Raymond Briggs, the British illustrator and author, has died aged 88. For some, Briggs was just the guy that created the stunning Christmas classic picturebook and film The Snowman, but for others he was a giant of their childhood, introducing characters Fungus the Bogeyman and a crotchety Father Christmas to their fizzing imagination.
Briggs began his six-decade career as a professional illustrator, working in children’s books and teaching before embarking on his solo creations. His most notable first works were written as comics – Father Christmas (1973); Father Christmas Goes on Holiday (1975); and Fungus the Bogeyman (1977). He went on to make dozens more books - some of which were adapted to film - which started to incorporate darker adult themes.
