Colonel Heeza Liar was the first recurring character in an animated series. Heeza Liar was based loosely off of Theodore Roosevelt and the stereotype that surrounded the 19th and early 20th century adventurer and lion hunter. The series featuring Colonel Heeza Liar was published from 1913 to 1917, and then was picked back up in 1922 until 1924. When the series was restarted, it was featured in live-action segments with interactive animation.

The director of the series was Vernon Stallings who also created the Krazy Kat shorts. Stallings was an American animation director and writer, who eventually made it big and worked for Disney studios on films such as Dumbo, Bambi, and Fantasia.