Tweet
Yesterday I received devastating news. I was told that my mentor/teacher/friend, Kaj Pindal had passed away at the age of 76.
He had always bragged about how he was the youngest of his animator friends and that they were all still riding bikes and traveling the world.
Kaj was as strong as an ox, even though he looked frail (mostly because of his wrinkles upon wrinkles -- his laugh lines gone wild). Up until the day I heard this news, I knew he was still building his fully functional trolley car, in his back yard, all by himself. He never stopped moving.
Every year involved at least 5 flights to different countries, where he'd lecture and cut ribbons and be the guest of honour for some animation thing or another.
I was absolutely heartbroken. I wasn't prepared. This man reveals his brilliance every time he opens his mouth. I've learned so much from him. When I had my first big, disillusioning work experience (with a nasty, sneaky boss), Kaj was the first one to call me and console me, making sure I knew that this isn't the way the industry should be.
There's an air about old animators that makes you believe they'll live forever. There's an abundance of very, very old animators out there. They DO live forever.
I bawled all the way home. ...I'm amazed at the number of people on the subway who don't look you close enough in the eye to even notice.
Everybody was hearing this news. Everybody was claiming that they had been told it was aired on CBC radio.
...oddly, nobody had actually heard the radio news themselves.
Some people were reading it on animation websites... however, even the websites were claiming having heard ABOUT it being aired on the CBC.
I kept telling myself I was just in denial. What are the odds of a false claim of death? That doesn't really happen in real life.
But I couldn't understand why, if it had just happened, his wife would call the media before friends in the community even heard about it? But again, I was sure I was just in denial.
Well, this morning I started receiving e-mails from other teachers. One said something along the lines of, "um... I went to the Pindal's house yesterday and handed Kaj his obituary. He is very bemused by the rumour." He went on to tell me that, just to make sure, "I even checked his pulse."
I am now trying to reconcile both of my equally strong feelings of relief and PISSED OFF-ness!
...I'm pretty sure I know how this rumour started and began to spread like wild fire. But I'll leave my speculation out of it. No use starting another rumour.
I need to mail the Pindals something like flowers and a card, telling him I've never been so relieved to know he's not dead.
...or maybe just "Dear Kaj, I'm sorry to hear you're dead. I hope you recover soon."
Someone else told me they want to send a casserole.
It was the first death close to me, as well as the first coming-back-to-life.
Now if (IF) Kaj ever DOES die (which I'm pretty sure he won't... EVER) I'm not sure I'll believe it. Even if he's 120 years old. I'd have to see it happen with my own eyes.
He had always bragged about how he was the youngest of his animator friends and that they were all still riding bikes and traveling the world.
Kaj was as strong as an ox, even though he looked frail (mostly because of his wrinkles upon wrinkles -- his laugh lines gone wild). Up until the day I heard this news, I knew he was still building his fully functional trolley car, in his back yard, all by himself. He never stopped moving.
Every year involved at least 5 flights to different countries, where he'd lecture and cut ribbons and be the guest of honour for some animation thing or another.
I was absolutely heartbroken. I wasn't prepared. This man reveals his brilliance every time he opens his mouth. I've learned so much from him. When I had my first big, disillusioning work experience (with a nasty, sneaky boss), Kaj was the first one to call me and console me, making sure I knew that this isn't the way the industry should be.
There's an air about old animators that makes you believe they'll live forever. There's an abundance of very, very old animators out there. They DO live forever.
I bawled all the way home. ...I'm amazed at the number of people on the subway who don't look you close enough in the eye to even notice.
Everybody was hearing this news. Everybody was claiming that they had been told it was aired on CBC radio.
...oddly, nobody had actually heard the radio news themselves.
Some people were reading it on animation websites... however, even the websites were claiming having heard ABOUT it being aired on the CBC.
I kept telling myself I was just in denial. What are the odds of a false claim of death? That doesn't really happen in real life.
But I couldn't understand why, if it had just happened, his wife would call the media before friends in the community even heard about it? But again, I was sure I was just in denial.
Well, this morning I started receiving e-mails from other teachers. One said something along the lines of, "um... I went to the Pindal's house yesterday and handed Kaj his obituary. He is very bemused by the rumour." He went on to tell me that, just to make sure, "I even checked his pulse."
I am now trying to reconcile both of my equally strong feelings of relief and PISSED OFF-ness!
...I'm pretty sure I know how this rumour started and began to spread like wild fire. But I'll leave my speculation out of it. No use starting another rumour.
I need to mail the Pindals something like flowers and a card, telling him I've never been so relieved to know he's not dead.
...or maybe just "Dear Kaj, I'm sorry to hear you're dead. I hope you recover soon."
Someone else told me they want to send a casserole.
It was the first death close to me, as well as the first coming-back-to-life.
Now if (IF) Kaj ever DOES die (which I'm pretty sure he won't... EVER) I'm not sure I'll believe it. Even if he's 120 years old. I'd have to see it happen with my own eyes.
Attached Files