RIP Buzz Potamkin and MCA

Right on the heels of my mentor Vincent Cafarelli passing away

comes the sad news that Buzz Potamkin 

has moved on as well.

Buzz was, 

of course,

the namesake of 

Buzzco,

the company he started and later sold to

Mr. Cafarelli, Candy Kugel and Marilyn Kramer

and renamed Buzzco Associates.

The studio was famous for animating 

the first, iconic MTV spots...

and the Berenstain Bears TV specials...

And the Hawaiian Punch commercials...

Buzz later made the move to LA where 

he worked for Disney

and Hanna Barbera,

where he oversaw the What A Cartoon shorts program.

I only got to meet him once or twice,

but heard many stories via Vinnie and J.J. Sedelmaier,

who Buzz gave his first animation job to.

You can read more about Buzz and his career over HERE.

And while we're on the topic 

of artists passing on,

I gotta shout a big RIP to Beastie Boy

Adam Yauch

aka MCA

His music has kept me company while

 I've drawn, doodled, illustrated, animated, and designed 

for as long as I can remember.

I never got to meet the man,

but there was a day when we 

shot each other a 

"YO"

as we skateboarded past one another 

on the streets of NYC.

That kinda made my day.

Big ups to ya, MCA.