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Andreas Wahlin

In Loving Memory

Picture of Andreas Wahlin
1980 - 2007

Gone but not forgotten…

Learn more about Andreas

Andreas Wahlin

Using this space, I would like to give you all the opportunity to learn a bit about a person who I consider, even though we only spoke daily in the digital world, as a good friend. The first time I got in touch with Andreas was in the beginning of 2002. I was in the middle of creating a new version of my website, The ST Graveyard, and Andreas, who was also an avid Atari fanatic, asked me if I was interested in hosting his first assembler tutorial. Of course I was happy with the offer, and that is where it all started. Today, his tutorials are in the top 5 of most downloaded docs in the Atari scene. At that time, he didn't really had a lot of asm knowledge, but wrote the tutorials while he was learning it all. He was really into this thing. I used to love watching the little things he coded on the ST. I still remember vividly the Matrix fonts dropping from top to bottom, it was so cool.

Of course, after a while, we started communicating more. He was also a real game fanatic, so he started reviewing ST games as well. His reviews were always very elaborate and he gave it all a very philosophical touch. Andreas was really into the spiritual side of life, and into philosophy. He walked in the path of the Warrior Munk. That was the side of him which was hard for me to grasp, cause it was all new to me, yet very interesting. He always had a very different take on things in life. Yet on the other hand he could be so down to earth and funny.

Computers weren't the only thing we talked about. After a while, you start to know eachother. I used to love to talk about our mutual love for horror movies, especially George Romero and David Cronenberg films. We talked about family. And let's not forget to mention 'Clare Forlani' (yes, he had good taste in women !) I remember vividly our conversations on why we just couldn't find a 'nice' girlfriend (I know, it all sounds silly to you, but hey, we're guys and we all know women, he :-)) The things you talk about when you share the same age and interests ...

Andreas was a guy filled with cool ideas. I'm not only talking about his coding work, but we also all remember the silly adventures of Karate Kenneth. He is also responsible for the Jukebox you see at this site. He created this in a matter of hours. He was really enthousiastic about (web)coding and new technologies. In the past 2 years our interests took a bit of a different road (and our spare time), but he showed me his latest java(script) work and it looked mighty impressive! The Dungeon Master clone in javascript!

Even though I never met him in real life, after 4 years of chatting, you just know he was a cool, friendly bloke who had a lot to offer. It so sad I never met him in real life.

Andreas doing the Vulcan salute

Andreas Wahlin was killed on the 24th of February when getting of the tram in Gothenborg. He was attacked by two muggers and stabbed in the back. He died on the way to the hospital. He was killed for his laptop, a mac. He took that thing with him everywhere. I've had a lot of 'PC vs Mac' discussions with him in the past, and I used to tease him with this matter. He was another victim of the violent society we live in today.

Andreas, I just can't believe you are gone! I will be thinking about you for a very long time (in a non gay way (as we used to joke)). From now on, everytime I watch a Romero flick, you can be sure as hell you'll be on my mind.

Only the good die young ... it's such a shame, I just know you had so much more to offer. I hope one day we will meet again ... On the other side!

I would like to end this little message with a picture of Andreas taken 4 years ago. He was really into martial arts, it was his passion. I know he was proud of this picture.

You will be missed! I wish you could come back.

Maarten Martens (ST Graveyard) - March 7 2007

Andreas doing martial arts

Visitor comments:
Ulrika, Andreas mother - September 2, 2007

Hi
The verdict for the murderer is the same as before, 10 years, but his companion got 2 years for robbery instead of 6 years as in the district court.
I don't think there will be another trial as nothing new came up.

I wish to thank you all for your support and consideration in my grief. It warms my hart that your thoughts are with him and that he will not be forgotten.

Ulrika

Ragstaff / Tompee - August 19, 2007

I am shocked, I have only just found out about this.

I am really a bit of an outsider in the scene, and I when, too often recently, we hear that someone has left us like this, I often don't them personally.

When I first glanced over this news, though, I had to check twice.... Perihelion??!

I remember his always-positive contributions on atari-forum. I particularly remember the esoteric discussions he and I participated in, about philosophy and stuff like that.

I read his assembler tutorials, I was begninning to write something similar at the time myself, so I particularly admired the work he did there. He encouraged a lot of people to get into assembler.

