Rene Cigler, RIP

I've just gotten word that René Cigler, a very sweet and talented artist who contributed to bOING bOING (she created the cover for issue 11), passed away. We will miss her very much. René Cigler's website

[#1 posted by minTphresh , August 6, 2008 5:12 PM]

wow, great art. some of it actually reminded me of some of my older work. such talent, taken too young. my condolences on the loss of your friend.

[#2 posted by Axx , August 6, 2008 5:29 PM]

Condolences. She was so young. Any information on her death?

[#3 posted by Mark Frauenfelder , August 6, 2008 5:45 PM]

No. I don't have any details. I will post an update when I find out.

[#4 posted by JIMWICh , August 6, 2008 5:46 PM]

So sad. Issue No. 8 was always one of my favorite bOING bOING covers. I remember Gareth and I talking about it, and if I remember correctly, he said that she'd done the costume design for Judge Dredd.

[#5 posted by JIMWICh , August 6, 2008 5:48 PM]

I meant No. 11 of bOING bOING...

[#6 posted by Bryan Price , August 6, 2008 6:13 PM]

My condolences.

[#7 posted by LogrusZed , August 6, 2008 6:27 PM]

I'll email you with further deetails if I get them Mark. So far nothing on this front.

[#8 posted by eustace , August 6, 2008 7:12 PM]

Sad news, Mark, so sorry. But it was news to me that the 'zine covers were up on Flickr; I know what I'll be doing for the next while...

[#9 posted by catcubed , August 6, 2008 7:43 PM]

Shit. I thought I knew that name. I knew her through my mom who was working for American Greetings way back in 1990 and I remember going to one of her first art shows: all baby dolls gears and wire.

I was but a teenager at the time and she turned me onto Front 242 and other industrial punk music bands. Always meant to look her up at some point, but now I'm too late -- wow that really sucks.

[#10 posted by Gareth Branwyn , August 6, 2008 7:46 PM]

Oh man, this totally bums me out! I LOVED Rene. She was always such a sweet, supportive and generous person. I haven't been in touch with her in years, but I thought about her a lot and always wanted to reconnect.

Rene did jewelry and set pieces for a number of sci-fi films. Yeah, Judge Dredd rings a bell. And Demolition Man. I know she did some stuff for Tank Girl, which she was proud to be involved in. She also did pieces for a NIN video. And work for Ministry as well.

Wow. This sucks.

[#11 posted by Anonymous , August 6, 2008 8:34 PM]

I knew Rene back in her early toy design days in Cleveland. She was at the forefront of edgy design. So original, so motivated. Full of ideas. She was genuine.

Muriel

[#12 posted by scothampton , August 6, 2008 10:59 PM]

she was an amazing artist.

i was living in portland, working in photo labs by day/playing in bands by night, when issue #11 showed up (i got it at powell's i think? perhaps ozone) ...it was my first introduction to boing boing.

it was such a great issue i wanted to pay my respects to the authors, so i sent in a little stream-of-consciousness 'thank you' note...and crazy as it seems, it showed up in boing boing #12.

i still have those issues in a box somewhere. and every time i move, which happened to be last week (but those twitterati of you already knew that), i look for them, but unfortunately i still haven't found what i'm looking for...

[#13 posted by Gareth Branwyn , August 7, 2008 10:19 AM]

Coilhouse has done a nice little piece on Rene:

http://coilhouse.net/2008/08/07/goodbye-rene-cigler/

Still no word (that I can find) on how she died.

[#14 posted by Philipshade , August 7, 2008 10:57 AM]

I seem to recall seeing her work in FAD MEgazine bitd as well.

Woderful stuff, condolences to her friends and family.

[#15 posted by catcubed , August 7, 2008 4:25 PM]

According to DJ Nevermore's LJ, René Cigler passed away on Monday.
http://community.livejournal.com/portlandgothic/497652.html

Cameron Smith, René's long-term partner, is obviously devastated but is trying to keep occupied and busy. If you would like to support him, probably the best way is to purchase one of the t-shirts or other items designed by René from the online store they ran together.
http://www.strangemonster.com/home.php?cat=7

[#16 posted by Anonymous , August 12, 2008 5:52 PM]

Rene's obituary is posted here:
http://obits.cleveland.com/Cleveland/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=115458405

There's a guest book for people to sign if you want to send condolences to her family.

[#17 posted by Anonymous , August 14, 2008 11:38 AM]

I just found out about Rene's passing about an hour ago, and have been trying to find info on what happened.

Rene and I have been friends ever since we worked at a restaurant together in the 1980s.

I remember showing her a book of paintings by H.R. Geiger in like 1988 - she had never heard of him before that - and it blew her mind.
A week later she showed me the very first of her "baby dolls wrapped in wire" pieces.
Ever since then, she has been on an amazing creative trajectory that has continually astounded me. She contributed to my Left Orbit Temple project in 2000, but that was just a drop in the ocean of amazing things that her fertile mind produced in the twenty years that I knew her.

Rene was one of the sweetest and most genuine people that I have had the pleasure of knowing in my life, and I am devastated that she is gone.

Cameron, if you're reading this, I wish you all the best, you have my deepest condolences.

-James T.

[#18 posted by jimlanza , August 18, 2008 9:02 PM]

Just found out tonight. I can honestly say Rene was one of the most free spirited, original people I knew. I will miss her. Very happy we reconnected at various conventions and very happy to have met Cameron. Our thoughts are with you.

[#19 posted by Attaboy , August 19, 2008 9:26 AM]

Just heard about this. This is very sad news. I first met Rene when we worked at Oddzon, a toy company back in '98 and have been friends since. She created innovative designs for the Industrial music scene years before the curve, made her mark, then moved on. She never liked repeating herself. Rene worked on the cutest stuff but always pushed the limits of girls oriented toys. Rene was a dynamic, changing, honest, and truly original person and was always ahead of the curve from the start. Cameron, her long time partner, fit as perfect compliments and when i saw them together they were always so happy, riding bikes, and laughing at and with each other. a few years after, we all left the toy company to do our own things and there was a picture of me in the local weekly. Rene calls me up and tells me "Listen, i saw a picture of you, you don't look healthy, i'm concerned. you need to get out of the house. right. now." Rene was like that and she was completely right. We'll miss you Rene.