 In his drawing , McCay made bold , prodigious use of linear perspective , particularly in detailed architecture and cityscapes . He textured his editorial cartoons with copious fine hatching , and made color a central element in Little Nemo . His comic strip work has influenced generations of cartoonists and illustrators . The technical level of McCay 's animation — its naturalism , smoothness , and scale — was unmatched until Walt Disney 's feature films arrived in the 1930s . He pioneered inbetweening , the use of registration marks , cycling , and other animation techniques that were to become standard . 
