Murray Ball, the creator of Dog, Horse, Wal and other much-loved characters in the widely syndicated New Zealand newspaper cartoon Footrot Flats has died. He was aged 78.
Longtime friend Tom Scott received a call on Sunday to say Ball had passed away, Fairfax Media reports.
It's understood Ball had been suffering from Alzheimer's. He is survived by his wife Pam, and children.
The cartoons ran from 1976 until 1994 in newspapers and were released in book form.
Tributes to Ball are flowing on social media, with many people remarking that Footrot Flats was a part of growing up in New Zealand.
"Gave Dad a new Footrot Flats book every Xmas as a kid," one person tweeted.
The central character was Wal Footrot's sheepdog called "Dog" whose thoughts were voiced in thought bubbles.
The cartoons depicted farming life and addressed big issues of the times.
In 1986 the feature film Footrot Flats: The Dog's (Tail) Tale and its theme song Slice of Heaven were huge hits in New Zealand and Australia.
The creator of the much-loved 'Footrot Flats' has died. He was aged 78. Source: Supplied
