Tony Sarg was a puppeteer, cartoonist, and illustrator who is best known for creating the first helium-filled balloons used in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He was born in Germany in 1880 and moved to the United States in 1904. He was an innovator in the field of puppetry and created the Tony Sarg Marionettes, which were popular in the 1920s and 1930s. He also wrote several books about puppetry and was a frequent guest on television shows. He died in 1942.