Comicstorian YouTuber Ben Potter dies at 40 in ‘unfortunate accident’

Popular YouTube star Ben Potter died on Saturday “in an unfortunate accident,” his wife Nathalie announced on social media. He was 40.

Additional details about the cause of death were not shared.

Known as Comicstorian, Potter rose to prominence for creating audio dramas of characters from the DC and Marvel universe, releasing nearly 4,000 videos and amassing over 3 million followers on YouTube.

In a lengthy statement, Nathalie said she planned to “preserve everything” her husband had built. “I have so many things I need to figure out but firstly, I need to grieve,” she wrote. “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.”

Potter’s “channel was one of his greatest accomplishments,” she added, “and 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.”

“The team and I want to keep that going,” Nathalie wrote. “To honor him by continuing to tell great stories by great people, as well as to keep the memory of our very own superhero alive.”

“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,” Nathalie wrote of her husband, whom she remembered as “our rock” and “my world.” “As a husband, a son, a brother, a friend, or even just a stranger, Ben was loving and genuine.”

Comic book author Scott Snyder (The Batman Who Laughs, Batman: Last Knight on Earth) and actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. are among some of the folks who’ve paid tribute to Potter. Jackson called Potter “one of my favorite follows” and sent prayers to his loved ones, while Synder said he was “stunned” and “saddened,” remembering Potter’s love for comics as “infectious.”