RIP Curtis Newton - My Friend and Podcasting Partner

A year ago today my wife and I were headed to a press event at Nerdvana restaurant and bar in Frisco, Texas, about 45 minutes from my house. Gear Box video game company owner Randy Pitchford was going to be there (his wife owns the place), as was comedian Penn Jillette.

We were excited and enjoyed the drive out (these types of media things are usually a lot of fun), until we were just a few miles away and got the kind of phone call you never want to get. Curtis’s dear friend Tami gave us the bad news: Curtis had died.

Curtis, my good friend and podcasting partner. Curtis, the tall, loud, enthusiastic guy who wanted you to enjoy life just as much as he did. Curtis, who loved Star Wars, Metallica, the Dallas Cowboys, and video games (especially the PlayStation 4 and his gamer buddies). Curtis, who loved his family and friends with a passion and showed it in his smile and words (loud words) every time you saw him. Curtis, whose three beautiful and intelligent daughters meant the world to him. Curtis, who died way too young at 43.

With Curtis’s death, my YouTube ambitions pretty much died with him. I thought we had a pretty good thing going, and Curtis had big plans for the podcast (post production, music, special guests, gameplay footage, etc.), but now we’ll never know. Far more importantly, I lost a good friend and colleague.

RIP, Curtis. I miss your loud voice (did I mention he was loud?), your big laugh, and your enthusiasm for life and video games. I miss bagging on you during our podcast, going to conventions together, and talking and laughing about all of the goings on in the world of nerdy pop culture. I never even got to scoreboard you on how Nintendo sent me a Switch and some games. That would have been a fun episode.