]. Chris' many beautiful vintage shelves will forever be a thing of envy and admiration to me, but more than that, they will remain a tribute to his taste in toys and to the quality of the man himself. I know people have shared some pics from his flickr, but I would not be able to choose a favourite to post here. His photos are among the top ever shared on the board - which speaks that they are probably among the top in the world - and gave us all a smile (and probably dropped a few chins too, in the process!). They may have been only vinyl toys, not an easy thing to convey to an average person, but the way he enjoyed them was evident to anyone looking at those pics. They will be lasting memories I will really treasure. What Chris/Lixx gave to Skullbrain will always be a part of the board going forward, but he will still be dearly missed by all of us. My sincere condolences go out to all of his family and friends, at this very difficult time. Cancer has unfortunately hit us all at some point, and many members here have been touched by this disease themselves, or shared their personal stories of loved ones. As someone working in cancer research and new treatments to fight it, I will just say that there always remains hope. The number of clinical trials currently underway is incredible, and with a lot of recent approvals (which may or may not have made headlines, depending on your circle) and so many more in the pipeline, I will say that promising work is definitely coming. Supporting key research and staying positive is the one thing that can take us forward. It is with great sadness that I learn that Chris has passed. This will be a time I don't soon forget. I know he gave it his all, and I hope his suffering was not severe in his final days. I wish that I could have had the chance to give him a proper goodbye in person. Whatever plane Chris has gone to, may it be a world enlightened by his crossing. Thank you very much, Lixx, for all of the memories. May you forever be blessed with that new vintage mail feeling.
I am so incredibly saddened to hear that Chris is no longer with us. I always thought he would pull through but now I know he's no longer here I really wish I kept in touch. I've been mostly absent from this board in the last few years with other life things taking priority over Sofubi. Reading all these posts in this thread made me realise just how many of us share similar experiences with Chris, His bold attitude and passion for these toys will always be a huge inspiration for myself and others. Thank you Chris for everything you have to this community, Skullbrain will never be the same without you.
i'm so sorry... and so sad. he helped me, it had nothing to do with toys. he gave me strength... every time i thought of quitting my physical therapy i would read his post and lose all my excuses. thank you Chris, rest in peace
I too learned about his passing on Instagram. So sudden. Chris is my bro. We started here around the same time. Even though we have never met we knew each other. We knew each other's collection. He was my twin brother when it comes to toys. He's direct, doesn't mince his words. His honestly and sincerity are what connects him to so many, the kindest bro I know. May God bless you and keep you. Rest in peace, Chris.
I just learned of chris' passing. He and I have quite a history as we worked together in a small vinyl obsessed (jungle/d'n'b record) store in nyc in the mid/late 90s. Then about ten years later we reconnected here in another niche vinyl obsessed community. Vinyl always brought us together As I haven't been around SB much for awhile, I was unaware of his medical tribulations. I am really saddened today. Here is hoping he is in a better place, far away from the recent suffering. Bless!
So sudden, so sorrowful. Chris played such a large role in this community that cannot be replaced. His contributions, his photos, his ramblings, his straight forward talk, were, are, and will continue to be cherished by old, current, and future SB members. Chris personally helped me to grow my toy collection, and his photos helped me to appreciate and long for many toys that I would have not given much thought to otherwise (especially vintage ones). You will be missed Chris. Sending my sincere sympathies to your family and wishing for you peace and happiness wherever you are. <3
@analog101 thank you for the sale via donation to chris's fundraiser. Your name is the one that belongs there. It was a very kind thing to do
Bummed to her of his passing. He always sent me nice messages and was a good compas when it came to discussion. You will be missed, Chris
Wow. Just wow. Chris and I started off to quite a combative start, but after getting to know each other just a little bit we discovered we had more in common, like our sometimes abrasive personalities, than we had differences. Rest in peace friend.