Fanboys Anonymous

Hey there, Dacetacular Nation. It is I, Chris "The Dace Man" Dace, coming to you on a more somber note this time around. As many of you have most likely heard by know, legendary writer and actor Harold Ramis passed away on Monday, February 24, 2014. Ramis was at his North Shore Chicago home when he died at 12:53 a.m. of complications from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a rare disease that involves swelling of the blood vessels. Ramis passed away at the age of 69 surrounded by his family.

An accomplished writer, director and actor, Ramis was in the entertainment business over the course of more than four decades. Getting his start in Chicago with the Second City Comedy Troupe, Ramis would go on to write, direct, and, on occasion, appear in many comedy blockbuster hits. He both wrote and acted in several films, including GhostBusters, Groundhog Day, and Stripes. Take those instant classes and pair them up with movies such as Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Animal House in which he was a writer, and you have very well-defined comedy itself. Each of these films plus the entire list of credits Ramis is attached to are classics and instantly quotable by several generations.

When I first heard the news of Ramis' passing, my initial reaction was, "That's a shame. Looks like we won't get a Ghostbusters III." After the initial reaction settled in, I decided to thumb through Ramis' filmography and realized that comedy has lost one of the funniest and most creative minds of our lifetime. The impact was much larger than a selfish desire to see a Ghostbusters III; the world essentially lost its smile. Ramis has inspired the likes of Judd Apatow (Knocked Up), Jay Roach (Austin Powers), Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber), and Jake Kasdan (Orange County), and even Adam Sandler has been quoted as pulling from Ramis for inspiration—not to mention Ramis was definitely a huge part of Bill Murray and John Belushi's rise to fame. Ramis' final on-screen appearance would be as a part of 2009's Year One, produced by Apatow, a man he inspired years prior.

I, for one, will be spending the spare time I have this weekend watching all of the classic Ramis hits, because without these the world wouldn't be as fun to be in. Harold Ramis, on behalf of myself, every one here in Fanboys Anonymous, and anyone who has ever aspired to be comedic writer, I thank you for all of your contributions to the world of film and comedy. You were taken from us entirely too soon.

As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until then, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and, in this case, a Harold Ramis classic!—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!