Brad Anderson

Brad Anderson was a cartoonist best known for his work on the long-running comic strip Marmaduke, about a lovable Great Dane. The strip was actually inspired by a boxer, but Anderson went with a breed for the strip that was comically imposing.

Created in 1954, Marmaduke was syndicated in more than 500 newspapers in 10 countries at the height of its popularity, running one-panel comics on weekdays and strips on Sundays. The canine and his family, the Winslows, were also featured in the 2010 live-action movie Marmaduke, with Owen Wilson voicing the title character.

In 1980 the animated children’s series Heathcliff debuted. Following the adventures of another famous comic-strip character, this one a scruffy alley cat created by cartoonist Jim Davis, Heathcliff was joined by Marmaduke (voiced by Paul Winchell) in the show’s second season. Anderson also appeared as himself on the series Dogs 101 and Breed All About It, in segments about Great Danes. Also in 1980, Anderson appeared on a CBS one-hour special called The Fantastic Funnies, which featured more than a dozen cartoonists talking about their work.

Anderson became a cartoonist as a teenager and sold his first comic at age 15 to Flying Aces Magazine. He served in the Navy during World War II, and continued cartooning throughout his service. In 1951 he graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in advertising, and briefly pursued a career in the field, but left to focus on freelance cartooning. Anderson and his wife owned a female Great Dane in real life named Marmaladee, and Anderson often drew inspiration for the comic from her.

Anderson died August 30, 2015, in The Woodlands, Texas. He was 91.