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Clarence Johnson, who served as an artist and technical director at studios including Eidos, LucasArts and Secret Level, has died.
Johnson began his career at Eidos as 3D cinematics artist in the mid-1990s, before moving to work on art for vehicles and props at LucasArts, working on Star Wars instalments Starfighter and Jedi Starfighter.
He later moved to There for a year, before jumping ship to Secret Level, later acquired by Sega.
For the last six years, Johnson had been freelancing, contributing to projects such as The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct and Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
Johnson passed away at the end of April. A cause of death has not been given.
In the wake of the news, friends and co-workers have been sharing their memories of Johnson on We Are Game Devs, while a Giveforward page has been set up to raise funds for his funeral.
“Clarence was one of the genuinely good people,” recalled long-time colleague and friend Jon McBain. “He was the guy you wanted to have around.
“He brought smiles and laughs to tough projects. Late nights working on a tight deadline were a lot more fun when Clarence was on your team. He was a very talented artist, his work made you want to your work better. He inspired.”
Morgan Hastings, who worked on America’s Army with Johnson at Secret Level, added: “He had a witty and sharp sense of humor that would sneak up on you and had a very cool and gentle demeanor.
"I always invited him to parties that I threw cause he was just fun and pleasant to be around. He almost always had a smile on his face.”
“Clarence was always kind and thoughtful,” agreed long-time co-worker Michael McHale. “He had a smile that would light up the room. He loved his work and enjoyed going out with friends and socialising even more.
“I have been friends with Clarence for a long time and will miss him very much. He was truly one of a kind.”
