Does anyone know approximately how much time it took McCay to do one of these pages? I haven’t read anything about him, so I don’t know if he used assistants, his techniques, etc.
McCay, from all reports, just sat down and drew. It was as if he was inking pencil drawings nobody else saw (a description I’ve borrowed from Warner animator Robert McKimson, who was similarly gifted). He had a photographic memory. One time he got to the office and the editor was loudly complaining that nobody could get him a picture of a new piece of equipment the fire department had just bought. McCay drew it then and there, having walked past where they were testing it on his way in.
I’ve looked at some of his originals, at an exhibition in a Newark museum (full of great comic artists). They’re large, even bigger than the size they were printed at, and they show no signs of hesitation or second thoughts. It doesn’t look as if he pencilled, and the only one that had white paint (the correction fluid of the day) on it had it in a pattern that seems to indicate a spill from an ink bottle that had to be painted out.
Have a look at his later political cartoons—remarkable compositions and concepts, unfortunately illustrating rather banal editorials from Hearst or his chosen ghostwriters.
He also drew the earliest animation that still looks good. There were others before him, but their work looks childish next to the solid forms and eye-filling detail. For at least some of his animated work, he had assistants, but they only drew (or traced) the backgrounds that had to be the same in frame after frame.
Truly a remarkable genius!Last month I went to a museum exhibition: “Watch me move”, about the 150 years of animation, where you can see his early works, among many other pioneers, including of course the short wich gives name to the exhibition, and The Sinking of The Lusithania.Excellent exhibition.Very good sample of animation works, from Lumiere and Mellies to McCay, Disney, Flescher, Hanna-Barbera, Tezuka, Soviet Block works , to anime and independent animated shorts.If it goes to your city by all means go see it. Just take a lot of time,or you wont be able to see it all.
Pirate Mike creator about 9 years ago
Does anyone know approximately how much time it took McCay to do one of these pages? I haven’t read anything about him, so I don’t know if he used assistants, his techniques, etc.
Kip W about 9 years ago
McCay, from all reports, just sat down and drew. It was as if he was inking pencil drawings nobody else saw (a description I’ve borrowed from Warner animator Robert McKimson, who was similarly gifted). He had a photographic memory. One time he got to the office and the editor was loudly complaining that nobody could get him a picture of a new piece of equipment the fire department had just bought. McCay drew it then and there, having walked past where they were testing it on his way in.
I’ve looked at some of his originals, at an exhibition in a Newark museum (full of great comic artists). They’re large, even bigger than the size they were printed at, and they show no signs of hesitation or second thoughts. It doesn’t look as if he pencilled, and the only one that had white paint (the correction fluid of the day) on it had it in a pattern that seems to indicate a spill from an ink bottle that had to be painted out.
Have a look at his later political cartoons—remarkable compositions and concepts, unfortunately illustrating rather banal editorials from Hearst or his chosen ghostwriters.
He also drew the earliest animation that still looks good. There were others before him, but their work looks childish next to the solid forms and eye-filling detail. For at least some of his animated work, he had assistants, but they only drew (or traced) the backgrounds that had to be the same in frame after frame.
nailer Premium Member about 9 years ago
Truly a remarkable genius!Last month I went to a museum exhibition: “Watch me move”, about the 150 years of animation, where you can see his early works, among many other pioneers, including of course the short wich gives name to the exhibition, and The Sinking of The Lusithania.Excellent exhibition.Very good sample of animation works, from Lumiere and Mellies to McCay, Disney, Flescher, Hanna-Barbera, Tezuka, Soviet Block works , to anime and independent animated shorts.If it goes to your city by all means go see it. Just take a lot of time,or you wont be able to see it all.
Lanin Thomasma about 9 years ago
The Lusithania is one of the most striking pieces of animation I’ve ever seen.
Stickmaker about 9 years ago
Oh, the irony! Flip teaching someone how to “behave”! :-)