Maybe you have also noticed this news of Cog (aka Colin Lister, quite famous Blenderhead) - http://www.cogfilms.com/index.html
Actually he has quite difficult life time. As there is no contact on his website I would like to use this forum to wish him good luck!!! 
His tutorials were always very helpful to me when I have stared to use Blender so sorry if this sounds maybe pathetic.
It canāt sound pathetic. I was to make an interview of him for BlenderArt when I fell ill myself. I know that heās has some heart problems in the past but all seemed well then, a year ago or soā¦
How/where did you learn about his health?
I sure wish itās nothing and that heāll get better like before he did.
Jean
I donāt think he is ill again. I think its in regards to his finances, job, etc.
Yea i just read up on the siteā¦ Sad to hear but nothing that we can do about it reallyā¦
Awwww, damn. COG, I hope you find a new roost immediately. Your site and tutorials have been invaluable to me. Thanks, and good luck!
Having read the news on Cogās website I must say that I feel a bitā¦ oh, well, thatās not whatās important : after what I feared his situation seems to me quite livable.
In the same situation Iād gladly take all the free time and Iād easily cover for the reduced income working with Blender.
Heāll adjust easily.
J.
That was only Cogās tutorils make decide to select my carrier in Blender.
I see Collins got Google ads - the fact his site is visited helpsā¦if Iām not mistaken, clicking on some ads helps more?
Letās hope this keeps rollingā¦
Hi friends,
Thank you all for your kind words. I better start by saying Iām in very good health thank goodness. But life has been somewhat traumatic over the last few months. I have been given a good severance package by my former employers but that wont last forever. My wife and I have decided to relocate to a new area of the UK, the Yorkshire Dales. That will probably be in Spring 2008. Once there it will be job hunting and probably building a freelance portfolio as I would love to use my skills in an area of design that I love.
All these things will keep me very occupied and personal Blender projects will have to take second place. However, I may have some design work to give a little income over the next few months and once I am settled in Yorkshire I can turn back to Cog and my other projects.
You may have also noted from my blog that I am keen to develop a book. Tentatively titled The Complete Blender Materials and Composite Bible. It would be designed to cover all Blender material and texture creation topics from procedurals to complex UV. It would cover in detail the use of Node based material creation and have a full explanation of the fantastic Blender post-processing Compositor. It would be designed to take the budding Blender artist from simple materials and composites through to professional feature-film-quality creations using Blender.
The question I raised was would there be enough interest, or potential sales, to encourage a publisher to commit to such a project? I would be very interested to know. So please email me at the address shown at the bottom of my website www.cogfilms.com.
Colin Litster (Cog)
Hello Colin,
thank you for your post. I wish you good luck!!!
I was not sure whether it was good idea to start this thread. But I eventually hope that this Blender community interest and words may help.:eyebrowlift2:
PS: Writing the book is great idea! I would be definitely interested.Your tutorials were always the most professional of all Blender ones. As we know your BSoD or Essential Blender inputs your book will be definitely ātop notchā.
:eek: what, a blender book, on materials, by youā¦?!! why, hell yes id be hyped!!! :evilgrin:
Wishing you a very good health.
I submitted proposals to many publishers on writing a book on compositing using Blender and got no response and no return calls, even using bugmanās publisher. As far as depending on book sales for inccome, I think you could count on getting about EU 5 000 from royalties, and that is about it.
Colin
Sorry to hear your world has been turned upside down & you think you wonāt have as much time or resources to continue youāre excellent web site. I for one am a big fan of your tutorials and look in on the site at the beginning of each month. I have learnt a lot from your work in the few years I have been playing with Blender, youāre updates and work will be missed. So I hope you find a way to continue.
On the book front, have you considered a print on demand publisher? I have been looking at lulu.com for a possible book in the future. The print costs are a little higher but they cut the publisher out of the loop so in the end you are probably better off. Because they only print what is sold they remove the risk of having to buy thousands of books. The only investment you need to make is the time writing and formatting the book. Take a look you might find it helps.
Regards
Rob
Best of Luck Colin!
Your tutorials and BSOD documentation have been very much appreciated.
Hi Colin. I am one of your fans. Your sea tutorials are amazing. YES, Iād be interested to buy that kind of book written by a Blender veteran. Do it! :eyebrowlift:
I for one would certainly love to buy a Blender materials bible! 
Though, I donāt know when I would be able to get it as I am already
aiming to get the blender physics book by Bugman.
Hopefully your move goes well and you can find a good job that
suits your needs.
Sold, for sure!
Texturing is one time consuming area of 3D to figure out all by oneself!
J.
Cog, with your talent for sure that youāll get the job you want! (iām crossing my fingers:rolleyes:)
About the book, fou sure that iāll buy it!!
Cog, PapaSurf,
While ārealā paper books will always be around and are nice, downloadable PDF / DVD / CDās might be an alternative, and you can be your own publisher ! ā¦ and keep the āoverheadā.
Iād be happy to pay $20-30 for a good electronic āinformation packā and I know that both of you are capable of writing such qualty, having seen what youāve already done.
Mike