Retro Rebellion: September 2026

Jason's Gallery: A Salute to the Ultimate Father Figure: In Memoriam - Peter Cullen

Optimus: "When we first cross paths, you are a lonely, scared human being, searching for answers. But ever since then, through your course of your adventures, you have become the very hero you were destined to be. And part of your journey was thanks in part through me. Although I am no longer among the living, the wisdom I have passed to you, will resonate with you forevermore. My name is Optimus Prime, and I send this message to you, Anime Jason. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, no matter what problems you have, no matter what mistakes you've made, know this. As long as you do what's right, my spirit, my spark, will forever be, by your side. Just remember, you are strong in your fighting spirit, but you also have a kind heart. Always be strong enough, to be gentle. Take care, Jason. We will meet again..."

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My memorial piece, dedicated to the one and only, Peter Cullen. He may have voiced other characters. But being the voice of arguably the greatest hero in all of fiction, and to me, being the ultimate father figure, Optimus Prime, is what truly defined him. The words from his brother, Capt. Larry Cullen of the U.S. Marine Corps, is what made Peter Cullen the heart, soul and spark of Optimus Prime in the first place, which is the philosophy I will now carry with me forevermore...

"Be strong enough to be gentle".

Whether its through parasocial norms in social media or being a good hearted person, with all the strength in the world to make a difference, there is nothing wrong with being gentle, with gentle people, that is.

Thanks for all the memories, good sir. Your wisdom will dwell in me for the rest of my days. Thank you for being my mentor, friend, and most of all, my father figure. I will never take your words for granted. Be a peace, last of the great Primes.

"So long... old friend..."

Shinigami is on a Binge-Fest! - 4 Legends Lost!

We all can't a break now, can we? As August winds down and the month of September begins, we lost 4 legends in all media one after another.

First off, it was Hayden Panettiere, who died on August 16th at the of 36. Another famous person dying too young. Although she starred in TV shows like Heroes and Nashville, and movies like A Bug's Life and Dinosaur, to Kingdom Hearts fans like myself, she was the original voice of Kairi, the emotional anchor to the main hero, Sora, and at the same time, she also voiced Xion. She died of cardiac arrest, but the cause of that remains under investigation.

Then, three days after Hayden's death, country music legend Dolly Parton died on August 19th at the age of 80 after a short bout with cancer. Known for songs like Jolene, Coat of Many Colors and I Will Always Love You (way before Whitney Houston made the song even more iconic), and in movies like 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, dubbed the Queen of Country, Dolly was a singer, actress, and well-respective businesswoman with a lot of Southern grit, and a kind heart. So much so, they had a theme park named after her, Dollywood. We will never forget her wondrous smile and her kindness.

Then, we lose another legend. Only this time, it was renowned British actor and singer, Tim Curry, who died on August 25 at the age of 80, the same as Dolly Parton, but where Dolly died from cancer, he died after a long struggle after suffering from a stroke. Coincidence? I think not. Anyway, Curry was quite an enigma, especially playing either weirdoes or mostly as villains in both TV and movies. His big break was playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and he didn't look back, with roles as The Lord of Darkness from Legend, Long John Silver from Muppet Treasure Island, Pennywise from It, and voicing characters like Kilokahn (the Americanized counterpart to Kahn Digifer) from Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad (the Americanized version of Gridman: The Hyper Agent), Lord Dragaunus from Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series, Hexxus from FernGully: The Last Rainforest, Captain Hook from Fox's Peter Pan and the Pirates, and Skullmaster from Mighty Max. His voice and his maniacal laugh will live on forever.

And of course, the biggest blow to us all, the death of the man, the myth, the legend, that is Peter Cullen. Although he voiced other characters like Venger from Dungeons & Dragons, Mighty Man from Mighty Man and Yukk, Coran from Voltron: Defender of the Universe (along with being the narrator), and Eddie Spencer from Filmation's Ghostbusters, Cullen was truly best known for voice the very character who became to most as the ultimate father figure, the courageous and wise leader of the Autobots from Transformers, the one, the only, Optimus Prime. Through Optimus, Cullen gave him that distinct baritone voice that is not only commanding, but also wise and gentle, which was given to him after getting advice from his brother, U.S. Marine Captain, Larry Cullen, telling him, to not be a loud, boisterous action hero, but be a gentle one, hence the line, "Be strong enough to be gentle". Cullen died on August 26 at the age of 85, leaving behind 40 years of encouraging every person, especially this one lowly animation crusader to carry on, especially with all the wisdom he has given us. I wear them on my sleeve and wear them proudly. He may be one with the Allspark, but as long as we remember him and his contribution with Transformers and through Optimus, he will never truly be gone.

Thanks for all the memories you have given me. I will never forget them. Godspeed to you all. Be at peace.