Martin (“Marty”) Balogh of San Francisco, California, passed away at his home on April 19, 2026.

Marty was born in Toledo, Ohio, on October 25, 1966, to Douglas George Balogh and Marilynne Ann (Brown) Ponto. He graduated from Farmington High School and went on to earn a B.S. in English Literature and Broadcast Arts from Central Michigan University.

He spent much of his career as a Writer, Creative Director, and Executive Producer at Lieberman Productions before founding his own company, Black Penguin. His work in advertising and direct marketing brought him alongside an extraordinary roster of talent, including John Cleese, Larry King, Regis Philbin, Carol Burnett, Don Rickles, Tim Conway, Betty White, Jonathan Winters, and Smokey Robinson, among many others.

Marty’s passions were wide-ranging and deeply felt—music, French wine, fine food, cooking, travel, painting, and photography. In recent years, he developed a distinctive photographic style, uncovering worlds and landscapes visible only under extreme magnification. He approached each session like an archaeologist, never beginning with a preconceived idea of what he would find. The result was work that was both unexpected and strikingly beautiful. His art can be viewed at www.martinbaloghart.com.

Marty is survived by his parents, Marilynne Ponto and Douglas Balogh (Linda), and his sister, Kristy Sidlar (Dave).

In lieu of flowers, Marty's family is suggesting donations to the American Heart Association to advance stroke research: http://www2.heart.org/goto/ForMarty