The Story
John Todd — founder, inventor, artist & legend.
His humour lives on through Herbie Hemp, Rosie Resin, and Uncle Ganja.
John Todd was born in 1937 in Hocke, Scotland, and arrived in the world with a grin and a question mark. Cheeky, quick-witted, and endlessly curious, John had a way of making people laugh while quietly making them think. He was engaging, talkative, deeply loving and more often than not, the unofficial star of any party he walked into.
By trade, John was a grafter. He spent much of his working life in the ladies’ fashion world, buying and selling with style, instinct, and heart. From his retail shop in Tolworth, Surrey, to a showroom on Mortimer Street in London, he worked hard but his mind was always somewhere else too. John was a thinker, an inventor, and a natural problem-solver, producing multiple patents for clever everyday gadgets that made life a little more interesting.
Creativity flowed through him constantly. Art, sculpture, and making things by hand were second nature. He loved turning forgotten screws, bolts, and scraps of metal into characters that somehow felt alive. Where others saw junk, John saw personality. Where others saw limits, he saw possibility.
The Man Who Imagined It All!
Both of John’s daughters grew up surrounded by this creative energy and went on to make their mark in the dancing and modelling world, performing in major shows across the globe. Expression, movement, and individuality were simply part of the family DNA.
Then came the idea.
In the mid-1990s, John had one of those beautifully disruptive thoughts, the kind that refuses to be ignored. From it emerged Herbie Hemp, Rosie Resin, and Uncle Ganja: funny, witty, cool, and just a little bit rebellious. They were born alongside The Meaning of Life, John’s first comic, where humour met philosophy and curiosity met mischief.
In 1995, John moved to Amsterdam with one of his daughters, and the characters truly found their groove. There, he developed all three in 2D form, giving them their voices, attitudes, and unmistakable charm. Soon came illustrated lighters with sharp captions, bold T-shirts, and the comic itself each piece carrying John’s humour, insight, and countercultural spark.
We believe great ideas never die - they wait to be rediscovered
And most of all...
We believe that if you can laugh, think and feel something all at once - your doing life right.
Today, that spark is being reignited
A small, passionate group has come together to bring these characters back into the world: Karen Kay, John’s daughter; Adam Todd and Ollie Kay, his grandsons; and Mr. E, a creative force who continues to channel John’s energy and help guide the revival.
This is more than a comeback. It’s a continuation of a conversation John started years ago about life, laughter, and not taking things too seriously.
Herbie Hemp, Rosie Resin, and Uncle Ganja are back.
Still cheeky. Still smart. Still asking the good questions.