Ralph Steadman is a world renowned British artist known for his political and social caricatures, cartoons and books. Steadman had a long partnership with the American journalist Hunter S. Thompson, creating illustrations for several of his books and articles. Their collaboration for the article “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” became the first example of Gonzo journalism and spawned a decades long relationship between the journalist and the artist.

Awards for his work include the Francis Williams Book Illustration Award for Alice in Wonderland, the American Society of Illustrators’ Certificate of Merit, the W. H. Smith Illustration Award for I Leonardo, the Dutch Paintbrush Award for Inspector Mouse, the Italian Crtica in Erba Prize for That’s My Dad, the BBC Design Award for postage stamps, the Black Humor Award in France, and several Designers and Art Directors Association Awards. He was voted Illustrator of the Year by the American Institute of Graphic Arts in 1979.