Hannibal Collins, 37, of Philadelphia, web game designer, online consultant, podcaster, writer, and artist, died Sunday, Sept. 7, of complications from sickle cell disease at his home in Nicetown.
Mr. Collins found his artistic niche in high school with other young web game enthusiasts, and he went on to study graphic arts and web game programming in college. He created his own website, Super Novice Adventure, and a related podcast, and connected online with others interested in web game production, installation, development, and programming.
He was well-known at local gaming seminars and conferences. He hosted a weekly online gathering of gamers and labeled his evolving career a “creative journey.”
“I don’t see myself as a jack of all trades as much as a super novice,” he said in his online profile. “I want to share some of the basics I learned along the way and help others become super novices as well.”
Through his website and podcast, Instagram, and other social media, Mr. Collins offered what he called his “tips and tricks” in dealing with creative expression. He reveled in being a young novice in practically everything, he said often, and joked on his podcast, saying “I have no idea what I’m doing.”
He was known as B.-Hannibal to his listeners — his first name is Benjamen — and he talked candidly, sometime raw, about what he called the “trappings and pitfalls” of his web game career and battle with sickle cell. Getting better at everything he tried was his thing.
“This podcast is the adventure of one B.-Hannibal,” he said on his podcast website. “Strap in and find out what kind of skills he builds as he goes.”
In 2018, he shared a series of sketches on Instagram and said he was focused on improving his backgrounds, foregrounds, and character development. “I want to grow my basic visual art form this month and make an overall better image,” he said.
In 2020, he talked about his attempt at metal working and how he spent weeks pounding a piece of steel into a leaf. “I learned a ton,” he said on Instagram, “and I am ready to start again and make a better one.”
He studied graphic arts at the Community College of Philadelphia and web game programming at DeVry University. He wrote stories and notes daily, built a podcast studio in his home, and produced two dozen episodes such as “The Podcaster and the GOAT,” “Getting Things Done,” and “Know Creative Self.”
In a tribute, his family said: “His high-spirited personality, creativity, and compassion for children, animals, and nature were widely felt.”
Benjamen-Hannibal Collins was born Feb. 19, 1988, in Watertown, N.Y. He grew up in Nicetown, was good-natured and friendly, and graduated from Philadelphia Academy Charter High School in 2007.
He joined the Anime Club at Community College, served as treasurer of the Latin American Student Organization, and was active with a diversity leadership program at Villanova University. He enjoyed music, photography, yoga, running, travel, food, and cigars.
He worked at Mason’s Grocery in Roxborough and was considered one of the family there. He also worked an internship with the Fred Sutton Management Co. and was a marketing and communications assistant at the Brandywine Workshop and Archives art gallery.
At 6-foot-4, Mr. Collins radiated a gentle warmth and strength, family and friends said. He never complained about his disease. “He was playful and always found the joy in things,” said his mother, Bobbi Booker. “He touched a lot of people.”
He collected thousands of digital recordings and more than 75 vinyl albums. He could juggle, and he loved his cats. “He lived a vibrant life filled with curiosity, creativity, and connection,” longtime family friend Victor Fiorillo said on a gofundme page.
Family and friends called him “authentic and genuine,” and “a loving bright light that brought joy, fun, and laughter to those in his presence.” One friend said: “His perseverance, intelligence, kindness, and gentle spirit stand out.”
Entrepreneur Chris Wink called him a “a smile with a soul in tow.” His mother said: “He was my confidant and trusted advisor.”
In addition to his mother and his father, Keith, Mr. Collins is survived by two brothers, a sister, and other relatives.