Winsor McCay

One interesting fact about Winsor McCay is that his comic strip work has influenced generations of cartoonists and illustrators.

Animator

September 26, 1871

Libra

July 26, 1934

62

Spring Lake, Michigan

Winsor McCay was a renowned American cartoonist and animator, celebrated for his innovative comics and animated films. His most famous creations include the groundbreaking comic strip “Little Nemo in Slumberland” and the animated short “Gertie the Dinosaur”, both of which continue to influence modern animation and cartooning.

McCay was also involved in other notable projects such as “Dream of the Rarebit Fiend”, “Little Sammy Sneeze”, and “How a Mosquito Operates”. Besides his iconic works, he had a second career as a vaudeville entertainer, where he demonstrated his live drawing skills by rapidly creating illustrations accompanied by live music. During these performances, he often produced large panoramic drawings of famous landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and the San Francisco waterfront.

The technical prowess, naturalism, and scale of McCay’s animation were unparalleled until the emergence of Fleischer Studios in the late 1920s and Walt Disney’s feature films in the 1930s. His animated films, such as “Gertie the Dinosaur” and “How a Mosquito Operates”, showcased his exceptional skills. McCay’s contributions to animation and his influential comic strip work have left a lasting impact on generations of cartoonists and illustrators.