Fred Harman ( February 9, 1902 – January 2, 1982) was an American artist, best know for his popular Red Ryder comic strip, which he drew for over 25 years, reaching 40 million readers through 750 newspapers. Harman sometimes used the pseudonym Ted Horn.

He was born Leslie Fred Harman and grew up familiar with horses and ranching lifestyle. Before moving to St. Joseph his father had homesteaded in Pagosa Springs Colorado in 1891. Harman dropped out of school after seven years and never had any formal art training.

He worked as a pressman’s helper at the Kansas City Star. At 20 years old, he was employed at the Kansas City Film Ad Company, working with Walt Disney as an animator.

In 1924 he began an illustrating job in St. Joseph at Artcrafts Engraving Company. Harman created promotional art, book illustrations and film costume designs commemorating the Pony Express in St. Joseph and painted his own paintings at home in his spare time. Fred met the love of his life and married musician Lola Andrews in downtown St. Joseph at the Jenkins Music building when Jenkins Music was located on the first floor and Artcrafts was on the 5th floor.

The couple later moved to St Paul, Minnesota and Iowa and later Pagosa Springs where they built a log cabin. Later moves included Los Angeles and New York City in 1938 where Harman found great success and developed Red Ryder. Comic books, novels, a serial film series, radio programs, commercial products and apparel were all produced.

Harman was one of the original members of the Cowboy Artists of America and his paintings were included in the first annual exhibition of the Cowboy Artist of America at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.