Something from the Spill’s Archive, originally published in December of 2013, expanded in 2016, with an additional passage added today.
I have a fondness for Carl Rose’s New Yorker work: 543 cartoons and 4 covers in 46 years, from 1925 through 1971. The affection was compounded by reading his one and only collection, One Dozen Roses (Random House, 1946). This is not a standard cartoon collection — it’s peppered with Rose’s essays on cartoon themes. Especially of interest is “An Artist’s Best Friend is His Editor” — Rose’s take on Harold Ross.
Mr. Rose will forever be linked to E.B. White for the December 8, 1928 New Yorker cartoon of the mother saying to her child, “It’s broccoli, dear.” and the child responding, “I say it’s spinach, and I say the hell with it.”
And for Rose’s New York Times obituary (June 22, 1971) E.B. White told The New York Times:
“The spinach drawing came in with a caption that he (Rose) put on it — some entirely different thing.”
Here’s what Carl Rose submitted (according to Rose’s One Dozen Roses):
“Mother, if I eat my spinach, may I have some chocolate pudding?”
“No, dear, there isn’t any chocolate pudding today.”
“Well, then, the hell with the spinach.”
Mr.White’s re-write gets the gold star, but you have to admit that White’s caption clearly spring-boarded off of Rose’s caption.
Carl Rose’s entry on the Spill‘s A-Z:
Carl Rose (photo above) Born, New York City; died, Rowayton, Ct., June 20, 1971, age 68. New Yorker work: 1925 – 1971. Collection; One Dozen Roses (Random House, 1946). Note: this collection contains essays by Rose on cartoon themes. Especially of interest is his essay concerning Harold Ross, “An Artist’s Best Friend is His Editor”. Carl Rose will forever be linked to E.B. White for the December 8, 1928 New Yorker cartoon of the mother saying to her child, “It’s broccoli, dear.” and the child responding, “I say it’s spinach, and I say the hell with it.” The drawing was by Rose, the caption was adapted by White from Rose’s original idea. Rose also had a Thurber connection. In 1932, Rose submitted a drawing captioned, “Touche!” of two fencers, one of whom has just cut off the head of the other. Harold Ross ( according to Thurber in The Years With Ross) thinking the Rose version “too bloody” suggested Thurber do the drawing because “Thurber’s people have no blood. You can put their heads back on and they’re as good as new.” The drawing appeared December 3, 1932.