Ziggy Creator Tom Wilson Dies at 80 [VIDEO]

The cartoonist who created "Ziggy" and many other characters for American Greetings has passed away at the age of 80.

Ziggy, the bald, round-faced, hard-luck character appears in about 500 newspapers, books, calendars, on greeting cards, and many other items. Wilson once told the Cleavland Plain Dealer, "Is Ziggy me? I'm afraid so. Everybody is, to some degree."

The artist spent most of his career in Cleveland and moved a few years ago to a nursing home in Cincinnati, near family. He died in his sleep from pneumonia at age 80.

Wilson's son Tom Wilson II took over writing and drawing duties when hisfather retired in 1987.