Lone Star Latter-day Saints Voices Podcast hosts Marmaduke Cartoonist Paul Anderson

Cartoonist Paul Anderson joins Lone Star Latter Day Saint Voices host Erik Egan for a conversation about the life experiences leading him to both The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to drawing the beloved Marmaduke comic strip.

Created in 1954 by Anderson’s father, Brad Anderson, Marmaduke follows the hilarious and often heartwarming adventures of a Great Dane and the family he loves. Brad Anderson drew Marmaduke well into his 90s, mentoring Paul whose work on the strip began in 2004.

“Marmaduke is about a dog,” said Paul Anderson. “He’s a big dog who has a family. He keeps them in line. He explores the neighborhood. Everybody’s his friend, and it’s a certain type of humor.

“Dad told me early on when Marmaduke had been going about 50 years, he said, ‘We don’t preach. We don’t teach and we never talk about politics. People want to escape that. They want to have something they can identify with, relax and put away the cares of the world. We’ve gone through generations of families with this and that’s the way you need to keep it.'”

“He was a wonderful, wonderful mentor and a teacher, very patient, very positive. Never an unkind word,” said Paul about his father’s gentle instruction. “One time, I remember he said, “Sometimes, it’s just one small line that can make all the difference.”

Listen to this episode here or on Podbean, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

Paul was also featured in The Cross Timbers Gazette on July 19, 2022: Flower Mound cartoonist continues family legacy.