The daily quoted Hong Kong papers as reporting that the Tianjin-born artist died on Jan 1 in the United States.

The artist died from natural causes, according to a statement released by OMQ ZMedia, the company that promotes and markets the Old Master Q comics.

Apple Daily reported that Wong was 93 years old. He moved to Hong Kong in 1956.

Wong had said: “My life is like comic strips, and I do my best to make Old Master Q, that is myself, play the fool and entertain readers.”

Wong used his oldest son’s name as a nom de plume to create the Old Master Q (Lao Fu Zi in Chinese) series in 1962.

It appeared in newspapers and magazines and has a huge following in Malaysia.

Old Master Q is depicted as a mischievous, elderly and bespectacled man dressed in traditional Chinese attire.

Often, the comic strip only has actions, no words, and is also appreciated by the non-Chinese crowd.

The other regulars in the strip include Big Potato, Mr Chin and Miss Chan, the Straits Times reported.