View source for Ralph Steadman

{{short description|British cartoonist}}
{{BLP more footnotes|date=September 2022}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox artist
| bgcolour         = 
| name             = Ralph Steadman
| image            = Me and Ralph Steadman.jpg
| caption          = Steadman in 2006
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1936|5|15}}
| birth_place      = [[Wallasey]], [[Cheshire]], [[England]]
| field            = Painting, drawing, caricatures, cartoons
| website          = {{official URL}}
}}
'''Ralph Idris Steadman'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp19046/ralph-idris-steadman|title=Ralph Steadman|website=npg.org.uk|access-date=4 June 2019|archive-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604010051/https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp19046/ralph-idris-steadman|url-status=live}}</ref> (born 15 May 1936) is a British<ref>{{cite web|last=Rowland|first=Paul|date=2006-12-28|title=How Hunter persuaded Steadman to stay Welsh|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/how-hunter-persuaded-steadman-stay-2293655|access-date=2022-02-22|website=WalesOnline|language=en|archive-date=22 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222021825/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/how-hunter-persuaded-steadman-stay-2293655|url-status=live}}</ref> illustrator best known for his collaboration with the American writer [[Hunter S. Thompson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freakonomics.com/2008/06/12/ralph-steadman-answers-your-questions/|title=Ralph Steadman Answers Your Questions|first=Stephen J.|last=Dubner|date=12 June 2008|website=Freakonomics.com|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401142908/http://freakonomics.com/2008/06/12/ralph-steadman-answers-your-questions/|url-status=live}}</ref> Steadman is renowned for his [[satirical]] [[political cartoons]], social caricatures, and picture books.

==Early life==
Steadman was born in [[Wallasey]], Cheshire to an English father, Lionel Raphael Steadman, and a Welsh mother, Gwendoline; the family moved to [[Wales]] towards the end of the [[Second World War]]. Steadman attended the Grammar School in [[Abergele]] in north Wales but hated the draconian, [[Sadomasochism|sadistic]] new headmaster and left aged 16. "I couldn't wait to get out," he said. He came from a [[lower middle class]] background; his father was a commercial traveller and his mother was a shop assistant at [[T J Hughes]] in [[Liverpool]].<ref name="Rationalist">{{cite web | url=http://rationalist.org.uk/736 | title=Laurie Taylor's interviews: Learning to fly: Laurie Taylor interviews Ralph Steadman | publisher=The Rationalist Association | date=31 May 2007 | access-date=28 April 2014 | author=Taylor, Laurie | archive-date=29 December 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229024456/http://rationalist.org.uk/736 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=In the spotlight: Ralph Steadman|url=http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/conwy-county-news/local-conwy-news/2012/02/02/in-the-spotlight-ralph-steadman-55243-30245712/|newspaper=[[North Wales Weekly News]]|date=2 February 2012|access-date=23 June 2012|archive-date=11 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311204312/http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/conwy-county-news/local-conwy-news/2012/02/02/in-the-spotlight-ralph-steadman-55243-30245712/|url-status=live}}</ref> 

Steadman took his first job at 16 as a RADAR Operator at the [[De Havilland]] aircraft factory in the border town of Broughton near [[Chester]] 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]] during the 1960s, doing freelance work for ''[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]'', ''[[Private Eye]]'', the ''[[The Daily Telegraph|Daily Telegraph]],'' ''[[The New York Times]]'' and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' during this time.

==Career==
===Collaborations with Hunter S. Thompson===
[[File:Where the Buffalo Roam (1980 film poster, Ralph Steadman illustration).jpg|thumb|alt=Poster with illustration of two half-human, half-beasts standing over the US flag in the shape of the contiguous United States|Steadman's film poster for ''[[Where the Buffalo Roam]]'' (1980).]]

