Internet production company Rooster Teeth established itself before the days of YouTube in the early 2000s, animating character models within “Halo” multiplayer and dubbing in voice acting they recorded in their closet. The resulting show was the origin of one of the most popular internet programs, “Red vs. Blue.”

Now, over a decade later, they have over eight million subscribers on YouTube and 3.5 billion views. RoosterTeeth is a powerhouse in the online entertainment medium, releasing videos daily to the praise of their ever-growing fan base.

“The thing I like about them is how diverse they are,” said fan of the company Jordan Flett. “They put out numerous things daily that keep their community entertained. Their commitment to creating tons of quality content for their fans is something that you just don’t see a lot of on the internet.”

However, the company was struck with tragedy as one of their show runners and lead animators, Monty Oum, fell ill after a severe allergic reaction during a minor surgical procedure. “Monty is a tremendous talent who has accomplished so much in his young life,” Rooster Teeth said in a statement. “He has an amazing creative ability and the drive to put it to use. That is a rare combination, and we are proud to have shared in it.”

Oum established himself as an internet powerhouse early in the 2000s, producing high-quality action sequences featuring various video game characters. “Dead Fantasy,” featuring characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Dead or Alive,” is perhaps one of his most recognizable works.

After news of Oum’s illness hit the web, crowd-funding website gofundme.com set a monetary goal of $50,000 to aid in his medical expenses and support. Five days later, over $240,000 was raised.

Unable to recover from his allergic reaction, Oum died on Feb. 2.

After his death, Rooster Teeth made a simple request of their fans, saying, “In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that you simply do something creative. Use your imagination to make the world a better place in any way that you can.”

“If you know Monty like we do, then you know he would certainly be doing that if he were able to,” Rooster Teeth concluded.