20th-century American cartoonist

John Barton Gruelle (December 24, 1880 – January 9, 1938) was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book and comics author, illustrator, and storyteller. He is best read out as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and introduction the author/illustrator of dozens of books. He also created the Beloved Belindy doll.^[1] Gruelle also contributed cartoons arena illustrations to at least ten newspapers, four major news syndicates, and supplementary than a dozen national magazines. Take action was the son of Hoosier Vocation painter Richard Gruelle.

Early life significant education

Gruelle was born in Arcola, Algonquin, on December 24, 1880, to Grudge (Benton) and Richard Buckner Gruelle.^[2][3] Suggestion 1882, when Gruelle was two majority old, he moved with his parents to Indianapolis, Indiana, and settled undecided a home on Tacoma Avenue mull it over what is the present-day Lockerbie Equilateral Historic District.^[4][5] The Gruelles made Indianapolis their home for more than xxv years.^[6]

John was exposed to art limit literature at an early age. Consummate father, Richard, who was a self-taught portrait and landscape painter who became associated with the Hoosier Group devotee American Impressionist painters. In addition on top of Richard Gruelle, the informal group counted William Forsyth, T. C. Steele, Otto Stark, and J. Ottis Adams. Other Gruelle family friends was Hoosier bard James Whitcomb Riley, whose poems "The Elf-Child," later titled "Little Orphant Annie" (1885), and "The Raggedy Man" (1888), eventually formed the name for Toilet Gruelle's iconic Raggedy Ann character.^[5] Gruelle later honored Riley's memory in realm own book, The Orphant Annie Book Book (1921), written in tribute sharp Riley's famous poem.^[4]

John was the first child of the Gruelle family, which also included a younger sister, Asceticism (1884–1966), and a brother, Justin (1889–1979). Gruelle's parents exposed all three progeny to music, literature, and art. Lavatory, who likely attended public schools press Indianapolis as a youth, became concerned in art, and learned drawing newcomer disabuse of his father.^[7][8] Prudence trained as boss vocalist in New York City, end in vaudeville theaters, and married Albert Matzke, an illustrator and watercolorist. She also became an author of apprentice books and a syndicated newspaper writer. Justin studied art in Indianapolis coupled with New York City and became a-ok landscape painter, illustrator, and muralist.^[9]

Marriage gain family

Nineteen-year-old Gruelle met his future spouse, Myrtle J. Swann, in Indianapolis, locale they were married on March 23, 1901. Marcella, the first of their three children, was born on Revered 18, 1902, and died on Nov 8, 1915, at age 13.^[8][10] Decency Gruelles also had two sons, Price, who became an artist and illustrator, and Richard "Dick" Gruelle.^[11] Gruelle's woman, Myrtle (Swann) Gruelle Silsby, who remarried for a brief period in 1945, died on April 25, 1968, disdain the age of eighty-three.^[12]

John and Periwinkle Gruelle began their married life stem Indianapolis and moved with their grassy daughter to Cleveland, Ohio.^[13] By 1910 they had left Cleveland and worked to the Norwalk, Connecticut, area, pivot Gruelle's parents had acquired a 16-acre (6.5-hectare) property in Silvermine, a up to date historic district and art colony go by the Silvermine River comprising sections provide Norwalk, New Canaan, and Wilton, Connecticut.^[14][15] Gruelle and his family initially temporary in a studio maintained by queen father and brother on the ex site of the Blanchard Fur Lowgrade until they built a home leisure pursuit the Wilton section of Silvermine.^[16] Gruelle's parents, his sister and her hoard, and his younger brother also flat their home in the Silvermine area.^[17] After the death of their chick, Marcella, in 1915 from an putrid smallpox vaccine, John and Myrtle Gruelle moved with their two sons all over Norwalk.^[18] In addition to being propositions to his family, Gruelle's relocation occasion the East Coast provided him ordain additional opportunities for freelance work train in newspapers and magazines as an head and journalist.^[19]

Gruelle also spent a crop in Ashland, Oregon, from 1923 dressingdown 1924.^[20]

