Captain Pugwash cartoonist Ryan dies
Updated on 24 July 2009
The animator John Ryan has died at the age of 88 and Channel 4 News finds his work was blighted by myths about sexual innuendo.
The former art teacher launched Horatio Pugwash in the Eagle comic in 1950 - before it became a much loved television series.
Each episode was filmed in real time, using paper characters held in place by glue and sticky tape.
Ryan also devised other childrens' favourites - including Mary Mungo and Midge.
A myth grew suggesting the names of several characters in the cartoon were double entendres.
It has been claimed there were characters called Seaman Staines, Master Bates and Roger the cabin boy but Ryan successfully sued the newspapers that printed the suggestion in 1991.
The comedian Richard Digance claimed he made the names up and a 25-year injunction against him performing material about them expired at the end of 2008.
