Mike Alonzo, who we knew as Clobberin Times (Clobby to his friends, of which there were countless) wasn’t just a geek, he was the center of a larger world. He was intertwined with so many of us who knew him in different ways, but in all those ways he was the same. He was the kindest person I knew and through him I was introduced to so many friends which I hope will stay with me now that he’s gone. Together we will keep his memory alive and honor him by continuing to follow what we love and remain friends.

He was one of a kind and will be missed by us all.

As the Wizard said:

“A heart is not judged by how much you love, but how much you are loved by others.”

Clobby was loved by so many people.

My dear, dear Clobby.

AVON LIVES! 

CLOBBY LIVES!

I hope you are off exploring strange new worlds but don't ever forget how much love there is for you down here on Earth.

Warp Speed, my friend

- Probby ❤️

I'm so sorry sorry for your family's loss. Mike was one in a million. He was always warm and welcoming, with a good sense of humor. His presence and knowledge will be missed. 

He took time to get to know people. That's a trait that is rarely seen. 

I wish to extend my condolonces to Mike's family. Mike's might not have been someone who has travelled the world, but he has managed to reach every corner of the earth and made friends with people in nearly every nation. I was lucky enough to accidentally come across him from a mutual acquaintance. 

He has always been a kind man, willing to listen to any and all questions regarding topics he his familiar with. Quick with joke and help put people at ease, a stalwart man, loyal to those he called friend. I would like to consider myself lucky, as he has on more then one occasion called me his friend.

He will always live on my memories. He is, and always will be, my friend.

Every Saturday night I, and a dedicated group of connoisseurs from all over the world, joined our hosts, the dynamic duo of Captain Clobby and First Officer Raquel Briggs, to review episodes of our beloved Star Trek.

Last week we lost one half of that duo, Mike Alonzo, our Clobby.

Even though we never met in person, and that saddens me, I consider this beautiful, kind and generous man a dear friend. Last year, when I was facing family tragedy and my own mortality, Clobby, Raquel and the community they built, were there to support me. I cannot thank them enough for that.

His sudden loss reminds me how transient life is and how we must treasure those we love while we still have them. Give your loved ones a hug, tell them you love them and treasure every moment you have. We never know how much time we have left.

My deepest condolences to Mike's family and his close friends. I will remember him as a kind, gentle and generous man who extended the hand of friendship to people all over the world. His enthusiasm for the things he loved was infectious. What a wonderful legacy he has left us.

Godspeed Clobby. You will me missed.

Eulogy for Mike F. Alonzo

I've had more than one person tell me or say, "I know I wasn't Mike Alonzo's best friend, but he was mine." Each time I heard that, I deeply felt that, to Mike, we were all his best friends. We were “GREAT" friends.

Mike had the uncanny ability to make you feel like you had his undivided attention and unquestioned support. You felt that way watching a Saints game, a 1980 Flash Gordon cartoon, sitting in Hooters, at a convention, in a comic book store, or even on a podcast. Mike demanded nothing from any of us. He gave us everything he was capable of giving, which, in hindsight, was immeasurable.

When my father died, I was lost, and my nature steered me to the dark. Mike Alonzo met me at a comic book store and carried me out of that hell, introducing me to countless hours of pop culture history and lore. He opened my mind to an entire history beyond the limited geekdom I'd grown up with.

When I joined the Army, Mike sent me letters regularly and encouraged both myself and the folks I'd introduced him to in my platoon. When my first wife left me for a fat PE coach, Mike had me sleeping on his sofa, watching Doctor Who, Buffy, and TOS to ease the pain. All while mocking the universe and occasionally making crank calls. We were vulgar and laughed incessantly. We mocked things and people. They were mostly oblivious as we laughed to entertain ourselves but never to harm another person.

I never saw Mike Alonzo hurt anyone. He loathed himself and was incredibly self-deprecating to the point of his friends ignoring it. I feel sad now considering that perhaps I didn't reinforce him enough as he always did for me. I hate that he fell alone. I hate that I couldn't save him, which I would if I could, and so would Superman if Pa Kent was about to be hit by a tornado! Fuck you, Man of Steel. Lives like Mike's are always too short. He burned himself out on living life his way, but we all had a great ride with him while he did.

I'll always know we confronted John Byrne together. That we saw the prequels opening night together (thanks, Vicky), that we went nuts and he broke his glasses when Steve Gleason blocked the Falcons' punt. That he would put a pillow over his face when Danny Jr., Mikey, George, and I would make crank phone calls. Or sang Wesley Willis and David Allen Coe songs. Or we just made up our own.

