POPULAR Asian comic artist Alfonso Wong, best known for his comic strip “Lao Fu Zi,” died on Sunday in the United States. He was 93.

    The Tianjin-born artist died of organ failure, said a statement from OMQ Comics on Tuesday.

    “‘Lao Fu Zi’ comics were Alfonso Wong’s life,” the statement read. “He loved life. With his humorous style, he unfolded Lao Fu Zi’s story, accompanying generations of readers.”

    The “Lao Fu Zi” comic series — known as Old Master Q in the Western world — first appeared in the 1960s and quickly spread across Asia. It continues to be in circulation today. New “Lao Fu Zi” comic strips are created by graphic artist Ronny Cuxun.

    According to the Old Master Q official website, Wong was a private man who wanted to spend his retirement fishing and making pottery.

    Wong, who moved to Hong Kong in 1956, has said: “My life is like comic strips, and I do my best to make Old Master Q, that is myself, to play the fool and entertain readers.”

    Hong Kong people and fans abroad grew up reading the comic, which featured a cast starring Old Master Q, a mischievous, elderly and bespectacled man dressed in traditional Chinese attire. (SD-Agencies)