YouTube star Comicstorian, real name Ben Potter, has died aged 40 after what his wife called an “unfortunate accident”.
Nathalie Potter shared the news on Potter’s social media channels on Monday, but did not go into details on how her husband died.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: YouTube star dead at 40.
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“Two days ago, on June 8, my husband, Ben Potter, passed away in an unfortunate accident,” her statement began.
“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.
“His (YouTube) channel was one of his greatest accomplishments, and while we all need our time to mourn him, I know he wouldn’t want it to end like this.”
Potter said she and her husband’s YouTube team would keep his channel open as a way to keep his memory alive.
“Ben spent over 10 years spreading his love and appreciation for his hobbies,” she said.
“The team and I want to keep that going.
“To honour him by continuing to tell great stories by great people, as well as to keep the memory of our very own superhero alive.
“We supported each other on everything we wanted to do, and I’m not about to stop now.”
Fans rushed to send their condolences and express how much Potter’s YouTube channel had meant to them.
“I am legit shocked and saddened,” one fan wrote., while another said they felt “gutted” by the news.
“One of the few YouTube channels I genuinely enjoyed,” one fan said.
“Seemed like an awesome guy, so sorry for your loss.”
Potter had over three million subscribers to his channel and made a career out of his love for comics.
On the channel, he talked about the origins and storylines of different comics and narrated audio dramas based on his favourite comics.
Created in 2014, the channel featured more than 3000 videos with a total of more than a billion views.
Potter also hosted two podcasts called The Weekly Pull and Absolute Comics, a gaming channel called Eligible Monster Gaming, a manga channel called Mangastorian, and he regularly livestreamed himself playing video games via Twitch.
Potter’s final video post has over 51,000 views and almost 4000 comments, mostly from fans expressing their sadness at his death.
“RIP Benny, you will be greatly missed,” one fan wrote.
“Genuinely at a loss, been with this channel since high school, and I’m almost 27,” wrote another.
“Hold your loved ones tight, everybody.”
“Not all heroes wear capes. Thank you Benny for all you’ve done for the comics community,” wrote a third.
“You will be missed.”
One comic fan said he loved that Potter kept him “in the loop” about what was happening in the comics world after he could no longer afford to buy comics himself.
“I stopped reading comics after I just couldn’t afford it anymore,” the fan wrote.
“He kept me in the loop and I still felt a part of a community.
“His work will never be forgotten, and I’m deeply sorry for your loss.
“My thoughts and love go out to the family.
“May the legend Rest In Peace.”
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