What do you think?
Rate this book
Winsor McCay : His Life and Art
This volume is the only existing biography of one of America's greatest and most influential cartoonists. Winsor McCay (1867-1934) is universally acknowledged as the first master of both the comic strip and the animated cartoon. Although invented by others, both genres were developed into enduring popular art of the highest imagination through McCay's innovative genius. Originally published in 1987, it is now back in print in a newly expanded and revised edition on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Little Nemo in Slumberland . Included are new materials found since the previous publication of the book such as new comic strips of Little Nemo in Slumberland , and new sketches of Gertie the Dinosaur
In the book the author reviews and fully analyzes McCay's achievements in print and film while examining his work in relation to his life, family, and to American culture and values of the period. This painstakingly thorough biography begins with McCay's childhood in Michigan to his seat as one of the greatest of the early animators.
In the book the author reviews and fully analyzes McCay's achievements in print and film while examining his work in relation to his life, family, and to American culture and values of the period. This painstakingly thorough biography begins with McCay's childhood in Michigan to his seat as one of the greatest of the early animators.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
About the author
John Canemaker
29 books28 followersJohn Canemaker (born 1943) is an Academy Award-winning independent animator, animation historian, teacher, lecturer, and author perhaps best known for his many books about the Disney studio, including Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation.In 1980, he began teaching and developing the animation program at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts', Kanbar Institute of Film and Television Department. Since 1988 he has directed the program and is currently a tenured full professor. From 2001-2002 he was Acting Chair of the NYU Undergraduate Film and Television Department. In 2006, his film The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation, a 28-minute animated piece about Canemaker's relationship with his father, won the Academy Award for best animated short. In 2007 the same piece picked up an Emmy award for its graphic and artistic design.
His first book, The Animated Raggedy Ann and Andy, detailing the making of an animated feature based on Johnny Gruelle’s storybook characters, was published in 1977. Eight more books followed: Treasures of Disney Animation Art (1982),Winsor McCay: His Life and Art (1987), Felix: The Twisted Tale of the World’s Most Famous Cat (1991), Tex Avery: The MGM Years (1996), Before the Animation Begins: The Art and Lives of Disney Inspirational Sketch Artists (1996), Paper Dreams: The Art and Artists of Disney Storyboards (1999), Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation (2001), The Art and Flair of Mary Blair (2003), and a revised and updated edition of Winsor McCay (2005).
His first book, The Animated Raggedy Ann and Andy, detailing the making of an animated feature based on Johnny Gruelle’s storybook characters, was published in 1977. Eight more books followed: Treasures of Disney Animation Art (1982),Winsor McCay: His Life and Art (1987), Felix: The Twisted Tale of the World’s Most Famous Cat (1991), Tex Avery: The MGM Years (1996), Before the Animation Begins: The Art and Lives of Disney Inspirational Sketch Artists (1996), Paper Dreams: The Art and Artists of Disney Storyboards (1999), Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation (2001), The Art and Flair of Mary Blair (2003), and a revised and updated edition of Winsor McCay (2005).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 30, 2022
An often sad but always fascinating look into the life and work of one of America's great artists.
July 28, 2023
Winsor McCay, a visionary comic artist/animator predecessing Will Eisner/Walt Disney. No small feat.
I already knew Little Nemo by name, though it is just the surface of this Cincinnati-doodle's achievements. He was a shy but stage-savvy vaudevillian, a newspaper-filling proto-surrealist and one of the first cartoonists after Émile Cohl (fantasmagorie) and J. Stuart Blackton (The Enchanted Drawing). To some McCay's charm lies in his child-like imagination and attention to detail when it comes to the mind and backdrop of his characters.
An interesting detail was "The Sinking of the Lusitania", a 1918 animation depicting the world-known ship's demise along with its civillians, being torpedoed North of Ireland during the first world war.
McCay's intention was to document the tragic aspect of the event, though later history revealed the ship to be laden with ammunition for the war effort passing through the German blockade.
Propaganda is a tricky thing.
John Canemaker condenses the life and times of MCay and his family compellingly and comprehensively, down to the legacy left by poor ol' Winsor.
