Ben Potter, YouTube’s leading “Comicstorian,” has died

Ben Potter, who built a devoted audience of comic book nerds on his YouTube channel, has passed away. Potter, who reached more than three million subscribers as the namesake and primary host of the Comicstorian YouTube channel, died suddenly on June 8.

Potter’s wife Nathalie announced his passing in a post on the Comicstorian X account. She said that he died in an “unfortunate accident” but did not offer additional details. He was 40 years old.

“To many of you, he was Comicstorian, voicing stories from across multiple different mediums,” Nathalie wrote. “To his loved ones, he was one of the best and most supportive individuals anyone could ask for. 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.”

Potter’s lessons on the history and culture of graphic novels — which the Comicstorian channel description calls “audio dramas” — pulled in more than one billion total views. He was well-versed in the lore of both Marvel

and DC superheroes. The most-watched Comicstorian video of all time is a two-and-a-half-hour epic that details the first five years of DC’s Injustice franchise. That video has received more than 20 million views to date.

Potter’s final video underscores the sudden nature of his death. He uploaded his last audio drama on June 8 — the same day he passed away.

On X, Nathalie expressed hope that the Comicstorian channel would “keep going” without its central figure. “I know he wouldn’t want it to end like this,” she wrote.

Hassan Khadair, a Comicstorian fan who became a regular contributor, mourned his “mentor” in an Instagram post. Khadair, like Nathalie Potter, expressed hope that the Comicstorian legacy will live on. “Benny was over a decade into a successful YouTube career and frankly he was just getting started,” Khadair wrote. “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.”