In this horseshit grief, I'm thankful that I have 1,000-plus shows that I can listen to when I miss him, which I have every day since his passing. More importantly, Mike found his passion and calling by being part of the online geek community that made him just as fantastic in his field as Kirby and Moore were in theirs. And like Jack, Mike didn't make millions of dollars, just millions of friends, and that was enough for him. If Jack Kirby was the king of comics, Mike Alonzo was the beacon of brotherhood, with a costume to go along with it.

So as I reflect on my dear friend, I find myself blessed that, for whatever reason, I recommended Mike and I review the Death of Superboy (which was such a dear and tragic storyline for both of us). At the 1:20 mark, I was able to tell him how much I loved him and appreciated him. That was a gift, and I'll always have that. Just like we'll always have Pre-CRISIS, Real Trek, Pre-Disney filth Star Wars, and Woketer Who.

So, read 1970's Nova. Get to know the Giffen era Legion, the Sand Superman Saga, read the Kirby Collector, watch Probe, and tell JJ Abrams he's a jagoff. Moan the closing credits of The Empire Strikes Back, fight for an hour about how bad Byrne's Fantastic Four was, but then be disgusted at how good his Trek was. The most fascinating thing about losing Mike is we loved talking about totally unreal shit with him, and he himself, in his greatness and kindness, was the realest thing any of us will ever know. And he's still real, just not in the way we're used to. Because old geeks never die; they just materialize in their source material, and that's where we'll find him.

Be seeing you, my friend. I love you, Mike. Thank you for being my friend.

Like many you have heard from recently, I am among the ones who loved Clobby without ever having met him in three dimensions. That didn't matter. This is hurting for me. I miss him so much, so I can only imagine how rough it is for those who were closer to him, both online and off. We shared an adoration of Star Trek, which will be apparant in my attire when I meet you soon. 

I found his channel after he and RM Briggs were well into reviewing Star Trek: The Animated series, and I found them captivating to listen to. They always guaranteed laughter and joy. As such, I came back the next week. And then the next. Soon, Saturday Night Star Trek defined Saturdays for me as we continued on the Clobbyprise's mission to review all 735 iterations of Real Star Trek. Clobby always said he wanted to change the name of the ship, but now that's it. I think it's just right. RM Briggs has it exactly right that Clobby's voice and presence brings you directly to a virtual comic book shop or convention just based on his breadth of endless knowledge and passion for everything he enjoys. He even makes it fun to talk about the things he enjoys less. He and Briggs were never afraid to tell their true opinion, which made the show authentic and their voices a genuine adventure every time. 

He meant so much to me as a friend that I wish I had messaged more than I did, but when I did, he always responded kindly and considerately. Around the time when I found his YouTube channel, he used to have earlier daytime streams. Even though I'd never considered putting my voice online, I loved engaging with the chat and typing about Star Trek. I was excited to find people to share my thoughts with. Somehow, despite not at all being tested on the air, Mike decided to invite me onto a panel for Gene Roddenberry's birthday. So, when other people who know him online tell you he is welcoming, that is no exaggeration. The fun I had with him led to me deciding to have a channel of my own. When it was brand new, he would join me for a few streams. The only thing that got in the way of that was scheduling, and it's something that I now wish I had worked on more. However, he continued to welcome me on his channel in the chat and sometimes even on a panel. 

His storytelling skills were so stellar that even though I know nothing about comic books, I could still sometimes sit there and listen to him talk about them. His impressions and sound effects were a delight. He brought such great happiness to everyone who encountered him on every level that I am even seeing messages of loss from people who only just learned about his channel recently. One of my favorite things he did was when something bugged him enough, he would joke, "Don't make me turn this stream around," as if we were in a station wagon and he was taking us on a virtual vacation. And he did. 

You dad was the best person I knew. He was universally loved and had this incredible ability to make people feel welcome and included and to be on their best behavior without having to ask them. His loss has hit me amazingly hard so I can only imagine what it must be like for his family.

He was such an incredible person that I scheduled my life around interacting with him. Saturday nights were always the best part of my week and now I don’t know what to do without him. I’ve made some great friendships that came from the community that he built. It will never be the same without him but we will move forward something to honor his memory.

I know it won’t make the pain go away but just know that your father was the best person I knew.