Hello there. It has come to my recent notice that as of February 1st, 2015, at 4:54 PM, Monty Oum is no longer with us. Now, I know this impacts all of us. Without Monty, we wouldn't even be sitting here, perusing the RWBY Fanfiction archive, because it would most likely not exist. I'm not saying this to be harsh, but it is most likely the truth.
If you want a brief rundown of who Monty was, here it is: Monty was a web-based animator, responsible for creating his crossover fighting videos, his fan series Dead Fantasy, as well as the hit video, Haloid. He began to gain attention, and was eventually offered a job by Rooster Teeth as a lead animator and designer. He worked on the shows Red vs. Blue, which most of you have heard of, as well as the (beloved) show, RWBY. This next one is coming straight from the heart; in four words, I would describe Monty as amazing, funny, unorthodox, and just all-around imaginative. I know, that's more than four words, but four words cannot simply describe Monty's epicness.
Now, I know it is taboo to certain people (emphasis on "certain") to mention, much less quote, another artists work in a story. However, this one cannot be ignored, nor neglected. If any of you have read the latest chapter of Weiss Reacts: Volume 2 by ElfCollaborator, you will also know that he pays his condolences to Monty's family and friends. But he also said that we cannot let Monty go down to rest like this. He said that we should send off Monty that isn't sad, but badass to a whole new level for the legend. Well, the next line is a quote of what he said to do. It is a rather long quote, so don't say I didn't warn you.
"To those of you planning to write tributes, I implore you to write the most badass ones you can, the most awesome and explosive ones possible. It's only right we send him off with the same heroic, epic, and mindblowing atmosphere he spent his life giving us, is it not? Be not sad, but celebrate his achievements! Give him one last hurrah! Do what you can to make sure that every last person who reads our stories knows that that is his legacy – not tragedy, but awesomeness, the likes of which the world had never seen before."
In response, I WILL be making a tribute. It will not be in this chapter, but consider this an extended author's note. Expect the tribute to be coming out before the end of the week. Without further ado, this note is coming to a close. Peace.
Thus kindly I scatter – Rest in Peace, Monty Oum. June 22nd, 1981 - February 1st, 2015.