Memorializing fans in-medium

July 26, 2008 5:10 PM

In-medium tributes: Can you think of instances where fans/players have died and been memorialized in some way in a show or game (if you can think of other forms where this has happened go right ahead)? Examples would be Leyla Harrison (X-Files) or Dak "Caylee" Krause (World of Warcraft).
posted by calistasm to media & arts (10 comments total)

Izchak was a Dev for nethack, now runs the lighting shop.
posted by Lemurrhea at 5:44 PM on July 26, 2008

A player in our flag in Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates had a fairly prominent role in-game, so after he died in a motorcycle accident the devs and other players erected a permanent memorial on the island he governed.

*hoists a pint of Real Ale*
posted by Madamina at 5:56 PM on July 26, 2008

I think the character of Geordi La Forge on Star Trek:TNG was named after a fan of the original series.

Ok - according to Wikipedia, "Gene Roddenberry created the character in honor of George La Forge, a fan of the original Star Trek series who died from muscular dystrophy in 1975."
posted by bibliowench at 6:20 PM on July 26, 2008

In Serenity, Jayne Cobb carries a gun called the Lux, named in honor of a member of the Firefly community who passed away.^
posted by padraigin at 7:37 PM on July 26, 2008

At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, a "Natalie McDonald" is sorted into Gryffindor House. Natalie McDonald was a young terminally ill Potter fan who wrote to Rowling before her death asking how the story would end.
posted by Zozo at 11:36 PM on July 26, 2008

Rhys Jones was an eleven-year-old British boy who died when struck by a bullet intended for someone else. He was a great fan of the local football (soccer) team and they paid tribute to him at the scene of his slaying. The Liverpool Football Club also held a memorial for him at a game (youtube video)
posted by longsleeves at 2:28 AM on July 27, 2008

In Battlestar Galactica, a fan named Sarah who regularly posted to the message boards on scifi.com was killed in a car accident, and subsequently they added her picture to the "Memorial Hallway" in the show. It can be seen in shots of the hallway in season four. I can't find any references to this outside of the podcast for one of the third season episodes.
posted by everybody polka at 10:18 AM on July 27, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

There's at least one other example from World of Warcraft. In the Barrens, there is a "Shrine to the Fallen Warrior" to honor artist Michel Koiter. If you go to the shrine when your character is dead (as a ghost), you'll see an angel-like spirit there named Koiter.

Also, in City of Heroes, the last contact in the tutorial, Coyote, is a tribute to a fan from pre-beta named Matthew Bragg who died shortly after the game was released.
posted by ashirys at 8:38 AM on July 28, 2008

Weezer wrote a tribute song for two leaders of its fanclub, Mykel and Carli.
posted by palindromic at 9:27 AM on July 28, 2008

...who died in a car accident.
posted by palindromic at 9:27 AM on July 28, 2008