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John R. Erickson

5 out of 5

Cowboy and Author; Best Known for his Classic Children’s Series, "Hank the Cowdog"

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John R. Erickson Biography

John R. Erickson has written and published 75 books and more than 600 articles, and is best known as the author of the "Hank the Cowdog" series of books, audio-books, and stage plays.

His stories have won a number of awards, including the Audie, Oppenheimer, Wrangler, and Lamplighter Awards, and have been translated into Spanish, Danish, Farsi, and Chinese.

The "Hank the Cowdog" series began as a self-publishing venture in his garage in 1982 and has endured to become one of the nation’s most popular series for children and families. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. USA Today calls the series "the best family entertainment in years.”

John Richard Erickson was born in Midland, TX, on October 20, 1943, to Joseph W. Erickson and Anna Beth Curry Erickson, the youngest of three children. In 1946, the family moved to Perryton, Texas, in the northeastern Texas Panhandle.

John started first grade in the Perryton school system and graduated from high school in the class of 1962. He has described himself as a lazy student and a reluctant reader. He ran track (high hurdles) and played varsity football, sang in the choir, played bassoon in the band and drums in the stage band, and taught himself how to play the five-string banjo. He participated in speech events (debate and extemporaneous speaking), and played lead roles in several school plays.

His talent for writing went unnoticed until his senior year in high school, when his English teacher, Annie Love, made the class write an original poem. Erickson found that it was easy for him. For the rest of the year, he stayed up late at night, writing poems for Mrs. Love.

Erickson attended the University of Denver for a year, then finished his B.A. degree at the University of Texas in Austin. For two years, he studied theology at Harvard Divinity School and left three hours short of a master’s degree. At UT, he met his future wife, Kristine Dykema, and they were married in Dallas in 1967.

During the years 1974-1981, John worked as a ranch cowboy in Oklahoma and Texas. There, he found a balance between hard physical work and the intense, concentrated effort of writing four hours every day. He wrote novels, short stories, articles, plays, essays, and book reviews. When he sent them off to publishers, most came back with rejection slips.

In 1982, after 15 years of failure and frustration, he and Kris started their own publishing company, Maverick Books, in their garage in Perryton, and brought out the first "Hank the Cowdog" book in 1983.

Today, almost 30 years after its modest beginnings, Maverick Books is once again Hank’s official publisher, and is still located in Erickson’s hometown of Perryton. Publishers Weekly calls the "Hank the Cowdog" series a "grassroots publishing phenomena,” and, to date, the series has sold over 8 million copies.

From the start, John intended for the "Hank" stories to be read aloud, and one of the unique features of the series is that he has recorded all stories in the audio-book format, performing all the character voices himself and composing two original songs for each episode.

For more than 30 years, Erickson has worked hard to maintain the highest standards of good, wholesome family entertainment. In doing that, he has built a bond of trust with parents, librarians, and teachers, and all his stories have been approved for the Accelerated Reader Program. He has appeared in thousands of schools, from Fairbanks, AK, to Key West, FL, and has been a popular speaker at conventions of teachers, librarians, and homeschoolers.

Erickson is currently working with a film group to produce a "Hank the Cowdog" animated movie, with the screenplay written by John and his son Mark.

John and Kris live on their cattle ranch near Perryton, TX. They have three grown children (Scot, Ashley, and Mark) and four grandchildren.

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  • HOW TO BOOK John R. Erickson?

    Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like John R. Erickson for both live and virtual events for over 15 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a booking request form for John R. Erickson, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for John R. Erickson or any other celebrity of your choice.
  • HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BOOK John R. Erickson?

    Speaking fees for John R. Erickson, or any other keynote speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The amount that John R. Erickson charges to speak often varies according to the circumstances, including their schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The speaker fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire John R. Erickson, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
  • WHO IS THE AGENT FOR John R. Erickson?

    All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like John R. Erickson for clients worldwide for more than 15 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book John R. Erickson for your next private or corporate function.
  • WHAT IS A FULL-SERVICE TALENT BOOKING AGENCY?

    All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent John R. Erickson or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for John R. Erickson or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Cowboy and Author; Best Known for his Classic Children’s Series, "Hank the Cowdog"

Travels From:
Perryton, TX, USA
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Categories:

John R. Erickson Biography

John R. Erickson has written and published 75 books and more than 600 articles, and is best known as the author of the "Hank the Cowdog" series of books, audio-books, and stage plays.

