Ralph Idris Steadman (born 15 May 1936) is a British illustrator best known for his collaboration and friendship with the American writer Hunter S. Thompson. Steadman is renowned for his political and social caricatures, cartoons and picture books.

Early life

Steadman was born in

Wallasey Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirra ...

, Cheshire From a

lower middle class In developed nations around the world, the lower middle class is a subdivision of the greater middle class. Universally, the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper midd ...

background, his father was a commercial traveller and his mother was a shop assistant at

T J Hughes T. J. Hughes, registered and styled as TJ Hughes, is a British discount department store brand which first emerged in Liverpool in 1912 The business grew to become a national chain with 57 stores by 2011 but shrank to just six locations after e ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

. Steadman took his first job at 16 as a RADAR Operator at the

De Havilland The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited () was a British aviation manufacturer established in late 1920 by Geoffrey de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgware on the outskirts of north London. Operations were later moved to Hatfield in H ...

aircraft factory in the border town of Broughton near

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

but only remained for nine months, finding factory life repetitive and dull, and becoming fed up with fellow employees, citing persistent cruel practical jokes (“They were always putting stuff in your tea,”); however whilst there he became skilled in technical drawing, thus sowing the seeds of his future career. Steadman returned to England after National Service in 1954 and found work in London as a cartoonist. Wishing to accelerate his progress he enrolled in 1959 at East Ham Technical College and the

London College of Printing The London College of Communication is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. It specialises in media-related subjects including advertising, animation, film, graphic design, photography and sound arts. It has approximately ...

during the 1960s, doing freelance work for ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pu ...

'', ''

Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised for its prominent critici ...

'', the ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

,'' ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' during this time.

Career

Collaborations with Hunter S. Thompson

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 The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-yea ...

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.'' Steadman has expressed regret at selling the original illustrations for ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' at the advice of his agent to ''Rolling Stone'' founder

Jann Wenner Jann Simon Wenner ( ; born January 7, 1946) is an American magazine magnate who is a co-founder of the popular culture magazine ''Rolling Stone'', and former owner of '' Men's Journal'' magazine. He participated in the Free Speech Movement while ...

for the sum of $75, a fraction of their later value. As a result of that transaction Steadman has largely refused to sell any of his original artwork and has been quoted as saying "If anyone owns a Steadman original, it's stolen." While there are original pieces held outside of his archive, they are exceedingly rare. The artist has kept possession of the vast bulk of his original artwork. Steadman appears on the second disc of

The Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scho ...

'' 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."

Other illustration work

As well as writing and illustrating his own books and Thompson's, Steadman has worked with writers including

Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...

, Adrian Mitchell and

Brian Patten Brian Patten (born 7 February 1946) is an English poet and author. He came to prominence in the 1960s as one of the Liverpool poets, and writes primarily lyrical poetry about human relationships. His famous works include "Little Johnny's Confessio ...

, and also illustrated editions of ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'', ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

'', ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' is a beast fable, in the form of satirical allegorical novella, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to c ...

'', the English translation of Flann O'Brien's Gaelic-language classic '' The Poor Mouth'', and most recently, ''

Fahrenheit 451 ''Fahrenheit 451'' is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. Often regarded as one of his best works, ''Fahrenheit 451'' presents an American society where books have been personified and outlawed and "firemen" burn any that ar ...

''. Steadman has drawn album covers for numerous music artists, including

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * E ...

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...

and

Ambrosia In the ancient Greek myths, ''ambrosia'' (, grc, ἀμβροσία 'immortality'), the food or drink of the Greek gods, is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. It was brought to the gods in Olympus ...

, and the lead banner for the gonzo journalism website GonzoToday.com. Among the British public, Steadman is well known for his illustrations for the catalogues of the

off-licence A liquor store is a retail shop that predominantly sells prepackaged liquors – typically in bottles – usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence (i ...

chain Oddbins. In 1985, Steadman designed a set of four British postage stamps to commemorate the appearance that year of

Halley's Comet Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the on ...

