‘Dragon Tales’ Co-Creator Ron Rodecker Dead at 90

Ron Rodecker, the co-creator of the beloved children’s show Dragon Tales, has died. He was 90. Rodecker passed away on Jan. 25, according to his daughter, Erin Almond. Almond shared the news of his passing on that day, but it did not receive much coverage in the media; although Nevada County, California, publication The Union published his obituary on Feb. 19. News of Rodecker’s death was also shared around social media in late January but only gained significant traction due to a viral Instagram post shared on Monday.

Per the obituary, Rodecker died at his home “after a long struggle with heart disease,” an ailment that initially inspired him to pursue an art career following a 1977 triple bypass surgery. His wife of 50 years, Katherine, and two of his daughters, Lauren Almond and Erin, were with him at the time of his passing. He is survived by those three family members, as well as daughters Cherie Groll, Gretchen Almond Ratliff and nephews Ken and Bill Cloke and Wally Rodecker. No funeral service was held due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Elsewhere in the obituary, his work on the Emmy-nominated show, which followed two children’s magical adventures in “Dragon Land,” was championed. His love for his family and his passions were also eloquently noted. “Besides his family, he loved his Golden Retrievers, he loved the sea and everything under it, and archaeology, and he was fascinated with words. He wrote many short stories and two novels,” the obit read. “Those who knew him will remember his joy of life, his boundless generosity, and his humor. He saw the funny side of almost everything, and kept everyone laughing up to his last few days.

“The love he shared with his wife Katherine, was deep and profound. The two were bonded in spirit and soul for fifty years, often saying, ‘It gets better and better all of the time.’”

In her Facebook post, Erin said “he touched thousands of lives for the better” due to his art and work on Dragon Tales. “He was my hero and I will love him and miss him forever,” she wrote.

Rodecker created the characters that served as the basis for Dragon Tales, noting in a 2010 interview with The Orange County Register that “the dragons are a metaphor for the things in life that are too big to handle.” That initial inspiration served as the basis of Dragon Tales after TV exec Jim Coane came across Rodecker’s artwork and helped develop it into the program that would spawn 96 episodes that aired on PBS and CBC Television from 1999 to 2005. Rodecker noted they wanted to tackle “not just adversities, but all the things that come up in a child’s life.”

As for Rodecker felt about his legacy, a Jan. 13, 2015, Facebook comment seems to encapsulate his thoughts on the matter. While promoting his books My Dragon’s Alphabet and My Dragon’s Book of Poems, Rodecker thanked his admirers and felt he left “something of worth” in the world.

“Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. I am unabashedly proud of these two books because they encapsulate the best of my writing and the best of my art,” Rodecker wrote. “At 85 it is my goal to leave something of worth behind because I was fortunate to have walked this earth. I now feel I have done that. There are still a few miles to go and I am always looking for new ways to reach out and touch others. That keeps the juices flowing.”