Tuck Tucker was pronounced dead on December 22nd, according to Deadline. Unfortunately, Tucker was only 59 years old when he passed, true tragedy considering modern life expectancy for men is currently 78. Tucker was an experienced animator that worked on incredibly popular shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Hey Arnold. Tucker’s family expressed their remorse in a social media post stating, “We know he was loved by all of those whom he met. In lieu of visitations, if you have memories of Tuck you would like to share on his timeline, the family would greatly appreciate reading them,” according to Deadline.
Tucker’s experience includes animation, storyboarding, writing, and directing. His impressive list of projects include being a storyboard director for Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold from 1996 to 1999, he also directed the Hey Arnold Movie that was released in 2002. Some of his most famous work can be acknowledged in SpongeBob, he wrote six episodes, served as the storyboard supervisor for several other episodes, and he storyboarded the 2004 SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Tucker also worked on shows like Fairly Odd Parents, Family Guy, and Drawn Together. Last but not least, he also worked in the animation department on the wildly successful Disney film The Little Mermaid.
Suffice to say the film industry has lost an extremely talented animator and his work will always be remembered by the fans he inspired and those he held close. Hey Arnold Creator Craig Michael Bartlett posted on Instagram about the passing of his dear friend Tucker. “A great friend, a master draftsman, a tireless practical joker, a brilliant storyteller, the first one I reached out to when I began ‘Hey Arnold!’ because he was the best board guy I had ever met,” Bartlett stated as reported by Deadline. See the original Instagram post below to read his full statement.