Johnny Gruelle

Johnny Gruelle was an American artist, illustrator, political cartoonist, and children's author born in Arcola, Illinois, on December 24, 1880. He grew up in Indianapolis in an artistic family and went on to build a career drawing for newspapers and magazines before becoming famous for books for young readers.

He is most closely associated with Raggedy Ann, the rag doll character he introduced in the 1910s and then turned into a beloved series of stories. Raggedy Andy soon followed, and together the pair became the heart of the whimsical world he created in books, illustrations, and related characters.

Gruelle's work mixed gentle humor, fantasy, and a storyteller's sense of comfort, which helped make his books enduring favorites. He died on January 9, 1938, in Florida, but his best-known creations have remained part of American children's culture for generations.