YouTube star Ben Potter dead at 40 after 'unfortunate accident'
11 June 2024, 08:23
YouTube star Ben Potter, known as Comicstorian, has died at the age of 40 in an “unfortunate accident”, his wife has confirmed.
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Nathalie Potter shared the news on X, formerly Twitter, of the death of the American comic book content creator, who had a following of three million subscribers.
In a statement on the Comicstorian page, she said: “Two days ago, on June 8th, my husband, Ben Potter, passed away in an unfortunate accident.
“To many of you, he was Comicstorian, voicing stories from across multiple different mediums.
“To his loved ones, he was one of the best and most supportive individuals anyone could ask for.”
Mrs Potter spoke of how her late husband was “loving and genuine” as a “husband, a son, a brother, a friend, or even a stranger”.
She added: “He was someone who would listen and make time for his loved ones. He would do his best to make everyone laugh and make sure they were okay.
“He was our rock and he'd reassure his loved ones whenever they needed it.”
The wife of the internet personality opened up on the heartbreak she is going through.
She said: “He was my world and I need time to be with friends and family. I have so many things I need to figure out but firstly, I need to grieve.
“I ask that you respect my privacy as well as everyone else's. Right now my priority is preserving everything he's built and I don't have any plans beyond that.”
Mrs Potter plans to continue delivering content on the late creator’s YouTube channel when the time is right after revealing it was “one of his greatest accomplishments”.
She said: “While we all need our time to mourn him, I know he wouldn't want it to end like this.
Ben spent over 10 years spreading his love and appreciation for his hobbies.“It was through his love of exciting stories and well written characters that got him started on YouTube.”
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Alongside Mr Potter’s colleagues, she said she hopes to honour her late husband “by continuing to tell great stories by great people, as well as to keep the memory of our very own superhero alive”.
Mrs Potter concluded the statement saying: “We supported each other on everything we wanted to do and I'm not about to stop now.”
Tributes have poured in from online users since the announcement speaking of Mr Potter’s qualities as a content creator and as a person.
“So sorry for your loss, and for all of our loss,” one user said. “I've watched countless hours of his videos over the years and his love of comics and storytelling was evident from his enthusiasm in each and every video. He'll be sorely missed.”
Another user said: “Comicstorian was an absolutely incredible YouTuber that pioneered so much and got so many people into reading comics. Rest in peace.”
Writer Jimmy Palmiotti described the news as “heartbreaking” while voice actress Susan Eisenberg said: “Nathalie, I am so sorry for your loss. Your husband was adored by so many, & he will be so missed.”
Writer Robert Venditti praised Mr Potter for inspiring the younger generations to develop a passion for comic books.
“When my oldest was in 6th grade, the school asked me to speak to their writing classes,” Venditti said.
“Afterward, a group of kids came up to me all excited because they’d watched Benny cover my books on Comicstorian. His love of comics was infectious. Rest in peace, Benny.”