So you see, even In Australia he will be missed.

Thanks Andreas, and God bless.


Tom

=^D Guy - July 28, 2007

I never knew this person, yet I was mismorized at the details of two sons of bitches who killed this person, and just because he used a mac computer. Why? Ever since I came to this site I got to see the details on the Atari ST, and today I think this computer is as legendary as the Amiga, a rival to the ST. Yes the ST is not as good, but many british people used this computer. Some demos and games were as good looking and sounding in fact.

R.I.P., Andreas. I never knew you, but for the others, we'll all miss you.

Ulrika, Perihelion's/Andreas's, mother. - July 16, 2007

I'm ashamed of my self. Today I read what I wrote tonight and saw bad grammar and spelling. I never write in english but hopefully you understand it anyway.
Would like to add that if it's anything you would like to ask, dont hesitate to send me an e-mail on ulrikawahlin@bredband.net

Ulrika, Perihelion's/Andreas's, mother. - July 15, 2007

I just want to inform everybody about the trial.
The murderer used much more violence than I first know. Andreas was stabbed three times with a knife. One on his left side that cut his kidney and intestines, one in the back and the one that killed him - right in his hart. The murderer was high on heroin and decided to rob Andreas of his lap top the very moment he saw Andreas using it on the tram. He started to persuade his friend (who also was high on heroin) to join him, so when Andreas got of the tram (to visit friends), they followed him and the murderer took the lap top from Andreas and started to go away from him. Andreas turned around and tried to take it back and there was a fight between the three of them. Obviously Andreas defended him too well so the murderer took his knife and used it. Andreas fell on the ground (it was snow), tried to stand up but fell to the ground again. The murderer went away but came back and started to kick Andreas as he was lying on the snow, and the other guy joined him as well. After they kicked and hitted him, they took the lap top and went away. The other guy called out in the dark for anyone to hear, for an ambulance/police. He understood that Andreas was badly hurt.
After a while three young girls came and found Andreas lying with his face down in the snow. one of the girls turned him over and asked him to open his eyes and if he could hear her. Andreas answered that he was ok but had been robbed of his lap top. He didn't say anything about a knife or that he was wounded. I don't think he ever realised that he was stabbed.
Andreas died on the hospital 30 minutes after he was stabbed.
Nobody saw the knife. There are three witnesses and they all saw that Andreas was the only one that was on the ground and none of them saw the knife. One saw it from his balcony, one from her kitchen window and a little girl was rather near in a shrubbery when she was out for tobogganing in the snow.
The murderer says that he just stabbed Andreas once, in the side, and that he don't know about the other wounds. He also says that Andreas lost his balance when Andreas kicked him to the ground and doing so, fell over him and got the knife in his hart. He says that it's the only explanation. He - of cource - don't remember that much. He was to high.
The sentence was 10 years for the murderer and 6 years for the other guy. The solicitors has already appeal against the sentence. The solicitor of the murderer demanded for 4,5 year for grave cause of Andreas death and the other solicitor demanded for grave robbery.
I sat in the court right opposite the guys and tried to look them in there eyes, but they avoid my gaze.

- July 15, 2007

Sorry for putting the info here but I could not see that it appeared on the site and a though someone might want to know

- July 15, 2007

FYI: The sentence for the attackers was:
-10years for murder for the one holdning the knife
-6years for (more serious) robbery to the other one

Martin Graiter - June 13, 2007

I just learned about Andreas' tragic death from his mother.
I used to date his mother and I was Andreas' "plastpappa", plastic dad, meaning not real dad, which is a swedish term, for 11 years.

Andreas told me once "You've changed my life. You have made me love Star Trek and Atari."
The Star Trek I made him love was TOS, the original series. I watched that as a kid and it had such staying power that I still enjoyed it many years later. He then went on with all the Star Trek offshoots by himself.

The Atari part was more accidental. I used to service those things and had amassed a lot of them in my cellar and really everywhere. He asked me if he could loan a machine. No, I said, but you can have one for free. I thought he wanted to get into retro gaming and was very surprised to find him coding in assembler. It may have been my enthusiastic descriptions of Forth and Assembler that have gotten him interested in coding the MC68000, or it may have been something else. In any event, he did something great of it.

