Hearst animation studio International Film Service began in December 1915 , and brought Hearst cartoonists to the screen . McCay was initially listed as one of them , but the studio never produced anything either by his hands or featuring his creations . McCay derived satisfaction from doing the work himself . Begun in 1916 , '' The Sinking of the Lusitania '' was his follow-up to '' Gertie '' . The film was not a fantasy but a detailed , realistic recreation of the 1915 German torpedoing of the RMS '' Lusitania '' . The event counted 128 Americans among its 1,198 dead , and was a factor leading to the American entry into World War I
1915 German torpedoing
Sinking of the RMS Lusitania
Winsor McCay