Jeremiah Shannon was a friend I made while attending the School of Visual Arts in New York City. We shared a couple of classes together and kept in touch for the years thereafter. Jeremiah was a real character. I’ve never met anyone like him, and I probably never will. In a big city where everyone tries to be something they’re not, Jeremiah was perfectly comfortable being himself. I rarely saw him without one of his classic flannel shirts or a smile on his face. He was truly one of a kind.

This weekend, I got news that can only be described as shocking. Jeremiah passed away on Friday at the age of 30. I honestly can’t believe it, and I think it’s going to be a long while before I can finally accept it. Life can be really unfair sometimes. There wasn’t a bad bone in Jeremiah’s body.

In 2002, I completed a short animated film called, "Lumberwacked." The title character was loosely based on Jeremiah. "Lumberwack" was a real nickname Jeremiah had, and it just seemed like something that desperately belonged in a cartoon. I remember showing Jeremiah some sketches and telling him about a few wacky ideas I had (the film is pretty random.) He joked that he had never been an animated character before and seemed to get a big kick out of the idea.

Jeremiah loved animation and had a deep appreciation for all things silly. The thing I will probably remember most about him was his larger-than-life laugh. I'm happy to say that you'll get to hear it in my film.