http://www.cbr.com/george-a-romero-night-of-the-living-dead-creator-has-died/

I can't believe he was 77. I thought he was much older.

Man, this one really sucks. Night of the Living Dead was a huge gateway movie for me to explore more black and white horror films. Thanks for all your great work, Mr. Romero. we'll miss ya.

Creepshow was the movie that I remember asking my dad to rent. Getting something that had already been seen was a rarity. But it just got better with every viewing. Like Kappa, it was a gateway movie. This was before I realised that my dad had read EC comics and had a fondness for old horror movies too. I saw lots of zombie films that used Romero's work as an inspiration, before I saw the remake of Night of the Living Dead and then the original. Both were head and shoulders above the competition. Dawn of the Dead was another favourite and all of these still stand up incredibly well. It's a real shame that Day of the Dead just didn't get the budget it needed. He was far from alone in great genre directors struggling to fund and make the pictures they would love to do. And then it's just too late.

Dawn of the Dead was a seminal movie for me. Sad he's gone, far sadder he had to work so damn hard for scraps to fund his films while others stood on his shoulders and reaped far greater rewards.

Famously, due to a fluke mistake the original distributor of Night of the Living Dead failed to secure copyright status on the film. I assume this massively cut into the profits Romero made off it, but also was responsible for it being shown far more than it would otherwise have been, securing its massive influence.

Anyway, RIP Mr. Romero, a true innovator in your genre.