Al Superczynski
Internet Modeler Feb 2007
The passing of Al Superczynski
Remembering Modeler Al
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
When I heard of Al’s passing, I tried to remember when I first talked to him, and I couldn’t. He just seemed to have always been there, and given his attitude on life and modeling, it is easy to see why. In an online community where critics abound, Al recognized that, above all, modeling is a hobby, and should bring enjoyment, not strife. Al’s attitude toward the hobby is the epitome of what Internet Modeler is about, and over the last decade he has helped guide the magazine forward while always maintaining that fun, enjoyable edge to the hobby.
Behind the scenes, Al was just as gracious as his public persona. Each month he would pull one of his classic kits from his collection and write a column about it, resulting in one of the most popular pages of Internet Modeler. Unlike many modelers, Al’s interests spanned many genres, and his knowledge of the history of model kits was amazing. I have heard from more than one reader that Al’s column was the first thing they read each month, both for the knowledge and the nostalgia.
The knowledge Al possessed, both about models and about the subjects in general, was vast and also freely given. If you were interested in something, a passing mention would bring out a torrent of information, and Al would bend over backwards to try and provide as much as possible to help. Although he never asked for anything in return, his very behavior and attitude made it impossible for anyone to resist reciprocating, and the transfer of information between us quickly became a multi-lane freeway. Whether it was with modeling, drawing, or computers, we traded information back and forth regularly, and as a result both of us grew.
Sadly, I never met Al in person over the ten years I’ve known him. We always managed to miss meeting each other, yet, through all the online and phone conversations, I feel that I have known Al as well as I possibly could, and I hope he knew me the same way. His passing is a great sadness to the modeling community at large, and I hope to carry on his legacy at Internet Modeler by following his words “Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.” Godspeed, Al, and thank you for enriching my life in ways few others have done.
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I agree with Al Superczynski sentiment. “Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.”
This hobby can be stifled by too many rivet counters, lets hope this obituary to Al will make people think...
RIP
The passing of Al Superczynski
Remembering Modeler Al
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
When I heard of Al’s passing, I tried to remember when I first talked to him, and I couldn’t. He just seemed to have always been there, and given his attitude on life and modeling, it is easy to see why. In an online community where critics abound, Al recognized that, above all, modeling is a hobby, and should bring enjoyment, not strife. Al’s attitude toward the hobby is the epitome of what Internet Modeler is about, and over the last decade he has helped guide the magazine forward while always maintaining that fun, enjoyable edge to the hobby.
Behind the scenes, Al was just as gracious as his public persona. Each month he would pull one of his classic kits from his collection and write a column about it, resulting in one of the most popular pages of Internet Modeler. Unlike many modelers, Al’s interests spanned many genres, and his knowledge of the history of model kits was amazing. I have heard from more than one reader that Al’s column was the first thing they read each month, both for the knowledge and the nostalgia.
The knowledge Al possessed, both about models and about the subjects in general, was vast and also freely given. If you were interested in something, a passing mention would bring out a torrent of information, and Al would bend over backwards to try and provide as much as possible to help. Although he never asked for anything in return, his very behavior and attitude made it impossible for anyone to resist reciprocating, and the transfer of information between us quickly became a multi-lane freeway. Whether it was with modeling, drawing, or computers, we traded information back and forth regularly, and as a result both of us grew.
Sadly, I never met Al in person over the ten years I’ve known him. We always managed to miss meeting each other, yet, through all the online and phone conversations, I feel that I have known Al as well as I possibly could, and I hope he knew me the same way. His passing is a great sadness to the modeling community at large, and I hope to carry on his legacy at Internet Modeler by following his words “Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.” Godspeed, Al, and thank you for enriching my life in ways few others have done.
================================================== =======
I agree with Al Superczynski sentiment. “Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.”
This hobby can be stifled by too many rivet counters, lets hope this obituary to Al will make people think...
RIP