. Steadman has illustrated

Will Self William Woodard Self (born 26 September 1961) is an English author, journalist, political commentator and broadcaster. He has written 11 novels, five collections of shorter fiction, three novellas and nine collections of non-fiction writing. Sel ...

's column in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' newspaper. Steadman has contributed to the

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

's Preventing Extinctions programme with an image of critically endangered northern bald ibis. In 2014, Steadman created the artwork for a series of limited edition

Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited h ...

steelbook DVDs. These works were the subject of an exhibition at 71a Gallery in

Hackney, London Hackney is a district in East London, England, forming around two-thirds of the area of the modern London Borough of Hackney, to which it gives its name. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Charing Cross and includes part of the Quee ...

in February 2015. In 2016 Steadman did the cover art for Anthony Bourdain's '' Appetites: A Cookbook''. In 2017, Steadman penned the artwork for Travis Scott and

Quavo Quavious Keyate Marshall (born April 2, 1991), known professionally as Quavo (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is best known as the co-founder and former frontman of hip hop group Migos. Quavo is the uncle of late fellow Migos m ...

's joint project '' Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho''. In 2019, Steadman created the artwork for Taylor Mac's Broadway show '' Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus''. In 2020, Steadman created the artwork for the documentary film '' Freak Power: The Ballot or the Bomb'' which follows journalist Hunter S. Thompson and his 1970 campaign for sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado.

Beer labels and freedom of speech

Steadman has designed label art for Flying Dog beer and designed the V logo used on Flying Dog's packaging since 1995. The Logo includes an original motto by Steadman: "Good Beer No Shit". Because of this, and because of Steadman's controversial label art for the craft brewery's Road Dog ale and Doggie Style ale, a complaint of obscenity was filed against Flying Dog. The Colorado State Liquor Board then had Flying Dog beers pulled from store shelves. Flying Dog and the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...

sued the state of Colorado while the displayed motto was changed to “Good Beer No Censorship.” In 2001, the Colorado Supreme Court entered final judgment in favor of Flying Dog, based on the

First Amendment to the United States Constitution The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents the government from making laws that regulate an establishment of religion, or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, the ...

, (freedom of speech). In 2009, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission banned Flying Dog's "Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA" beer, partly for the name and partly for Steadman's label art. In 2015, the 6th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals struck down the ban on first amendment grounds and recommended civil damages against the state of Michigan. In an article since deleted from its website, Flying Dog stated that its Cardinal "Spiced" Zin' wine was banned in Ohio for Steadman's "disturbing" interpretation of a Catholic cardinal on its label. In 2018, Flying Dog received a complaint in the UK about the packaging of its "Easy IPA" reduced-alcohol beer. The complaint partially involved Steadman's label art, depicting a tipsy cartoon character. The Portman Group, a third-party organization which evaluates alcohol-related marketing in the UK, has accepted the complaint's allegation that the artwork “could be seen as encouraging drunkenness”, particularly among minors, and has issued an advisory. In 2021, Flying Dog sued the North Carolina Alcohol Beverage Control Commission for violation of free speech provisions after the NC ABC rejected the label for the brewery's "Freezin' Season" beer as "inappropriate".

Music and writing

In 1980, Steadman wrote a 57-second song "Sweetest Love (Lament after a Broken Sashcord on a Theme by

John Donne John Donne ( ; 22 January 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a cleric in the Church of England. Under royal patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's Cathe ...

)" for an album he was illustrating, ''Miniatures: A Sequence of Fifty-One Tiny Masterpieces'' (edited by Morgan Fisher), on Pipe Records. Steadman sang the song to Fisher's harmonium accompaniment. In 1999, Steadman wrote the lyrics for Richard Harvey's

choral A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

album ''Plague and the Moonflower'', on Altus Records. Also in 1999, Steadman released an anthology album of his "favourite music", on EMI Records, entitled ''I Like It''. Two pieces of his own music are included, "Weird & Twisted Nights" (listed as a collaboration with Hunter S. Thompson and someone named Mc Dean) and "Sweetest Love I Do Not Go" (the same 57-second piece he released in 1980). The album comes with a "songbook", which has text by Steadman. Hal Willner and

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Awa ...

