Johnny Gruelle, the much-loved creator of the brother and sister rag dolls Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy, started his career as a newspaper cartoonist. By beating out fifteen hundred entrants in a comic-drawing contest sponsored by the New York Herald, he earned a two-thousand-dollar prize and an extended contract to provide a weekly installment of his cartoon "Mr. Twee Deedle." In addition to designing the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, he soon began writing and illustrating make-believe tales and adventure stories for children. His love of the unknown and his fascination with science and outer space helped inspire The Magical Land of Noom.