George Potterton Cause of Death: The Beatles Animator Dead at 91 [Details]

The Beatles' animator, Gerald Potterton, died. He was 91.

The tragic news about Potterton's death was confirmed by the National Film Board of Canada's official Twitter account and website. It also announced the celebration of his life as it honored his legacy and contribution to the industry.

The Wednesday statement added that The Beatles' collaborator passed away at the Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins Hospital in Cowansville, Quebec, on August 23.

NFB chairperson and government film commissioner Claude Joli-Coeur said (via The Hollywood Reporter), "Gerald came to Canada and the NFB to be part of a new wave of storytelling, one that was fresh and irreverent, and he brought great wit and creativity to every project."

Gerald Potterton's cause of death was not disclosed. His family is also yet to release an official announcement regarding his passing.

Fans and colleagues, including The Beatles Story, who saw his unmatched works paid tribute to him.

Gerald Potterton's Career Explored

Before working in The Beatles' 1968 film "Yellow Submarine," Potterton first worked in short animations including "My Financial Career," "The Railrodder," "The Ride," and "Christmas Cracker."

In 1967, he launched his studio, Potterton Productions in Montreal. The next year, director George Dunning invited him to return to London to work in the highly-anticipated The Beatles flick.

Meanwhile, his adult science-fiction fantasy "Heavy Metal" scored praises as its soundtracks were recorded by Black Sabbath, Don Felder, Sammy Hagar, and more award-winning artists.

Although he scored a milestone in doing the project, he continued working on his passion when he returned to his Montreal-based studio. One of his first projects soon after his return was "The Selfish Giant," an animated short based on Oscar Wilde's short story.

His other works in the years thereafter were "Heavy Metal," "The Awful Fate of Melpomenus Jones," "The Smoggies," and "George and the Christmas Star."

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In 1998, Potterton was selected as one of "Ten Men Who Have Rocked the Animation World" at the World Animation Celebration.

Although he mostly focused on his film and animation career, he was loved by music fans - especially supporters of The Beatles - for creating the flick about the band despite his busy schedule.

Before his death, Potterton started working on a documentary about his career, "The Flying Animator." He was still able to update his fans regarding its progress, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the project.

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