Film is Fabulous! and De Montfort University’s Cinema and Television History Research Group are please to announce that films from the private collection of John Ryan, the late animator, cartoonist, and creator of Captain Pugwash, Mary, Mungo, & Midge, and other children’s programmes, will be catalogued and preserved.

John Ryan had a great passion for drawing very early in life. He studied art, and in 1948 was appointed assistant art master at Harrow School, where he remained until 1955. Whilst teaching at Harrow, he created the character of Captain Pugwash for The Eagle, a popular boy’s magazine. The seafarer character also appeared in the Radio Times as a comic strip. The popularity was such that it ran eight years.

In 1957, the BBC commissioned him to produce a series of innovative real-time animated short films, featuring Captain Pugwash. The films were broadcast from 1958 to 1966. Then, in 1974, he was commissioned to revive the character for a second animated series, this time in colour. A number of children’s books were produced to coincide with the series. In the 1980s, these were followed by several colour albums.

John created several other animated series for the BBC, using his distinctive real-time animation technique. These ran between 1969 and 1972. He also presented a television series for ITV in 1981, guiding the audience through the story of Noah’s Ark. Alongside the books created in the Captain Pugwash series, and those illustrating the story of Noah’s Ark, he wrote and illustrated a further 20 children’s books.

Once the films have been catalogued, they’ll be deposited with a suitable repository. The missing material will be screened at future Film is Fabulous! events, together with other recovered items.

Film is Fabulous! Preserving film treasures for future generations.

3rd July 2025