Beloved Cartoon Network Figure Dies of Cancer: Mark Thornton Was 55

Canadian animator Mark Thornton, an artist, designer, and director known for his work on several beloved animated films and series, has died. He was 55.

Thornton passed away following a “short and private battle against cancer,” according to his obituary.

He is best known for his work at Cartoon Network, where he created the early 2010s series Grojband and directed many episodes of the Total Drama series—a parody of reality TV series like Survivor that was created in 2007 and is still running to this day.

Born in 1969, Thornton quickly worked his way up the flagpole in the animation industry with his assistant credits on popular films like Space Jam, Osmosis Jones, Call of the Wild and All Dogs Go To Heaven 2. He also designed characters for Cartoon Network’s 6Teen and for MTV’s adult animated sitcom Clone High.

On Total Drama, Thornton served as director, storyboard artist, and prop designer for several years. It was a breakout hit, starting on Canada’s network Fresh TV before being imported by Cartoon Network and finding international success among kids and adults alike. The series stopped in 2018 before a ‘reboot’ of Total Drama was launched by HBO Max in 2021.

Thornton is survived by his wife of 29 years, Laura Travis, and their two children, Emma and Michael.