Last Friday was officially my first day as Editor-in-Chief, which means it was also the last day for my mentor and hero Ray Wert. Now that he's going to change advertising forever it seems time to give him the only kind of tribute his tormented brain can appreciate: senseless brutality.
Since no one can use the English language for brutality like Ray Wert I've decided to use his own words against him, culled from the many chat transcripts I've saved during our years of working together.
There's no easy way to sum up just how much Wert's meant to this operation, growing this small site about cars into the greatest automotive news source in the known universe. He's the longest serving Gawker Media Editor-in-Chief ever and I can already feel his absence.
Another reporter I spoke with today reminded me that he's "a beast." One of the hardest working people on the planet. It will take five writers, three copy editors, a monkey and a pack of AA batteries to replace his output.
You'll hear more from me in the coming weeks about who those new people (and monkey) will be, but for now please join me in remembering the man who forever changed automotive journalism.