Don Payne, the award-winning Simpsons producer has died at the age of 48.

The writer-producer had a very successful career and his accomplishments not only included The Simpsons, but also several big blockbuster movies including Thor and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Payne had long been suffering from bone cancer and passed away in his home Tuesday from the disease.

The Simpsons producer won a total of four Emmys for his work on the long-running FOX show and also won the Writers Guild of America's Paul Selvin Award for an episode entitled "Fraudcast News" from 2005.

Two Simpsons episodes he wrote before his death are in production at the moment and will air next season, "Labor Pains" and the Christmas episode, "White Christmas Blues."

Payne and his writing partner John Frink joined the Simpsons staff as writers back in 1998. The two later became members of the production team a couple years later.

The Simpsons writer-producer will be sorely missed and the world of Springfield just won't be the same without his creative genius.

Payne leaves behind a loving a devoted family and is survived by his wife, Julie; their sons, Nathaniel and Joshua; their daughter, Lila; his mother, Barbara Payne; a brother, John Payne, and a sister, Suzanne Fanning.

In honor of Payne's achievements working on the Simpsons, here is an early short called "The Funeral."