Dr. Morbius (Bill Weber) RIP

RIP

I *believe* that the second-to-last time I saw Bill (before the poetry reading Brad mentioned upthread) was when we spotted each other on the street as the Pinefox and I were leaving a free Mountain Goats gig in East River Park. The amount of board representation there makes me happy; wish we'd been able to say hi to J0hn.

I never had much in the way of interaction with him, but have been missing his posts over the last several months. RIP, Dr Morbius.

Last time I saw bill was five seats down on the train at rush hour. I let him be because no proper New Yorker wants to be talked to on a train at rush hour. I got annoyed at The morbs character in the way you get annoyed with someone who is doing your shit but better. The last time I went to the real Shea stadium was with bill and mook.

This is horrible, I never interacted with him much but I saw his posts all the time and I hoped, like everyone else, his treatment would work. Really horrible. RIP, i am so sorry for his family.

RIP Morbz

Fuck! Never got to meet the good Dr but he's always been one of my favorite posters and I've definitely missed his presence lately. Deep condolences to those who knew him well. Will be sure to watch some Keaton and talk shit about the Dems this weekend.

RIP, i love morbs

Me too. <3 x x x

such a beautiful photo up there^

Visiting friends in NYC in 2015 to see Complete play at Union Pool. I’m in my very early years of posting here and a friend points to this fellow clad in Mets apparel and says that’s Dr. Morbs. To this day, I don’t know if that’s true or not but I always liked to believe it was. RIP yr work is done

It’s been years since I’ve seen Bill or logged in here, but this is obviously the place to be tonight. He was my favorite curmudgeon, and also a caring and thoughtful friend. I’m flooded with memories of derby parties, films, and nyc hangs. Of waiting to meet up while he made his way to a pay phone to check messages and find out where we were. Of the autographed 8x10 headshot from his stand up days he gifted me for my birthday one year. I enjoyed watching him get under others’ skin although I somehow never managed to tangle with him. I’m so sorry I didn’t get to see him in recent years but I will remember him fondly. Rest well, Morbs.

Just seeing all these old names again wow

RIP - among many other things, Morbs' commitment to seeing new films was inspirational, and definitely motivated me to 'keep up' with modern film culture too.

it’s lovely to read that so many of you hung out with him irl frequently, going to baseball games and movies and bars. im sure he appreciated your company tremendously.

it’s nice to hear that he was a sweetheart irl. im not surprised; i always saw his whole persona on here as an incredible extended bit and was in awe of his ability to always be locked and loaded with a barbed witty reply. dude was genuinely funny in a way that very few people alive are anymore

Horrible news, rest in peace bill. I have v fond memories of that ny fap, he was such a sweet guy. I know we made fun of him for being an old* but surely way too young

* haha is it true that he didn’t actually have a twitter account but just went there every day to check Dennis Perrin, Doug henwood and that terrible Richard Nixon account?

horrible news to wake up to, rip morbs - absolutely one of the cornerstones of this place, it won’t be the same without his uniquely irascible style

So sad to hear. RIP.

I think our only direct interaction was him calling me "boringly anti-canonical" on the horror poll thread but he was a reassuring and strong presence. Such sad news - RIP

Waking up to this , fuck. I’d sometimes post in the movie threads and at back of my mind I’m wondering what would Morbs think. Loved to hear him talk about Bill Forsyth or Jerry Lewis. Such a prescence here, just wish I could have met him irl as he sounds utterly charming.

shit. this is fucking awful. i teared up when i saw this. deeply sorry i never got to meet him.

Such a loved member of this community and often equally right, interesting and funny. So sorry for the loss. RIP

Fuck, one of the only ones with any real sense here. A lovely and gentle man with a sharp and furious sense of fairness. I'll miss his great knowledge of films, his passionate politics and confusing taste in hot guys.

I will miss his trenchant opinions and articulate, caustic discourse. Won’t be the same without him. Fuck cancer.

