If you met him in person, David Lynch came across as a Midwestern pastor, all gee-whiz and aw-shucks. He was one of the few people who seemed wholly incapable of irony and, hearing him talk, you’d think the man must have enjoyed a pretty darn nice Montana childhood.

As reported by Variety, David Lynch, the auteur director of Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, and more, has died at the age of 78. Lynch is survived by his four children, and leaves behind a body of work that had a transformative effect not only on film and television, but also videogames.