Man that really sucks.. :<

:( it sucks when an NGer moves on.

So, what was the reason that he's gone? Kinda' sad though, cause (no matter how much I love stick animations) StickSlayer was awesome.

^ Ben passed away from a heroine overdose on October 13, 2009. ^

http://www.newgrounds.com/collection/
stickslayer.html

Owh man. Thats totally messed up.
I mean, taking heroine isn't a smart thing, I guess. But an overdose would suck. It would suck indeed.

That legendary man left this world?????? I remembered he let me test out his Pimp's Quest game back when he was working on it.....

I've been following his work since he started submitting way back in '00/01. It's sad to see a Newgrounder go. I also remember he wanted to do Pimp Quest 2. No more Stick Slayer. :/

!!!

I don't even know what to say...

I'm shocked.

His flashes were creative and funny and it's terribly sad that he is no longer with us.

r.i.p. ben...i wish you were still with us but sadly your not. you wont be forgotten ben.

I used to watch Stick Slayer when I first came to NG, and I loved the concept. I didn't know much about him past his movies, since back there wasn't the social aspect the site has now. It's a shame he had to go out on account of drugs. Shooting H is like playing Russian Roulette, only you never know how many chambers the gun has, or how many bullets are in those chambers. I'll watch an episode or two and drink a beer for the fallen.

Didn't know the guy well, but I watched the first few episodes of Stick Slayer a while back. It's terrible that he's gone.

R.I.P. Ben Spurgin. :,(

Oh man...that's never good.

Rest in Peace, Ben.

Ah dude! I feel ya man. I lost a best friend too. (Only to Cancer.)

Find Peace dude, often the main reason why most artists 'are' so creative is that they do so much drugs. It's a sacrifice of life, to the dedication of one's art.

Newgrounds should have a "Hall of Fame" section.

A place dedicated to deceased artists with great art.

Take Care Bro.

No Anger Okay?

It'll just make you feel worse.

As long as he isn't forgotten, he lives though his art.

-Jak

When Brudda IZ died, it was a sad day. But he did what he loved. Life is all about doing the meaningful things in life that are meaningful to you. That's all that really matters really.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltAGu uru7Q

RIP Ben.

20:11 rtil aw man i've been banned from mindchambers page
20:11 rtil no fun!
20:11 Ixintro what were you gonna say?
20:11 rtil i was actually gonna pay my respects to that guy
20:11 nuac ahahahahahaha

it's so sad when you've got to say goodbye to an NGer :'[

It really sucks that he died from a Heroin overdose, and I've lost family members myself (but not from drug overdoses). The man had as much a role in making Newgrounds into what it is today as you, Tom, Wade, Dan Paladin, Em Kaah (where is he now is a mystery to me), McFretN, Sirkowski, N0-G0D, Krinkels, Adam Phillips, and many others. I really looked forward to Stick Slayer 9, Power of the Geek 4, Generic Man 2, and Pimp's Quest 2. He planned on having at least 250 shots in the latest Stick Slayer. Who will continue build upon that is anyone's guess. In other words, Ben Spurgin wasn't just one of us; he was THE BEST of us.

He did a short piece for my old ng under attack movie :*(

As sad as this is, it is so cool that he created a character that so many of us Newgrounders feel a connection to.
R.I.P Ben "Spurginator" Spurgin your work will live on forever.

When Psycho Goldfish gave me the news I thought it was some sick joke. I can't believe Ben is dead. We always talked about collaborating in some way, either a game, or on some metal tracks, but I guess now we never will... He was one of the nicest people I've ever known, turned me onto alot of great music, and was a truely gifted artist. The world has lost a great animator, guitarist, musician, and human.
Hard drugs are a plague.

I don't know what to say... he was such a great person.

aww man thts awful just awful he will live on we should make a remembrence flash day about him and use his previous flashes as inspiration R.I.P Ben Spurgin

Aw shit. :(

R.I.P Ben, Jeff, Adam and Brain
(AKA StckSlayer, Regret, Livecorpse and TheGimpsta)

I prefer to not let death affect me. I dont care anymore, shit happens. If your religious and he was a good person with a few sins then theres nothing to fear, hes kicking it in heaven. If your not and prefer the thought that nothing exists in death then he went out like a champ in that he created one of the most memorable series on NG and made some kicking music. He didnt die homeless and suicidal with nothing accomplished, he died a man who gave his audiance a few moments of happiness watching his movies.

But whats happened has happened, and there is nothing mourning will do. I learned that 30 minutes after my moms funeral. You can cry or get pissed, but the best medicine is laughing at the good times and moving on. S'all I can say really.

I may kill myself this is IT

HEROIN? Damn dude he pretty much killed himself. That's such a waste. It sad he died but come one, he o.d.ed on HEROIN? Damn.....

I waited and waited for the next one to come along. Especially Pimp's Quest, which was just too fun for me when I joined up on Newgrounds all those years ago.

