“I still have voice memos he sent me on my phone as Bugs & Daffy,” Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch wrote after Eric Bauza’s death. His message appeared beneath the family’s Instagram announcement, among recollections collected by Cartoon Brew.
Titmouse co-founder Chris Prynoski was struggling with how recently they had been together. “I just saw him yesterday,” he wrote, remembering Bauza as a friend as well as a performer.
Bauza died October 25 at 46. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause, as Wealth of Geeks previously reported. He had won three Children’s & Family Emmys.
El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera co-creator Jorge R. Gutiérrez remembered designing characters while eagerly imagining what Bauza would do with them. The actor voiced Rodolfo Rivera, also known as White Pantera, on the series.
Dave Green Shares Bauza’s Karaoke Celebration at the Premiere
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Coyote vs. Acme director Dave Green’s October 27 tribute included a video of Bauza singing karaoke at the film’s premiere afterparty. The celebration followed years of uncertainty. Warner Bros. had shelved the completed movie before Ketchup Entertainment acquired it and brought it to U.S. theaters in August 2026, as Animation World Network reported.
Green recalled how quickly they became friends over their childhood love of 1980s and 1990s cartoons. Bauza had grown up sketching characters while trying out their voices. The director also remembered how willingly he spent time with fans: “He spent time with fans. Listened to them, hung out with them, enjoyed them. Because he was one of them.”
For Bauza, performing the characters associated with Mel Blanc carried a responsibility. Green recalled him comparing it to borrowing his parents’ Cadillac. He could enjoy driving it, but he promised not to scratch it and to bring it back with a full tank. The director described Bauza as a determined advocate for both the characters and their film.
Dan Povenmire Recalls Hearing the Performer He Had Been Looking For
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In his video tribute, Phineas and Ferb co-creator Dan Povenmire remembered searching for performers who could take over Blanc’s characters while working on Warner Bros. shorts. The challenge was finding someone who could convey their personalities rather than simply reproduce the sounds.
Watching Coyote vs. Acme, he felt Bauza had accomplished it. “He’s the guy, he’s our new Mel Blanc!” Povenmire recalled thinking, according to MeTV Toons. He was pleased to see an actor he regarded as genuinely kind getting broader recognition.
Animation director Adam Rosette remembered an earlier stage of that career. When he moved to Los Angeles in 2010, he and Bauza shared a desk at a small animation studio, drawing and laughing together. In what became their final text exchange, Rosette told him he was “the voice of our generation.”
Tara Strong and Kate Micucci Remember His Help Away From Work
Tara Strong recalled meeting Bauza when he joined The Fairly OddParents. Both came from Toronto, and she told him after hearing his range that he would become a major star. In her October 26 tribute, she described years of friendship alongside their recording sessions.
Bauza would buy merchandise featuring characters his friends voiced. Strong particularly remembered him carrying an enormous Twilight Sparkle cardboard cutout from a movie theater into her house. He also delighted children with character voices and birthday messages without waiting to be asked.
In a tribute quoted by Bleeding Cool, Kate Micucci shared a photograph from August, when Bauza helped carry her bags and checked that she reached her Uber safely. She had almost climbed into the wrong car, and they laughed about the mistake. Her post recalled hugging him goodbye after he made sure she found the right ride.
His Animation Charity Postpones Its Powerpuff Girls Reunion
Bauza’s fiancée, Caro Buermann, thanked supporters in an October 26 message through Saturday Morning Cartoons United. She said she believed he would have wanted the organization’s work to continue and hoped to find a way to keep helping people in his memory.
Buermann launched the screening series in 2025 after the Southern California wildfires. An August Los Angeles Times profile described support for animation workers through groups including AnimAID and Legends Animated, along with grants for emerging filmmakers through Silver Lake Shorts. A December 2025 event built around the Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas special had raised nearly $50,000.
The group’s November 7 fundraiser at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, The Heroes of Townsville, has now been postponed, with no plans to reschedule at this time. Bauza was to host a Powerpuff Girls reunion featuring creator Craig McCracken, artists Lauren Faust and Paul Rudish, and original voice actors Catherine Cavadini, Tara Strong and E.G. Daily. Animation executive Linda Simensky was scheduled to moderate.
According to Cartoon Brew’s October 28 report, organizers said VIP ticket holders can request refunds at info@cartoonsunited.com, while general-admission buyers should contact the theater.
The BeLikeBauza Challenge Supports Children in Hospitals
On October 27, Strong shared the #BeLikeBauza challenge, asking participants to record a favorite memory, perform one of Bauza’s cartoon voices and donate to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. The invitation also asks them to use the hashtag and nominate three friends.
Starlight identified Bauza as one of its ambassadors in its own tribute. The charity said it had been touched by his talent and warmth and offered condolences to his family and friends.
The Starlight Children’s Foundation provides hospital gaming equipment, toy deliveries, colorful gowns and wagons that help children and their medical equipment move around hospitals.