superhero twist was a fitting first feature for me." Personal life and death Payne had two sons and a daughter with his wife Julie. He had a brother John and a sister Suzanne. Payne died from heart failure caused by his long multi-year battle with bone cancer at his home in Los Angeles on March 26, 2013, aged 48. The Simpsons showrunner Al Jean stated: "Don was a wonderful writer and an even more wonderful man. He was beloved in the ‘Simpsons’ community and his untimely passing is terrible news to us all." The film Thor: The Dark World, which he co-wrote, is dedicated to his memory, as is his final episode of The Simpsons, "White Christmas Blues". Credits Television The Simpsons episodes "Treehouse of Horror XI" ("Scary Tales Can Come True") (co-written by John Frink) (2000) "Insane Clown Poppy" (co-written by John Frink) (2000) "Bye Bye Nerdie" (co-written by John Frink) (2001) "Simpsons Tall Tales" (co-written by John Frink) (2001) "Treehouse of Horror XII" (co-written by John Frink) (2001) "The Bart Wants What It Wants" (co-written by John Frink) (2002) "The Great Louse Detective" (co-written by John Frink) (2002) "Old Yeller Belly" (co-written by John Frink) (2003) "The Wandering Juvie" (co-written by John Frink) (2004) "Fraudcast News" (2004) "Thank God It's Doomsday" (2005) "Simpsons Christmas Stories" (2005) "Little Big Girl" (2007) "Love, Springfieldian Style" (2008) "Take My Life, Please" (2009) "Thursdays with Abie" (co-written by Mitchell H. Glazer) (2010) "Labor Pains" (co-written by Mitchell H. Glazer) (2013) (aired posthumously) "White Christmas Blues" (2013) (aired posthumously) Film References External links 1964 births 2013 deaths 20th-century American writers 21st-century American writers American male screenwriters American television writers Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from bone cancer Film producers from California Writers from Wilmington, North Carolina University of California, Los Angeles alumni Writers from Los Angeles American male television writers 20th-century American male writers Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from North Carolina