Any who, that's fuckin' terrible... Wish the mother best of luck to deal with this tragedy.

Ben was one of my early inspirations, sad to see the news.. :(

Wow.. I'm so sorry to hear that. I grew up watching his work on Newgrounds, I can recall all of the episodes and how much they inspired me to learn Flash all those years ago.

RIP Ben.

Oh man that sucks. Pimp's quest was one of the first games I ever played on ng even before I had a account. Rock N' Roll does horrible things to good people.

that sucks. I just saw one of his animations and it was great, he sort of made something simple over dramatic and just plain awesome. :'(

That's a realty nice tribute, Jose. Couldn't have said it better.

ugh i was so excited for his next film. it shows in his work he was getting much better, too.....ugggggh

rip ben

Stick Slayer was one of the first things I ever watched on Newgrounds and I have very fond memories of it.

Rest in peace, Ben. We love you, man.

*sniffle* we will all remember him..

Man that is sad..
Gone gone, the damage done.

Rest in peace..

oh wow, i grew up watching this guy's stuff.

RIP.

Did he pass away?

That's sad. I've never heard of him, but it's sad to hear nonetheless.

What an awful feeling it is to have lost a friend. One of the first movies I remember watching of his was Stick Slayer vs Xiao Xiao. Funny shit.

Sorry for your loss

R.I.P Ben

Newgrounds is full of heroin addicts and murderers.

Watching every episode I have to admit Ben deserved this role of inspiration. His work had elements in it which I would never have thought to see in such early flash files. There was some pretty good 3d, some slick animations, after episode 6 it was just nuclear epic after nuclear epic.

A damn shame to have lost him, I too can feel his loss now.

Its sad I had forgotten him, seeing only a few way back then. Considering his flashes dates, they are extremely well done. After seeing his last SS, no doubt the next was going to be the flash worth watching. It sucks his comeback was cut to soon.

I wish this were some sort of sick joke - I remember laughing my ass off when I was a kid to the first Stick Slayer. That cartoon really cheered me up when I was down. I can't believe this happened!

Tim Jewell also died recently, it's sad these guys are pretty young and seem to be in some sort of psychological pain.

He was an idiot for doing heroine in the first place but may he rest in piece and all that shit.

You would finish Stick Slayer 9?

I completely support this, dude. That would be really awesome of you.

Since I have discovered Newgrounds, I have been constantly visiting the site searching for funny, creative and just plain awesome content, of the likes a man would find nowhere else than here. And I just took all that for granted, and sometimes I forget that the Masterminds behind all that wonderfull creativity will eventually pass away. I have never heard about Ben Spurgin, hadnt had internet long enough for that, but I checked out alot of his flashes, I really enjoyed them, so full of unspoiled awesome!
It cinda makes me sad to see such a teriible message on a site wich normally is filled with joy.
May you live long Mindchamber.

its sad he's gone (although i'd never heard of him till now) but at the same time its good that he's pushed NG forward as a community. I just watched his demo real and just from that i can tell he had a vision. i can understand why you'd get inspired by his flash. i'm going to have to watch stick slayer now; it seems pretty epic

You should definitely finish Stick Slayer 9 for him once things cool down a bit.

If you want to finish his vision than do it.

C/P THIS IF YOU WANT MINDCHAMBER TO DO S- awww who am I kidding no one will.

Michael Jackson, Bill Mays, Facett, Frank Vandenbroucke, and now an old NG member... 2009 was really a year of death and not even finished, who is the next?

C/P THIS IF YOU WANT MINDCHAMBER TO DO S

ok but seriously. It does suck to see news like this and it sounds like you two were really good friends. I haven't seen the stick slayer series before but once im able to actually sit down I will. Years and years ago, I remember playing Pimps Quest but never really knew who made it.

R.I.P~

I never really knew him, but it is always sad when a member of Newgrounds passes on. After watching some of his flashes, it is clear that he was a talented individual. If you are going to finish his flash, go for it, just keep in mind that it is for him.

:'( I may have not known him at all but i have watched his flash's recently and would love to see more but with him passing away rly sux and I wised he was still alive to this day:'( Im srry for your loss chamber ikno he was a friend of yours i just hope you will carry on with SS9 cuz i believe thats what he would want most :) to be remembered 4 the fantastic work he has brought us with his bright thinking and skillz in flash creations i would be happy to c his work carried on by you :)

R.I.P Ben Spurgin you will always be remembered through your creative art.

Well, if he didnt want to die, he wouldnt be taking heroin, now would he? Or would that just make him really, REALLY stupid?

R.I.P Ben. I personally have heard of, but not seen, his stick slayer series but its always a shame to loose such a talent. I think i will go watch some of his work now as a sign of respect.

I heard, I heard. He was a wonderful guy.

Have you considered making a tribute yourself?

God speed dude your works will be remembered.

