Tuck Tucker is most known for working on “Spongebob Squarepants“, “Hey Arnold!,” and “Rugrats.” Sadly, he died on December 22, 2020 and he was just 59.
The veteran animator was well-loved in the industry and the characters he worked on was loved by people all over the world.
Bailey Tucker, a family member, posted the news of Tuck Tucker’s passing on Facebook.
“It is with a heavy and broken heart that the Tucker family announces the death of Tuck Tucker, father, husband, son, brother, and uncle. 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.”
Tuck Tucker was a screen name for one William Osborne Tucker III. He was born on August 20, 1961 and started working on the 1987 film “Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night” before working on the 1989 Disney film “The Little Mermaid.”
As for his works in the small screen, Tuck Tucker worked on Nickelodeon‘s “Rugrats” as well as the cult-classic “The Simpsons.” He was the storyboard director for “Hey Arnold!” between 1996 and 1999 and directed the 2002 feature movie based on the series.
However, he was best known for the work he did on “Spongebob Squarepants.” He was the storyboard artist for “Spongebob Squarepants The Movie” back in 2004 and was the supervising storyboard director for 47 episodes of the popular series from 2007 to 2014. To top all of that awesomeness, he also wrote six episodes.
His most recent work is the upcoming feature movie on “Bob’s Burgers” which is set to be released by 20th Century Studios on April 9, 2021.
To honor Tuck Tucker, “Hey Arnold!” creator Craig Bartlett typed quite the heartfelt message on Instagram. “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. I’ll always remember him at his drawing board, arms blackened to the elbows with graphite, eraser shavings everywhere, bringing my characters to life. A killer work ethic, passionately into it. I’m so lucky I got to work with him for so many years. He gave and gave. I miss him already, my heart is broken. Rest in power, Tuck Tucker.”