Lorin Morgan-Richards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lorin Morgan-Richards
Morgan-Richards in 2016
Born	(1975-02-16) February 16, 1975 (age 50) Beebetown, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Author poet cartoonist playwright composer publisher animator historian
Education	Cuyahoga Community College (AA), California State University, Los Angeles (BA)
Genre	Young adult fiction, Weird West, Gothic Western, Gothic fiction, Western, short stories, humor, surrealism, literary nonsense, supernatural fiction
Notable works	The Goodbye Family, Me'ma and the Great Mountain, A Boy Born from Mold and Other Delectable Morsels, Simon Snootle and Other Small Stories, Imperfectualism
Spouse	Valerie Stoneking
Children	1
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Lorin Morgan-Richards (born February 16, 1975) is an American author, illustrator, and songwriter. He is best known for his books for young adults and his funny The Goodbye Family series. This series is a mix of Gothic Western and comedy.

Morgan-Richards used to be the publisher of Celtic Family Magazine. He also started the Los Angeles St. David's Day Festival. This festival is one of the biggest Welsh celebrations in the United States.

Lorin Morgan-Richards was born in Beebetown, Ohio. His family background includes Swiss (Amish) and Welsh roots.

Growing Up and Early Life

Morgan-Richards grew up in an old schoolhouse in Beebetown, Ohio. It had a well for water. His mother, who studied fine art, taught him how to draw. She also taught him how to compose music on their family organ. He says his imagination grew because of the many books his family owned. Being somewhat isolated and caring for many animals also helped. He often put these animals into his early drawings and stories.

Lorin became interested in Native American and American Western history when he was a child. He remembers his first book was The Indians Knew by Tillie S. Pine. This book explained the culture and clever ways Native Americans used resources.

When he was in second grade, doctors found out he had dyslexia. This meant he needed extra help with reading until ninth grade. By his early teens, he was reading well. Writers like Edward Lear, L. Frank Baum, Roald Dahl, and Lewis Carroll inspired him. They helped him overcome his reading challenges.

In 1990, at age 15, Morgan-Richards wrote and made his first film. It was called The Cowboy Movie.

Theater and Music Projects

Still photo from NYC Premiere of An Occurrence Remembered directed by Lorin Morgan-Richards, 2001

Between 1993 and 2003, Morgan-Richards earned an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. He studied at Cuyahoga Community College. He often mentions his Anthropology Professor Mark Lewine as a helpful guide. During this time, Morgan-Richards also had some success creating music projects. These projects often included modern dance and theater. He became friends with artist Textbeak and worked with him.

In 1999, Morgan-Richards released his solo music album ENKI. He then created a live show based on it. The show premiered in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2001, he followed this with another show called An Occurrence Remembered. This performance was inspired by the war writings of Ambrose Bierce. It premiered in New York City.

Morgan-Richards describes his electronic music as "Dark Electronic Storytelling." This is because it is based on written stories and made for dramatic performances. In 2018, he announced he would re-release old albums and new songs under the name Elder Moon.

Writing and Illustrating Career

In 2002, Morgan-Richards moved to Los Angeles. He decided to focus on writing and illustrating. He said these arts only needed "a pen and paper." He started writing his novel Me'ma and the Great Mountain in 2002. However, his first book, Simon Snootle and Other Small Stories, was released in 2009.

The next year, Morgan-Richards released four new books. One of these was his second collection of short stories, A Boy Born from Mold and Other Delectable Morsels.

Morgan-Richards thought up most of The Goodbye Family characters in 2009. This was during a trip to the UK and France with his wife. These characters were mentioned earlier in his novel Me'ma and the Great Mountain. He explains that he took a diary on the trip to write his second novel, The Goodbye Family.

Orphie from The Goodbye Family by Lorin Morgan-Richards

The Goodbye family includes undertakers Otis and Pyridine. Their daughter is Orphie, who has a pet tarantula named Dorian. Orphie was first drawn on top of the Notre Dame Cathedral with gargoyles. Otis was trying to get on a train with a shrunken head. Pyridine was sewing a limb back together in Cardiff. Dorian was catching a fairy to eat. Later, a cat named Ouiji was introduced. Orphie is also said to have a brother named Kepla, but he is rarely seen.

