Paul Sample was the illustrious creator of the very marvellous cartoon character Ogri, the archetypal biker much loved and appreciated by motorcyclists across a span of decades. Ogri first took to the road in Bike Magazine in 1972, the brain child of the very talented cartoonist Paul Sample. The illustrations were originally inspired by a cross between Marvel comics and, according to Paul, his own experience of riding up the M1 at 90mph on a Rocket Goldstar and “wondering what the rattle was”.

 

People who don't know or haven't seen it, might imagine that Ogri is solely about motorcycling and bikes, but, like all great commentary on life, it is actually about life in general and crosses a broad spectrum of experience about the joys and frustrations of everyday life, which many can relate to. 

 

Paul himself said:
“The inspiration for the stories comes from riding my bike, talking to people in the pub or seeing things in the news” 
Ogri stories are an eclectic slice of life, offered up for readers to identify with and immerse themselves in. Each frame contains so much detail it is a really absorbing and strangely restful experience losing yourself in the secret parallel universe of Ogri. Ogri embodied the archetypal rebel biker, acting out what many bikers wished they could do, (like chaining traffic wardens to parking meters etc), thus offering motorcyclists a mental outlet for the many frustrations of the road. Ogri really only wanted to be left alone to ride his bike and enjoy life, but wasn't afraid to deal with things head on when they arose and caused him problems. As an aside, much of the enjoyment of Ogri cartoons is in the detail surrounding the main protagonist and his actions, and there is invariably a subplot going on in the background to add extra interest. 

 

Ogri featured in Bike Magazine for 35 years until January 2009 and had a real cult following. When it was dropped by Bike, it was taken up by Back Street Heroes magazine, who knew a good thing when they saw it. 

 

Paul Sample also branched out into other arenas, illustrating a bestselling book about the motor trade called Four Wheels to a Fortune and creating the covers of a series of best selling Tom Sharpe Novels like Wilt, Porterhouse Blue and Indecent Exposure, amongst much other freelance illustration work for the mainstream media. 

 

Four book compilation collections of Ogri cartoon strips have been produced and a video, plus there is a lot of Ogri memorabilia available for fans if you want a memento of this unique character and his creator.

RIP and many thanks Paul Sample, who died at the age of 78 on the 27th of January 2026, but whose great character Ogri and his adventures will ride on in the hearts and minds of motorcyclists into the future.