His stories have won a number of awards, including the Audie, Oppenheimer, Wrangler, and Lamplighter Awards, and have been translated into Spanish, Danish, Farsi, and Chinese.

The "Hank the Cowdog" series began as a self-publishing venture in his garage in 1982 and has endured to become one of the nation’s most popular series for children and families. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. USA Today calls the series "the best family entertainment in years.”

John Richard Erickson was born in Midland, TX, on October 20, 1943, to Joseph W. Erickson and Anna Beth Curry Erickson, the youngest of three children. In 1946, the family moved to Perryton, Texas, in the northeastern Texas Panhandle.

John started first grade in the Perryton school system and graduated from high school in the class of 1962. He has described himself as a lazy student and a reluctant reader. He ran track (high hurdles) and played varsity football, sang in the choir, played bassoon in the band and drums in the stage band, and taught himself how to play the five-string banjo. He participated in speech events (debate and extemporaneous speaking), and played lead roles in several school plays.

His talent for writing went unnoticed until his senior year in high school, when his English teacher, Annie Love, made the class write an original poem. Erickson found that it was easy for him. For the rest of the year, he stayed up late at night, writing poems for Mrs. Love.

Erickson attended the University of Denver for a year, then finished his B.A. degree at the University of Texas in Austin. For two years, he studied theology at Harvard Divinity School and left three hours short of a master’s degree. At UT, he met his future wife, Kristine Dykema, and they were married in Dallas in 1967.

During the years 1974-1981, John worked as a ranch cowboy in Oklahoma and Texas. There, he found a balance between hard physical work and the intense, concentrated effort of writing four hours every day. He wrote novels, short stories, articles, plays, essays, and book reviews. When he sent them off to publishers, most came back with rejection slips.

In 1982, after 15 years of failure and frustration, he and Kris started their own publishing company, Maverick Books, in their garage in Perryton, and brought out the first "Hank the Cowdog" book in 1983.

Today, almost 30 years after its modest beginnings, Maverick Books is once again Hank’s official publisher, and is still located in Erickson’s hometown of Perryton. Publishers Weekly calls the "Hank the Cowdog" series a "grassroots publishing phenomena,” and, to date, the series has sold over 8 million copies.

From the start, John intended for the "Hank" stories to be read aloud, and one of the unique features of the series is that he has recorded all stories in the audio-book format, performing all the character voices himself and composing two original songs for each episode.

For more than 30 years, Erickson has worked hard to maintain the highest standards of good, wholesome family entertainment. In doing that, he has built a bond of trust with parents, librarians, and teachers, and all his stories have been approved for the Accelerated Reader Program. He has appeared in thousands of schools, from Fairbanks, AK, to Key West, FL, and has been a popular speaker at conventions of teachers, librarians, and homeschoolers.

Erickson is currently working with a film group to produce a "Hank the Cowdog" animated movie, with the screenplay written by John and his son Mark.

John and Kris live on their cattle ranch near Perryton, TX. They have three grown children (Scot, Ashley, and Mark) and four grandchildren.

John R. Erickson Videos

  • Hank the Cowdog: Hank's Corner - Audiobooks - YouTube
  • Hank the Cowdog author John R. Erickson (Texas Country Reporter ...

Speaker Lists Featuring John R. Erickson

FAQs on booking John R. Erickson

  • How to book John R. Erickson?

    Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like John R. Erickson for both live and virtual events for over 20 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a booking request form for John R. Erickson, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for John R. Erickson or any other celebrity of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book John R. Erickson?

    Speaking fees for John R. Erickson, or any other keynote speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The amount that John R. Erickson charges to speak often varies according to the circumstances, including their schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The speaker fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire John R. Erickson, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
  • Who is the agent for John R. Erickson?

    All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like John R. Erickson for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book John R. Erickson for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service talent booking agency?

    All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent John R. Erickson or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for John R. Erickson or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.

John R. Erickson is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book John R. Erickson for your event is $5,000 - $10,000. John R. Erickson generally travels from Perryton, TX, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Laura Numeroff, Eric Litwin, Debbie Dadey, Lois Lowry and Brenda Maier. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling John R. Erickson for an upcoming live or virtual event.

John R. Erickson Speaker Videos

  • Hank the Cowdog: Hank's Corner - Audiobooks - YouTube
    Hank the Cowdog author John R. Erickson (Texas Country Reporter ...

John R. Erickson News

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Speakers Similar to John R. Erickson

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

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