‘Comicstorian’ YouTube Star Ben Potter’s Cause of Death Revealed

Internet personality Ben Potter died on June 8, his wife confirmed on social media.

Ben Potter attends the YouTube Shorts Asian Pacific American History Month Celebration in New York City on May 20, 2022. Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Youtube Shorts

The cause of death for internet personality Ben Potter has been revealed. The 40-year-old YouTube star, better known as “Comicstorian,” succumbed to injuries he sustained in a single-vehicle car crash on June 8.

The accident occurred at approximately 9:19 a.m. on Saturday. Mr. Potter was driving a Toyota 4Runner on Interstate 25 near Fort Collins, Colorado—located about 60 miles north of the state’s capitol—when the vehicle veered off the right shoulder of the road, rolling multiple times.

The Colorado State Patrol told The Epoch Times via email that Mr. Potter was wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Potter was the only occupant of the vehicle, and no other vehicles were involved,” the statement reads. “The investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing however, there are currently no indications that impairment or excessive speed was involved.”

The popular YouTuber garnered over 3 million subscribers on the platform, where he shared explainer videos, called audio dramas, about comic books and superhero films. His wife, Nathalie, first confirmed the news of his death in a message shared on the YouTuber’s X account, calling his channel “one of his greatest accomplishments.”

“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 penned.

“As a husband, a son, a brother, a friend, or even just a stranger, Ben was loving and genuine. 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,” she continued.

“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,” she wrote, sharing her desire to safeguard her late husband’s legacy. “Right now my priority is preserving everything he’s built and I don’t have any plans beyond that.”

Mrs. Potter said her late husband spent the last decade “spreading his love and appreciation for his hobbies,” adding that “it was through his love of exciting stories and well-written characters” that inspired him to launch his YouTube channel in 2014.

“The team and I want to keep that going. 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,” she wrote. “We supported each other on everything we wanted to do and I’m not about to stop now.”

Remembering the Comicstorian

In addition to his “Comicstorian” account, Mr. Potter created a slew of spin-off channels, most recently launching his “Comicstorian Classics” channel in May, which explored various comic books in their entirety.

On June 7, just one day before his death, Mr. Potter uploaded what would become his final round of content, including a 14-minute video, titled “Why DC’s Reboots Beat Marvel,” to his main YouTube channel and a 16-minute video, titled “Suicide Squad Dream Team—Road to Absolute Power,” to his new channel, among others.

Following Mrs. Potter’s announcement of his unexpected passing, Mr. Potter’s subscribers, followers, and fans across various social media platforms expressed their condolences and shared heartfelt tributes to the internet personality, serving as a testament to the profound influence the “Comicstorian” had on the realm of comics and anime.

“I am still taking my break from Twitter for personal reasons. But with the news I just got I have to come back say something [sic],” actor O'Shea Jackson Jr., the son of rapper Ice Cube, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Rest in Peace to Comicstorian. I’m heartbroken to hear this news. One of my favorite follows on YouTube, thank you so much for your work man I was a huge fan,” he continued. “Prayers to his loved ones. Long live Ben Potter.”

On Instagram, comic book artist Graig Weich shared that he was devastated to hear the news of Mr. Potter’s passing. He wrote: “He was awesome, I absolutely loved his work and he seemed like a really incredible person. This is a major loss.”

Touching upon the magnitude of the “Comicstorian” channel’s online presence, Mr. Weich said that Mr. Potter “was one of the people carrying the mantle of comic books.”

“I learned so much from the way he delivered the retelling of comic books,” he added. “He just made it so much fun and wonderful and I can’t stand that he is gone and I am so incredibly sorry for your loss and if I’m upset I can’t even imagine the level that you guys feel, we all loved him.”

Mr. Potter’s colleagues were also among those who paid their respects online. Hassan Khadair, a pop-culture host on Mr. Potter’s “Comicstorian” channel, penned a message on Instagram, calling his friend “such an incredible man.”

“I grew up watching Comicstorian religiously. It was one of the greatest joys of my life to join the Comicstorian team and share in making the content that fulfilled me so much growing up. The other greatest joy was having Ben Potter, the guy who I loved watching so much, become my mentor and one of my best friends,” he wrote.

“Benny was over a decade into a successful YouTube career and frankly he was just getting started! We had so much wonderful stuff planned and I hope to be able to carry on his legacy and honor him in whatever way I can for the rest of my life.”