From 2009 to 2013, Morgan-Richards hand-bound limited editions of his books. These special books were often sewn by hand with a faux leather cover and linen pages. He wanted to make books that would last for generations.

Morgan-Richards uses pencil and ink for his illustrations. His writing often has dark humor. Many of his stories also share a strong message about protecting the environment.

Between 2015 and 2018, Morgan-Richards had two weekly cartoons. These were The Goodbye Family and The Noodle Rut. In 2016, he won an award for his illustrated story Sad Lost Doll.

Homeless child studies under the moonlight by Marcil d'Hirson Garron

Since 2018, The Goodbye Family series has been shared on Tapas and social media. In 2021, Morgan-Richards created The Goodbye Family: The Animated Series.

The Goodbye Family Series

Down West by Lorin Morgan-Richards

Morgan-Richards has released his comic collections often. He focuses on The Goodbye Family and his "Weird West" style. In 2019, he announced his second novel, The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain, which was released in 2020.

Poor Poor Eldon Animated Film

On August 21, 2024, Morgan-Richards showed his first animated short film, Poor Poor Eldon. This was at the J. Paul Getty Museum. The film was later chosen to premiere publicly on April 1, 2025, at the Beverly Hills Film Festival. Morgan-Richards was the producer, director, and animator for the film. Poor Poor Eldon features music by Joshua Kovarik and Textbeak. It also has choreography by Berlin Richards and voices by Nick Gligor and Nana Grace. The film shows a struggle between light and darkness.

Producer and Director Roles

Morgan-Richards has produced and directed several documentaries. These films are about the American Frontier and Welsh American stories. In fiction, he created The Goodbye Family: The Animated Series. This series is based on his "Weird West" characters. It was named one of the top ten best animated TV series in 2022 by New York Magazine.

A Raven Above Press Publishing

A Raven Above Press was started in 2009 by Morgan-Richards. It focuses on publishing his illustrated stories. It also helps other authors and illustrators with Celtic and Native American backgrounds. This press also helped create cultural events and art shows. A notable event was the Los Angeles St. David's Day Festival. On August 1, 2013, Celtic Family Magazine was released. Morgan-Richards was the founder and publisher of this magazine from 2013 to 2017.

The logo for A Raven Above Press shows a raven on top of a cypress tree. Model Wednesday Mourning appeared in the main ad for the press. Morgan-Richards' daughter, Berlin, also appeared in her traditional Welsh dress.

Morgan-Richards created a book for each Welsh event he organized through A Raven Above Press. These books included his own illustrations. They also featured art from American and Welsh artists.

• A Welsh Alphabet by Lorin Morgan-Richards and Peter Anthony Freeman (2010).
• The Children's Voice: A Definitive Collection of Welsh Nursery Rhymes by Peter Anthony Freeman (2012).
• The Age of Saints by Peter Anthony Freeman (2013).
• Welsh in the Old West by Lorin Morgan-Richards (2015).

Native American Community Work

Lorin Morgan-Richards speaking at Bringing the Circle Together

Morgan-Richards remembers seeing pictures in history books as a child. He saw a photo of Spotted Elk (Bigfoot) lying dead in the snow. This was after the massacre at Wounded Knee. He felt that the text with the photo did not tell the full story.

In 2004, Morgan-Richards worked at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. He was studying Cultural Anthropology at California State University, Los Angeles. He focused on Native American studies.

Bringing the Circle Together Film Series

Lorin Morgan-Richards with his daughter Berlin

Between 2008 and 2012, Morgan-Richards worked with Native American groups in Los Angeles. They started Bringing the Circle Together. This was a free monthly film series at the Japanese American National Museum. It was a place to show documentaries by and about Indigenous people. It also offered historical stories, guest speakers, and cultural demonstrations.

On February 25, 2010, something special happened at the film series. Representatives from the Southern Ioway and Northern Ioway tribes met with Tongva leaders. This was the first time these Southern California and Midwestern Native American Nations met.

Welsh Community Involvement

Author and illustrator Lorin Morgan-Richards

Morgan-Richards became very involved in the Welsh-American community. This happened after the Welsh Presbyterian Church closed in December 2012. Before this, he helped organize an Eisteddfod (a Welsh festival) in 2011. To fill the gap left by the church, Morgan-Richards started the Los Angeles St. David's Day Festival. This is an annual event celebrating Wales around March 1. The first festival was on March 1, 2013. Singer and harpist Siobhan Owen was a main performer. Along with the festival, Morgan-Richards began producing Celtic Family Magazine.

