Elyssa Levine and Tu Nguyen October 22 nd 2012 Digital Media IMM 110

2. Elyssa Levine and Tu Nguyen October 22nd 2012 Digital Media IMM 110

3. Birth Born on September 26th 1869 Raised in Spring Lake, Michigan Son of Janet and Robert McCay Originally named Zenas Had an interest for drawing right away

4. Early Years • At the age of thirteen drew the sinking of the Goodrich Steamship Alpena

5. Education • Enrolled into Cleary’s Business College • Taken on as a student by Michigan State Normal School • Moved to Chicago, where he had plans to study at the Art Institute • Finds employment at the National Printing and Engraving Company

6. Moves to Cincinnati and works for the Vine Street Dime Museum • Draws for the “freak shows” • Marries Maude LeonoreDufour after meeting at the Museum in 1891 • Draws advertisements for the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune • Moves to the Cincinnati Enquirer where he produces his first comic strip EarlyProfession

7. New York Herald • Takes position at the New York Herald • His new serial strip, Little Sammy Sneeze, appears in the paper • Becomes the premiere comic illustrator • Other works published in the Herald include: The Story of the Hungry Henrietta, A Pilgrim’s Progress by Mister Bunion, and Little Nemo

8. “Little Nemo” • Best known and most beloved comic strip is called Little Nemo in Slumberland • Little Nemo’slovable characters also inspire McCay’s first attempts at moving animation • After a one-week preview run in Philadelphia, a musical opens on Broadwayhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seOGEwx0NfQ

9. Creates more animated films and moves to William Randolph Hearst’s newspaper empire • Second animated film named How a Mosquito Operates • Gertie The Dinosaur is another film about a dinosaur invested with human characteristicshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY40DHs9vc4 • His final three films were Bug Vaudeville, The Pet and The Flying House • Films provided an innovative subject matter Animated Film

10. Final Decade • Arrangement to continue booking performances • Source of conflict with William Randolph Hearst • Leaves the Hearst papers when his contract expires and returns to the New York Herald • Begs McCay to return to draw for him again • The Herald Tribune’s decision to drop Nemo undoubtedly influenced his decision to go back to Hearst. • Returns to drawing editorial cartoons, but pressure on him is intense

11. Death • Had plans to work on further films, but William Randolph Hearst refused to give him time off for animation • Hearst relied on him to produce editorial and political cartoons for his papers • Hearst saw McCay’s work deteriorating in both artistic acumen and wit • Continued to draw for Hearst until his death on July 26, 1934

12. Influences • Father of animation • See his influence everywhere • “There literally isn't an area of comics or animation that the influence of Winsor McCay can't be felt” • His works have inspired generations of artists such as such as William Joyce, Andre LeBlanc, Maurice Sendak, Chris Ware, and Bill Watterson.

13. Time Period Heyday of Yellow Journalism

14. A Pilgrim's Progress (1905-10) • Little Nemo in Slumberland(1905-14) • Poor Jake (1909-11) Accomplishments Comic Strips A Tale of the Jungle Imps by Felix Fiddle (1903) Little Sammy Sneeze (1904-6) Dream of the Rarebit Fiend (1904-13) The Story of Hungry Henrietta (1905)

15. Accomplishments Filmography • Little Nemo (1911) • How a Mosquito Operates (1912) • Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) • The Sinking of the Lusitania (1918) • Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend: Bug Vaudeville (1921), The Pet (1921), The Flying House (1921) • The Centaurs (1921) • Gertie on Tour (1921) • Flip’s Circus (1921) • The Barnyard Performance (1922-27)

16. The End