Steadman had a long partnership with the American journalist [[Hunter S. Thompson]], drawing pictures for several of his articles and books.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Perry |title=Ralph Steadman interview about ''The Joke's Over'' |url=http://thebeaverdialogues.blogspot.com/2007/10/interview-ralph-steadman.html |publisher=[[The Beaver (newspaper)|The Beaver]] |date=3 October 2006 |location=London |access-date=29 September 2010 |archive-date=8 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708065644/http://thebeaverdialogues.blogspot.com/2007/10/interview-ralph-steadman.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/03/movies/summer-movies-on-filming-a-gonzo-vision-a-gonzo-dialogue.html SUMMER MOVIES; On Filming a Gonzo Vision: A Gonzo Dialogue] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810132549/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/03/movies/summer-movies-on-filming-a-gonzo-vision-a-gonzo-dialogue.html |date=10 August 2017 }}. ''The New York Times''. 3 May 1998.</ref> He accompanied Thompson to the [[Kentucky Derby]] [[The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved|for an article]] for the magazine ''[[Scanlan's Monthly|Scanlan's]]'', to the [[Honolulu Marathon]] [[The Curse of Lono|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]] 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]] ''[[Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (film)|Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas]]'' DVD set, in a documentary called ''[[Fear and Loathing on the Road to Hollywood|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]], Adrian Mitchell and [[Brian Patten]], and also illustrated editions of ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice in Wonderland]]'', ''[[Treasure Island]]'', ''[[Animal Farm]]'', the English translation of Flann O'Brien's Gaelic-language classic ''[[The Poor Mouth]]'', and most recently, ''[[Fahrenheit 451]]''.

Steadman has drawn album covers for numerous music artists, including [[the Who]], [[Exodus (American band)|Exodus]], [[Frank Zappa]] and [[Ambrosia (band)|Ambrosia]], and the lead banner for the [[gonzo journalism]] website GonzoToday.com.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gonzotoday.com/ |title=Gonzotoday.com |website=gonzotoday.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201214727/http://gonzotoday.com/ |archive-date=1 February 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Among the British public, Steadman is well known for his illustrations for the catalogues of the [[off-licence]] chain [[Oddbins]].

In 1985, Steadman designed a set of four British postage stamps to commemorate the appearance that year of [[Halley's Comet]].

Steadman has illustrated [[Will Self]]'s column in ''[[The Independent]]'' newspaper.

Steadman has contributed to the [[BirdLife International]]'s Preventing Extinctions programme with an image of [[critically endangered]] [[northern bald ibis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://northernbaldibis.blogspot.com/2012/02/artists-view-on-nbi.html|title=Northern Bald Ibis: Ralph Steadman's view on NBI|date=27 February 2012|website=Northernbaldibis.blogspot.com|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401151405/http://northernbaldibis.blogspot.com/2012/02/artists-view-on-nbi.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2014, Steadman created the artwork for a series of limited edition [[Breaking Bad]] [[steelbook]] DVDs.<ref>{{cite news|date=2014-10-15|title=Ralph Steadman drew the characters from Breaking Bad|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/ralph-steadman-s-drawings-breaking-bad-characters-are-brilliantly-unhinged-9795184.html|access-date=2020-10-28|website=The Independent|language=en|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031071951/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/ralph-steadman-s-drawings-breaking-bad-characters-are-brilliantly-unhinged-9795184.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  These works were the subject of an exhibition at 71a Gallery in [[Hackney, London]] in February 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Breaking Bad Art Exhibition on Display in London|url=https://hypebeast.com/2015/2/breaking-bad-art-exhibit-on-display-in-london|access-date=2020-10-28|website=HYPEBEAST|date=18 February 2015|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031221301/https://hypebeast.com/2015/2/breaking-bad-art-exhibit-on-display-in-london|url-status=live}}</ref>

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]]'s joint project ''[[Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/travis-scott-and-quavos-new-album-art-made-by-famed-illustrator-ralph-steadman/|title=Travis Scott and Quavo's New Album Art Made By Famed Illustrator Ralph Steadman|website=Pitchfork.com|date=21 December 2017|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=22 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053525/https://pitchfork.com/news/travis-scott-and-quavos-new-album-art-made-by-famed-illustrator-ralph-steadman/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, Steadman created the artwork for [[Taylor Mac]]'s Broadway show ''[[Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ralph-steadman-gary-broadway-play-art-825385/|title=Ralph Steadman on the Joy of Drawing Gore for Broadway Play 'Gary'|first=Rolling|last=Stones|website=rollingstone.com|date=22 April 2019|access-date=15 May 2019|archive-date=24 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424011816/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ralph-steadman-gary-broadway-play-art-825385/|url-status=live}}</ref>

