William Steig was an American cartoonist, sculptor, and author of children's books. He is best known for creating the character Shrek, which was later adapted into a successful animated film series. Steig was born in New York City in 1907 and studied at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League. He began his career as a cartoonist in the 1930s, working for The New Yorker magazine. He wrote and illustrated more than 30 books, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1969). He died in 2003 at the age of 95.