It has come to my attention that one of our leaders (and an irreplaceable best friend), *buuzen, has passed away from pneumonia.


This photo, courtesy of ~KigenNaiteiru

On July 11th, 2009, Ryan L. (also known as *buuzen) had passed away from pneumonia in ICU after battling the cold for over 13 days. He lived a good life and yet it was taken away from him at such a young age.

Though this is personally sad news for me, and the same for many of you, I believe he did not want us to feel sad for his passing, but fortunate for his presence. He was a nice person, an inspirational individual, and an awesome friend. He would immerse himself in his art and all things that captured his fancy. His artwork very well reflects that. He worked in various subject matter ranging from humorous comics, to notable fan art, to sensual drawings. He was not the type of artist who wanted to purely show off his skills, he wanted the viewer to convey emotion and to feel something--to feel his excitement, his dedication, and his love for what he enjoys most. From what I know, he was never stubborn and always open to criticism, sometimes asking for input from others and providing helpful tips for those who ask.

He would often blame himself for his procrastination, but he has produced so many works over the years. The bulk of his work is fan service material, showing his love in various games and cartoons that made up his past times. More importantly, he was there for the fans--to share his work with others who had similar interests. Please visit his gallery if you are interested in seeing his work.

As an artist, he has influenced me over the years, even before my first days here on dA. I remember seeing his works on Tenchu.de (when the site was at it's prime) and being blown away. Since then, I've always been a fan of his work. Personally, I consider him to be a close friend, even though we never talked online often or ever met face to face. Every time I'd run into him online, he would be a presence that you'd like around, and would never think about feeling awkward or threatened--he was just that type of guy. Friendly, positive, and motivating. I've had some conversations with him before, sprinkled with talk of one of our favorite video game series, Tenchu, and other things like that. I've also done some openCanvas sessions with him, to which he was so nice to help me out with when I first started. He was an awesome friend.

I would write (type) more, but I am currently at a loss of words, having a feeling that this is so unreal. But I would like finish by mentioning that my heart goes out to his closest family and friends, and I hope he finds a great place to chill and be eternally happy because he definitely deserves it.

Rest in peace, man.

*DRa90NBoi

Here are some links with words from friends closer to him:
- R.I.P. buuzen by ~HolyDemon
- Dear Ryan by ~SeraphicTears
- RIP Buuzen by ~KigenNaiteiru

(I apologize for the typos, if there are any.)

[As a note to all NDA leaders, if you would like to add your words to this journal, feel free to edit. Thanks-- *DRa90NBoi]