George Gately

George Gately was the professional name of George Gately Gallagher, an American cartoonist born on December 21, 1928, in Queens Village, New York. He is best remembered as the creator of the long-running comic strip *Heathcliff*. Gately grew up in Bergenfield, New Jersey, in a household that encouraged his interest in drawing—his father was an amateur doodler, and his older brother, John, also became a cartoonist. After studying art at the Pratt Institute, he spent eleven years working in advertising, a field that left him unfulfilled. Inspired by his brother's success, he began selling cartoons in 1957 and soon dropped his surname to avoid confusion with John's work.

Gately's signature creation, *Heathcliff*, debuted in 1973 and centered on a mischievous orange cat, becoming a syndicated staple in newspapers worldwide. He wrote and drew the strip for nearly three decades, with his clean, expressive style and gentle humor defining its tone. His catalog includes work on titles such as *Eppo*, *The American Legion*, and several *Heathcliff* collections. He died on September 30, 2001. While he did not receive major industry awards during his lifetime, *Heathcliff* remains his enduring legacy, later adapted into an animated television series.