After last appearing on our screens in 2021, Rick and Morty is back on Adult Swim for its highly anticipated sixth season.
The new instalment picks up events immediately after the explosive cliffhanger ending of season 5 which saw the Citadel of Ricks get destroyed.
As ever, the latest episode is filled with plenty of bizarre twists and turns as Rick looks to salvage the dire situation.
But despite the excitement of the series returning for its sixth season, Rick and Morty still took a moment to pause and pay tribute to late crew member, Mike Mendel.
Rick and Morty season 6 pays tribute to Mike Mendel
Following the events of the episode and its post-credits scene, Rick and Morty’s season 6 premiere took a moment pay tribute to Mike Mendel with a touching title card.
The endearing tribute was a little different from traditional title cards as this dedication featured a short clip where an animated version of Mike can be seen petting a dog.
Rick and Morty’s tribute also featured the message: “In Loving Memory of Mike Mendel.”
Who was Mike Mendel?
Joel Michael ‘Mike’ Mendel was a TV producer who worked on Rick and Morty from its first season in 2013 until his death in 2019.
Born in Radford, Virginia on September 24, 1964, Mike began his career in TV at the age of 20 as a production assistant on the ABC soap operas All My Children and Loving during his summer breaks while studying at Syracuse University.
After graduating, Mike began working on The Tracey Ullman Show which was the birthplace of The Simpsons, which started off as short sketches.
When The Simpsons became its own fully fledged show in 1989, Mike joined its staff as a producer and remained part of the team for 10 years until 1999.
Mike worked on a number of TV shows and films over the years, with notable projects including The Critic, Drawn Together, Napoleon Dynamite and the films Big and Jerry Maguire.
During his illustrious career, Mendel earned five Emmy Awards; three for his work on The Simpsons and two for Rick and Morty.
Mike Mendel passed away from natural causes at the age of 54 on September 22, 2019, just two days before his 55th birthday. He is survived by his wife Juel Bestrop, a casting director, and their two children.
The same tribute featured in season 4
In the wake of Mike’s death, Rick and Morty featured the same tribute title card in the first episode of season 4 which aired two months after his death in 2019.
The animated clip in the season 4 tribute is slightly longer than that seen in season 6 as it shows Mike walking into the scene first, rather than already petting the dog.
Another Justin Roiland-made series, Solar Opposites, also features the same tribute clip, showing the impact of Mike’s loss to his friends and colleagues.
My friend, partner, and line producer Mike Mendel passed away. I am devastated. My heart breaks for his family. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you by my side Mike. I’m destroyed.
— Justin Roiland (@JustinRoiland) September 23, 2019View Tweet
Season 6 of Rick and Morty premiered on Adult Swim in the US on Sunday, September 4, 2022.
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