by Wim Lockefeer
On October 5, 2019, Belgian journalist and comics aficionado Rik Pareit died after a long battle with prostate cancer. Pareit (born December 15, 1952) worked in political and financial news reporting, but was also active as comics correspondent for Flemish youth radio Studio Brussel, and was one of the authors of Geheimzinnige Sterren (Mysterious Stars), a very irreverent book about classic Belgian comics, their tropes, cliches and hangups.
Within Flemish comics fandom, Pareit will be remembered as a gentle and generous person, who was always interested in new talent and initiatives, and was happy to spread his knowledge and contacts to help others. During the last years of his life, he became a very active participant in the ongoing discussion about comics on Facebook and other platforms, and also presented a very open view on the daily struggle with his illness, his hopes and despairs, his experiences and insights. Pareit was 66 years old.
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