As a massive fan of animation, I really admired and respected Eric Bauza. If you’re like me, it was very easy to see a bit of yourself in him, because he never lost his fandom or passion for the art of cartooning. Though he got his fame from voice acting, he started out in animation as an artist, doing work at Spumco in the early 2000’s. Even at the peak of his acting career in the last few years, he never forgot where he came from, and he brought the sensibility of being an animation fanatic and artist both to his performances and his support for those in the industry. When there was a strike or a protest, you could find him on the picket line. When Coyote v Acme was unfairly canned by Warner Bros, he never stopped speaking out about it, despite being the de facto face of the brand. It’s so heartwarming seeing all of the support and messages he’d given to cartoonists on social media through the years, no matter how small they were. He was always looking out for the little guy. Through it all, he was a lover of cartoons and people above all else. On that note, he was a great ambassador for animation in the public eye during these rocky times for the industry as a whole, constantly going on podcasts and sharing his love for cartoons on social media. Even as someone who didn’t know him personally, I’ll miss him very much. May he rest in peace.