PROCESS & PRODUCTION

RESEARCH 3

Earlier cartoons focused heavily on sight gags and cheap laughs rather than the idea of experimenting with character development. Walt Disney was one of the artists inspired by McCay’s work. Disney kept Gertie in mind as he went on to later create characters like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse.

McCay was an inspiration through character development and character expression as well as many techniques of early animation. The “McCay Split System” required the artist to draw major frames and positions first and add the “in-between” frames later. This helped to improve timing of animation and the technique became widely used by other artists. McCay experimented with registration marks as well. What really makes Gertie the Dinosaur important is Gertie’s personality. Gertie was one of the first animated characters to ever have emotions in a cartoon.

Walt said, “Winsor McCay’s Gertie and other animation novelties stimulated a great public interest and created a demand for this new medium. This, in turn, encouraged other pioneers to creative efforts that in time", to lead this established character development in the industry and how revolutionary and progressive this concept is for all animated characters, to express more personality and a unique identity 

Walt later expressed his gratitude to McCay by saying to McCay’s son in reference to the Disney Studios, “Bob, all this should be your father’s.” Needless to say, Imagineers found a great way to honour Gertie in 1989 during the construction of their third Florida theme park.