Originally Posted by
Kevin Siembieda
Erick Wujcik’s health is in fast decline.
I’m sorry to report that Erick is quite ill now and suffering from the consequences of a failing liver. His deteriorating condition is not a surprise, but it is unwelcomed. Erick has beat the odds and fooled the doctors – fooled everyone – by lasting as long as he has, but then Erick has always been full of surprises and magic. But even the power of the “Wuj” has its limits, and I fear it won’t be long now.
It’s 1:30 AM Friday morning as I write these thoughts by hand to retype sometime later today and post it online. Got the news Thursday evening. Can’t sleep. I keep thinking about all the real life adventures and good times Erick and I have shared: Gen Cons and Dragon Cons together, convention panel discussions together, the 2007 Palladium Open House, the song shop, the Detroit Gaming Center, The Mechanoid Invasion, Sector 57, Napalm’s Dungeon, Aliens Among us, Entropy, Dragonwright, Ninja Turtles, Ninjas & Superspies, Monsters and Animals, BTS Victim Characters, fine tuning Palladium’s game mechanics, evening visits upstairs in that freezing attic while working on Judge's Guild art, laundry runs that included discussions of game theory or game design, Prentis street, Erick’s discovery of Kevin Long, DIA film nights, Animation Festivals, midnight till 4:00 AM telephone discussions when he worked at the Detroit News, art commissions, brainstorming, a host of people: Kay, Sara, Rene, Matt, Paul, Chuck, Kevin, Dan, Tina, Eric, Aunt Mary, Uncle Sam, Nora, the Defilers, and very many more people and much more adventures and good times.
I’m so glad the ENnie Award people made such a wonderful effort to give Erick the Lifetime Achievement Award he so richly deserved. I appreciate that they worked so quickly to get it to him in time for Erick’s 57th Birthday Bash when Erick was still well enough to truly enjoy it. And get it at a place and time where he could share his joy and accomplishments with 150 friends and family members. I’m glad I was part of that birthday. The party was a fantastic event. I’m glad I was there with Thom, Kathy, Julius, Alex, Wayne (the heroes of Palladium) and Randy McCall. I’m glad I got to see so many old friends, Wujcik family members and Defilers. Another fond memory to keep me smiling in the days to come.
I’ve been enjoying gathering the books for Erick’s admittance into the Library of Congress. In fact, that honor is greenlit and the books and art (Kevin Long's Advanced RECON cover painting) are already on their way to the Library of Congress.
I’ve also enjoyed digging through the boxes of books, art, and memories Erick gave when he was here in January. As Erick has instructed, I’m selling most of it in auction, but I’m keeping choice items (choice memories) for myself. Selfish, maybe, but I can’t part with some of it.
Erick has been so concerned about Palladium’s survival. Even ill, he signed 100+ books back in January for our archives and to sell in our auctions in an effort to help bolster Palladium’s cash flow. He has cherished every telephone call reporting good news about Palladium and its potentially bright future. (One more reason to make Palladium bigger and better than ever.) He always asked about me, Kathy, Alex and the guys. If we were all holding up under the strain of the last few years. He always sounded glad to hear from me. He always sounded like Erick. If you didn’t know better, you’d never know he was sick at all.
I thank God there is NOTHING left unsaid between us. I know that alone is a wonderful gift. I know I am blessed to have nothing but a lifetime of good memories.
Yet the impending loss has affected me more deeply than I expected. I hit a boulder 100 feet from the new Palladium offices and wrecked the side of my new, leased, 2008 Dodge Caravan. I’m fine. Couldn’t have been going more than 30-35 mph, yet the passenger side of the van looks like it’s been slashed by Godzilla. I have a ton of work to do – finish paste up of Deluxe Robotech RPG, work on The Rifter #43 (Wujcik tribute and Swimsuit pinup issue, hmmm, I think Erick would like that :D ), contracts, answer a ton of private messages, do an ad, work on some important aspects of the secret project and a whole lot more – but I have pretty much sleepwalked through most of the day. Didn’t even come in today till 3:00 P.M., then visited with Josh and Karen Hilden for 3 hours, wrote this Murmur. I can’t seem to focus on much today. Think I’m going to call it a day, come back tomorrow, work through the weekend, visit some friends Saturday evening, wish Kathy a Happy Birthday.
My thanks and appreciation to everyone who has posted on the erickwujcik.com blog, on the Palladium Message Boards and Erick’s website. Your generous tales about Erick Wujcik and warm wishes put a smile on Erick’s face and helped make his last months on Earth more pleasant and joyful.
I will keep you posted as to Erick’s condition, but all we can do now is light the way for him with our love, appreciation and prayers.
Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer, Artist and Friend
© Copyright June 6, 2008 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Heroes Unlimited, Beyond the Supernatural, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.
Erick Wujcik’s health is in fast decline.
Thought I would pass it along.
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