James Kaposztas, creator of the world’s first anime AMV, has died.

The famous AMV (Anime Music Video) has been popular on the Internet among Japanese animation lovers for years. What few know is that the first video in this style is much older than one might think – it was created in 1982 by James Kaposztas using VHS videotapes. And last Sunday, the death of the creator of this very popular concept was confirmed.

Michael Pinto, editor and co-founder of Anime.com Inc and a personal friend of Kaposztas, was the one to confirm what happened on Twitter. Pinto celebrates the creation of the video editor, which even used copies of anime tapes to create their first AMV.

Rest in peace, my old anime lover friend, James Kaposztas. Known as “Jim” to his friends, he created the first anime-themed music video using only secondhand VHS footage. #anime #fandom #AMV pic.twitter.com/JfOrNY62F8

—Michael Pinto (@michaelpinto) February 6, 2023

“Beloved by his friends, Jim played a pivotal role in supporting the first anime fan events in NY and Philadelphia, was one of the first cosplayers to masquerade as Captain Avatar from Star Blazers and later joined Otakon,” Kaposztas explains. on your friend’s tweet

The world’s first AMV, which you can check out below, was created using two VCRs together, arranging the scenes from one tape to the next to synchronize the anime. Space Battleship Yamato with music all you need is love, by The Beatles. Kaposztas did all the work in 1982, when he was 21 and in college.

Video editing has become such a simple thing these days that one of the most used apps in the world includes the process – TikTok. But the grueling process for Kaposztas in the 1980s enabled him to turn his love into work, as his friend Michael Pinto explains in other tweets:

What made me proud of Jim was that he took his love of anime and turned it into a professional career as a video editor for over two decades.

Video clip of Jim from a documentary about anime music videos from two years ago: https://t.co/LAjQct0HwT

—Michael Pinto (@michaelpinto) February 6, 2023

“What makes me proud of Jim is that he took his love of anime and turned it into a professional career as a video editor for over two decades,” Pinto said. The post is accompanied by a clip from a documentary series about AMVs featuring an interview with its creator.