Popular YouTuber Ben Potter, better known as Comicstorian, dead at 40

Ben Potter, a popular YouTube content creator known by his handle Comicstorian, died after an "unfortunate accident," according to his wife. He was 40.

Nathalie Potter said her husband died June 8. Police in Colorado, where Potter lived, said his car rolled several times after leaving a highway; he died at the scene.

"His 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," she said on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter.

"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. 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."

Colorado State Patrol released a statement Wednesday saying Potter was killed in a single-vehicle car crash on Interstate 25 near Fort Collins, Colo. His Toyota 4Runner travelled off the road's right shoulder, crossed a frontage road and rolled several times, police said.

Potter was the only occupant. He wearing a seatbelt, the statement said.

"The investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing however, there are currently no indications that impairment or excessive speed was involved," police said in the statement.

Potter, who had more than three million followers on the platform, was known for crafting audio dramas of comic books. He last posted on YouTube on Friday, the same day he is said to have died.

Connected fans to the comic universe

He played an important role connecting new audiences with the comic universe, according to Hassan Khadair, a YouTube comedian who co-hosted some Comicstorian videos.

"Ben started Comicstorian about 10 years ago at a time where the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just kind of getting on its feet. People who weren't nerds were going to go see comic book movies because of big actors," he told CBC News.

"He made these books that otherwise are entirely inaccessible accessible. He turned comic book volumes into audio dramas. He did whatever he could to give credit and to support the actual growth of the comic book industry, as well as creating a medium for young people to get into books … It honestly changed the fabric of a lot of readers and writers."

Potter also had a major impact on Khadair's own success. Khadair, who has nearly 2.8 million followers on YouTube and six million on TikTok, reached out to him on Discord, a social messaging app designed for gamers, and the pair struck up a friendship. He also provided career advice as agents reached out, and eventually, the two began collaborating, Khadair said.

Some of the comic universe's biggest writers also praised Potter's impact. Robert Venditti, who writes Green Lantern for DC Comics, recalled the excitement around Comicstorian when he made a visit to his son's school library.

"There was a group of kids that came up and talked to me not because they had read my Green Lantern comics, but because they had seen Benny cover my Green Lantern comics on Comicstorian," he said in an interview from Georgia. 

"I could see from the way their faces lit up that to them, that's what made me famous."

DC Comics and Variant Comics also offered their condolences on Instagram.

"We are at a total loss for words," Variant Comics's comment said. "Benny has been a staple of our community for a very long time, and it is hard to imagine the YouTube comic space without him."

"Ben's voice will be missed," DC Comics said. "Our hearts go out to his wife, family and friends."