It is indeed a sad day for the entertainment world. Four-time Emmy award winner and producer of hit shows like Rick And Morty and The Simpsons, J Michael Mendel passed away today. He was 54 years old. Spokesperson of Adult Swim, the network that airs Rick And Morty confirmed his untimely demise and expressed their solidarity with his family. “All of us at Adult Swim are devastated by the untimely passing of Mike Mendel. Mike was the heart of the Rick And Morty production family, his fantastic talent and wit will be sorely missed. Mike was a universally respected Emmy-winning producer with over 25 years in the industry, who guided and supported a generation of artists, writers and creators and his absence will be felt by the entire community. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.” Season four of Rick and Morty is set to release in November.
Mendel was an alumnus of Syracuse University. He was a production assistant with Broadcast News before joining big shows like The PJs, The Oblongs, Big and Jerry Maguire. He was also one of the core members of The Simpsons team, having moved to the show from his role as a postproduction supervisor on Fox's The Tracey Ullman Show. Co-creator of Rick And Morty, Justin Roiland also took to Twitter to express his shock about the news. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you by my side Mike. I’m destroyed,” he wrote.