Barry Blaustein, a comedy writer known for his work with Eddie Murphy and on “Saturday Night Live,” has died. He was 71, according to multiple reports. Blaustein wrote for “Saturday Night Live” and developed recurring characters that appeared in Murphy’s sketches, including Buckwheat and Mister Robinson. Several outlets also describe his collaboration with David Sheffield on sketch material featuring characters such as Buckwheat, Gumby, and Mr. Robinson. Beyond TV, Blaustein contributed to screenwriting for Murphy’s films, including “Coming to America.” He also worked on the scripts for “The Nutty Professor” movies, as noted by outlets covering his film credits. While the reports differ slightly on his reported age—one says 72—each account credits Blaustein with a long-running partnership with Murphy that helped shape both the “SNL” comedy sketches and Murphy’s major film projects. He is remembered as a key creative force behind character-driven comedy that became strongly associated with Murphy’s early and mainstream stardom.