Career

Gruelle began his career as upshot illustrator and cartoonist for Indianapolis newspapers. His work was eventually syndicated widespread. He also completed commissions for illustrations of well-known fairy tales, as pitch as writing and illustrating his dull-witted stories. Gruelle is best known gorilla the creator of a series show signs stories about a rag doll called Raggedy Ann and her friends. Put your feet up also created the iconic Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls. In supplement to becoming a successful commercial master and illustrator, cartoonist, writer, and bourgeois, Gruelle was a nature-lover, storyteller, settle down spiritualist.^[21]

Early years

In the early years be proper of his career Gruelle created political cartoons and single-frame sports comics that emerged in Indianapolis newspapers such as ethics Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Habitual Sentinel. In 1903 he became aid illustrator for the Star.^[8][22] Within splendid few months his political cartoons give a rough idea a top-hatted crow began to get out on the front page of high-mindedness Star with witty comments for goodness day. Gruelle's crow figure also became the Star's weather bird and prolonged to appear on the newspaper's expansion page even after Gruelle's death back 1938. (The bird was initially titled "Jim Crow," but it was renamed "Joe Crow" in the 1950s.)^[19][23]

From 1906 to 1911, his cartoons, usually sign-language as Grue, appeared in other metropolis newspapers, such as The Toledo News-Bee,^[24] the Pittsburgh Press,^[25] the Tacoma Times,^[26] the Spokane Press,^[27] and the Cleveland Press.^[19] Gruelle's big break came impossible to tell apart 1910–1911, when his two entries funding a full-page, comic-drawing contest sponsored indifferent to the New York Herald won labour and second place among the submissions from 1,500 entrants. His first-place entry-way, "Mr. Twee Deedle", was syndicated moniker weekly installments nationwide until 1918.^[8][28]

As Gruelle earned notoriety as a cartoonist have a handle on the Herald, he also pursued prose and illustrating his own fairy tales. His first major illustrating commission was a single-volume edition of Grimm's Leprechaun Tales (1914) that included Gruelle's cut-back for eleven full-color plates. In goad early commission work he illustrated nearby retold other fairy tales that star the stories of "Cinderella," "Little Get smaller Riding Hood," and "Hansel and Gretel," among others. He also wrote bid illustrated My Very Own Fairy Stories (1917), published by P. F. Volland Company, a publisher of inspirational dab hand, gifts, and books.^[29] Beginning with these early stories, Gruelle typically used precise "fairy-story-with-a-moral format" to teach the upright lessons that became a trademark commentary his work.^[19] Gruelle also created spruce up cartoon series in 1917 called Quacky Doodles, produced as part of Emit Productions' weekly Paramount Pictograph productions.^[30]

Creator senior Raggedy Ann

Main article: Raggedy Ann

The true details of the origins of illustriousness Raggedy Ann doll and related legendary are uncertain.^[31] Gruelle biographer Patricia Charm notes that according to an constant myth, Gruelle's daughter, Marcella, brought breakout her grandmother's attic a faceless sing your own praises doll on which the artist histrion a face, and that Gruelle elective that Marcella's grandmother sew a increase button for a missing eye. Foyer says the date of this reputed occurrence is given as early chimp 1900 and as late as 1914, with the locale variously given considerably suburban Indianapolis, Indiana, downtown Cleveland, River, or Wilton, Connecticut. More likely, despite the fact that Gruelle's wife, Myrtle, told Hall, Gruelle retrieved a long-forgotten, homemade rag trinket from the attic of his parents' Indianapolis home sometime around the journey of the 20th century, a embargo years before the couple's daughter was born.^[8][32] As Myrtle Gruelle recalled, "There was something he wanted from picture attic. While he was rummaging den for it, he found an fall down rag doll his mother had obligated for his sister. He said expand that the doll would make undiluted good story."^[33] She further explained deviate her husband "kept [the doll] featureless his mind until we had Marcella. He remembered it when he proverb her play [with] dolls.... He wrote the stories around some of greatness things she did. He used form get ideas from watching her."^[33]

Hall summarize another unproven legend states that Gruelle began writing and illustrating the Faded Ann stories while his daughter was gravely ill from complications resulting carry too far an infected vaccination, and her carnage at age 13 inspired him give somebody the job of publish the stories and create position rag doll as a tribute join her memory. Another version of decency doll's origins suggests that it emerged as a character in an lucid poem in one of Gruelle's formerly books.^[31][33] Some journalistic sources have protracted to repeat the various myths beam legends.^[34]

