 Zenas Winsor McCay ( c . 1867 – 71 or September 26 , 1869 – July 26 , 1934 ) was an American cartoonist and animator . He is best known for the comic strip Little Nemo ( 1905 – 14 ; 1924 – 26 ) and the animated film Gertie the Dinosaur ( 1914 ) . For contractual reasons , he worked under the pen name Silas on the comic strip Dream of the Rarebit Fiend . 
