| Brad Anderson | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 14, 1924 Jamestown, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Cartoonist |
| Years active | 1954 - present |
| Children | 1 Daughter (Christine), 3 Sons (Craig, Paul, and Mark) |
| Signature | |
Brad Anderson (born May 14, 1924, in Jamestown, New York) is an American cartoonist.[1]
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He graduated from Brocton Central School in Brocton, New York in 1943 and then served with the United States Navy until 1946 and continued to cartoon.[2] Initially aspiring to be an industrial designer, Anderson attended Syracuse University on the G.I. Bill; in 1951 he graduated with a B.F.A. in Fine Arts with a major in advertising.[3] Anderson went to work for Ball & Grier, an advertising agency in Utica, New York; however, in 1953, Anderson decided to focus on freelance magazine cartooning.[2] From 1954 to 1966, Anderson drew the comic strip Grandpa's Boy.[2]
He is best known for creating the comic strip Marmaduke in 1955, which he continues to draw to this day. According to Anderson, "During the time, I was drawing various types of dogs in my magazine cartoons, I was also trying to develop a dog character specifically for eventual newspaper syndication [....] you couldn't see the eyes of my shaggy dogs, so as I thought more about it I decided I wanted a dog where I could have an expressive face".[4] Anderson, who says he draws on Laurel and Hardy routines for his ideas,[5] received the National Cartoonists Society Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award for Marmaduke in 1978. Brad made his appearance on Animal Planet's Breed All About It and Dogs 101.
One of his favorite inclusions in his comics was the old Cave's Meat Market in Brocton. There were several cartoons dedicated to Cave's and to Marmaduke running away from the store with items he had retrieved. He was also involved in the comic strip Grandpa's Boy, which ran from 1955 through 1980.
Anderson is married and has one daughter, Christine, and three sons, Craig, Paul and Mark.[1]