Imperfectualism Art Style

Imperfectualism is an art idea by Lorin Morgan-Richards. He used the pen name Marcil d'Hirson Garron. It was first published in January 2020. Morgan-Richards describes Imperfectualism as art that machines cannot easily copy. An imperfectualist tries to slow down automation through their art. The main idea of Imperfectualism is the beauty of being imperfect. Morgan-Richards used a method called automatic drawing to create this work. This means he tried to draw without thinking too much.

Morgan-Richards has said he was influenced by the Dadaists and Surrealists. These art movements also explored ideas of randomness and the subconscious.

Personal Beliefs

Morgan-Richards considers himself a Spiritualist. He believes in spirit communication and reincarnation. He says his imagination helps him see the past come alive, "as if watching a theater production put on by spirits."

Works by Lorin Morgan-Richards

Books and Stories

• Simon Snootle and Other Small Stories (2009)
• A Boy Born from Mold and Other Delectable Morsels (2010)
• A Little Hard to Swallow (2010)
• A Welsh Alphabet (2010)
• The Terribly Mini Monster Book & a Lesser Known Story About a Rare Benign Belbow (2011)
• Me'ma and the Great Mountain (2012)
• Welsh in the Old West (2015)
• Dark Letter Days: Collected Works (2016)
• The Night Speaks to Me: A Posthumous Account of Jim Morrison (2016)
• The People of Turtle Island: Book One in the Series (2016)
• The Dreaded Summons and Other Misplaced Bills (2017)
• Imperfectualism (2020)
• The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain (2020)

Comic Collections

• 13 Disturbing Postcards to Send to Your Grandparents (2010)
• Memento Mori: The Goodbye Family Album (2017)
• Wanted: Dead or Alive...but not stinkin' (2017)
• The Goodbye Family Unveiled (2017)
• Down West (2018)
• Nicklesworth: Featuring the Goodbye Family (2018)
• Gallows Humor: Hangin' with the Goodbye Family (2018)
• Dead Man's Hand-kerchief: Dealing with the Goodbye Family (2019)
• The Importance of Being Otis: Undertaking with the Goodbye Family (2019)
• Yippee Ki-Yayenne Mother Pepper: Getting Saucy with the Goodbye Family (2019)
• Pyridine's Fancy: It's a Grave Business with the Goodbye Family (2020)
• Keeping up with the Boneses: Digging with the Goodbye Family (2020)
• Family Messings: Getting Dirty with the Goodbye Family (2021)
• It's Your Funeral: Stitched Up with the Goodbye Family (2022)
• It Came From the Outhouse: Off the Grid with the Goodbye Family (2024)

Comic Volumes

• The Goodbye Family Jewels: Volume 1 (2020)

As Illustrator Only

• The Pied Piper of Hamelin (2012), by Robert Browning
• Plop the Raindrop (2013), by Kevin Alan Richards

As Writer Only

• A Seers Guide to the Haunted Labyrinth (2012)
• Voices Lleisiau (2023)

Online Stories

Morgan-Richards has created new stories and retold classic ones with his illustrations for social media.

Original Online Stories

• Sal the Silverfish (2016)
• The Overcooked Tater Tot (2016)
• The Sad Lost Doll (2016)
• The Tiny Adventure of Hairball Man (2016)
• 12 Days of Krampus (2016)

Classic Stories Illustrated

• Jack and the Beanstalk (2020)
• Aesop's Fables (2020)

Music Albums

Solo Studio Albums

These albums were released under the name Elder Moon or Lorin Morgan-Richards.

Audiobooks

These audiobooks were read by others, with introductions by various people.

Film and Television Work

Films

Television Shows

Biographies of the West Docuseries

These are television documentaries written, produced, and colorized by Lorin Morgan-Richards.

Awards and Recognitions

Lorin Morgan-Richards and his works have received several awards and nominations.

Related Artists and Writers

• Charles Addams
• Edward Gorey
• Gary Larson
• Shel Silverstein

See also

In Spanish: Lorin Morgan-Richards para niños