William Donahey

Born on October 19, 1883, William Donahey was an American cartoonist, illustrator, and children's author. He is best remembered as the creator of The Teenie Weenies, a cast of two-inch-high characters whose adventures appeared in the Chicago Tribune and later in books that introduced the series to generations of young readers.

Donahey's work stood out for its playful imagination and visual charm. The Teenie Weenies lived in a miniature world built from everyday objects, and that simple idea gave him endless room for comedy, mishaps, and invention. His blend of comic-strip storytelling and children's fantasy helped make the series especially enduring.

He died on February 1, 1970. Though many early newspaper features faded from memory, Donahey's tiny characters remained his signature creation, and they still capture interest as a distinctive piece of American comic and children's literature history.