Johnny Gruelle

• Born 1880-12-24 · Died 1938-01-09

Gruelle is most famously known as the creator of the Raggedy Ann, Raggedy Andy, and Beloved Belindy dolls. John also ran his own studio some time period before his death. Studio probably continued by John's brother Justin. Gruelle did political and sports cartoons for the Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Daily Sentinel in the early 1900s. By 1903 he worked himself up to assistant illustrator for the Star. From 1906 to 1912, John's cartoons appeared in newspapers throughout the country under the signed pen name Grue. In the 1900s and 1910, he worked on several short lived comic strips, longest of which was Mister Tweedeedle. By 1915, Gruelle had patented Raggedy Ann. John illustrated numerous books during his lifetime, especially Raggedy Ann. Comic strip syndication: Adam and Eve, or Life In the Garden of Eden daily (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1907-02-18 - 1907-03-04 (script, pencil, and ink); The Artless Answer panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1909-08-06 - 1910-06-03 (script, pencil, and ink) [Ran during the weekday, from two to five times a week.]; Before the Flood panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1908-09-10 - 1908-10-02 (script, pencil, and ink) [Ran first as a daily panel, then less than a daily over time as a weekday panel.]; Brutus Sunday (New York Herald-Tribune) 1929-11-17 - 1938-02-26 (script, pencil, ink, lettering, and coloring); Bud Smith, The Boy Who Does Stunts Sunday (World Color Printing) 1908-08-23 - 1909-01-31, 1909-02-14 - 1909-02-28, 1909-04-25 (script, pencil, ink, and coloring); Careless Sports weekly panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1909-02-12 - 1909-01-16 (script, pencil, and ink) [Panel ran about once a week.]; Concerning About Some Prehistoric Freaks weekly panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1908-10-30 - 1908-11-25 (script, pencil, and ink) [Panel ran about once a week.]; Cousin Bud Sunday (World Color Printing) 1905-04-30 - 1905-09-03 (script, pencil, ink, and coloring); Grue's Prehistoric Grotesques panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1909-05-03 - 1909-05-29 (script, pencil, and ink) [Ran during the weekday, several times a week.]; Handy Andy Sunday (World Color Printing) 1908-11-01 - 1909-01-31 (script, pencil, ink, and coloring); Highbrow Nursery Lore panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1909-05-07 - 1909-07-03 (script, pencil, and ink) [Ran during the weekday, four to five times a week. Worked under the Waldo Bostonbeans pen name.]; Hilee Hilo in Amsterdam daily (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1908-09-15 - 1908-12-07 (script, pencil, and ink); Little Mothers daily panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1909-11-16 - 1909-11-16 (script, pencil, and ink); Mister Tweedeedle [Mr. Twee Deedle] Sunday (The New York Herald Company) 1911-02-05 - 1918-08-15 (script, pencil, ink, and coloring); Nevermind (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1908-12-16 - 1909-01-16 (script, pencil, and ink) [Ran during the weekday, three to four times a week.]; Not Yet! (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1909-02-02 - 1909-02-15 (script, pencil, and ink) [Appeared only three times.]; Pests of Summertime panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1910-07-14 - 1910-08-10 (script, pencil, and ink) [Ran about once a week.]; A Purse-ery Rhyme for Common People daily panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1910-01-05 - 1910-01-13 script, pencil, and ink); Raggedy Ann daily panel (George Matthew Adams Service) 1934-06-11 - 1938-02-05 (script, pencil, ink, and lettering); T. R. In... daily panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1910-03-16 - 1910-03-28 (script, pencil, and ink); Then and Now (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1908-11-12 - 1908-12-22 (script, pencil, and ink) [Ran about every two to four days.]; What the Keen Eyes of Artist Gruelle Saw weekly (The New York Herald Company) 1912-08-04 - 1912-08-18 (script, pencil, and ink) [Full page panels.]; The World, the Flesh and the Baby daily panel (Newspaper Enterprise Association [NEA]) 1909-10-19 - 1909-10-22 (pencil and ink) [Worked with Edmund Vance, writer. Printed prose panels.]