John R. Erickson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Richard Erickson
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| Born | October 20, 1943 |
| Education | Perryton High School University of Denver University of Texas Harvard Divinity School |
| Occupation | Western writer: Hank the Cowdog series |
| Spouse(s) | Kristine Dykema Erickson (married c. 1967) |
| Children | 3 |
John Richard Erickson, born on October 20, 1943, is an American cowboy and writer. He is most famous for his fun series of children's books called Hank the Cowdog. These books are about a clever dog who thinks he's the "Head of Ranch Security."
Erickson grew up in Perryton, located in the northern Texas Panhandle. He went to the University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 1966. He also spent two years studying at Harvard Divinity School.
He started writing short stories in 1967. At the same time, he worked as a cowboy and managed ranches in Texas and Oklahoma. The characters Hank and Drover in his books are based on real dogs he worked with on the ranch.
Becoming a Writer
In 1982, Erickson decided to start his own publishing company. He had received many rejections from big publishers. So, he borrowed $2,000 and created Maverick Books.
The first Hank the Cowdog story appeared in The Cattleman magazine. Two other short stories were in the first book from Maverick Books, called The Devil in Texas. Erickson began selling his books from his pickup truck wherever cowboys gathered.
Soon, Erickson started getting letters addressed to Hank! Because of this, he published the first full-length Hank the Cowdog book in 1983. It was called The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog.
His first printing of 2,000 books sold out in just six weeks. Because the book was so popular, he quickly recorded it as an audio tape. The Hank the Cowdog audio series has become one of the longest-running successful children's audio series ever.
The Hank the Cowdog Series
Since then, over seventy more Hank the Cowdog books have been published. The series has become one of the most popular children's fiction series. It has sold more than 8.5 million copies and won several awards.
You can often find the full series of books and tapes in most school libraries across the United States. The Texas Library Association supports his books. For two years, stories from the series were even printed in The Dallas Morning News.
The "Hank the Cowdog" series has been translated into several languages. These include Persian, Spanish, Danish, and Chinese.
Life as a Cowboy and Author
John Richard Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, on October 20, 1943. His parents were Joseph W. and Anna Beth Curry Erickson. In 1946, his family moved to Perryton, Texas.
John went to school in Perryton. After graduating, he studied at the University of Denver for a year. Then he attended the University of Texas, where he met his future wife, Kristine. They got married in 1967. Erickson later went to Harvard Divinity School but left just before finishing his degree.
After leaving Harvard, Erickson worked as a cowboy and ranch manager. He worked on different ranches in Texas and Oklahoma. In 1982, he started Maverick Books and began writing the Hank the Cowdog stories.
On March 6, 2017, Erickson's ranch home was destroyed by large fires. These fires swept across more than 315,000 acres of the Texas Panhandle. Even after losing his home, he remained strong. He said that while they would miss the house, they would move forward. His property is south of Perryton in Roberts County. In the Hank the Cowdog books, Hank is the "Head of Ranch Security" on a ranch in nearby Ochiltree County.
Erickson has written over seventy books. He is often invited to visit classrooms and school libraries. There, he reads parts of his books and sings songs. He lives in Perryton with his wife.