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 Brewery|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]] 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]], (freedom of speech).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allaboutbeer.com/article/ralph-steadman-flying-dog-artist-and-first-amendment-crusader/|title=Ralph Steadman: Flying Dog Artist and First Amendment Crusader|website=All About Beer|date=January 2017 |access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401151415/http://allaboutbeer.com/article/ralph-steadman-flying-dog-artist-and-first-amendment-crusader/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://beerconnoisseur.com/articles/ralph-steadman-and-gonzo-art-flying-dog-brewery|title=Ralph Steadman and the Gonzo Art of Flying Dog Brewery|first=Bob|last=Townsend|date=13 July 2015|website=The Beer Connoisseur|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401151142/https://beerconnoisseur.com/articles/ralph-steadman-and-gonzo-art-flying-dog-brewery|url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reason.com/blog/2016/05/13/flying-dog-brewery-wins-first-amendment|title=Flying Dog Brewery Wins First Amendment Battle, Uses Proceeds to Promote Free Speech - Hit & Run|first1=Elizabeth Nolan|last1=Brown|website=Reason.com|date=13 May 2016|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401162702/https://reason.com/blog/2016/05/13/flying-dog-brewery-wins-first-amendment|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ralph-steadman-and-the-beer-that-outraged-the-us-2260116.html|title=Ralph Steadman and the beer that outraged the US|date=2 April 2011|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401142907/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ralph-steadman-and-the-beer-that-outraged-the-us-2260116.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://flyingdogbrewery.com/blog/horn-dog/|title=Horn Dog - Flying Dog Brewery|website=flyingdogbrewery.com|access-date=15 April 2022|archive-date=15 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415233017/https://www.flyingdog.com/blog/horn-dog/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinterest.com/pin/156851999491914434/|title=Cardinal Zin bottle label to the banned wine, illustrated by Ralph Steadman - Going Gonzo... - Pinterest - Ralph steadman, Zinfandel wine and Wine names|website=Pinterest.com|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=23 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523023800/https://www.pinterest.com/pin/156851999491914434/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2018, Flying Dog received a complaint in the [[United Kingdom|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/news/this-flying-dog-brewery-label-is-being-censored-in-the-united-kingdom-but-flying-dog-will-keep-shipping-it/|title=This Flying Dog label is being censored in the United Kingdom, but Flying Dog will keep shipping it|date=9 October 2018|website=Craft Brewing Business|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401151348/https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/news/this-flying-dog-brewery-label-is-being-censored-in-the-united-kingdom-but-flying-dog-will-keep-shipping-it/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2021, Flying Dog sued the [[North Carolina Alcoholic 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".<ref>{{cite web|last=WRAL|date=2021-09-07|title=Brewery sues NC ABC Commission after beer label deemed 'inappropriate' :: Out and About at WRAL.com|url=https://www.wral.com/brewery-sues-nc-abc-commission-after-beer-label-deemed-inappropriate/19862606/|access-date=2021-09-07|website=WRAL.com|language=en|archive-date=7 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907210640/https://www.wral.com/brewery-sues-nc-abc-commission-after-beer-label-deemed-inappropriate/19862606/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Music and writing===
In 1980, Steadman wrote a 57-second song "Sweetest Love (Lament after a Broken Sashcord on a Theme by [[John Donne]])" 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Miniatures-A-Sequence-Of-Fifty-One-Tiny-Masterpieces-Edited-By-Morgan-Fisher/release/347586|title=Various - Miniatures (A Sequence Of Fifty-One Tiny Masterpieces Edited By Morgan-Fisher)|website=Discogs.com|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401151127/https://www.discogs.com/Various-Miniatures-A-Sequence-Of-Fifty-One-Tiny-Masterpieces-Edited-By-Morgan-Fisher/release/347586|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1999, Steadman wrote the lyrics for [[Richard Harvey (composer)|Richard Harvey]]'s [[Choir|choral]] album ''Plague and the Moonflower'', on Altus Records.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Richard-Harvey-2-Ralph-Steadman-Plague-And-The-Moonflower/release/12019285|title=Richard Harvey (2), Ralph Steadman - Plague And The Moonflower|website=Discogs.com|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401151112/https://www.discogs.com/Richard-Harvey-2-Ralph-Steadman-Plague-And-The-Moonflower/release/12019285|url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Ralph-Steadman-I-Like-It/release/9422441|title=Ralph Steadman - I Like It|website=Discogs.com|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401150736/https://www.discogs.com/Ralph-Steadman-I-Like-It/release/9422441|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Hal Willner]] and [[Johnny Depp]]'s 2006 anthology of songs, ''[[Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys]]''<ref>Rogue's Gallery, ANTI- Records, catalog no. 86817-2, Los Angeles & Amsterdam, 2006</ref> contains two contributions from Steadman. He sings lead on "Little Boy Billee" and sings backing vocals for [[Eliza Carthy]] on "Rolling Sea".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Rogues-Gallery-Pirate-Ballads-Sea-Songs-Chanteys/master/145615|title=Various - Rogue's Gallery (Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, & Chanteys)|website=Discogs.com|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401214803/https://www.discogs.com/Various-Rogues-Gallery-Pirate-Ballads-Sea-Songs-Chanteys/master/145615|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2011, Steadman began running prose and poetry in ''Kotori Magazine''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kotorimag.com/ |title=Kotori Magazine - music art politics culture |website=www.kotorimag.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060320100235/http://www.kotorimag.com/ |archive-date=20 March 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2015, Steadman released a 7-inch vinyl [[Single (music)|single]] on Philthy Phonograph Records, "The Man Who Woke Up in the Dark" B/w "Striped Paint".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Ralph-Steadman-The-Man-Who-Woke-Up-In-The-DarkStriped-Paint/release/7467808|title=Ralph Steadman - The Man Who Woke Up In The Dark/Striped Paint|website=Discogs.com|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401151111/https://www.discogs.com/Ralph-Steadman-The-Man-Who-Woke-Up-In-The-DarkStriped-Paint/release/7467808|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2020, Chronicle Chroma published the definitive book on Steadman's work and career, "A Life In Ink" by Ralph Steadman. <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/illustrator-ralph-steadman-makes-splashes-and-blots-that-bite-11610132441|title=Illustrator Ralph Steadman Makes Splashes and Blots That Bite|first=Tobias|last=Grey|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=8 January 2021|via=www.wsj.com|access-date=14 June 2021|archive-date=14 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614020538/https://www.wsj.com/articles/illustrator-ralph-steadman-makes-splashes-and-blots-that-bite-11610132441|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Awards==
[[File:Ralph_Steadman_-_imagined_blue_plaque_-_house_on_the_New_Kings_Road_London_SW6.jpg|thumb|Blue plaque on a house on the New King's Road, London SW6]]

