Today the anime and gaming communities mourn the loss of Monty Oum, the creator of the TV series RWBY and the director of animation for Rooster Teeth Productions.  Oum died tragically from an allergic reaction during a routine surgery on Feb. 1 2015.  He was only 33 years old.

On Jan. 21 Oum suffered an allergic reaction which left him comatose and in critical care.  The community quickly rallied around him, raising $150,000 for medical expenses in 24 hours through GoFundMe.  Although the funding could not ultimately save Oum’s life, Rooster Teeth has issued a thank you to his fans, saying the generosity of the community “will help his family deal with the costs of his care and his passing.”  The production company also assured Oum’s fans that “during his time in the hospital he was well cared for and never in pain at any time.”

A rising star in the anime world, Oum was best known for his work on RWBY, Afro Samurai, and the web series Red Vs. Blue.  Anime fans often described him as bringing a western approach to the traditionally Japanese genre for his takes on popular Japanese tropes, such as monster-hunting high school girls.  At conventions and on social media he was always very outgoing and happy to interact with his fans.  In a fitting final tribute, Rooster Teeth asks that “In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that you simply do something creative. Use your imagination to make the world a better place in any way that you can.  If you know Monty like we do, then you know he would certainly be doing that if he were able to.”

Monty Oum is survived by his wife Sheena, father Mony, brothers Woody, Sey, Chivy, and Neat, sisters Thea and Theary, and millions of fans around the world.