The Cover: A NYC subway situation, by Luci Gutierrez.
The Cartoonists:
The Cartoons:
Every first run through the cartoons in the latest issue of The New Yorker I feel as if I’m browsing the goods behind glass in a pastry shop’s display case, appreciating the variety, before beginning to narrow down which one to select, if in the buying mood. In this new issue, a number of pastries caught my eye. In no particular order here are some favorites.
…Sofia Warren’s four part color piece (it’s on page 36) fits nicely in the New Yorker school of cartoons that go beyond eliciting a laugh, capturing a lovely moment. An earlier example of one of those moments is Arnie Levin’s classic multi-panel New Yorker drawing, “It’s only the wind” from September 18, 1978 (it originally ran across the top of two facing pages, four panels to a page):
…Christopher Weyant’s drawing on page 40, of a fellow leaving his blimp at a parking garage, is a text book example of the classic New Yorker one-two punch cartoon (as defined by Peter Arno).
…On page 22 you’ll find Danny Shanahan’s terrific drawing of cats with a tech problem.
…A perfect look on the guy’s face who’s tasting olive oil in Lars Kenseth’s cartoon (p. 42). As mentioned on the Spill not long ago, veteran New Yorker cartoonist Henry Martin once said to me that certain cartoonists “draw funny” — it was meant as a compliment. Mr. Kenseth draws funny.
…The woman standing beside Liana Finck’s former dog walker (p.55) ever-so-slightly echoes Edward Gorey’s elongated figures. Ms. Finck’s drawings remind me, in a way, of Michael Shaw’s — the lines delivered as if direct from the muse.
…also in the issue: Insecure(?) Gods (by Hartley Lin), an update on Dolly, the cloned sheep (Navied Mahdavian), criminals in an alleyway (Frank Cotham), a comet denier dinosaur (Jessica Olien), trash in space (Roz Chast), a couple in basement counting babysitter money (Amy Hwang), a doctor’s brainy children (Paul Noth), and a possible game changer (Liam Walsh).
The Rea Irvin Talk Masthead Watch: A–gasp!– redraw of Rea Irvin’s iconic Talk masthead design has been in place since the Spring of 2017.
If granted three cartoon wishes, one of them would be the return of Mr. Irvin’s work to its home of 92 years. Read about the switcheroo here.
The missing masthead appears below.
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David Salle Incorporates Arno Drawings
From Creative Boom, January 20, 2020, “Vibrant paintings inspired by advertising and cartoons from The New Yorker in the 1950s” — this piece on David Salle (fabulously!) incorporating Peter Arno drawings within his paintings.
Shown above: Mr. Salle’s “A Night In The Sky With Friends”
Peter Kuper on Trump’s defense. 
Blitt’s Kvetchbook
Finck’s Dear Pepper
Video Of Interest: Ivan Brunetti, Chris Ware, And “Peanuts Papers” Editor, Andrew Blauner
A Case For Pencils Spotlights Evan Lian
