Johnny Gruelle (December 24, 1880 – January 8, 1938) was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book author and illustrator (and even songwriter). He is known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. He had such confidence in his design that often he would create the final ink work without first sketching in pencil.

He was born John Barton Gruelle in Arcola, Illinois. His father Richard Gruelle was an artist affiliated with the Hoosier Group of Indiana artists.

John Gruelle's cartoons first appeared in print in the Indianapolis Star in 1905. From 1906 to 1911 his cartooning work appeared in many newspapers, usually signed as Grue

After he beat out 1,500 entrants to win a cartooning contest sponsored in 1911 by The New York Herald, Gruelle created Mr. Twee Deedle. Mr. Twee Deedle was in print from 1911 to 1914.

Gruelle gave his daughter Marcella a dusty, faceless rag doll which she found in the attic. He drew a face on the doll and named her Raggedy Ann. Marcella played with the doll so much, Gruelle figured other children would like the doll too. Gruelle's Raggedy Ann doll U.S. Patent D47,789 was dated September 7, 1915. In 1918, the PF Volland Company published Raggedy Ann Stories. Gruelle then created a series of popular Raggedy Ann books and dolls. These became Volland's major source of revenue.

Gruelle lived in the Silvermine section of New Canaan, Connecticut, where the dolls were first mass-produced, and later moved his home and company to neighboring Wilton, Connecticut. Gruelle spent a year in Ashland, Oregon from 1923–24. He had a long-standing heart condition, and died in Miami Beach, Florida on January 8, 1938, of a heart attack.

for SALE