Ryan Larkin (July 31, 1943 – February 14, 2007) was a Canadian animator, artist, and sculptor who rose to fame with the psychedelic Oscar-nominated short Walking (1968) and the acclaimed Street Musique (1972).

Born in Durval, a small suburb city in Montreal, the middle child of two siblings, the son of an airplane mechanic father and a secretary mother.

[2] He was also known for his psychedelic and diverse range of animation techniques and mediums, such as charcoal drawing, and Ink and color wash. Larkin had idolized his older brother, Ronald, whom he described as "the epitome of cool".

[3] In 1958, at the age of fifteen, Larkin witnessed his brother die in a boating accident and, because he had never learned to swim, was unable to save him.

Walking was nominated for an Academy Award in 1970 in the category Best Short Subject, Cartoon, but lost to It's Tough to Be a Bird by director Ward Kimball.

He also contributed art work and animation effects to NFB films including the 1974 feature Running Time, directed by Mort Ransen, in which Larkin also played three bit parts.

By this time, estranged from his parents, he had developed a routine of spending his nights at Montreal's Old Brewery Mission, and his days panhandling at Schwartz's Deli, eating at Mondo Fritz, drinking beer at the Copacabana bar, or reading a book in the lounge at Welch's used book store.

Spare Change, which premiered at the Festival du Nouveau Cinema on October 9, 2008, features three Chiwawa tunes for which Larkin created storyboards and animation, including Do It For Me from the 2005 album Bright.

[10] The 2009 Chiwawa album Bus Stop Chinese Buffet include tracks from Spare Change; the lyrics of Overcast Skies were penned by Larkin.