Brad Anderson, 'Marmaduke' Cartoonist, Dies at 91

"The world of cartooning lost one of its true luminaries."

Brad Anderson, the man who created the long-running Marmaduke comic strip in 1954, has died.

According to the National Cartoonists Society, Anderson passed away unexpectedly on Aug. 30. He was 91.

In a statement on its website, the NCS said, "The NCS and the world of cartooning lost one of its true luminaries last week with the passing of Brad Anderson, creator of the comic Marmaduke."

Anderson became a cartoonist as a teenager, selling his first comic at age 15 to Flying Aces Magazine, and continued cartooning while he served in the Navy in World War II.

Anderson graduated from Syracuse University in 1951 with a degree in advertising. After a brief career at an ad agency, Anderson left to focus on freelance cartooning and eventually created Marmaduke, the lovable and curious Great Dane, in 1954.

Marmaduke has been syndicated in more than 500 newspapers in 10 countries. The dog and his family also appeared in a feature film in 2010. Anderson has been honored by numerous awards, most recently the NCS's Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.

Anderson continued working on Marmaduke until his death.