Ted Cowan

Ted Cowan, born Edward George Cowan, was a prolific British comic book writer best known for creating the beloved robot hero Archie for *Lion*. He was born in the early 20th century and died in the early 1970s. Before entering comics, Cowan worked as a laboratory assistant and served as a dispatch rider in the Royal Air Force and British Army during World War II. After the war, he began writing after winning an amateur competition, eventually landing work on the text story series *Ginger Nutt* for *The Champion*. This success led him to leave his clerical job and become a full-time freelance scriptwriter.

Cowan's most famous creation, Robot Archie (originally "The Jungle Robot"), debuted in the first issue of *Lion* on February 23, 1952. The strip followed the adventures of a powerful robot operated by the fictional Ted Richie and his friend Ken Dale. Archie became a hit, translated into French and Dutch. Cowan also co-created the anti-hero The Spider for *Lion*, scripting its first two stories before Jerry Siegel took over. Later, Cowan returned to write "The Bubbles of Doom" for the character. His other notable work includes *Saber King of the Jungle* for *Tiger*, later reprinted in France as *Yataca*.

Over nearly four decades, Cowan wrote for numerous publishers, including Odhams Press, Fleetway Publications, IPC Media, and DC Thomson. At his peak, he was one of the most prolific children's scriptwriters in Fleet Street. His work appeared in annuals, "Libraries," and short stories, and he is credited on 123 issues in our catalog, with titles like *Sjors*, *Lion*, *Lion and Eagle*, and *Archie de Man van Staal*.