Awards that he has won for his work include the Francis Williams Book Illustration Award for ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice in Wonderland]]'', the American Society of Illustrators' Certificate of Merit, the [[W H Smith#Awards and prizes|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 [[AIGA|American Institute of Graphic Arts]] in 1979.

===Film documentary===
A major documentary about Steadman's career, ''[[For No Good Reason]]'', directed by Charlie Paul, played at the [[2013 Toronto International Film Festival]] in the "Mavericks" programme.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/festival/2013/fornogoodreason |title=For No Good Reason |publisher=Toronto International Film Festival |date=2013 |access-date=16 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117035401/http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/festival/2013/fornogoodreason |archive-date=17 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://themoviebox.net/4088 |date=16 December 2013 |access-date=16 January 2014 |work=themoviebox.net |title="For No Good Reason" Trailer – New Documentary on Celebrated Illustrator/Cartoonist Ralph Steadman |archive-date=8 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208201917/http://themoviebox.net/4088 |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was in competition for the Grierson Award for Best Documentary at the [[2012 BFI London Film Festival Awards|2012 BFI London Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk//news/helena-bonham-carter-tim-burton-receive-bfi-fellowships |date=2012 |access-date=16 January 2014 |title=Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton to receive BFI Fellowship |agency=BFI Press |archive-date=24 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224220214/http://www.bfi.org.uk/news/helena-bonham-carter-tim-burton-receive-bfi-fellowships |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Steadman is a member of the [[Chelsea Arts Club]].<ref name="chelseasecretaryresigns">{{cite news|title=Chelsea Arts Club secretary signs off with "lunatic" plea|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/chelsea-arts-club-secretary-signs-off-with-lunatic-plea-8455702.html|access-date=15 February 2017|work=London Evening Standard|date=January 17, 2013|archive-date=15 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215125437/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/chelsea-arts-club-secretary-signs-off-with-lunatic-plea-8455702.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

He is a patron of the [[Association of Illustrators]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theaoi.com/about.php|title=The Association of Illustrators|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712103223/http://www.theaoi.com/about.php|archive-date=12 July 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Steadman lives in [[Kent]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Artist Ralph Steadman used his Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas desert as a backdrop for his Elmer's Big Heart of Kent Parade design |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/whats-on/news/it-was-the-fattest-thing-i-have-ever-decorated-252482/ |website=KentOnline |access-date=12 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016204000/https://www.kentonline.co.uk/whats-on/news/it-was-the-fattest-thing-i-have-ever-decorated-252482/ |archive-date=16 October 2021}}</ref> His second wife, Anna, died in February 2022. He has five children.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ralph Steadman Art Collection |url=https://www.facebook.com/SteadmanArt/posts/pfbid0vCDUonQuNymk6qLABkZvaReFhxqLrHAjh2gk4xvpKDdHGwwJdvvvDsSkf73921asl |website=Facebook |access-date=12 October 2022}}</ref>