I have to push my personal music video aside and start working on a movie about stickslayer after Halloween. Great to know that you will continue SS9. This is awesome.

I don't know whether he did these ridiculous movies for money or not. I watched his movies when they came out and now don't even remember what they are. It was like long ago. Many people hated sticks back then I think. Many new people don't seem to appreciate this guy. I have to say his videos were badly made and art/animation was below par from technical standpoint. But did he give up? No. He kept making these crappy movies because some people love them. This is the kind of passion artists share. He has already made his point. He wants to create movies about a hero and companions battling countless sticks. Love them or hate them. All up to the viewers. It's important to create rather than sitting on a sofa and foul-mouthing other people's work.

Aw forgot to say.

What I learned from him.

Always give 100%.
Don't compromise.
Don't be afraid of critics.
Keep improving.
Be honest with what you do.

I never really got to know Ben as well as I would have liked. When he moved to Colorado we talked about getting together... he was even planning on hitting the Denver meet last month, but it just never happened.

But his work and his vision... Those things I knew well. In the early days of the portal, everyone and their dog was posting crappy stick man movies and watering down the overall quality of the submission pool. It was a constant point of irritation for many of the more serious arists, and when Ben took a stab at the stick community, we were all inspired.

What started as a simple backlash to an annoying trend soon turned into a popular series, with each new episode showing Ben's dedication to self improvement. For me personally, seeing the transformation from poorly animated episode one, to the epic feel of the later installments was truly inspiring. No amount of bad reviews could keep him down... he just fed on them and showed everyone he belonged on NG.

His work inspired many many people, who went on to inspire other people, who in turn kept raising the bar, forever fulfilling Ben's dream of a portal ruled by quality, not laziness. I often wonder just what the portal would look like today without the guys who challenged the conventions of what Flash could be back in the early years of this decade.

Ben's death was a tragedy. Be it poor decisions, or some personal demon that set him on the path he ultimately chose, we can't simply look at the way he died and judge the man for that. When someone dies, that is when you celebrate the life they lived and the people they touched. Ben touched everyone who has ever used Newgrounds whether you know it or not.

My most sincere condolences go out to his friends and family. I'm sure there are no stick men where Ben is now.

I remember watching stick slayer come out when I was only eleven or twelve. Back when everything was cluttered with Xiao Xiao wannabes. He inspired me to stop being another copy cat and pursue real animation. Ben changed Newgrounds, and he'll always live on in his creations and the creations of those he inspired. Rest in peace Ben.

Good freaking god.
Newgrounds has had murderers at least twice, car accidents, and now a drug overdose.

dear father of the lord may ben spurgin rest in piece aman

mins chamber i hope all you and your friends stay alive for a long time cause i dont want you to suffer the same fate as ben

Goodnight Sweet Prince...you will always be remembered

Real shame to lose a comrade even though i never actually knew him... Weird that ive never seen his work before (ive known about ng for over 6 years now), and i never stumbled across his work, what a shame... to bad people like this have to go in such a way, you really see the impact they left, only when they're truly gone. Some people might even over shadow his greatness with just the simple fact that he died of a Heroin overdose which really ticks me off if people do this.
Just goes to show you people come and go, some sooner than others... a reality check really, I can't really say I know how it feels since the only family members ive lost were my grandparents, (it was expected they were 88+ years old, its hard but not hard as this is).

(;(

Yeah, it sucks he's gone.
Yet, I think it's a good idea to make a memorial page.

Frankly, I don't feel sorry for him. It's his fault. Heroine overdose...completley and truly his fault. Send hatemail to me, I don't give a shit.

RIP, it's a shame

Do you think we'll ever see the finished parts in Bens latest work before he passed away? I heard he was working on StickSlayer 9.

R.I.P Ben, your series was awesome and a message to all newbie animators everywhere.

sucks but you auto fish stick slayer for him and pimps quest two to honer his death

"If reality is dependent on what each person perceives it to be,Then reality as a collective does not exist."

RIP Ben. My heart goes out to his family and friends. What a terrible loss.

the spurginator will live on in our hearts and newgrounds forever RIP

rip

is he still dead?

OMG! i cant belive it. I loved his work and i wanted him to make more and now hes gone. that really sucks.

wow, i feel so bad..he died on my birthday :/

Maybe someone could take a drive out to his place, grab his computer, and see his last project published.

May Ben rest in peace and go to the great NG in the sky. His legacy will be his awesome work and the good times that he had with his family and friends. I feel that it would be a fitting tribute, and if Ben's family gives it the green light, if MindChamber is allowed to complete SS9 and thereby complete the apotheosis of Ben Spurgin as one of the true legends/Gods of NG. I believe that the users of NG are like a family and each of us a brother.

Rest in peace my brother in NG. Your light will never dim or be extingushed.

YOU GO BEN !!!

:(
i think you and some other flash artists of newgrounds who were his friends should make a tribute flash

RIP ben we will miss ya