I first met Ryan in person at California Extreme. I was a big fan of Giant Bomb and the Whiskey Media properties in general and had heard about Ryanās affinity towards collecting laserdiscs. I just happened to have a huge pile of LDs that were part of a āstuff purgeā and couldnāt think of a better home. We met up at the show (coincidentally also the same show that Patrick picked up his Neo Geo cab) and lugged a giant bin back up to his hotel room. We shared a few drinks, discussing the technical superiority of the LD format and all the gems we learned from directorās commentary. Sitting on the balcony chatting, I felt like I had been given the key to some secret club that I could tell you about, but then Iād have to kill you.
Iāve always known that GB was a cult of personality, you felt attached to the site because you felt like you knew the people behind it. Ryan told me that heād often be approached by fans talking about something on the Bombcast and heād have to say something like āand whatās youāre name?ā People (myself included) felt so connected to him and the rest of the crew that fans would often forget that it was often a one-way street, at least initially.
Thatās what impressed me most about actually meeting the man and getting to know him a little better. After that one encounter he made me feel like I was a close friend, even if I really wasnāt in the traditional sense. Ryan was so genuine and he had this incredible infectious energy where everything seemed awesome when he was around. I have to admit that first time I heard my name on the Bombcast I felt like I was on top of the world.
I remember being contacted by Anna, the love of his life and wife for too short a time. She was looking to get him a Ms Pac Man machine for Christmas and somehow my name came up. Serendipity, I found an insanely clean upright for a great price and worked out all the details. We wheeled in the machine the day after Christmas, big red bow attached, and I wanted to tell him to marry the woman who made it possible. Of course, he already knew that and even to the casual observer you could tell how much they meant to each other. Even then he mentioned that she loved Area 51 and a few years later we were able to fill that hole in the Davis arcade.
The last interaction I had with Ryan was talking with him about how to get the Neo Geo cab from Patrickās place to his. I had just gone through surgery and couldnāt help personally, but did what I could to get him some help. I was looking forward to some Warlords cash games at California Extreme and sitting around drinking whiskey, catching up since my move.
Being around Ryan, in-person or over the internet, made life seem more fun. As many have said, even him giving you shit felt great in a way thatās hard to explain. I remember him telling me that he just put himself out there and let others be the judge, just focus on what he felt being a good person should be and let the chips fall where they may. At the time I was probably doing too much to curate my online persona and his thoughts really helped to change a lot of that.
The outpouring of support today on Twitter, Reddit, NeoGaf, etc. just makes more public what we already knew. We lost someone very special this week and though today tears have been shed, theyāre mixed with laughter as we remember all the joy heās brought to our lives.
I only broke bread with him a handful of times and canāt imagine what it must be like for those who knew him well. I offer my deepest condolences to his friends and family. I feel fortunate to have known Ryan Davis and truly believe that my interactions with him have made me a better person.
Thank you, duder, for everything you shared with us while you were here. Rest in peace.