== Selected works ==
{{colbegin}}
* ''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]], written by [[Sebastian Barker]])
* ''[[The Curse of Lono]]'' (1983) (written by Hunter S. Thompson)
* ''Inspector Mouse'' (1980) (written by Bernard Stone)
* ''[[Road Island (album)]]'' (1982) by [[Ambrosia (band)]]
* ''I Leonardo'' (1983)
* ''No Good Dogs'' (1983)
* ''[[Sir Henry at N'didi's Kraal]]'' ([[Vivian Stanshall]])
* ''Quasimodo Mouse'' (1984) (written by Bernard Stone)
* ''[[Treasure Island]]'' (1985) (written by [[Robert Louis Stevenson]])
* ''That's My Dad'' (1986)
* ''The Complete Alice'' (1986) (''[[Through the Looking-Glass]]'' and ''[[The Hunting of the Snark]]'', written by [[Lewis Carroll]])
* ''[[Withnail and I]]'' (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)
* ''[[Animal Farm]]'' (1995) (written by [[George Orwell]])
* ''The Poor Mouth'' (1996) – English translation of the 1941 novel ''[[An Béal Bocht]]''
* ''Heart on the Left'' (1997)
* ''[[Have I Offended Someone?]]'' (1997) ([[Frank Zappa]] 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]])
* ''[[Psychogeography]]'' (2007) (written by [[Will Self]])
* ''Garibaldi's Biscuits'' (2008)
* ''[[Slash (album)|Slash]]'' (2010) (album by [[Slash (musician)|Slash]])
* ''Little.com'' (2014)
* "Extinct Boids" (2012)
* "Proud Too Be Weirrd" (2013)
* "Nextinction" (2014)
* ''[[Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho]]'' (2017) ([[Travis Scott]] and [[Quavo]] album)
{{colend}}

===Autobiographical writings===
* ''Between the Eyes'' (1984)
* ''[[The Joke's Over]]: Bruised Memories—Gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson, and Me'' (2006)
* ''Appetites: A Cookbook''. Ecco Press. (2016) {{ISBN|9780062409959}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{toomanylinks|date=April 2024}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb name|1358516}}
* [http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/artists/ralphsteadman/biography Biography] at [[British Cartoon Archive]]
* {{cite web |url= http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Chateau-Steadman |title= Chateau Steadman |date= July 20, 2001 |first= Roy |last= Brady |publisher= Saveur |quote= Review of Steadman's catalogues for Oddbins }}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.spikemagazine.com/0905-ralph-steadman-hunter-thompson.php |publisher= Spike magazine |title= Ralph Steadman: Gonzo: The Art |date= Sep 1, 2005 |first= Craig |last= Johnson }}
*{{cite web |url= http://flyingdogales.com/ralph-steadman-art/ |title= Ralph Steadman Art |publisher= Flying Dog Ales |date= Aug 18, 2007 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150928225507/http://flyingdogales.com/ralph-steadman-art/ |archive-date= 28 September 2015 |df= dmy-all }}
** [https://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingdog/with/508237588/ at Flickr]
* {{cite web |url= http://newhumanist.org.uk/736 |title= Laurie Taylor interviews Ralph Steadman |date= May 31, 2007 |first= Laurie |last= Taylor |publisher= New Humanist }}
* {{cite web |url= http://kotorimagazine.com/index.php?news=3830 |title= Ralph Steadman : The Kotori Interview |first= Jake |last= McGee |publisher= Kotori Magazine |date= Nov 29, 2007}}
* {{LCAuth|n79043488|Ralph Steadman|78|ue}}

{{Hunter S. Thompson}}
{{Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steadman, Ralph}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:Alumni of the London College of Printing]]
[[Category:British caricaturists]]
[[Category:British illustrators]]
[[Category:British editorial cartoonists]]
[[Category:English people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:Hunter S. Thompson]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Wallasey]]
[[Category:Private Eye contributors]]
[[Category:British stamp designers|Steadman]]
[[Category:Welsh caricaturists]]
[[Category:Welsh editorial cartoonists]]
[[Category:Welsh illustrators]]
[[Category:British republicans]]
[[Category:Artist authors]]