OUR FRIEND, DANIEL ROBERT EPSTEIN

**MattBrady** · 06-13-2007, 02:26 PM

by Matt Brady

As best I can tell, I had a really lousy milestone this week.

That would’ve been yesterday, when I posted Daniel Robert Epstein’s interview with Mark Steven Johnson about the Ghost Rider DVD. Best I can figure, it’s probably one of the last, if not the last article that Daniel wrote.

Daniel Robert Epstein, one of Newsarama’s writers (as well as a writer for many other sites) died this morning. Details about his death are still coming together, but Dan was found late last night by his wife Andrea. He was 31, soon to be 32.

Dan was, simply, a machine. He threw himself into his stories, and cranked out dozens per month for us here at Newsarama, UGO, SuicideGirls, FilmStew and others. He would hit up directors, actors, writers, comic artists, producers, musicians and…well, anyone for a story. His passion showed through his work, and sometimes, carried his interviews off on interesting, highly personal tangents.

I said earlier that details are still largely unknown, but there is one detail that I can give – this sucks. While Dan’s passion for the material he covered came out in his writing, to meet him in person was to know that Dan also lived life to the fullest, and was a non-stop guy. Last year at Comic-Con, Dan chased me down to make sure I was getting his stories as fast as he was sending them, probably writing three to my one, and never losing his smile. And nothing was more fun than having a back and forth with Dan about movies – nothing. Except maybe getting a phone call from him on a Saturday when he was at a junket which would go something like this...

"Matt? Dan Epstein - I just got (some scoop about a movie) at the press conference. If you can get this up right away, we'll have the scoop and beat out (other sites). I know they've got it because I saw ___ there, but I can type faster than them."

"But Dan, I'm not in the office..."

"I think you should get to the office, Matt. This is a scoop!"

And things would often deteriorate into jovial name-calling.

And then there were the tongue-in cheek turf battles between Dan and Steve Fritz over stories and interview subjects. I swear - I think I had both of them wave their resumes at me a dozen times as I had to decide on who got what.

Or the times when he saw a screening of a film, and just had to tell me about it.

The oddball stuff that he would go nuts over. I mean - it would totally come out of left field. You thought you knew what Dna liked, and then bam - he'd be virtually begging to do a story on something that was 180 degrees from what I thoughts his tastes were.

He was a great friend.

He was Newsarama’s man on the ground at any number of junkets, and was never opposed to going back for more if he felt there was more to be had from someone who hadn’t yet spoken, or, as he worked out, going back to people a few months after the movie’s release, and really getting them to talk about the project. As anyone who worked with him can tell you, Dan was never afraid to ask any question – and that more often than not, got him the good interviews, or made some otherwise vanilla junket roundtables worth reading.

It was a shock to get the call this morning, one that I hope no one ever has happen in their lives. It was so unexpected and so sudden...and thanks to the age of instant communication, and e-mail, I've got a half dozen e-mails from him sitting in my inbox, and I know that he had a half dozen from me sitting in his. I'm still kind of tempted to respond to one, just in the hopes that all of this is some insane cruel hoax. I mean...I just talked to him yesterday...

I think the thing that pisses me off about it all is that sure, I'd bet everyone who knew him is going to take away a little bit of "Dan did it like this, so maybe I can tweak my style and try to be as natural as he was, and have as much fun come through my work." That would be only natural - his loss will leave a tremendous void in entertainment reporting on the 'net. But yeah - all his friends and colleagues can take his life and approach and passion as a lesson, and work to incorporate more of that into his work, but, in the end, it will only be echoes. Sure, stories written with Dan in mind will keep him alive in their own way, and keep his memory going, but that's the thing - remembering. "Oh yeah - that article read like something Dan would've written...man...Dan's not here."

And what's even weirder - on IM, Dan's still logged on, but his avatar indicates he's sleeping. Dammit.

Eventually, things will scar over as they always do, I guess. But still...

To just say that Dan will be missed is trite and simple, and leaves so much unsaid, but in the end, it’s all I can think to say. I’m going to miss my friend Dan, as will the hundreds of people he worked with across the internet. The world lost a bit of its color today - although, I think that, wherever he is, Dan's getting a smile out of the idea that he's the story today. Rest in peace, buddy.

Our deepest thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to Dan’s wife Andrea, their families and friends at this time.

