The Dude That Created Shrek Died

[moe.ron]

Cartoon creator of Shrek dies at 95

New York
October 6, 2003

American illustrator William Steig, creator of the green monster Shrek and dozens of other cartoon characters, has died aged 95.

The man Newsweek magazine dubbed the "King of Cartoons" died of natural causes on Friday night at his Boston apartment, his agent Holly McGhee said.

Steig created the grouchy yet gentle Shrek for a children's book in 1990. Eleven years later, the movie Shrek became an international hit, bringing in $US268 million ($A392.1 million) in the United States alone and winning the 2002 Oscar for best animated film.

Steig's first job as a cartoonist was at The New Yorker, where he was hired seven decades ago. He went on to draw animal and fantasy figures that appeared in more than 1600 drawings and nearly 120 cover illustrations for the highly respected magazine.