I just heard that Carl Macek passed away over the weekend.  He's perhaps best known as the producer who first brought some of the most popular anime to the US, including Robotech, Akira, Robot Carnival, My Neighbor Totoro and many others.  I worked in the model shop which was attached to his Streamline Pictures production company, from 1995-1997.

He was a great boss and a very decent guy, to give this wet-behind-the-ears sculptor his first "real job", making models that actual people would buy.  I remember almost every word of his genius pep-talks.  It was great to hear his war-stories about the animation and film biz.  He was a genuine film buff and he knew everything!  He was very generous with his crew, as for myself and two other Streamline alums Robert Martin and "Tiki Al" Zequeira, we recall a lot of fond memories working, hanging out and talking geek back in that shop. 

Thanks for everything Carl, you will be missed.

(note: I've aded to this a bit since first posting)