Rufus Segar

Rufus Segar (28 August 1932 – 7 May 2015) was a British anarchist, illustrator and graphic designer who was best known for his designs of the monthly Anarchy magazine throughout the 1960s. He was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, the second son of who he described as 'an itinerant pharmacist'^[1].

Rufus Segar
Born	(1932-08-28)28 August 1932 Ipswich, Suffolk, England
Died	7 May 2015(2015-05-07) (aged 82)
Education	Rhyl Grammar School St Asaph Grammar School Liverpool College of Art
Occupations	Illustrator Graphic designer
Notable work	Anarchy (1961–1970)
Movement	Anarchism
Spouse	Sheila Bullard

Education

Segar attended Rhyl Grammar School and St Asaph Grammar School. He recalled that he really wanted 'to be a cartoonist' and that he 'was quite good at drawing'^[2]. Consequently, in 1949 he entered Liverpool College of Art.^[3] As a student, he shared a house with Harold Sculthorpe^[4], who in 1949 or 1950, had started the Liverpool Anarchist Group^[5].

The London years

Segar graduated in 1953, after which he moved to London^[6] and began working as an assistent designer in advertising for Horatio Myer & Co. Ltd. Three years later he got a job in what he described as 'a top rank advertising agency, SH Benson.'^[7] However, he recalled: 'You're nowhere, just an assistant in the system. I watched that for three years, just seeing how it worked, then I said, "It's not for me."^[8]

In 1955 Segar was imprisoned for three months for refusing to perform National Service.^[9] For 30 years, he worked as an illustrator and graphic designer for the Economist Intelligence Unit in London.^[9] He also worked freelance illustrating books.

From 1961, when Segar was still working for SH Benson, he began to design the covers for Anarchy, which Colin Ward had started, in Segar's words, 'as a foil to Freedom^[10].^[11] From issue six onwards, Segar became the resident art director of the magazine.^[12] Ward gave him significant freedom in his design of each issue, albeit while working to a tight deadline. Segar recalled that Ward lost interest in the magazine when he got to volume ten.^[13] In Segar's words, 'a new lot' took over, after which he 'lost patience with it'.^[14] Moreover he told them 'Well, obviously you can do what you like inside, and now you can do what you want on the cover, with which he dropped it because 'just wasn't interested anymore'^[15].

Retirement

Segar retired to Saltwood in Kent, followed by Pershore in Worcestershire, although he continued to illustrate books. He died on 7 May 2015 at the age of 82.^[16] Anarchist author David Goodway described Segar's series of covers for Anarchy as 'superb'^[17] and acknowledged his help in producing his book^[18].