Vine Comedian Nick Spears Dead at 35, Community Mourns

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By Stephanie Buck2014-02-23 20:33:26 UTC

Comedian and writer Nick Spears died of apparent heart complications Friday. He was 35.

Spears was beloved in the social-media community, particularly by a tight-knit group of comedians and friends on video-sharing platform Vine.

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In addition to his social-media and standup comedy, the Los Angeles, Calif. resident was an active volunteer for F*ck Cancer, a non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness, and end cancer through early medical detection.

Vine sensation and cancer fighter Ryan McHenry became close with Spears via the social network, although the two never met in real life.

"He sent me F*ck Cancer t-shirts, wristbands, stickers and messaged me with some great advice on how to stay well and positive," McHenry told Mashable via Twitter. "He was so wonderful and kind-hearted, really helped me through a lot ... His comedy was unique and hilarious, and I can't believe he's gone."

The Vine video, below, shows Thor, one of Spears' recurring characters, fighting against smoking — literally.

With 113,000 Vine followers at the time of writing, Spears rose to fame with his brand of feel-good jokes, delightfully crass voiceovers and character-driven comedy. One of his most beloved parody characters, Bob Masters, appears below.

One of Spears' closest friends, KC James, bonded with him over trading cards and skateboarding. The two counseled each other when their respective loved ones battled cancer.

"My favorite memories of Nick were the nights we used to go to the Harbor House in Dana Point, and just hang out for hours," James said. "We would talk cards, shoot Vines, make jokes and just talk about life."

Despite its more than 40 million users, Vine's most popular users are known for their close friendships and collaborations, especially within the comedy community. In response to the news of Spears' death, dozens of users took to Vine and Twitter to express their memories and condolences.

Vine declined to comment on this story.

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Topics: Celebrities, comedy, Entertainment, obituary, rip, Social Media, U.S., Video, Vine