God if there was one thing I was on the exact same page as Dr Morbius on it was Adam Driver being hot

No

But bless you both

I didn't want to know what Morbs looked like but that's somehow exactly what I imagined.

― flappy bird, Thursday, October 22, 2020 12:44 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yes!

RIP Morbs. Feeling very sad.

This is horrible news to wake up to. It's beautiful how many of you knew and cherished him in real life. I only knew him online but I cherished him too and I'm gonna be very sad today.

RIP Morbs ❤️

How lovely to read all the stories from people who knew him in real life. Even as someone who was only familiar with him from here, it was always apparent how many posters knew (and loved) the man behind the persona. I was on the end of a few of his (rightfully dismissive) barbs in the occasional film thread down through the years and always considered it some small honour. This place will genuinely be diminished without him. RIP

Unlike a lot of people I never really interacted with him that much on here but I remember having a beer with him and most of New York ILX in the run up to Christmas nearly 13 years ago. Like many of the internet's proudly irascible cranks he was lovely in person, but before then I don't think I'd appreciated the obvious and visible love and affection in which he was held by a group of people much younger than him, and I always read his posts differently after that.

I wish I could remember the details of our conversation but hey it was the week before Christmas and not really the kind of night you remember the details of. RIP, and condolences to the people who knew him well.

Just got the news and haven’t read these posts yet but I will. This is some shit fucking news.

RIP Morbs, I always enjoyed his inimitable ILX stylings, and it's evident from this thread that behind his veneer of irascibility he was a great guy. Condolences to all his friends & family here and elsewhere.

a beautiful thread worthy of a champion poster whose artfully-pitched interjections and the reactions they got so often delighted me. always had a soft spot for him. love you morbs x

really sad news. RIP morbs

I'm glad I met him when he came to London a few years ago, as everyone said he was lovely in person in a way that coloured my reading of his posts afterwards.

Society for American Baseball Research

They could definitely make this a bit easier - am I right in thinking that the final page is nearly entirely blank apart from a link to a pdf of your invoice?

Oh man, fuck.
I only know him from his presence here and we never interacted (as I’m mostly a lurker in the non-ILM part of town), but this hits me hard. His curmudgeonness notwithstanding, it was always clear how lovable he was and how much affection the people here who knew him irl held for him.
I was genuinely happy when he announced his return recently, and I feel like a fool now for not telling him so then.
Rest in peace, Morbs. May your spirit live on here.

Fuck... RIP Morbs, you beautiful cranky bastard.

I didn't want to know what Morbs looked like but that's somehow exactly what I imagined.

― flappy bird, Thursday, October 22, 2020 12:44 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yes!

At the very east I'm glad he was taken care of by his amazing sister, who did everything and more for him, so my condolences to her as well.

I'm glad he was loved by so many. Great tributes for a great one.

wow. RIP Dr. M. you were one of my favorites here

RIP Morbs. He looks familiar, I'm sure we were at certain events together, WFMU things maybe, sorry I never got the chance to say hello.

RIP. Have always loved hearing his variegated and amusing opinions on film. A lovely thread that captures the impression he left on the people here.

he didnt suffer fools which means he didnt suffer me when i was preferring to be daft on here but that huge knowledge of something increasingly bygone was a motherload to be cherished and defended -- i'm barely even a tourist new york-wise but i like and feel i recognise j0rdan's description, of BW as a holdover from an otherwise vanishing city, a connection to something real but threatened, and a great implacable bulwark against that threat

and as everyone correctly says, he was a sweetheart and a heartbear in person -- were you actually older than me? who can say? sleep well old dude we will not see the like ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rest in Peace Morbs - one of those people i never interacted with really here, but I liked his style. Condolences to those around him.

a fundamental part of this place has closed. rip to a legend. rename detrius morbius imo

This is extremely sad. RIP Morbs.

fuck fuck fuck