Ralph Steadman

Author profile

born

May 15, 1936 in Wallasey, Cheshire, The United Kingdom

gender

male

website

http://www.ralphsteadman.com/

About this author

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Ralph Steadman (born Wallasey, May 15, 1936) is a British cartoonist and caricaturist.

Born in Wallasey, Cheshire, and brought up in Towyn, North Wales, Steadman attended Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan (high school), Abergele, East Ham Technical College and the London College of Printing and Graphic Arts during the 1960s, doing freelance work for Punch, Private Eye, the Daily Telegraph, The New York Times and Rolling Stone during this time.

Steadman is renowned for his political and social caricatures and cartoons and also for illustrating a number of picture books. Awards that he has won for his work include the Francis Williams Book Illustration Award for Alice in Wonderland, the American Society of Illustrators' Certificate of Merit, the W H Smith Il...more Ralph Steadman (born Wallasey, May 15, 1936) is a British cartoonist and caricaturist.

Born in Wallasey, Cheshire, and brought up in Towyn, North Wales, Steadman attended Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan (high school), Abergele, East Ham Technical College and the London College of Printing and Graphic Arts during the 1960s, doing freelance work for Punch, Private Eye, the Daily Telegraph, The New York Times and Rolling Stone during this time.

Steadman is renowned for his political and social caricatures and cartoons and also for illustrating a number of picture books. Awards that he has won for his work include the Francis Williams Book Illustration Award for Alice in Wonderland, the American Society of Illustrators' Certificate of Merit, the W H Smith Illustration Award for I Leonardo, the Dutch Silver Paintbrush Award for Inspector Mouse, the Italian Critica in Erba Prize for That's My Dad, the BBC Design Award for postage stamps, the Black Humour Award in France, and several Designers and Art Directors Association Awards. He was voted Illustrator of the Year by the American Institute of Graphic Arts in 1979.

Steadman had a long partnership with the American journalist Hunter S. Thompson, drawing pictures for several of his articles and books. He accompanied Thompson to the Kentucky Derby for an article for the magazine Scanlan's, to the Honolulu Marathon for the magazine Running, and illustrated both Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. Much of Steadman's artwork revolves around Raoul Duke-style caricatures of Thompson: bucket hats, cigarette holder and aviator sunglasses.

Steadman appears on the second disc of the Criterion Collection Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas DVD set, in a documentary called "Fear and Loathing in Gonzovision", which was made by the BBC in 1978, of Thompson planning the tower and cannon that his ashes were later blasted out of. The cannon was atop a 153-ft. tower of Thompson's fist gripping a peyote button; Thompson demands that Steadman gives the fist two thumbs, "Right now."

As well as writing and illustrating his own books and Thompson's, Steadman has worked with writers including Ted Hughes and Brian Patten, and also illustrated editions of Alice In Wonderland, Treasure Island, Animal Farm and most recently, Fahrenheit 451.

Among the British public, Steadman is well known for his illustrations for the catalogues of the off-licence chain Oddbins. He also designed the labels for Flying Dog beer and Cardinal 'Spiced' Zin', which was banned in Ohio for Steadman's "disturbing" interpretation of a Catholic cardinal on its label.

Steadman also illustrates Will Self's column in The Independent newspaper. Johnny Depp's anthology of songs, "Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys" (2006) surprisingly contains two contributions from Steadman. He sings lead on "Little Boy Billee", and sings backing vocals on Eliza Carthy's song "Rolling Sea". Depp played Raoul Duke in the film adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Steadman currently lives with his wife in Kent, England.(less)

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Books by Ralph Steadman

Average rating: 4.07 · 71,467 ratings · 2,740 reviews · 68 distinct works

	Gonzo: The Art by Ralph Steadman, Hunter S. Thompson (Contributor) 4.19 avg rating — 985 ratings — 3 editions	My rating:
	The Joke's Over: Ralph Steadman on Hunter S. Thompson by Ralph Steadman, Kurt Vonnegut (Foreword) 3.81 avg rating — 1,021 ratings — published 2006 — 10 editions	My rating:
	The Grapes of Ralph: Wine According to Ralph Steadman 3.96 avg rating — 81 ratings — published 1996	My rating:
	Sigmund Freud 4.20 avg rating — 54 ratings — 5 editions	My rating:
	Still Life With Bottle: Whisky According to Ralph Steadman 4.37 avg rating — 49 ratings — published 1994 — 2 editions	My rating:
	America by Ralph Steadman, Hunter S. Thompson (Introduction) 4.37 avg rating — 51 ratings — published 1989 — 4 editions	My rating:
	The Book of Jones: A Tribute to the Mercurial, Manic, and Utterly Seductive Cat 3.93 avg rating — 46 ratings — published 1997	My rating:
	Untrodden Grapes 4.16 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 2005 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Tales of the Weirrd 4.34 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 1990 — 2 editions	My rating:
	I, Leonardo 4.17 avg rating — 40 ratings — 4 editions	My rating: