Tributes

From Robert W. Mackey…

Thanks, Earl, for all those wonderful “Stu’s Show”s you orchestrated, those brilliant animation scripts, your nurturing of the next generations of voicework and veneration of the past generations…and on and on. You are already missed by me and many of my friends. Rest in peace.

From Charles M. Howell IV

Very sad to hear of Earl’s death. I had lunch with Earl and Tom Ruegger at Mo’s Burgers just three or four weeks ago. I knew he’d been going through all of this difficult treatment for some months and it must have been grueling much of the time, but there he was, enjoying lunch, enjoying the company and the conversation.

He was joking about how the chemo was affecting his taste buds, though to talk to him and look at him, you would’ve thought he was fine. He wasn’t. But I’m so glad he was having a good time with friends right up until the end.

I worked with him at HB and WB off and on for over twenty years. He was always a dependable writer and a good friend to have in the room. Like Tom Sheppard, I also remember the time we all spent together writing Pinky & the Brain with great fondness. Earl Kress, you’ll be missed.

From Gordon Bressack

So sad. Earl, if there’s Facebook in the afterlife I hope you see this outpouring of sadness and appreciation. All animation writers owe Earl a debt of gratitude. He was committed to improving our conditions. You will be sorely missed, Earl. I’m so sorry you got fucked over by fate.

From Tom Sheppard

So sad to hear that Earl Kress passed away. I have many great memories of a man who knew more than just about anyone I’ve ever met about cartoon history. I fondly recall sitting in a room for days (or maybe weeks) writing these lyrics with Earl, Charlie Howell, Wendell Morris and Jed Spingarn like it was yesterday. A bunch of us were baby writers on that show. Earl had done hard time in animation, but he never treated us as anything but equals. A darn good guy. Rest In Peace, Earl.

From Cullen W. Pittman

I’m so sorry, Earl. You were a friend to me back on the Muppet Central forums and then we became FB friends. I’m glad you had a great career in television and I hope you’re being creative wherever you are right now. God Bless you, Earl. In the Name of Jesus, AMEN!

From Kevin Hopps

Earl Kress: always there with a smile. A friend to everyone. And we will all miss him.

From Scott Shaw!

There are lots of cartoonists who are excellent writers, but there are far fewer writers who can draw. For that matter, the actual drawing ability isn’t as important as the ability to THINK like a cartoonist, especially when it comes to writing scripts and gags for animated cartoons. I’ve worked with a handful of writers who possess this: Mark Evanier, Paul Dini, Doug Molitor and the late Earl Kress. Hats off to all of these gents.

From Raul Moreno

RIP,Earl.  IT was a pleasure to know you for 30 years of my life.  When I was a smart mouth 16 year old at the Hollywood 80 convention and so on.  Thanks for your friendship.  So long, Oily Grease…..(an inside joke!)

From Lindsay Planer

OMG!!!!!!! Every animated cell in the world lost their best friend today.

From Eric Costello

I was made sad today by the news that Earl Kress had passed away from complications due to cancer. Kress was someone whose talents I had admired in shows like Pinky and the Brain and Road Rovers, and the various WB-related comic books. I met him once, under happy circumstances (a lunch I hosted for Kress, Charlie Howell, Tom Ruegger et alia at the Penn Club in New York); he struck me as a soft-spoken and altogether decent man. I am very sorry to see him pass on. My condolences to the family.