Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, and raised in southwestern Colorado, where he learned to draw and ride horses, Fred Harman Jr. was an American artist, illustrator, and cartoonist best known as the creator of the popular western comic strip Red Ryder, which ran from 1938 to 1964. Drawing inspiration from the landscapes, history, and folklore of the American West, Harman’s paintings and murals extended the storytelling found in his comics, blending regional pride with popular culture and helping shape his enduring artistic identity.