's 2006 anthology of songs, '' Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys'' contains two contributions from Steadman. He sings lead on "Little Boy Billee" and sings backing vocals for

Eliza Carthy Eliza Amy Forbes Carthy, MBE (born 23 August 1975) is an English folk musician known for both singing and playing the fiddle. She is the daughter of English folk musicians singer/guitarist Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson. Life and ca ...

on "Rolling Sea". In 2011, Steadman began running prose and poetry in ''Kotori Magazine''. In 2015, Steadman released a 7-inch vinyl single on Philthy Phonograph Records, "The Man Who Woke Up in the Dark" B/w "Striped Paint". In 2020, Chronicle Chroma published the definitive book on Steadman's work and career, "A Life In Ink" by Ralph Steadman.

Awards

Ralph_Steadman_-_imagined_blue_plaque_-_house_on_the_New_Kings_Road_London_SW6

Awards that he has won for his work include the Francis Williams Book Illustration Award for ''

'', 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 The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design. Its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, user experience, branding and identity ...

in 1979.

Film documentary

A major documentary about Steadman's career, ''

For No Good Reason ''For No Good Reason'' is a 2012 American-British documentary film about Ralph Steadman, directed by Charlie Paul. The film was in competition for the Grierson Award for Best Documentary at the 2012 BFI London Film Festival. It premiered at the ...

'', directed by Charlie Paul, played at the

2013 Toronto International Film Festival The 38th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 5 and 15, 2013. '' The Fifth Estate'' was selected as the opening film and '' Life of Crime'' was the closing film. 75 films were ...

in the "Mavericks" programme. The film, reportedly 15 years in the making, played in New York City and Los Angeles in December 2013, and was given US domestic release in spring 2014. The film was in competition for the Grierson Award for Best Documentary at the 2012 BFI London Film Festival.

Personal life

Steadman is a member of the

Chelsea Arts Club The Chelsea Arts Club is a private members' club at 143 Old Church Street in Chelsea, London with a membership of over 3,800, including artists, sculptors, architects, writers, designers, actors, musicians, photographers, and filmmakers. The club ...

. He is a patron of the Association of Illustrators. Steadman lives in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. His second wife, Anna, died in February 2022.

Selected works

* ''The Little Red Computer'' (1968) * ''Still Life with Raspberry or the Bumper Book of Steadman'' (1969) * " The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved" (1970) (written by Hunter S. Thompson) * '' Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' (1971) (written by Hunter S. Thompson) * ''Two Donkeys and a Bridge'' (1972) * '' Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72'' (1973) (written by Hunter S. Thompson) * ''America'' (1974) * ''Cherrywood Cannon'', based on a story told by Dmitri Sidjanski, Paddington Press (1978) * ''Emergency Mouse'' (1978) (written by Bernard Stone) * ''Who is Eddie Linden?'' (1979) (biography of poet

Eddie Linden Edward Sean Linden (born John Edward Glackin; 5 May 1935) is a Scottish poet, literary magazine editor and political activist. From 1969 to 2004, he published and edited the poetry magazine ''Aquarius'', which, according to ''The Irish Post'', m ...

, written by

Sebastian Barker Sebastian Smart Barker FRSL (16 April 1945 – 31 January 2014) was a British poet notable for a visionary manner that has been compared to William Blake in its use of the long ecstatic line and its "ability to write lyric poetry which used simp ...

) * '' The Curse of Lono'' (1983) (written by Hunter S. Thompson) * ''Inspector Mouse'' (1980) (written by Bernard Stone) * '' Road Island (album)'' (1982) by

Ambrosia (band) Ambrosia is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1970. Ambrosia had five top 40 hit singles released between 1975 and 1980, including the top 5 hits "How Much I Feel" and "Biggest Part of Me", and top 20 hits " You're the ...

