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from Fairfax NZ....Footrot Flats creator Murray Ball has diedR.I.P. Murray Ball, creator of the iconic NZ cartoon Footrot Flats.2:54PM - Sunday, 12 March 2017Cartoonist Murray Ball at his desk at his Gisborne home. — Photograph: Brett Mead.FOOTROT FLATS creator Murray Ball has died. He was aged 78.
Longtime friend and collaborator Tom Scott said he received a call around 1pm on Sunday to say Ball had passed away.
It's understood Ball had been suffering from Alzheimer's and had been nursed at his Gisborne home for some time. He is survived by his wife Pam, and children.Footrot Flats stars Wal and Dog.Scott, a cartoonist who was also born in Ball's hometown of Feilding, said Ball had given him his first break more than 30 years ago when he asked him to write a script for Footrot Flats, the movie.
“He was a hero of mine when I was growing up in the Manawatu. It was tremendous to think these great cartoons could be created by someone living just up the road, the didn't need to be things done overseas.”
Scott said a lot of of Ball's work was “fiercely political and fiercely egalitarian”.
“Those were Murray's two passion, he was passionate about injustice.”Murray Ball with wife Pam at his Gisborne home and his three dogs. — Photograph: Brett Mead.Scott said he worked with Ball on the script for 1986 film Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale for two years, fine tuning the story of Wal and Dog.
Scott also recalled watching Ball play rugby for Manawatu against the touring Lions team in 1959.
“He was a sporting hero, he was a creative hero and then when I met him he was a hero of a man.”Arthur Waugh, Murray Ball's cousin who the cartoonist based his character Wal on. — Photograph: Marty Sharpe/Artwork montage: Richard Parker/Fairfax NZ.Gisborne mayor Meng Foon also paid tribute Ball, a longtime resident of the city.
“Murray was a great friend of the Gisborne community and it is a very sad loss and we all give our condolences to his family and the Footrot Flats family.”Murray Ball shows his cartoons to border collie Finn, who was the inspiration for Dog in Footrot Flats. — Photograph: The Ball Family.__________________________________________________________________________ Related stories:
• All in the family for Footrot Flats
• Famous ‘Dog’ welcomes visitors to Feilding
• Wal and Dog come home to Gisborne in form of life-sized bronze sculpture
• Footrot Flats musical is a trip through Kiwiana history
• Murray and me with love: Pam Ballhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/90340548
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