Etika's Mural Becomes A PokéStop In Pokémon GO

I honestly can't believe it's been more than 6 months. F.

Great thing and an amazing mural... but did they get permission to do this? I'd hate to see such a good work of art taken down because the wall is owned by some scumbag corporation...

While it is cool, they should mention mental health on the mural somewhere, never be afraid to ask for help.

@Genrou That's not the lesson at all. His tragedy brings awareness to the very real problem of mental health issues. That even when someone seems, on the surface, to be healthy and successful, they could in fact need help. Comments like yours push people away from seeking that help because it makes them fear the stigma associated with it.

@Genrou Mental illness is just as tragic as cancer or murder. Watching somebody lose themselves until they feel dying is the only way out is no joke. It’s utterly repugnant to even suggest that suicide is somehow less worthy of sympathy than murder or cancer. Next time you comment, think about what you’re writing.

Nice. Etika's content wasn't really my style, but he had a real passion for Nintendo and their games. It was truly heartbreaking watching the very public progression of his mental illness.

@Genrou Don’t want to help themselves? Surely you’ve known somebody with a mental illness, it’s really not that simple. The message attached also says ‘remembering the passing’ which is exactly what should be done to raise awareness. Should we just ignore people who commit suicide? Forget about them? No, we should remember them for who they were, not what they became.

What a nice tribute.

@Genrou That's the problem with mental illness. It can and often does, interfere with what might be, to someone healthy, an obvious and rational decision. It's very easy from someone to say "Oh they just should have gotten help" but it's a lot harder for someone in those shoes. Especially with these kinds of comments flying around reinforcing that stigma.

No one is honoring the suicide. By remembering him and what happened to him, we can help raise awareness and hopefully prevent future tragedy.

@Genrou You definitely don't understand mental illness, it's more complicated then just seeking help. I know from personal experience involving relatives of mine. I see the mural as raising awareness that mental health should be taken seriously, and not over looked.

@Genrou Yeah, it isn't that black and white.

There are plenty of people who do get help and it still isn't enough. Mental illness is insidious in the ways it can warp people's thinking. Rationality starts to go out the window.

Saying "they don't want help" is just as dismissive and damaging as telling someone with depression that they should just be happy.

Rip, Switch homies never die. You'll forever live Etika.

@Heavyarms55

Law enforcement and city court would of took action against vandalism by now if the owner didn't want the mural on the wall.

@MortalKombat2007 That sort of thing never stops those in power. But it does make it seem less likely that it would happen.

I’m curious what Genrou wrote but I suppose I can deduce it. I wish there wasn’t such as stigma against mental illness. Mental illnesses can be fatal, but some people don’t seem to realize the brain is just as much an organ as the heart, or the lungs. If you suffer from mental illness, you can’t just get over it or even necessarily ask for help.

Imagine someone stronger than you and you’re alone in a room with them. Only one exit, they’re guarding it. You can try to reason with them but they can, at any minute, overpower you so you can’t leave to get help. At any minute, they can try to kill you. And no, you can’t just get stronger, they have access to the same resources and might always be stronger. That’s mental illness. Mental illness can actively bar you from getting help.

It’s horrible to go through, it’s terrifying and you often can’t see a way out, you can cry for help but often people don’t even hear you. And it’s horrible for loved ones too, whether you can tell they’re suffering and are powerless to help them, or you don’t see it and one day... they’re gone. And you look back on all the signs, and kick yourself because you realize they tried to call for help and you didn’t even realize it at the time, you thought they were getting better or didn’t even know they were suffering.

Mental illness is serious. And honestly, pretending it isn’t just makes it more fatal. Because just like the hostage in the room, they might not be capable of asking for help, and if you deny it then you don’t even see the signs. It’s mental for a reason. You can’t just reason your way out of it.

@Maschinenmensch He was mentally ill. I'm sure it's obvious by now he was being "manipulative." He clearly needed help. Please have more respect for the dead or at least for their loved ones who suffered a tragic loss.

@NIN10DOXD being mentally ill doesn’t excuse a person for being a total creep online or off. Think before you post unnecessary comments.

@Maschinenmensch His illness was a more severe case. We aren't talking about something like mild depression. He was severely sick to the point he lost control. He took his own life. If anything is unnecessary it would be your insults.

@Heavyarms55 Generally in New York people who paint productions like that get permission, and memorial walls tend to stay up and get respected until the paint falls off the wall or the boards get taken down. People tend not to tag on memorial walls out of respect.

I tend to paint a lot and use that neighbourhood as my base whenever I’m in town as I have friends there.

People may never understand Etika, and that's ok. He was a normal person who made mistakes, mistakes that haunted him and he felt unredeamable, but he's a lesson for those who follow, a true inspiration. Even in death he made a positive impact on the earth, and one we should always respect and remember.

I was never attached to the guy myself, I feel for his family though, losing a loved one is always rough on so many levels.

Too bad he killed himself. I heard he had really big depression.

I really hope that mural gets well preserved with the proper maintenance, it be a real shame for that amazing artwork to loose its beauty over time due to weather... 😢

@Maschinenmensch That sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. I'm not the one insulting other users, calling other people's beliefs "superstitious nonsense," and taking shots at dead people.

It's sad that he died. But I hate how some people use his death for likes on youtube videos. If you really care make a tribute wall like this

@Chibi_Manny a couple of my friends have a big production they painted not far from there on the J line that’s been there for years, as they pass through the area they check for kiddie scribbles or tags and go back and patch it up for the site owners. I would imagine the guy who did this would do the same. The Etika memorial is also under elevated tracks so the sun shouldn’t give it too much of a beating.

This article isn't very well written. Etika's mural took months of planning, and it was made by a small group of commission artists and not merely a mass of fans. These people should get credit. Additionally, "Joyconboyz are the fans" is phrased really weird and this news is a lot more than "somewhat fitting" for Etika.