* ''I Leonardo'' (1983) * ''No Good Dogs'' (1983) * ''

Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal ''Sir Henry at N'didi's Kraal'' is the fourth and final solo album by Vivian Stanshall. It is a return to the largely spoken-word, solo comedy format of Stanshall's second album '' Sir Henry at Rawlinson End'' and is a sequel to the same work. ...

(

Vivian Stanshall Vivian Stanshall (born Victor Anthony Stanshall; 21 March 1943 – 5 March 1995) was an English singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his exploration of the British upper ...

) * ''Quasimodo Mouse'' (1984) (written by Bernard Stone) * ''

'' (1985) (written by

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

) * ''That's My Dad'' (1986) * ''The Complete Alice'' (1986) (''

Through the Looking-Glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...

'' and ''

The Hunting of the Snark ''The Hunting of the Snark'', subtitled ''An Agony in 8 Fits'', is a poem by the English writer Lewis Carroll. It is typically categorised as a nonsense poem. Written between 1874 and 1876, it borrows the setting, some creatures, and eight ...

'', written by

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequ ...

) * ''

Withnail and I ''Withnail and I'' is a 1987 British black comedy film written and directed by Bruce Robinson. Loosely based on Robinson's life in London in the late 1960s, the plot follows two unemployed actors, Withnail and "I" (portrayed by Richard E. Gran ...

'' (1987) * ''The Crazy Never Die!'' by Mitchell Brothers Film Group (1988) * ''The Big I Am'' (1988) * ''No Room to Swing a Cat'' (1989) * ''Near the Bone'' (1990) * ''Tales of the Weirrd'' (1990) * ''The Grapes of Ralph: Wine according to Ralph Steadman'' (1992) * ''Still Life with Bottle: Whisky according to Ralph Steadman'' (1994) * ''Teddy! Where Are You?'' (1995) * ''

'' (1995) (written by

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalit ...

) * ''The Poor Mouth'' (1996) – English translation of the 1941 novel ''

An Béal Bocht (The Poor Mouth) is a 1941 novel in Irish by Brian O'Nolan (Flann O'Brien), published under the pseudonym "Myles na gCopaleen". It is widely regarded as one of the greatest Irish-language novels of the 20th century. An English translation by ...

'' * ''Heart on the Left'' (1997) * '' Have I Offended Someone?'' (1997) (

compilation) * ''Sigmund Freud'' (1997) * ''The Mildenhall Treasure "'(2000) written by ((Roald Dahl)) * ''Gonzo: The Art of Ralph Steadman'' (1998); also known as ''Gonzo the Art'' * "Doodaaa: The Balletic Art of Gavin Twinge" (Bloomsbury, 2002) * '' The Devil's Dictionary'' (2004) (written by

Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – ) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book ''The Devil's Dictionary'' was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by t ...

) * ''

Psychogeography Psychogeography is the exploration of urban environments that emphasizes interpersonal connections to places and arbitrary routes. It was developed by members of the Letterist International and Situationist International, which were revolution ...

'' (2007) (written by

) * ''Garibaldi's Biscuits'' (2008) * ''

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash ...

'' (2010) (album by

) * ''Little.com'' (2014) * "Extinct Boids" (2012) * "Proud Too Be Weirrd" (2013) * "Nextinction" (2014) * '' Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho'' (2017) ( Travis Scott and

album) * ''Appetites: A Cookbook. Ecco Press. (2016). .

Autobiographical writings

* ''Between the Eyes'' (1984) * '' The Joke's Over: Bruised Memories—Gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson, and Me'' (2006)

References

External links

* *
Biography
at

British Cartoon Archive The British Cartoon Archive (BCA) is a department of the University of Kent, at Canterbury in Kent, England, and holds the national collection of political and social-comment cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically dr ...

* * * *
at Flickr
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Steadman, Ralph 1936 births British caricaturists British illustrators Hunter S. Thompson Living people People from Wallasey Private Eye contributors Steadman Welsh editorial cartoonists Welsh illustrators British republicans