Feilding-born Footrot Flats cartoonist dies
Feilding-born Footrot Flats creator Murray Ball is remembered as a personable man and dedicated cartoonist.
The cartoonist, whose death was confirmed on Sunday, will be remembered by many who knew him for his famous drawings of Wal and Dog.
The 78-year-old was understood to have 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.
In the late 1950s, Ball began working at Palmerston North daily newspaper the Manawatu Times.
Manawatu journalist Merv Dykes worked with Ball in the newsroom in the 1960s.
‘‘I remember he was parked in the photographer’s studio and he would just draw away. He was a dedicated cartoonist.’’
When Ball was hungry, he would turn a two-bar heater on its side and warm-up pies on it, Dykes said. ‘‘It probably wasn’t one of the wisest things to do, but that’s what he did. He was quite out there. Murray was very popular with people in the office. He was very personable.’’
Longtime friend and collaborator Tom Scott, who was also raised in Feilding, said Ball had given him his first break more than 30 years ago when he asked him to write a script for the Footrot Flats movie. ‘‘It’s terribly sad, because he was a brilliant man.
‘‘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, they didn’t need to be things done overseas.’’
A lot of of Ball’s work was ‘‘fiercely political and fiercely egalitarian’’, Scott said. ‘‘Those were Murray’s two passions – he was passionate about injustice.’’
Scott also recalled watching Ball play rugby for Manawatu against the touring British 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.’’
Ball played for the Feilding Old Boys Club and had 37 games for Manawatu from 1958 to 1959 and 1961 to 1962. He was a junior All Black and All Black trialist, but later protested against the 1981 Springbok tour.
Terry Murphy, who played club rugby with Ball in 1961, said he was a brilliant rugby player and a great artist.
‘‘I remember going around to his flat. All his walls were covered in drawings.’’