The Paper Dragon - A Raggedy Ann Adventure

About The Author

Johnny Gruelle (John Barton Gruelle, 1880–1938) was an American cartoonist, illustrator, and children’s author best known for creating the beloved character Raggedy Ann.Gruelle was born on December 24, 1880, in Arcola. He grew up in a creative family—his father, Richard B. Gruelle, was a landscape painter associated with the Hoosier Group. Johnny developed an early interest in drawing and storytelling and eventually worked as a newspaper cartoonist and illustrator for several publications.Around 1915, Gruelle created the character Raggedy Ann, inspired by a homemade rag doll. He received a U.S. patent for the doll and soon published the first book, Raggedy Ann Stories, in 1918. The book’s gentle humor and imaginative adventures became very popular with children. Gruelle later introduced Raggedy Ann’s brother, Raggedy Andy, in Raggedy Andy Stories.Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Gruelle wrote and illustrated many Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy books, along with comic strips and other children’s works. His stories often emphasized kindness, friendship, and imagination.Johnny Gruelle died on January 9, 1938, in Miami. His Raggedy Ann books and characters remain enduring icons of American children’s literature and toy culture.