Animation writer and playwright Gordon Bressack died today. This news…well, I was going to say it came as no shock to anyone aware of his massive health problems in recent years but it's still a shock. Gordon was 68 and had endured a long series of problems which I believe included a liver transplant. The last time I saw him was about three months ago. He was in a nursing facility and when I walked in to visit, I made the mistake of asking, "How are you doing?" I should have tried to take his mind off his problems instead of triggering what turned out to be a long list of procedures and problems and it was very sad.
It was especially sad in contrast to Gordon as I knew him when he was well. He was energetic, sharp, enterprising and always busy writing these three things, directing those two things and producing a bunch of others. We never worked together on a show but we worked together on a lot of legal/labor efforts to better the lot of animation writers and to elevate a profession when it was in dire need of elevation.
And I suppose I should say this but say it delicately: We didn't always get along. We had some differences and arguments but they were the kind where I could differ with someone while still respecting his positions and also his work. We eventually patched up our differences and got along fine thereafter.
Gordon wrote a lot of cartoons, winning three Emmys total for Pinky and the Brain and one of its spin-offs, and maybe deserving a few for other projects. Other credits included Animaniacs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jimmy Neutron, The Smurfs, The Real Ghostbusters and Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys. He did his profession proud.