RIP Grant from Mythbusters
I'm going to miss Grant. He was always my favorite from Mythbusters, and I felt brought out the best in Jamie when hearing about their friendship outside of the show off camera. Grant spending times talking about "killer robots" with Jamie. in Jamie's garage, having a good relationship of mutual respect in working together, and the gap of expertise shrinking as time went by.
I remember when Grant made this massive crab like spider machine, that was a good 400 pounds...and it fell over. The moment on camera almost looked comical, but it was such a "whew!" sobering moment, because Grant had been working too hard, too long, and like all artists/engineers he just had to made "this one" adjustment. He was perfectionist that did not exclude his own faults. He was quick, in my view, to point out his own failings. I admire that, and aim to emulate that.
I remember also seeing him in relation to R2D2 for Star Wars. I remember him on Geek and Sundry IIRC talking about gaming culture, star trek, killer robots, just...a bunch of things. I loved his personal history, what little I knew about his upbringing, some of it struck similarities to Michio Kaku; the aspiring, curious, and ambitious young man that would grow up to pursue his dreams. I do appreciate Michio Kaku, I like many of his lectures, but Grant Imahara felt like a family member I'd see pictures of and hear about, but whom I never met. Michio Kaku always had that air of unreal. I don't know. Grant just....he was so genuine...so passionate...so willing to admit his faults, willing to find solutions. He didn't have veneer when he was on screen, because it was such a quirk that he was ever brought to the camera in the first place, but he knew his craft behind the work of major films.
I'm a little teary, truly. I'm sad and feel heartfelt pain to hear he passed away. It feels like because he was so...well for me so transparent, so willing to gravitate to whatever interested him...I feel like I KNEW him. Knew HIM.
Not since Alan Rickman and before that Chester Bennington have I found myself with such feeling of loss. So few people in the media really affect me when they pass. Grant certainly left such a positive feeling in me. It makes me feel like I missed out on a great thing, while it was happening, but I'm thankful for so much of what can still be appreciated.
I am happy he left such a passion in the world for so many things he left his mark on, and took part in. He was certainly the inspiration to do what few robotics I ever did. Nothing but very amateur programming on existing hardware, but even that level of communication was so often frustrating, and I'd remember all the times Grant would have to tweak and undo a tiny error that just wasn't acceptable to the overall design. It was because of him I really pursued programming, purely because I enjoyed it, even if it was/is difficult, and even if I'll never make living doing it, he was huge inspiration to "do it anyway".
It makes me happy I was alive at the same time as him to see him go from the unknown assistant off camera on Mythbusters, to an enthusiast that was recreating the Enterprise. I was never a star trek fan of any kind, but I admired the scope of that project.
RIP Grant Imahara...well wishes to his family...and all those who will feel his passing.