Dave Creek, known for his work as the lead character designer on Fox’s longtime hit Bob Burgers, has died. The designer, also known for Central Park (a show with similarities to Bob's Burgers) and Brickleberry, died following a skydiving accident. He'd been hospitalized since last weekend following an early January incident and passed away in the hospital on January 7. The news was confirmed by some of his colleagues and coworkers in the business this week.
A graduate of CalArts in 2005, it was only in recent years that Creek had made an indelible mark on Hollywood. Following landing gigs with a few video shorts in the late aughts, Dave Creek worked as a flash animator for Youth in Revolt, then hopped to a gig in Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown in 2011. That same year, he started work on Bob’s Burgers, and the rest is history.
Along with his work in animation, Dave Creek was also known as an avid woodworker and miniature treehouse builder. Skydiving was also a passion and a regular activity for Creek, who often shared different types of jumps and aerial views from skydives he’d undergone. He’d even shared successful landing photos from a skydiving event to his Instagram just a couple of weeks ago and his social media was peppered with his passion for the sport.
After Cartoon Brew broke the news, Wendy Molyneux, a writer for Bob's Burgers on Fox, was one of the first to share her condolences. She noted how important Dave Creek was to the show overall, even for the fans who may not have known him by name. On Twitter, she wrote:
If you love Bob’s Burgers, you loved Dave Creek. He was an adventurous funny outgoing amazing artist and one of the most incredible, interesting people I ever met. I often thought that Dave really knew how to live, and I wish he got to live some more. Rest In Peace, buddy.
The show's supervising director Bernard Derriman also paid tribute while sharing some of the works of art that Dave Creek had created for the world.
Another director on Bob's Burgers, Simon Chong, also shared his condolences after the news broke. He noted the loss was a tragedy on Twitter, revealing,
Today we tragically lost our Lead Character designer and friend, Dave Creek. A wonderfully brilliant and talented man who I can guarantee designed your favorite character on Bob’s at some point. I’ll miss you, buddy.
Finally, Tyree Dillihay also shared a special moment from when he and Dave Creek were still working on Bob's Burgers together.
Skydiving accidents are rare, but often they lead to tragedy, as victims often die or deal with serious injuries when they do occur. For Dave Creek, it seems his passion outweighed any risks, and while it's little solace, at least it seems the Bob's Burgers character designer died doing an activity he loved. Our thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected by this particular loss.
