George Gately Gallagher (December 21, 1928 – September 30, 2001), better known as George Gately, was an American cartoonist, notable as the creator of the popular Heathcliff comic strip.Born in Queens Village, Queens, Gately came from a family of comics lovers. His father was an amateur doodler, and his elder brother John was also a cartoonist. He grew up and went to school in Bergenfield, New Jersey.Gately studied art at Pratt Institute.