What To Know
Table of Contents
- Erik Reichenbach now works as a graphic designer and comic artist under the name Dabu Doodles.
- He was famously convinced by the Black Widow Brigade to give up his immunity necklace.
- CBS is airing classic Survivor episodes during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
While NBC is busy airing wall-to-wall coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, CBS is filling its calendar for the next two weeks by airing some of Survivor‘s greatest hits. The first classic Survivor episode airs tonight (February 9) at 8/7c. It’s the iconic penultimate episode of Survivor: Micronesiawhen the Black Widow Brigade convinced Erik Reichenbach to give up his immunity. If you’re wondering what Erik’s been up to since then, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Erik Reichenbach?
Erik competed on Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: Caramoan. When he first competed, he was a 22-year-old art student from Pinckney, Michigan. In Caramoanhe was a 27-year-old comic book artist. He attended Eastern Michigan University.
Where is Erik Reichenbach now?
Erik is still a graphic designer and illustrator. He designs comics under the name of Dabu Doodles and shares his work on Instagram (@dabudoodles). He makes Survivor comics and more. All of his books are found on Amazon. He works at a company called Cision as a graphic designer, according to his LinkedIn profile, and currently lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Erik married his wife, Dana Ruff, in 2014.
What happened to Erik Reichenbach in Survivor: Micronesia?
Micronesia was a Fans vs. Favorites theme that provided a mix of new players and returning ones. Erik was one of the new contestants, and he was tricked by the social and strategic experts who were the women of the Black Widow Brigade: Parvati Shallow, Cirie Fields, Amanda Kimmeland Natalie Bolton. The four women, plus Erik, were the Final Five of the season. Erik won individual immunity in the penultimate episode, “If It Smells Like a Rat, Give It Cheese,” but was convinced to give it up by the Black Widow alliance. He gave his immunity necklace to Natalie, and then the women all voted him out. Erik tried to vote out Parvati, who would go on to win the season.
In TV Insider’s Survivor 50 cover storywhich features an essay written by Jeff Probstthe Emmy-winning host calls Erik’s elimination one of the greatest moments in Survivor history.
“If I had to choose one moment that captures everything Survivor can be, it is the night the Black Widow Alliance convinced Erik Reichenbach to give up immunity. Erik wasn’t foolish. He simply got outplayed by a group of women who understood exactly how to tell him the story he needed to hear. At the center of that moment were Parvati Shallow, one of the greatest villains, and Cirie, one of the greatest heroes. A villain and a hero working together, their strengths combining into something that neither could have achieved alone.”
Parvati delivered a blunt message in the voting booth: “You’re crazy! You’ll officially go down as the dumbest Survivor ever. In the history of Survivor. Ever.”
“Damn, damn! They got me. I should’ve known better,” Erik said in his exit confessional. “Those damn girls, I mean, there’s one thing to be said about surviving the elements, and there’s another thing to be said about surviving four crazy, sexy women. I never thought I would be shoulder to shoulder with all these people that I’ve seen on TV. These are my heroes, and they’re talking to me. They acknowledged me as a person. This whole experience was unbelievable.”
Erik was the 13th castaway voted out and the sixth member of the jury, but he knows his elimination was iconic. A Survivor-made video praising the Black Widows is pinned to his Instagram account (see above).
Caramoan was another Fans vs. Favorites season, in which Erik returned as a favorite. He was medically evacuated from the game at the Final Five (on Day 36) due to low blood pressure.
When do Survivor classic episodes air on CBS during the Winter Olympics?
Leading up to the three-hour Survivor 50 milestone premiere on February 25, CBS will present a special two-week programming event featuring 10 encore episodes from the show’s iconic history, showcasing players from the Survivor 50 cast.
Here’s the schedule for the Survivor reruns leading up to the Survivor 50 premiere:
- Monday, February 9, and Tuesday, February 10, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, February 11, and Thursday, February 12, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET
- Friday, February 13, Monday, February 16, and Tuesday, February 17, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, February 18 through Friday, February 20, 8:00-9:30 p.m. ET
Survivor 50Premieres Wednesday, February 25, 8/7c, CBS