Robert ANDELMAN

ANDELMAN, Robert Stephen "Bob" a prolific and bestselling author and podcaster based in St. Petersburg, passed away Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, at age 59, after a yearlong battle with a rare cancer called adenoid cystic carcinoma. Cancer sucks. To everyone who knew him, Bob was kind, generous with his time and always ready to listen, with a positive outlook that never wavered, even when he became ill. His wife, Mimi and their 23 year old, Charlie, are heartbroken. Bob was born in Brooklyn, NY, but soon moved to North Brunswick, NJ. His work ethic ensured success as early as age 13, when he got his start in journalism by reporting sports scores to the newspaper for his school, North Brunswick Township High School. He co-founded the comics magaine "Fans of Central Jersey" as a teenager. After graduating from the University of Florida, Bob found his way to Clearwater, where he freelanced for many publications, including "Music" and "Focus" magazines, the "Tampa Bay Business Journal" and "Maddux Report," among others. Bob was also editor of the alternate-publication "Tampa Bay Weekly." He later created his own magazine, "Jump Monthly." He had a brief stint as a music critic at the "Tampa Tribune." In the Clearwater bureau of what was then the "St. Petersburg Times," Bob tackled all the assignments his editors sent his way. He also covered pop music for the "Times," where he met his wife, Mimi, who edited his late-night reviews. Both agreed right away that it was a fraught writer/editor relationship (Bob wrote long, a lot like this obit) but they found love despite that. Mimi told everyone, including Bob, that she was the luckiest woman on earth to find such a fine man. Bob's personality and work ethic were key to his success with Mr. Media Interviews, the long-time video podcast he produced. He interviewed more than 1,000 writers, singers, artists, actors, athletes, entrepreneurs, politicians and more, including celebrities such as Nathan Fillion, Donald Glover, Julie Newmar, Jackie Collins, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Bill Prady and Kirk Douglas. Mr. Media was begun in 1994 as a syndicated newspaper column. It was also around that time that MrMedia.com first appeared online. Bob also developed Mr. Media Books, publishing more than 10 books by up-and-coming authors. Bob authored and co-authored more than 15 books, three of which were bestsellers. Titles include "Stadium for Rent," the backstory of St. Petersburg's long-time efforts to land a major-league team at the old Florida Suncoast Dome; "Built From Scratch," with Home Depot co-founders Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank; "Building Atlanta" with Herman J. Russell, about Russell's experiences overcoming a lifetime of adversity to become an entrepreneur and integral activist in the civil rights movement; "Mean Business" with controversial CEO "Chainsaw" Al Dunlap; and "The Wawa Way" with CEO Howard Stoeckel. As a lifelong fan of comic books and superheroes, though, his biography "Will Eisner: A Spirited Life" about the life and career of Will Eisner, widely acknowledged as the creator of the graphic novel, was one of his proudest accomplishments. To Bob's family, he was a superhero himself. Bob dedicated himself to taking care of his family. One of Bob's great pleasures was in coaching middle school girls soccer at Shorecrest Preparatory School and Northeast Raiders. In addition to Mimi, his loving wife of 31 years; he is survived by their 23-year-old, Charlie; his mother, Phyllis Andelman; his sister, Lori Parsells, and her husband, Al; his brother, Ira Andelman; his sister-in-law, Cathy Jackson and her husband Rick. Also surviving him are nephews, Tony White and his wife, Chris, Terry White and his love, Robyn, Alex and Eric Parsells; nieces, Juliana and Rebecca Jackson; his grand-nephews, Donovan, Marcus, Davis and Nico White; and his 18-year-old dog, Chase. Through Mr. Media Interviews and "A Spirited Life," Bob had the opportunity to interview dozens of comic book artists, writers and editors, graphic novelists and cartoonists such as Tony Isabella, Jerry Robinson, Chuck Dixon, Marc Guggenheim, Danny Fingeroth, Lynn Johnston, Stephen Pastis, Arie Kaplan, Mark Chiarello, Barbara Slate, Mark Tatulli, Jerry Scott, Jim Borgman, Rick Kirkman, Terri Libenson, Drew Friedman, Chris Browne, and many others. In memory of his love for comics, journalism and civil rights, Bob's family asks that you consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the First Amendment rights of the comics medium. http://cbldf.org/in-memoriam/ Funeral arrangements are private. David C. Gross Funeral Homes, St. Petersburg