He was hospitalized Dec. 21 with circulatory problems, according to a post by Curt Phillips over on the PulpMags group at Yahoo. Brian E. Brown reported his death late Tuesday evening.
Rusty wasn’t among the online pulp community. So unless you attended a fan convention or Pulpcon, you probably never had much contact with him.
I met Rusty only briefly during my one trip to Pulpcon (in 2006), so I can’t say I knew him well. But I knew of his reputation as a staunch pulp fan.
That devotion to pulp magazines rubbed a number of people the wrong way at times. He worked hard to keep Pulpcon focused on pulps, even as attendance at the gathering fell; many argued that broadening the convention’s focus would bring in a new fans. That divide eventually resulted in the hiatus of Pulpcon and the birth of PulpFest.
Whether you agreed with Rusty’s firm focus on the pulps at Pulpcon, you have to admire his love of the pulp magazines.
He will be missed by many.
Rusty at times could be like your cranky old uncle, but you could not help love the guy.