RIP Murray Ball

Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, March 13th, 2017 - 10 comments
Categories: cartoons, human rights - Tags: ,

Rest in peace Murray Ball. A good bugger, famous of course for the iconic Footrot Flats, but here’s one from his earlier Stanley:

Here’s a lesser-known classic, Bruce the Barbarian, and some of the story behind it:

10 comments on “RIP Murray Ball ”

  1. Draco T Bastard 1

    That cartoon does seem to enunciate the problems we have with poverty quite well.

  2. adam 2

    My collection of Stanley has kept me sane in a world gone mad.

    My only problem with it, is it seem timeless. Nothing has really changed, we seem just as close to nuclear war as we ever were.

  3. greywarshark 3

    RIP Murray Ball. A tall man whose ideas loomed over our shoulders waiting, reminding. sometimes demanding to be noticed. A great sense of humour, and of irony, and good at conveying those ideas in his cartoons. And he had played rugby well too. So a man that has highly honoured the honour roll of NZ citizens.

  4. millsy 4

    Murray Ball said himself that he retired his comic strip because of Rogernomics/Ruthenaisa.

    They were pretty awesome comics. Kiwiana in black and white. Balls other comics were pretty interesting, but they are hard to find, I.e. I had to go to my library’s reference room to dig them up.

  5. mary_a 5

    A great and true down to earth Kiwi. Loved his Footrot Flat strips, as well as Stanley.

    Go well Murray and thank you. RIP.

  6. greywarshark 6

    Murray Ball has a great send-off from The Herald by Tom Scott and other cartoonists.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11816852

    Scott and Ball worked together on the full-length animated Footrot Flats movie.

    “He was an unbelievably strong, fit, handsome man all his life, with a full head of hair,” he said.

    Scott said Ball was “funny and goofy and generous, and incredibly serious about inequality”.

    “He mourned the New Zealand he remembered being fair, and I guess if he had his life over again, Murray would rather have been an editorial cartoonist.”

    Scott said he had “left it a bit late” to see Ball before he died, and last saw him six years ago.

    “I heard he was so unwell that he wouldn’t know who I was … I regret not going when I knew. He deteriorated physically very, very quickly.

    “I have to forgive myself for that.”

    RadioNZ
    media life and society
    Murray Ball remembered by fellow cartoonist Tom Scott
    From Morning Report, 7:33 am today
    Listen duration 5′ :01″
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201836354

    Footrot Flats creator Murray Ball has been remembered as a wonderful husband, kind friend and beloved part of New Zealand history.
    Murray Ball and The Dog, in a documentary about the making of 1986 Footrot Flats film The Dog’s Tale.

    Murray Ball and The Dog, in a documentary about the making of 1986 Footrot Flats film The Dog’s Tale. Photo: Screenshot / NZ On Screen

    Mr Ball died yesterday surrounded by family and friends, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

    Born in Feilding in 1939, he was one of New Zealand’s most successful cartoonists.

    Fellow cartoonist Tom Scott says Mr Ball “captured rural life as exquisitely and as perfectly as Katherine Mansfield caught early Wellington. He was as funny as Fred Dagg and Billy T. James and as blokey as Barry Crump. He covered a lot of territory.”

    He spoke to our reporter Catherine Hutton about his mentor and friend.

  7. Birdman 7

    Footrot Flats helped me through some dark times in my younger years..
    Still have my collection upstairs… I’ll be digging that out.

    What a hideous disease it is to have to watch a family member go through..

    RiP Murray, up there with Horse and Finn..

  8. JC 8

    Great piece from RNZ on tonight, (14/03)(historical link from 90’s… (sadly can’t find the link).
    Search the piece!

    I wish I had known!

    Sadly never really understood it till now…!

    Murray,(and his partner/wife Pam) Need a medal!
    Bullshit! Just better recognition for Who they were.. And their Values

    RIP

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