The co-founder of the first anime club in North America was also one of the founders of the Furry fandom
The Prancing Skiltaire announced on Twitter on February 20 that Cartoon/Fantasy Organization co-founder Mark Merlino had passed away.
Earlier this month, a GoFundMe campaign was launched for Merlino to help fund his hospice care. While the GoFundMe was initially launched to help pay Merlino’s medical bills after he was hospitalized on December 23 after suffering three mini strokes, the campaign later updated to announce that Merlino has been diagnosed with stage IV liver cancer and friends and family are arranging hospice care. care about. The campaign has raised $59,009 as of press time.
Merlino is known as one of the co-founders of the first anime club in North America, the Animation/Fantasy Organization (C/FO). Merlino himself chronicled the organization’s history in an April 2020 blog post.
Merlino and renowned anime historian Fred Patten founded the organization in Los Angeles in 1977. The organization continues to have other branches throughout the United States. Patten passed away in November 2018.
Merlino is also known as one of the founders of the Furry fandom, founding and organizing the annual ConFurence event.
The Prancing Skiltaire and the others note that Merlino is popular on Twitter after his death.
Source: @Skiltaire_Party