Snowspinner · 06-13-2007, 02:32 PM

____...

Jack Burton · 06-13-2007, 02:33 PM

Only 31? What a dang shame. He'll be missed.

Punchy · 06-13-2007, 02:33 PM

Wow, 31 is too young.

My condolences to his wife and all who knew him.

ziza9 · 06-13-2007, 02:36 PM

Damn.... this does indeed suck. 31 is way too young for anyone to die. My condolences to his family and friends. Matt, sorry for the loss of your friend.

murgod · 06-13-2007, 02:38 PM

Sorry to hear of his passing. I really enjoyed reading his articles here and elsewhere. That's waaaay too young and all my sympathies, thoughts, and prayers go out to Dan, his family, and friends...

God Bless,
David M.

seethruhero · 06-13-2007, 02:38 PM

Good lord.

I'm so sorry to hear this.

Condolences to his young family, this is truly a tragedy.

Impulse2k1 · 06-13-2007, 02:39 PM

I am sorry to hear this.....R.I.P.

nickmaynard · 06-13-2007, 02:40 PM

jeez, that's terrible.

i am curious how he died, 31 is super young.

rdrsfn82 · 06-13-2007, 02:41 PM

Sorry to hear about this. I don't usually pay attention to who actually wrote the story so I don't recognize the name, but I read that interview yesterday and the interviewer was pretty funny. My condolences to his family and friends.

deathmasterj · 06-13-2007, 02:42 PM

far too young.

Nobody · 06-13-2007, 02:42 PM

Damn, that's tough. Condolensces.

jsf · 06-13-2007, 02:42 PM

Sorry to hear this.

Condolences to his family and friends.

jedifish · 06-13-2007, 02:43 PM

Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

JonahsWhale · 06-13-2007, 02:43 PM

Oh no! Poor guy - such great energy, and a joy to have online. My thoughts with his family and close friends.

tim seeley · 06-13-2007, 02:43 PM

I "met" Daniel when he interviewed me for Suicide Girls. We hit it off, and kept in touch, trading bad horror movie recommendations. We hung out at the NY Con. He wrote me a really funny story for the TROMA OGN, based on his expereinces as a Troma intern. I was talking about him to the new SG interviewer when she got word that Dan had died. She had to tell me in the middle of an interview while I was making fun of him. ____.
TIM SEELEY

renodakota · 06-13-2007, 02:44 PM

Oh my gosh, that's so sad. His SuicideGirls interviews were absolutely top-notch, and he talked to such a wide variety of genuinely interesting people. He'll be missed. My condolences to his wife, family, and friends.

investcomics · 06-13-2007, 02:44 PM

My Condolences.

God Bless Daniel.

hoarseandbuggy · 06-13-2007, 02:45 PM

Daniel wrote some of the best interviews in recent memory, and, on top of that was a really, really great guy. He will be greatly missed.

GeorgeKhoury · 06-13-2007, 02:47 PM

Daniel was the most prolific reporter out there. Whenever I would see something written by him, I'd always read it. He reported and interviewed on a lot of people and stories that I liked reading about. I'm really shocked to hear someone so young and full of energy leave us.

dalan · 06-13-2007, 02:47 PM

My condolences to all.

rodolfo leon · 06-13-2007, 02:48 PM

this sucks in more ways than i can even articulate.

i am SUCH a fan of his interviews and his style that i would have NEVER even guessed he was just a few years older than i am. lately i've been working on a site interviewing musicians of the local rock/art scene, and the whole inspiration from that came from how much his work impressed me, and how floored i was everytime i would run into one of his clever interviews (particularly on the SG website), and how i wanted to give it a shot and try to be at that level.

this is terrible news.

Phil Hester · 06-13-2007, 02:49 PM

My sympathy to his friends and family.

J.M.De la Torre · 06-13-2007, 02:49 PM

My condolences to the family. So sad his wife had to find him that way... 31. Soon to be 32. Could be me. Life sucks at times like this.

khuxford · 06-13-2007, 02:49 PM

Wow. I can't believe he died so young. I really admired much of his work, especially what I've read on this site. 31 years old? Man...I'm going to make sure I hit the doctor's office more regularly.This sure is a lesson in mortality.

Edit: Pardon my neglecting to say originally: my condolences to his family and friends.