Andreas was a very bright kid and I was for a limited time his male role model, which feels like a great honor today.

What has happened to him is so tragic and sad that there are no words for it.
I wept like a baby when I heard about his death.
He had changed my life too.
Rest in peace Andreas.


Lars - April 24, 2007


Today two months has passed since Andreas was taken from us.

I miss him very much. Every day. Almost every day we spoke using ICQ, and we joked a lot, and shared a lot of information. Now when I see funny links my first thought is "Andreas would have liked this!". From time to time we also visited each other and played board games. I remember in particular when we played "Dork Tower" from Steve Jackson Games, and a curse was placed over all players. No one was allowed to speak, if you did it cost you one Experience Point. We all found this very bizarre and Andreas almost burst with laughter, and actually jumped up and down on his chair. He tried not to, but finally he bursted out! He knew the price, and paid his experience point before he called me "Ape!!!" (a very internal joke) and laughed. Oh I miss his laughter!

We shared a lot of information, as I said - our friendship was of that mutual kind that made us both masters and apprentices at the same time (as we often commented and joked about). Some things he knew more about, and he taught me. Some things I knew more about, and I taught him. And we had fun sharing our thoughts and jokes! VERY fun! Oh I miss his wisdom, and his eager for more wisdom!

I only got to know Andreas for about six or seven years, and it was through the Atari I got to know him. But soon we forgot about the Atari and discussed everything else in the world.

From starters we discussed being our own demo group, creating cool demos... he coding and me making the music and the art. Unfortunately I worked too much and hadn't the time to create anything. And he moved on from Atari to web development. The name of the group would have been poSTmortem (After Death). Now I feel obliged to actually create some sort of a demo under that name as a tribute to him. I hope I will manage to do that. I'm not as focused and smart as Andreas was.

Andreas will have an impact on me for the rest of my life. He made me want to be a better person... more focused, and more wise than I currently am.

I miss you, Andreas! You are one of the coolest humans I have ever met!

muguk - March 14, 2007

If anyone ever had the patience to teach assembler for lamers like me, then it was Andreas.

Learnt more from his simple descriptions than I'd picked up in years upon years of hacking away and nicking other people's routines :)

Pity I can't now thank him any more for the extra bits I'd picked up from his tutorials. I hope to make sure his tutorials on the Atari Forum Wiki do him more justice than he received from those who did him harm.

AL - March 13, 2007

Words are always hard to find in moments like this, but I will give it a try.

I did not know him from this element allthou I of course knew that he was a huge computer-nerd... I also knew is interest in religion and philosophy. I probably failed to convince him that sience is not a religon and the logic of athism, not that I am 100% certein that he belived the opposite, but we had some fun discussing. I also remember his skill in sum up board-game rules and all his small and large plans for the future. I like the picture even if I only saw him with a beard.

He was a really nice guy, think of him then you see something apple-white.

Zorro 2/NoExtra - March 9, 2007

I knew him there's a long time when he's writing a 68000 FAQ, we spoke a long time with him about ST's assembler. I was very disappointed when he has decided to stop making it but he wanted to change for another things. I remember when I ask him to participate at a megademo, memories...

The most sincere condolences at the family.

Cooper - March 8, 2007

I didn't knew you personnally, but as many of us, i knew your great asm tutorials...

Rest in peace, and what a lame world we are living in..... :(

marakatti - March 8, 2007

All the best in... where ever your spirit will fly to...

RetroGamerUK - March 7, 2007

The Atari Community will never forget Perihelion, and others will come to learn of him through his legacies here, both in his excellent work in helping others to learn coding, and in the posts he has left behind to remind us that this place is not just about the computers...
Andreas will live on in the memories of those who were lucky enough to know him outside of the Atari Community, I feel proud to be one of those people.
Wherever you are now old friend, be well.

Aktiv8 - March 7, 2007

A true light in the Atari community has gone...

Let you be at Gods side as you teach him Assembly language

We will all miss you

Maarten (ST Graveyard) - March 7, 2007

Some words from his mother (translated by Lars - mib5150 ) :

"It comforts me that he was liked and appreciated and that he won't be forgotten, at the same time as it gets harder to realize that he had so many projects he wanted to realize, and that won't be finished now"

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