John Ryan, 1921-2009
July 26th, 2009 by Polly
We were all extremely saddened when we heard that John Ryan, one of the illustrators exhibiting in the Fidra Gallery, passed away on Wednesday of this week. Ryan was born in Edinburgh in 1921, but as a child spent time in the Moroccan port of Rabat – it was here that his fascination with pirates developed. He later attended Ampleforth College in Yorkshire where his talent for drawing was encouraged by a member of staff. All this in turn lead to the creation of perhaps the nation’s best – loved pirate: Captain Horatio Pugwash, who ‘appeared’ one day whilst Ryan was sketching. Originally a comic strip in boys’ magazine Eagle, in 1957 Pugwash appeared in his first children’s book: Captain Pugwash: A Pirate Story, published by Bodley Head and a BBC series was created in the same year. This was just the start of Ryan’s long and successful career as an illustrator, cartoonist and animator.
Ryan married in 1950 and is survived by his wife Pricsilla, his three children and their families. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them at this sad time. The original Pugwash books have recently been republished by Frances Lincoln, with more to follow next year.
Obituaries
The Telegraph
The Scotsman
BBC
Other Sites
Pugwash Author’s Legacy
Wikipedia