Spot the Dog creator Eric Hill dies

10.06.14 | Charlotte Eyre - The Bookseller

Puffin Books said it is “deeply saddened” by the death of author and illustrator Eric Hill, the creator of Spot the dog.

Hill, who generated more than £15m in book sales since Neilsen BookScan records began in 1998, was the first author to use lift-the-flap design in a children’s book.

Francesca Dow, m.d. at Penguin Random House UK Children’s, said: “Eric Hill was a master of simple design. He created one of the world’s most loveable children’s book characters - Spot, the charming, naughty, playful puppy, loved and appreciated across the world. Eric's ingenious lift-the-flap device turned the reading of a Spot book into a glorious game of hide and seek, enjoyed by children and adults alike.”
Puffin will ensure Spot continues to delight children for “generations to come”, she added.

Hill’s family released a statement saying: “Although this time of loss is a great hardship for us, we can honestly say that we take some solace in the joy he brought to so many children and families through his work.”

Born in Holloway, north London, in 1928, Eric began his career as an errand boy in an illustration studio. After World War Two he began working for an advertising company, which led to a successful career as a creative director and illustrator.

He was inspired to create Spot when, freelancing as a designer, he was working on a paper-engineered novelty piece with a flap. His son, then aged three, was fascinated by the lifting flap. Eric was intrigued by the child’s reaction and invented a story about a puppy, using the surprise-flap idea to entertain him further.

The first book, Where’s Spot? was published in 1980. Hill went on to write several Spot books, including Spot’s First Walk, Spot’s Treasure Hunt and Spot Goes to School, and the books have been translated into more than 60 languages.

The first animated TV series, "The Adventures of Spot", was developed by King Rollo Films in 1983.

Eric was awarded an OBE for his services to children’s literacy in 2008. He died today (10th June) at home in California after a short illness, survived by his wife and two children.