There are posts you never want to make. This is one of those. In fact it’s probably the hardest post I’ve ever had to make.
Yesterday, I learned that Scott “Madmac41” McAllister passed away. He was a long-time member of the Joe Community, a long-time member of JBL’s staff, and, most importantly, he was one of my oldest friends. In many ways, the word “friend” doesn’t really cut it– he was like a brother to me.
Scott McAllister at Joe Con 2018.
The G.I. Joe community was a different place when I first met Scott just shy of 20 years ago. Back then, the online Joe world was limited to a select few websites and their online forums. Each of those sites became its own community and they were as unique as the individuals that comprised them. It was at a local meet-up of the now-defunct “Chicago Coil” that I first encountered one of the best friends I’ve ever had. Sitting in Sam Damon’s living room I found myself face-to-face with this older bearded biker with a pronounced Kentucky drawl. I was the admin of JBL and he was a staunch advocate of a different online community. I still remember him looking me in the eye with a lot of skepticism and saying “Who the Hell are you?”
Apparently he liked my answer because at the end of the day I left Chicago with a good friend. Continue reading
