Monty Oum pictured in 2013. (Wikipedia)
Celebrated web animator Monty Oum has died at the age of 33 in Austin, Texas. Oum passed away on February 1, and his death was announced on February 2.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Oum Died as the Result of an Allergic Reaction
Monty Oum pictured with his wife, Sheena. (Go Fund Me)
Oum had been in intensive care since late January after suffering an allergic reaction during a routine medical procedure. His death was announced in a statement from animation company Rooster Teeth, where he was director of animation:
Our friend, inspiration and co-worker Monty Oum passed away yesterday afternoon at 4:34 PM surrounded by people who loved him very much. Ten days ago Monty suffered a severe allergic reaction during a simple medical procedure that left him in a coma. Although he fought bravely, his body was not able to recover. During his time in the hospital he was well cared for and never in pain at any time.
Monty is survived by his wife Sheena, his father Mony, his brothers Woody, Sey, Chivy and Neat, and his sisters Thea and Theary, as well as a countless number of fans and friends. We were so proud to be a part of his life and we will miss him greatly.
Your generosity during the hours after the public statement on Friday will help his family deal with the costs of his care and his passing. You made an incredible difference during a difficult time and we cannot thank you enough.
As for honoring Monty, we will do that in our own way. 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 was 33 years old.
We love you, Monty.
In the hours after Monty’s death, Rooster Teeth’s YouTube channel, The Know, posted this emotional video:
On December 29, 2014, Oum’s wife, Sheena, put out this status update on her Facebook page:
(Facebook)
The update read:
All I hope for 2015 is for everyone to spend more time on the things and people they love and less on everything else that makes them unhappy! LIFE IS SHORT make every moment count ok. heart emoticon I am trying, too.
In November Oum tweeted that he was getting tested for allergies:
Getting tested for allergies. Apparently im allergic to juniper. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
2. A Go Fund Me for Oum Has Raised Over $180,000
Monty Oum’s Get Well Soon card.
A Go Fund Me page was set up to help pay for the animator’s spiraling medical costs. At the time of his death, the page had raised $180,340. The goal was a mere $50,000. The page made it clear that it was unknown if Oum was going to survive. The page read:
Monty is a tremendous talent who has accomplished so much in his young life. He has an amazing creative ability and the drive to put it to use. That is a rare combination and we are proud to have shared in it.
We expect that this news will be shocking to most of you and very difficult to process. It has been for many of us as well. Our hearts are with Monty, his wife Sheena and his brothers & sisters. They will need your good thoughts, your prayers, whatever kindness you have to offer. This fund has been established to help Monty’s family with medical expenses.
An online Get Well Soon card also went viral.
3. He Was Called the Kanye West of Online Animation
Oum first came to prominence in 2007 with his Halo-related fan movie, Haloid. One reviewer called it “The most interesting Halo-related fan movie in existence.” An Austin Chronicle article in 2013 referred to Oum as the Kanye West of online animation.
Oum was of Cambodian, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese heritage. On his Facebook page, Oum described himself as:
Director of Animation at Roosterteeth.com – Lead Animator Red Vs Blue Seasons 8 – 10 Creator, Director, Lead Animator of RWBY Dance Monkey.
You can see more of Oum’s brilliant artwork here.
4. Tributes Are Flooding in for Oum on Twitter
Terrible to hear about the news of Monty Oum’s passing. No one should be taken that young, especially someone as talented as he was.
Within minutes of the announcement of his passing, “RIP Monty Oum” became a Twitter trend in the U.S. His employer, Rooster Teeth, also trended. Nearly all of the messages were condolences to Oum, his family and his co-workers.
RIP @montyoum glad i got your signature and talked at RTX ’14. Your drive is an inspiration that will be missed.
Ouma’s last tweet came on January 21:
the boolean operation in Maya has improved a lot. Thanks Autodesk!
5. His Most Famous Work Is the Award-Winning Show ‘RWBY’
Since 2012, Oum had been working as the creator of the animated web series RWBY, pronounced Ruby. You can watch Episode One of the show above. Since July 2013, there have been 28 episodes of the series across two seasons. In 2014, the show won Best Animated Series at the International Academy of Web Television Awards and Best Animated Series at the Streamy Awards.