John Richard Erickson (born October 20, 1943) is an American cowboy and author, best known for his Hank the Cowdog series of children's novels.

He began publishing short stories in 1967, while still working as a cowboy and ranch manager in Texas and Oklahoma.

His books are endorsed by the Texas Library Association and have, for two years, been serialized in The Dallas Morning News.

His "Hank the Cowdog" series has been translated into Persian, Spanish, Danish, and Chinese, and have sold over 8.5 million copies.

In 1982 he set up his own publishing company, Maverick Books, and began writing the Hank the Cowdog stories.

As of January 2024, there are 80 printed books in the Hank the Cowdog series, 7 audio-only titles, and 6 CDs of music from the audiobooks.