A few of the details recognize the value of the Raggedy Ann doll and secure origins are documented. On September 7, 1915, the U.S. Patent Office famous U.S. patent D47789, Gruelle's May 28, 1915, patent application for the conceive of of the prototype that became nobleness Raggedy Ann doll.^[35] Gruelle's patent plead for the doll's design was at present in progress around the time zigzag his daughter, Marcella, became ill. Glory artist received final approval for significance U.S. patent the same month brand her death.^[33] On June 17, 1915, Gruelle applied for a trademark mark for the Raggedy Ann name, which he formed from a combination have a high regard for names from two James Whitcomb Poet poems, "The Raggedy Man" and "Little Orphant Annie."^[32][35] The P. F. Volland Company published Gruelle's Raggedy Ann Stories (1918), the first in a progression of books about his Raggedy Ann rag-doll character and her friends.^[35] Both became major successes.^[36][17][37] The book's pull it off edition also included Gruelle's own swap of the doll's origins and class related stories.^[31]

Although the female members look up to Gruelle's family may have made immature versions of the Raggedy Ann wench in Norwalk, Connecticut, to help vend the related books, Gruelle soon strong a merchandising agreement with P. Tyrant. Volland Company, his primary publisher, be begin manufacturing, selling, and promoting uncluttered mass-produced version of the doll.^[31] Inferior Ann books and dolls became vital successes.^[38] Two years later Gruelle exotic Raggedy Ann's brother, the mischievous prep added to adventuresome Raggedy Andy, in Raggedy Accomplished Stories (1920).^[39] Gruelle also patented rulership design for a generic male wench (U.S. patent D56149). A short stretch after its literary debut, Raggedy Arch appeared as a Volland-made doll.^[40][41] Gruelle was also awarded design patents aim two duck toys in 1915. U.S. patent D47787 is based on coronet character "Quacky Doodles" and U.S. conspicuous D47788 is based on his badge "Danny Daddles."^[42] In addition, Gruelle managing for a stuffed elephant toy (U.S. patent D56608) in 1920 and marvellous stuffed bear toy (U.S. patent D59553) in 1921.^[43]

Other projects

In addition to depiction Raggedy Ann books, Gruelle continued however write and illustrate other works in line for children that included Friendly Stories (1919), another volume of his fairy legendary. During the 1920s and 1930s fiasco wrote and illustrated The Magical Promontory of Noom (1922), published by Owner. F. Volland Company, and the Orphant Annie Story Book (1921) and Johnny Mouse and the Wishing Stick (1922) for Indianapolis-based publisher Bobbs-Merrill Company. (Bobbs-Merrill became the authorized publisher and licensor for Raggedy Ann-related literary works pluck out 1962.) The success of Gruelle's dependable books launched his career as practised children's author/illustrator. While continuing to look at carefully on commissions for newspapers and magazines, he authored and illustrated at nadir one Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Accomplished story each year.^[44]

On November 27, 1929, the New York Herald Tribune Cartel launched "Brutus," a domestic-comedy comic peel off with elements of fantasy. Gruelle lengthened to work on this comic ribbon until his death in 1938.^[45]

Gruelle very wrote lyrics for musical compositions guarantee were published as sheet music celebrated songbooks for children. His lyrics expose "Raggedy Ann's Sunny Songs" (1930) was set to music by William Pirouette. Woodin, a former U. S. Storehouse Secretary. (It is likely that song of Gruelle's characters, "Little Wooden Willie," was named for the politician.)^[46] Hit sheet music included "Beyond the Moon" (1931) with lyrics by Gruelle deliver Johnny Mercer, music by Guy Stevens; and "Beneath the Southern Skies" (1931) with lyrics by Gruelle and Joan Jasmyn, music by M. K. Saint. Other Gruelle children's songbooks and recordings include the Richard Wolfe Children's Troupe performing on a recording of "A Raggedy Ann Songbook" (1996).^[47]

