Captain Pugwash creator, John Ryan has died aged 88
John Ryan, the creator of children's classic Captain Pugwash has died, aged 88, in Rye, Sussex.
The hugely popular pirate cartoon was created in 1950 whilst John Ryan was still an art teacher at Harrow School. Initially published in the Eagle comic magazine, Captain Horatio Pugwash and his band of pirates soon appeared in their own books.
The BBC commissioned a black and white series for television in 1957 in a run that lasted until 1967. The series was revived, this time in colour. With fun story lines, the Captain Pugwash cartoons were memorable for their distinctive simplicity, using flat cardboard cut-outs of the characters and set props.
John Ryan continued to write books until the 1990's, with a total of 20 to his name - many of which have been regularly re-published.