Jason Damron, the voice actor for The Storyteller, the protagonist of the long-running and popular fan-made Fallout lore video series on YouTube, appears to have died.
That’s according to a tweet posted earlier today from Damron’s account, which uses his screen name Kankennon, the same screen name used in the description of the latest Storyteller video in which he stars.
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“Hi everyone, my name is Emily Damron, daughter of Jason Damron (The Storyteller),” it reads. “I just wanted to let you know that on Saturday, September 7th, my dad passed away after a year of poor health. He was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal cancer that had spread to his liver.”
For those unfamiliar with the Storyteller series, it has a similar influence among fans to other Fallout fan creations like Nuke. With millions of views on YouTube, Storyteller covers everything from the original Fallout to Bethesda’s modern titles (Fallout 3 and 4) and New Vegas, with a simple premise that’s brilliant.
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You play as a wastelander in power armor who is obsessed with recording the past and present of the world around him. With the help of the mod, he comes to life in the form of a robot movie and uses his travels through the wasteland depicted in the game to discuss the lore of Fallout, and the adventure plot that gradually builds up as the series progresses does not make the story too boring or too information-heavy. For young fans like me who were introduced to Fallout through recent works, this TV series is a great way to first understand the wider world of Fallout and the events of Fallout 1 and Fallout 2.
Damron’s voice is a big draw to the show, which has a voice cast that sometimes includes Bethesda veteran Wes Johnson, Courtney Taylor, who voices the female survivors in Fallout 4, and even one episode where Fallout developers Tim Kane and Josh Sawyer guest-star. It’s that voice that turns what might otherwise feel like clunky lore lectures into monologues that engross you and keep you engaged.
Following the news of the actor’s death, tributes poured in from a wide range of personalities and creators in the Fallout/Bethesda community. “Jason was always a joy to work with, and he was so passionate about Fallout and about making great content. The world is a little dull without him. This is truly devastating,” wrote Austin Hourigan, current host of the Shoddycast YouTube channel, which aired the Storyteller series starring Damron from 2013 to 2017.
YouTuber TKs-Mantis posted: “Thanks for our work together and for the fun conversations. His character ‘Storyteller’ is a legend in the Fallout community! My heart goes out to his family.” Another Fallout YouTuber Juicehead added: “So heartbreaking to hear this, ‘Storyteller’ was a major inspiration for me and my content, and a big reason why I started making Fallout videos.”
