John Raymond Ellis (born March 2, 1955) is an American artist, filmmaker, animator, director, producer, and writer in Los Angeles, California, known particularly for his special effects.
Ellis was born in Wilmington, Ohio south of Dayton. He was the youngest of two sons and two daughters of John Leonard MacDonald Ellis (1918–1997) of Clinton County and the former Rachel Jeanette Wilson (1918–1980), a native of neighboring Warren County. The senior Ellis was Methodist; Mrs. Ellis, Quaker. John R. Ellis is of English, Scottish, and Dutch descent. He was reared on a small farm in Clinton County until 1960, when the family moved to the Lakewood section of Wilmington. As a child, John liked to go to downtown Wilmington to buy comic books or go to the movie theater; he often pulled a wagon to collect soft drink bottles to trade for comics. His family encouraged him to develop his artistic and creative talents. At an early age, he developed an interest in aviation and built model planes and rockets.[1]