Andrew Baran, former writer at Electronic Gaming Monthly and EGM2/Expert Gamer, passed away on July 26 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
On Baran's own 1Up page, he wrote this about himself:
I was an editor for EGM and the host of Sendai/Ziff-Davis magazines, enjoying a tenure that lasted from the days of the NES and continued all the way through to the Xbox. (1991-2001) I started out counseling players on a variety of videogame tip lines and ended my extensive career as Senior Editor...
On the magazines, I was once known as Cyber Boy. Historically speaking, I had one of the longest runs on the Review Crew-where I even held the top slot for a time. Sadly, this was mostly incognito as I wrote under Ed Semrad's name over the years. If you have your old issues, you can find plenty of hidden references in "his" reviews that would hint at the truth. Eventually I got to use my real name and had enjoyed the top slot of the Crew with my own identity.
A ZD buyout spun me into the fringes of EGM2 where I produced over 125 strategy guides. When the company was sold to an investment firm, I found myself cast out of the gaming media's light, but into the warm embrace of gaming retail instead.
Former EGM Editor In Chief Dan Hsu has a tribute to Baran over at BitMob. That in the embedded link below.
Rest in peace, Andy, rest in peace.
RIP: EGM's Andy Baran [BitMob]