Winsor McCay (Zenas Winsor McKay)

Winsor McCay was an innovator of both screen and print from the turn of the 20th Century. He is best known for the strip “Little Nemo in Slumberland,” and the silver screen’s first cartoon character Gertie the Dinosaur.



He liked to play with the edges of the panel and the audiences’ perception of space and size.



His eye for understanding movement made him one of the greatest draftsmen of the 20th Century.

Here's two minutes of truly breathtaking persistence of vision.


With his pencil, ink and three-color world he was able to create almost photorealistic worlds of wonder with his signature strong black outlines around their forms. He created mood and atmosphere through color. With a kind of style and pace that made Watchmen famous in the 80s. (Not saying theft or homage, just saying they used a similar device)


Winsor McCay never said “no” to his imagination and the sequential art medium is much better for it.