Alan Aldridge

Aldridge was born in North London but moved and lived in Los Angeles, California in the 1980s, searching for opportunities in film and design. On 17 February 2017, his death was announced via Instagram. He left behind 8 children: fashion photographer Miles Aldridge, model and social activist Saffron Aldridge and Marc from his first marriage to Rita Farthing; two sons, Pim and Toby, from a relationship with Andrea Galer; and two daughters, models Lily Aldridge and Ruby Aldridge, and a son, James, from his second marriage to Laura Lyons, which also ended in divorce. He was given 11 grandchildren. One of his important but unfinished projects was The Gnole, a fantasy novel he wrote which was later picked up for a potential film adaptation. Although the movie was never produced, it remains as one of his notable creative works. He died on 16 February 2017 and his ashes were interred on the east side of Highgate Cemetery on 27 June 2024.

Aldridge first worked as an illustrator at The Sunday Times Magazine. After doing some freelance book covers for Penguin Books, he was hired in March 1965 by Penguin's chief editor Tony Godwin to become the art director of Penguin. Over the next two years as art director, he especially focused on science fiction book covers and introduced his style which resonated with the mood of the time. In 1968 he moved to his own graphic-design firm, INK, which became closely involved with graphic images for the Beatles and Apple Corps. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was responsible for a great many album covers, and helped create the graphic style of that era. He designed a series of science fiction book covers for Penguin Books. He made a big impression with his illustrations for the book The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics. He also provided illustrations for The Penguin Book of Comics, a history of British and American comic art. His work was characterised by a flowing, cartoony style and soft airbrushing – very much in step with the psychedelic styles of the times. His work includes the 1971 anti-war poster entitled A great place for hamburgers but who'd want to live there! Aldridge created the poster for Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey's 1966 experimental film Chelsea Girls. Warhol was very pleased with Aldridge's work saying that he "wished the movie was as good as the poster”In February 1969, Aldridge designed the graphics for the controversial Jane Arden play Vagina Rex and the Gas Oven at the London Arts Laboratory, Drury Lane. Aldridge is possibly best known for the picture book The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper Feast (1973), a series of illustrations of anthropomorphic insects and other creatures, which he created in collaboration with Harry Willock. William Plomer wrote the accompanying verses. This was based on William Roscoe's poem of the same name, but was inspired when Aldridge read that John Tenniel had told Lewis Carroll it was impossible to draw a wasp in a wig. Aldridge created the artwork for Elton John's 1975 album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. in collaboration with HarryWillock. In 1977, he created an advertisement illustration for the Dutch beer brand Heineken. He was the creator of the Hard Rock Café logo.