Phil Bolger

The hard chined Chebacco, this one from Openboat in NZ.

Phil chatting with Chebacco owner Ben Ho

courtesy the Chebacco website

Phil Bolger with partner Susanne Altenberger

courtesy Bolger Wiki Dot

Phil Bolger took his life yesterday. From what I've read, he had his reasons. Someone suggested, recently, perhaps a little ironically, that I would soon be writing about Iain Oughtred and Phil Bolger. I replied that yes, I would soon be writing about Iain as I had just received his recent biography. I didn't respond about Phil because I've always viewed him as a little larger than life and so was more than a bit in awe of him. Such encompassing genius. Conventional and unconventional, iconoclast and icon. I do regret never meeting him. And I miss those wonderful cartoons he did in the Small Boat Journal. So as a small gesture, I'm putting up a photo of my favorite Bolger design, the hard chine version of Chebacco and a couple of others. Curiously, I worked into the wee hours last night on a post about Iain, which will be up soon. Life is strange, sometimes.

Phillip, may the force be with you.

There's more here.