Dick Siegel (Marsfilm) Memorial

Folks with a heavy, heavy heart, I have to tell you about the passing of our great friend Marsfilm. One of the core team that roamed the halls of the Cobalt Club those many years ago. Some call them the golden years. I will never forget when he crashed the Autogyro into the roof pool on New Years eve those many years ago.

This thread is to celebrate our good friend. Mars wouldn't want sadness he would want a bang up party the likes that requires a passport and bail money.

Space and I were talking today and he mentioned Mars had not checked in this year, I went looking and my heart fell when I found out. I had talked to him on the phone last year I cannot believe it was sometime around April, we talked for hours as he always had so much to say. Mars and I worked together on mobile content for my company around 2005. It was a great time full of excitement and creativity. Have to say this has hit me very hard as I am sure it will others.

So please if you have stories to share, please do below.

Here is a link to an obit.

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And Mars Tweeter feed its so good to see his words and how he thought there. A digital vapour trail so we won't feel so sad.

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Boss, I'm still not really processin' this right now. After checkin' all my old onlines, it seems that Mars and I last spoke about a month and a half before he passed. And it was our typical "I dare Ya to not laugh" kind of zaniness. Along with talk about life and how things were goin' with both our worlds. Now I'm sittin' here teary eyed, rememberin' all the fun we used to have swappin' whoppers.

I do still have the story he wrote for Printed Poison magazine, First Person Singular, "I Shot Down King Kong." I'll add it here within the next 24 hours. Both the story as a series of images and a pdf of the entire issue of the magazine.


I never got the chance to meet Dick Siegel in person. But Mars and I hung out together for about 15 years at The Cobalt Club. And we became really good friends. We shared a lotta laughs, and a few tears. I'm gonna miss him.

Space

Never thought I would be typing those words about Mars. One thing I can say, I called him a friend. We worked together and had a blast never a dull day. He was a real throw back to the past. He loved Welles and matched him in wit and enthusiasm. Time heals, but its gonna take a long while to get over this.

When I first joined the Cobalt Club, Mars was one of the first people to welcome me to this fine establishment.

Two things strike me as I remember those days.

The first occurred after I admitted to everyone that I knew little to nothing about OTR and had heard even less. He told me it was ok not to know information and that the group would help me learn. He also said it was not ok to be rude or to denigrate others. I watched him take down a couple of people. He did it so well that I found myself enjoying his style.

The second thing was a request I had made about Superman. I had heard a couple of episodes and wondered on line where I could get more. The next thing I know, he has started downloading the first of several hundred episodes. It was all I could do to keep up with the series. He was so kind and I am not sure I ever thanked him enough for his help and kindness.

He helped define the Club early. He has been and will be missed.

Like many, Mars was one of the first folk I met at the Old Club. A man of rare wit and joy, he held us together and was always ready to welcome aboard the newbies. I join the crew in feeling a little diminished, but joyful that we got to know him and profit from his kindness.

Safe travels in the Autogyro, my friend.
Jeff

The sad thing for me is the person I want to discuss this passing with is Mars. When Omaha died I spent a lot of time talking to Mars about it and he really helped put things in perspective, having you guys on here to talk to is a real help. Keep wishing this is a prank he is pulling on us.

Mars loved the Space program. Here he got to interview Buzz Aldrin and you can tell he is having a good time.

In 2003, Mars wrote a story for Printed Poison Magazine. That was a modern pulp web-zine done in the classic pulp style. He used friends from The Cobalt Club as characters in the story. He also did (or snagged) the illustrations for the story. This is that story, in it's original form. And it sounds a lot like many, if not most of his posts.

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I think this represents him well. And it's my tribute to a friend out of sight but not out of mind.

God Speed Mars. I'll tip a few Romulan Ales in your honor. And I'll probably end up passed out in the alley out back, just as you and I did on many a Saturday night.

This was so good. Somewhere I have all of the printed poison editions.

I am truly very sorry I never got to know Mr. Siegel. He sounds like a wonderful person from a time when otr sites on the internet were bursting with activity. It seemed to flow a mile a minute (from all the banter I read from times before).

For me, I am from a later generation of otr fans that discovered otr because of the internet. I heard of it, but was never exposed to it (what? audio with no video!!!). I usually found the sites after most had packed up and moved on. Even when I found Cobalt (hooray), the banter had died down. Nick was still there for a little while and this is my first exposure to Seamus. Cobalt is still far and away the best for old time radio.

I doff my cap to Mr. Siegel for the greatness and affection he engendered and to Seamus, Greybelt, Ghemrats, Space Cadet & others for what is and will come. Hopefully I can get to a point in my chaotic life between work and health that I can leave a bigger footprint, but still baby shoe size next to the people mentioned above. - Tom