'Death of Superman Lives' Director Passes Away

Jon Schnepp, the director of The Death of 'Superman Lives' and a longtime writer on AdultSwim's [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Jon Schnepp, the director of The Death of 'Superman Lives' and a longtime writer on AdultSwim's Metalocalypse, died Friday at 51, his fiance Holly Payne announced on Twitter.

Schnepp died from complications of a stroke he suffered last week.


"It is with a broken heart that the Schnepp family and I must announce the passing of our beloved Jon Schnepp, who died peacefully on July 19, 2018," Payne wrote. "Jon ultimately succumbed to the effects of a massive stroke. He had a blood clot removed from his left carotid artery, but the bleeding could not be stopped. Irreparable and catastrophic damage was caused to both hemispheres and all brain activity ceased."

Payne and Schnepp's sister, Deborah, decided to take Schnepp off life support since "there was no possible way for him to recover," Payne wrote.

"I spent the last hour of his life with him holding him, laying my head across his massive chest, kissing him, stroking his hair, playing his favorite songs, and telling him over and over again how much I love him," Payne continued. "My life has been forever changed by Jon. I feel endlessly grateful to have shared 16 years of laughter, love and incredible adventures together, including the making [of] a feature film, as well as a television series that I hope to complete and release later this year in his honor.

In addition to Payne, Schnepp is also survived by his sister, his mother Miriam and father David.

The family is continuing to use a GoFundMe account to raise funds for medical expenses. In five days, more than 3,400 people have helped raise over $113,500. Filmmaker Kevin Smith donated $2,000 to the fund.

Schnepp was best known for his work on Metalocalypse, which aired from 2006 to 2012 and told the story of the death metal band Dethklok. He also worked on AdultSwim's The Venture Bros. and directed a segment in the 2012 horror anthology film The ABCs of Death. Schnepp also worked as a host for Collider.

In 2015, Schnepp directed and wrote The Death of 'Superman Lives': What Happened?, a film about the making of Tim Burton's cancelled Superman movie starring Nicolas Cage. Both Smith, who wrote Superman Lives, and Burton appeared in the film.

Schnepp's death sparked an outpouring of support on Twitter.


"Jon Schnepp, a truly creative and good-hearted man, has passed away. If you can, please help Holly with the massive, life-crushing medical bills? Let's help someone who's been devastated," comedian Patton Oswalt wrote.

"Though I never met him, my heart goes out to the family and many friends of @JonSchnepp I know he was a talented filmmaker and a passionate and outspoken fan," wrote Jon Kasdan. "A very sad loss."

Photo credit: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images

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