Robert Ayton (artist)
Encyclopedia
Robert Norton Ayton was a British comics artist and illustrator who worked for the Eagle
and Ladybird Books
.
He was born in London
and educated at the Harrow School of Art, and may also have attended the Central School of Art and Design and Hammersmith School of Art. He became a commercial artist with several advertising agencies before going freelance, drawing commissions for Castrol
and Rolls Royce among others. He was called up for military service during the Second World War, but returned to illustrating once demobbed.
He became friends with fellow illustrator Norman Williams, who recruited him for Marcus Morris' new comic, the Eagle
, in 1950. He drew "Jack O'Lantern", a historical series about an orphan in the Napoleonic Wars
, written by George Beardmore. When Williams died in 1957, Ayton drew the final episode of his strip, "The Great Sailor", a biography of Lord Nelson. He left "Jack O'Lantern" in 1959, after which it was drawn by Cecil Langley Doughty
, but lasted only another 31 weeks. After two years away from comics, he drew illustrations for Girl
, before returning to the Eagle to draw "The Golden Man", a biography of Sir Walter Raleigh written by Guy Daniel and Marcus Morris.
He went on to produce illustrations for Ladybird Books
, the Oxford University Press
and BBC
Bristol, and taught illustration part-time at the West of England College of Art. From 1980 he was a member of the artistic group the Bristol Savages. In 1983 he and his wife Joan, who had no children, moved from Bristol to a smaller house in Nailsea, where two years later, aged 70, he died after a heart attack.
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
and Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books is a London-based publishing company, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. The Ladybird imprint publishes mass-market children's books.-History:...
.
He was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and educated at the Harrow School of Art, and may also have attended the Central School of Art and Design and Hammersmith School of Art. He became a commercial artist with several advertising agencies before going freelance, drawing commissions for Castrol
Castrol
Castrol is a brand of industrial and automotive lubricants which is applied to a large range of oils, greases and similar products for most lubrication applications...
and Rolls Royce among others. He was called up for military service during the Second World War, but returned to illustrating once demobbed.
He became friends with fellow illustrator Norman Williams, who recruited him for Marcus Morris' new comic, the Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
, in 1950. He drew "Jack O'Lantern", a historical series about an orphan in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, written by George Beardmore. When Williams died in 1957, Ayton drew the final episode of his strip, "The Great Sailor", a biography of Lord Nelson. He left "Jack O'Lantern" in 1959, after which it was drawn by Cecil Langley Doughty
Cecil Langley Doughty
Cecil Langley Doughty was a British comics artist and illustrator, best known for his work in the comic Knockout and the educational weekly Look and Learn.-Life:...
, but lasted only another 31 weeks. After two years away from comics, he drew illustrations for Girl
Girl (comic)
Girl was a weekly comic for girls published from 1951 to 1964. It was launched by Hulton Press on 2 November 1951 as a sister paper to the Eagle, and lasted through Hultons' acquisition by Odhams Press in 1959 and Odhams' merger into IPC in 1963. Its final issue was dated 3 October 1964, after...
, before returning to the Eagle to draw "The Golden Man", a biography of Sir Walter Raleigh written by Guy Daniel and Marcus Morris.
He went on to produce illustrations for Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books is a London-based publishing company, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. The Ladybird imprint publishes mass-market children's books.-History:...
, the Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Bristol, and taught illustration part-time at the West of England College of Art. From 1980 he was a member of the artistic group the Bristol Savages. In 1983 he and his wife Joan, who had no children, moved from Bristol to a smaller house in Nailsea, where two years later, aged 70, he died after a heart attack.