Martin Mull, who died last Thursday at age 80, took a curious route upon receiving his Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. He became a comedian — a calling only marginally more viable, economically speaking, than sustaining oneself as an artist. Yet sustain himself Mull did, and handsomely too.

Mr. Mull, who was also an artist and a musician, had a long list of credits that included the sitcoms “Roseanne” and “Veep.”

LOS ANGELES — Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday. He was 80.