In 2007 Ryan T. Higgins ventured to create a independent children’s book publishing company. The result was Cocklebury Books.
Everything that comes out of Cocklebury Books is of Ryan’s creation. Not a single aspect is hired out. That means writing, drawing, coloring, marketing, paperwork, sales, publicity, web design, and even cleaning the office are all part of Ryan’s job description. Thus, any faux pas in Cocklebury Books’ books is completely Ryan’s fault.
Cocklebury Books launched in 2008 with Ryan’s first book, Twaddleton’s Cheese, and Ryan is already hard at work on another book.
Ryan was grown and raised in Kittery, Maine and apparently likes to refer to himself in the third person. Though he grew up on the seacoast, he can’t be in a boat for more than a few minutes before getting seasick. Much of his childhood was spent reading comics and playing in forests and streams. Ryan has been conjuring up cartoons since his stubby little three-year-old fingers could wrap around a pencil. Over two decades later, his hands have grown considerably, and he’s had a lot more practice, but he still draws with the same sense of wonder and joy as he did as a child. Hopefully his drawings have improved since then, though. He lives in Ajo, Arizona with his wife (and chief editor) Joanna.
His biggest influences are:
Bill Watterson, Walt Kelly, George Herriman, Patrick McDonnell, Arthur Rackham, Ernest H. Shepard, Gris Grimly, Heinrich Kley, Tony DiTerlizzi, Peter de Seve, Jeff Smith, Walter Moers, Scott Magoon, Steve Lavigne…and the list keeps growing