RIP JCD

On Wednesday I learned that columnist and podcaster John C. Dvorak, a person that I’ve been following since I was a teenager, died on Monday, July 20, 2026. I started reading his columns in PC Magazine back in the 1980s and more recently started listening to him on the DH Unplugged and No Agenda podcasts.

There are certain artists, writers, and entertainers whose work you consume consistently over decades that losing their voice creates an actual hole in your life. You’ve never met them, but you’re an ardent fan. You look forward to their next book, column, movie, album, or podcast. They have a unique perspective on the world, and now that perspective is gone. I remember feeling much the same way the day after watching Stevie Ray Vaughan in concert, when I heard the news of his death in a helicopter crash, or when I heard that Prince died from a drug overdose. I don’t mourn the person so much because I never knew them, but I mourn the loss of the content they used to produce. It makes me sound a bit callous, I know, but that’s the way I look at the world. I know the loss is huge for his family and friends. But I’m just a consumer of his work. I won’t pretend to be anything else.

John C. Dvorak, the original Cranky Geek, was indeed cranky and contrarian, with a wicked sense of humor. He was smart and knowledgeable, and he was never afraid to confront people or ideas that didn’t make sense. There will never be a new column or podcast where he gives his unique insight on the world. And the world is less colorful now because of it.

RIP JCD