Michael Tisserand, author of Krazy: George Herriman, A Life In Black and White, has reviewed Liana Finck’s latest book as well as Pia Guerra’s for The Chicago Tribune. Read it here.
Ms. Finck began contributing to The New Yorker in 2013. PPia Guerra began contributing to The New Yorker in 2017.
Interview of Interest: Peter Kuper On Gil Roth’s “Virtual Memories” Podcast
The very talented, very busy Peter Kuper is the subject of Gil Roth’s latest podcast. Hear it here.
Mr. Kuper began contributing to The New Yorker in 2011.
Mr. Roth has interviewed a slew of cartoonists over the years, many of them New Yorker artists. Here’s his comics & cartooning list.
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Attempted Bloggery Examines B&N’s New Yorker Encyclopedia Of Cartoons “Exclusive Edition”
Here’s Attempted Bloggery taking a look at what’s exclusive about B&N’s “Exclusive Edition” of the weighty New Yorker Encyclopedia Of Cartoons.
An interesting cover this week, reminiscent of Arthur Getz‘s great city landscapes: a dark city view with a small area of bright lights slicing through. That contrast of dark with dramatic light was close to a Getzian specialty (similar scenes were also beautifully painted by a number of other New Yorker artists through the years). If you can, get hold of The Complete Book of Covers From The New Yorker (Knopf, 1989) — you won’t regret it.
For more on the current cover, you can read about the artist, Pascal Campion here.
The Cartoons/Cartoonists:
Some cartoons of note in this issue:
The solid drawing on page 22 of two couples about to cross paths on a suspended narrow rope bridge marks Hartley Lin‘s cartoon debut in the magazine.
As happily the case with Lars Kenseth‘s work, his stone man on page 30 is something outside the norm.
Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell‘s cinematic post-party drawing on page 51 is terrific, as is Olivia de Recat’s Alarmist Clock on page 63.
On page 59, another cartoonist’s New Yorker debut: Karl Stevens.
Mr. Lin and Mr. Stevens are the first new New Yorker cartoonists of 2019, and the 25th and 26th new cartoonists making their debut in the magazine since Emma Allen became the New Yorker‘s cartoon editor in May of 2017.
…before I turn out the lights on this post, let us not forget that Rea Irvin’s beautiful Talk masthead (below) is still in storage. Read all about it here.
Guess I’ll add this to my wish list: the Chinese edition of Thurber’s My Life and Hard Times, originally published by Harper & Brothers in 1933. The Chinese edition, published in December of 2018, uses Thurber’s drawing of Bolenciecwcz, the main character from chapter eight’s University Days (the drawing as it appears within the book is full page and carries the caption, Bolenciecwcz was trying to think). The Chinese edition cover drawing has been altered with the addition of what looks to be a red flower.
You see on the cover a mention of the 1960 Tony Awards. The play, A Thurber Carnival won a special award that year. Thurber himself accepted. See it on Youtube, beginning at the 22:36 mark as Eddie Albert brings on Thurber’s dear friend, Elliot Nugent, to introduce Thurber.
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More Price On Attempted Bloggery
Attempted Bloggery celebrates its 2800th post with a look at a George Price drawing auctioned for a song. See it here.
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Looking Closely At The New Yorker Issue Of January 4, 1930
Another go-to site, A New Yorker State of Mind digs deep into the issue of January 4, 1930. The spectacular cover by the spectacular Rea Irvin. Read it all here.
An Al Ross Exhibit!
Exciting news of an exhibit of work by the late great New Yorker cartoonist, Al Ross at the Gallery @ The Falcon, January 20, 2019, from 3-5pm. Here’s the entire press release:
Gallery@TheFalcon invites the public to join the family of legendary cartoonist and artist, AL ROSS, for wine and small bites. Ross’s son – renowned “TELEMASTER” guitarist Arlen Roth, and granddaughter, singer-songwriter, Lexie Roth will be hosting.
Born Abraham Roth in Romania, Al Ross (1911-2012) was one of the great cartoonists of the “Golden Era” of cartooning and illustration, primarily known for his seminal work in The New Yorker Magazine from 1937 to 2012. Ross’s droll cartoons featuring married couples, bar habitués, anthropomorphic animals, philosophizing prisoners, art and publishing world denizens, anachronistic mythological figures and loyal Mets fans appeared in The New Yorker for more than 60 years.
Ross’s work was featured, as well, in the world’s most respected magazines; Esquire, Playboy, The Saturday Evening Post, The New York Times, Paris Match, Du Magazine, Colliers, Life, and Look among others.
“…he mastered the wry, arched-eyebrow sensibility of the magazine’s cartoons, and its signature wit, which speaks to an affluent, sophisticated readership and relies partly on erudition, partly on timeliness, partly on psychological astuteness and partly on silliness.” – Bruce Weber, The New York Times
Arriving in America in 1922, Ross and his three brothers – all soccer players with artistic ability, and great senses of humor – began cartooning and studied drawing at the Art Students League. “They were always carrying on, almost like the Marx brothers.”
Ross’s wife, Sylvia Heller, started the Rothco cartoon agency, an expansion of the cartoon bank started by Ben Roth, establishing a secondary market for published cartoons. Al Ross’s books of cartoons included titles – a product of those times – such as ,“Sexcapades: The Love Life of the Modern Homo Sapiens“, and the guide “Cartooning Fundamentals.”
His painting, though lesser known than his cartoons, was his true passion and has been part of important collections around the world. He was a tireless creative force, turning out countless oil paintings, collages, drawings, sculptures, and of course, cartoons throughout his lifetime, from his art studio in NYC.
Of his influences, the most prevalent were Picasso, DeKooning, Roualt, Braque, Miro, Rothko, Cezanne, Matisse, John Graham, and Rodin. In the 1940’s, he studied with German-born American painter, the renowned Hans Hoffman, who in his long career preceded and influenced Abstract Expressionism, through his teaching at the Art Students League in New York City.
Ross is the father of renowned guitarist, Arlen Roth, who has played at The Falcon numerous times, also with Arlen’s daughter, Lexie Roth, who is a singer-songwriter, actress and chef.. It is Al Ross, who encouraged and envisioned his son Arlen becoming a guitar player and he also inspired David Roth, his eldest son, to follow his footsteps and become an artist as well.
We hope that all who see this exhibition get a chance to see and reflect upon a brilliant life of work, art, humor, family and love that is Al Ross’ true legacy.
— My thanks to Lexie Roth and Paul Karasik for bringing the above information to my attention.
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The Tilley Watch Online, The Week Of January 7-11, 2019
Contributors to the Daily Cartoon this week: Jason Adam Katzenstein, Emma Hunsinger, Lila Ash, Kim Warp, and Karl Stevens (an online New Yorker cartoonist).
New Yorker cartoonists contributing to Daily Shouts this week: Jason Adam Katzenstein (with Aubrey Nolan), , Emily Flake, Ellis Rosen & Colin Stokes, Sharon Levy.
To see all the above work and more go here.
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The ratings are in! Go see what “Max” and “Simon” have to say about all the cartoons in the January 14th, 2019 New Yorker .
