Zenas Winsor McCay (c. 1867–1871 – July 26, 1934) was an American cartoonist and Animator. He is best known for the comic strip Little Nemo (1905–1914; 1924–1926) and the animated film Gertie the Dinosaur (1914). For contractual reasons, he worked under the pen name Silas on the comic strip Dream of the Rarebit Fiend.
Winsor McCay was an early American animator who led a revolution in the field of animation. He began working as a art-reporter for the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune where he was forced to draw actual events proceeding before him. This experience helped him to make finish drawings on the first try and remember previous images. Although McCay would later reject realism, he still benefited from this experience, as it prepared him to become an animator. References