BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- American cartoonist Brad Anderson, the man who created the long-running comic strip "Marmaduke" in 1954, has died, according to his syndicate, Universal Uclick.

Anderson became a cartoonist by the time he was a teenager, having sold his first cartoon to Flying Aces magazine when he was 15. He continued cartooning while he served in the Navy in World War II. He became a full-time freelance cartoonist and started "Marmaduke" in 1954.

Marmaduke has since been syndicated in over 500 newspapers in 10 countries. The mischievous, the lovable curious dog Great Dane and his loving family also appeared in a feature film in 2010. Anderson has been honored by numerous awards, most recently the NCS's Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.

Anderson continued working on Marmaduke until his death.

In a statement on its website, the National Cartoonists Society paid tribute.

"The NCS and the world of cartooning lost one of its true luminaries last week with the passing of Brad Anderson, creator of the comic 'Marmaduke,' " the society said.