This later obituary was particularly interesting, purportedly quoted from the Looney Toons director Chuck Jones:
"It is as though the first creature to emerge from the primeval slime was Albert Einstein; and the second an amoeba, because after McCay's animation it took his followers nearly twenty years to find out how he did it."
I already knew Little Nemo by name, though it is just the surface of this Cincinnati-doodle's achievements. He was a shy but stage-savvy vaudevillian, a newspaper-filling proto-surrealist and one of the first cartoonists after Émile Cohl (fantasmagorie) and J. Stuart Blackton (The Enchanted Drawing). To some McCay's charm lies in his child-like imagination and attention to detail when it comes to the mind and backdrop of his characters.
An interesting detail was "The Sinking of the Lusitania", a 1918 animation depicting the world-known ship's demise along with its civillians, being torpedoed North of Ireland during the first world war.
McCay's intention was to document the tragic aspect of the event, though later history revealed the ship to be laden with ammunition for the war effort passing through the German blockade.
Propaganda is a tricky thing.
John Canemaker condenses the life and times of MCay and his family compellingly and comprehensively, down to the legacy left by poor ol' Winsor.
This later obituary was particularly interesting, purportedly quoted from the Looney Toons director Chuck Jones:
"It is as though the first creature to emerge from the primeval slime was Albert Einstein; and the second an amoeba, because after McCay's animation it took his followers nearly twenty years to find out how he did it."
July 10, 2023
Excellent
A very interesting biography of maybe the most talented of all cartoonists. Winsor McCay led a unique life as a cartoonist, animator and vaudeville entertainer. This book is lavishly illustrated with his work. Unfortunately, the speech balloons in many (most) of the panels are unreadable. That detracted from my enjoyment, but the beauty of the drawings made up for it.
A very interesting biography of maybe the most talented of all cartoonists. Winsor McCay led a unique life as a cartoonist, animator and vaudeville entertainer. This book is lavishly illustrated with his work. Unfortunately, the speech balloons in many (most) of the panels are unreadable. That detracted from my enjoyment, but the beauty of the drawings made up for it.
September 10, 2024
Fantastic biography of the legendary comic strip artist and animator. Canemaker does a superb job chronicling McCay's life, along with providing gorgeous reprints of his art. A fantastic biography of the pioneer in two great American mediums.
January 17, 2013
An excellent biography of Winsor McCay with full reproductions of his work throughout. The book covers every phase of McCay’s career: it turns out there’s more to appreciate than The Dream of the Rarebit Fiend and Little Nemo in Slumberland. Those two strips remain his ultimate creations and the peak of the comic strip, especially Little Nemo which is to my mind, the single best comic strip ever created. Still, I was interested in his political cartoons, his propaganda work, his short lived strips like Sammy Sneeze and Hungry Henrietta and Pilgrim’s Progress with Mister Bunion and especially his role as an animation innovator. Includes many fulsome tributes from the many famous artists and animators who were influenced by him (count Walt Disney, Maurice Sendak and Art Spiegelman among them). Many of the more nightmarish Rarebit Fiend strips are displayed here, including one of a woman experiencing prenuptial anxiety with some shocking sexual symbolism and a Twilight Zone-ish strip showing the perspective of a dying man being laid to rest as everyone discusses what a terrible person he was. The bulk of the book is taken up by Little Nemo in Slumberland, for good reason. What more can I say about this groundbreaking comic than what has already been said? Only that nothing beats reading these beautifully drawn, amazingly detailed, hand-colored strips in their original 3 ½ foot tall, newsprint sized editions in the collection, “So Many Sundays” that came out several years ago.
August 11, 2007
This is a great book about the history of the comic from the early part of the 20th century. Extensive.
December 22, 2007
This book is absolutely one of the most enthralling reads I've recently come across. McCay's life story is the stuff of legend. Truly an inspirational figure in American history.
April 13, 2008
Winsor McCay was one of the first masters of the comic genre. He exploded possibilities of what could be done with the page, graphically.
July 16, 2009
Art was wonderful, writing a bit too lengthy.
July 3, 2011
I believe John Canemaker's book is probably the best biography of a cartoonist ever written, and remains one of the best books on comic/sequential art ever written.
August 7, 2012
Wonderfully written book on my favorite animator.
July 22, 2014
I knew about Little Nemo and Gertie the Dinosaur, but this book exposed me to so much more!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews