Etch A Sketch creator dies ANDRE Cassagnes, the French inventor of the Etch A Sketch, a toy beloved of children around the world, has died at the age of 86. His death in France in mid-January was announced by the Ohio Art Company, which has been making the Etch a Sketch since 1960, according to media reports. The Etch A Sketch, a grey screen with bold red frame, allows children to draw a picture using a stylus and then erase it with the turn of two buttons.