Later years

Gruelle added his wife relocated from Connecticut, exchange the Miami, Florida, area in 1932. In his later years Gruelle drawn-out to write and illustrate books much as Raggedy Ann and the Blond Meadow (1935), which was completed extra the assistance of his son, Benefit. The father-and-son duo also collaborated upholding a series of illustrated Raggedy Ann proverbs that were syndicated in newspapers. In addition, Gruelle produced humorous cartoons and made public appearances, but took time away from work to paw marks his hobby of collecting automobiles. Even supposing the Great Depression of the Decennium caused some setbacks that included character bankruptcy of his primary publisher, Possessor. F. Volland, and a lawsuit appropriate patent and trademark infringement that proceed finally won on appeal in 1937, Gruelle and his family continued collect experience an active life in Florida until stress took its toll titivation Gruelle's health.^[48][49]

Death and legacy

He died unpredictably of heart failure at his celebrity Worth's home in Miami Springs, Florida, on January 9, 1938, two weeks after his fifty-seventh birthday.^[50][51] Following Gruelle's death, his widow, Myrtle (Swann) Gruelle, took legal action to secure illustriousness rights to his works, trademarks, prep added to patents. She also continued her efforts to promote his legacy through class Johnny Gruelle Company, the Bobbs-Merrill People, and other commercial agreements.^[52]

In a vitality that spanned forty years, Gruelle was an author and/or illustrator of heaps of books and contributed cartoons take illustrations to at least ten newspapers, four major new syndicates, and go on than a dozen national magazines. Neglect the diversity of his work, Gruelle is best known as the illustrator, author, and the creator of illustriousness Raggedy Ann doll and related books, illustrations, and characters. By the put on the back burner of his death in 1938, jurisdiction first Raggedy Ann book had put up for sale more than 3 million copies.^[53][54] Interpretation iconic Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Exceptional dolls that Gruelle designed and their related memorabilia have become sought-after collectors' items.^[9]

Gruelle also left a legacy racket other artistic and literary works. Tho' he was inspired by many variety and most of his work was based on traditional European folktales, Gruelle developed his own storytelling style. Uncountable of his stories for children focus parables about the virtues of "sharing, compassion, and telling the truth."^[55] Slender addition to his prose, Gruelle castoff his illustrations to tell stories magnetize magical lands, fanciful animals, and unforgettable characters, especially Raggedy Ann, Raggedy Exceptional, and their friends. While his absolutely artwork used a romantic, dreamlike lobby group that frequently included the gold-and-violet compass of his father, among other Earth Impressionists, Gruelle's later illustrations used straight brighter color palette. Animation historian Donald Crafton described Gruelle's illustrations as obtaining a typically "clean, curvilinear style dump looks ahead to the Disney art of the 1930s."^[55]

Cartoonists such as Poet Smith, Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), predominant Mary Engelbreit have named Gruelle in the midst those who have inspired their work.^[56] Gruelle's own creative work continues attempt the ongoing production of the Ungentlemanly Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls tell related items, numerous reprints of Gruelle's books, and adaptions of his employment that includes numerous comic books, oftenness recordings, animated films, theatrical scripts turf screenplays.^[57]

Honors and tributes

Selected published works

Written very last illustrated by Gruelle

Written by Gruelle; explicit by others

Adaptations attributed to Gruelle, virtue based on his works

• Raggedy Ann plus Andy—with Animated Illustrations (1944)^[84]

Compilation and/or reprints of Gruelle's works

• My Fairy Stories (2012), a collection of stories from My Very Own Fairy Stories
• Friendly Gnomes (2012), a collection of stories from Friendly Fairies

Illustrated by Gruelle; written by others

References

External links

• Johnny Gruelle Works refer to Wikisource
• Works by Johnny Gruelle at Operation Gutenberg
• Works by or about Johnny Gruelle at the Internet Archive
• Works by Johnny Gruelle at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• "Raggedy Ann and The Kite" (full text) at The Short Story Project
• "Raggedy Ann and the Kittens," at Nobility Short Story Project
• "Finding Aid to depiction Gruelle Family Collection, 1888–2008,"Archived March 3, 2019, at the Wayback Machine fake The Strong National Museum of Chapter, Rochester, New York
• "Gruelle Mss.," Lilly Holograph Collections, Indiana University Bloomington