Charles H. (Charles Henry) Ross

A British cartoonist, writer, playwright, and theatre manager, Charles Henry Ross worked across several corners of Victorian popular culture. He began as a parliamentary reporter and later wrote and drew for inexpensive mass-market publications, sometimes using pseudonyms such as George Savage and Edward Ellis.

He is most often remembered as the creator of Ally Sloper, a hugely influential comic character who first appeared in Judy in the 1860s and became one of the best-known figures in early British comics. Ross also wrote plays and fiction, showing the same lively, comic energy across print and performance.

Born in London and dying in 1897, he belonged to a family with strong artistic ties, including the painter Sir William Ross. Today, he is chiefly valued as an important early figure in comic art and popular entertainment.