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John Ryan (cartoonist)
Encyclopedia
John Gerald Christopher Ryan (4 March 1921 - 22 July 2009) was a British
animator
and cartoonist
, best known for his character Captain Pugwash
. His brother was Roman Catholic theologian and philosopher Columba Ryan
.
, a Catholic
boarding school
. After serving as an officer with the Lincolnshire Regiment in Burma during the Second World War, Ryan studied at the Regent Street Polytechnic
.
Whilst teaching art at Harrow
, Ryan first created Captain Pugwash as a comic strip for The Eagle
in 1950, although the strip was dropped after three months as it was felt to be too young for the target audience. Unperturbed, Ryan created Harris Tweed, Special Agent
. However, when The Radio Times
commissioned him to provide a strip he resurrected the Captain Pugwash strip, and in 1957 he was commissioned by the BBC
to produce a series of animation shorts featuring the character, originally running from 1957 to 1958. The animation of these films was done in real time (rather than by the stop-frame animation method) using an ingenious system of cut-out characters and boats, moved by hidden cardboard levers. Further episodes were commissioned almost twenty years later in 1974, and in all 126 episodes were made with the last airing in 1975. Ryan also wrote and illustrated a number of children's books featuring the character; in the 1980s three new comic albums appeared.
Through his animation studio, John Ryan Studios, he also created The Adventures of Sir Prancelot
(1971–1972) and Mary Mungo & Midge
(1969) for the BBC, the latter for the Watch With Mother
slot.
In 1981 Ryan presented The Ark Stories for Yorkshire TV
, the series being produced by Anne Wood
. Each episode saw Ryan present and illustrate a story about Noah's Ark
, either prior to or during the Great Flood.
He also created Lettice Leefe, the Greenest Girl in School, a comic strip for Girl magazine.
Ryan, a Catholic, provided illustrations and cartoons for Catholic newspapers, notably The Catholic Herald, and several collections of these cartoons were published as books.
Towards the end of his life, he was resident in Rye
.
There are a number of Ryan's original book illustrations on permanent loan at the Centre for the Study of Cartoons, University of Kent
.
In addition to the 24 books in the Captain Pugwash series and the 11 in his Noah's Ark series, he produced a further 24 books.
Ryan died in hospital in Rye, East Sussex. He is survived by his wife Priscilla and his three children.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
and cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, best known for his character Captain Pugwash
Captain Pugwash
Captain Pugwash is a fictional pirate in a series of British children's comic strips and books created by John Ryan. The character's adventures were adapted into a TV series, using cardboard cut-outs filmed in live-action , also called Captain Pugwash, first shown on the BBC in 1957, a later colour...
. His brother was Roman Catholic theologian and philosopher Columba Ryan
Columba Ryan
Columba Ryan OP , January 13, 1916 – August 4, 2009, was a Dominican priest who was a philosophy teacher, university chaplain, and pastor...
.
Biography
Ryan was born in Edinburgh. He expressed his love of writing and drawing early in life, creating his first book, Adventures of Tommy Brown, at the age of 7. Ryan attended Ampleforth CollegeAmpleforth College
Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest Roman Catholic co-educational boarding independent school in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1802, as a boys' school, and is run by the Benedictine monks and lay staff of Ampleforth Abbey...
, a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. After serving as an officer with the Lincolnshire Regiment in Burma during the Second World War, Ryan studied at the Regent Street Polytechnic
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
.
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, Ryan first created Captain Pugwash as a comic strip for The Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
in 1950, although the strip was dropped after three months as it was felt to be too young for the target audience. Unperturbed, Ryan created Harris Tweed, Special Agent
Harris Tweed (character)
Harris Tweed was a character in the comic strip Harris Tweed, Special Agent, later retitled as Harris Tweed - Super Sleuth, which appeared in The Eagle...
. However, when The Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
commissioned him to provide a strip he resurrected the Captain Pugwash strip, and in 1957 he was commissioned by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to produce a series of animation shorts featuring the character, originally running from 1957 to 1958. The animation of these films was done in real time (rather than by the stop-frame animation method) using an ingenious system of cut-out characters and boats, moved by hidden cardboard levers. Further episodes were commissioned almost twenty years later in 1974, and in all 126 episodes were made with the last airing in 1975. Ryan also wrote and illustrated a number of children's books featuring the character; in the 1980s three new comic albums appeared.
Through his animation studio, John Ryan Studios, he also created The Adventures of Sir Prancelot
The Adventures of Sir Prancelot
The Adventures of Sir Prancelot was a children's animated TV Series written and produced by John Ryan for the John Ryan Studios company. It followed the adventures of an eccentric Knight and his family as they head for the Crusades in the Holy Land...
(1971–1972) and Mary Mungo & Midge
Mary Mungo & Midge
Mary, Mungo and Midge is a British animated children's television series, created by John Ryan and produced by the BBC in 1969.The show featured the adventures of a girl called Mary, her dog Mungo, and her pet mouse Midge, who lived in a tower block in a busy town. BBC newsreader Richard Baker...
(1969) for the BBC, the latter for the Watch With Mother
Watch with Mother
Watch With Mother was a cycle of children's programmes broadcast from 1952 by BBC Television which was created by Freda Lingstrom.It was the first BBC television programme specifically aimed at pre-school children, like its radio equivalent Listen with Mother that also started in 1950...
slot.
In 1981 Ryan presented The Ark Stories for Yorkshire TV
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
, the series being produced by Anne Wood
Anne Wood
Anne Wood CBE is a British children’s television producer.She was born in Spennymoor, County Durham, England and grew up in Tudhoe Colliery, a small coalmining village nearby.-Her Teaching Years:...
. Each episode saw Ryan present and illustrate a story about Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
, either prior to or during the Great Flood.
He also created Lettice Leefe, the Greenest Girl in School, a comic strip for Girl magazine.
Ryan, a Catholic, provided illustrations and cartoons for Catholic newspapers, notably The Catholic Herald, and several collections of these cartoons were published as books.
Towards the end of his life, he was resident in Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
.
There are a number of Ryan's original book illustrations on permanent loan at the Centre for the Study of Cartoons, University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
.
In addition to the 24 books in the Captain Pugwash series and the 11 in his Noah's Ark series, he produced a further 24 books.
Ryan died in hospital in Rye, East Sussex. He is survived by his wife Priscilla and his three children.
External links
- Jedis Children's TV Captain Pugwash page, contains a 1974 interview with Ryan on the animation of Captain Pugwash