Murray Ball: A Cartoonist’s Life, written by his son, Mason Ball, is a warm and humorous book about the farmer, rugby player and much-loved cartoonist.
The book narrates how Ball became his generation’s leading cartoonist, the evolution of his characters, and the long years of hard work it took to create Footrot Flats.
Full of candid honesty, the book reveals the real-life backstory of a man who saw the quirks of human nature and captured them with the stroke of a pen.
‘It was not really until my father died that I reflected on his remarkable life, and when I did, my impulse was to record what I knew as a testament to him. I found that writing helped me sort through my feelings and soothed the pain of loss,” said Mason Ball.
“I missed him dearly and enjoyed cataloguing the moments we had witnessed and shared. I figured that, joined up, these might form a portrait of the person, not just the cartoonist.”
With family photos, cartoons and illustrations, A Cartoonist’s Life, published by Harper Collins, was released on the 8th of November.
