Today’s Spill: Jeff Danzinger…”Some Thoughts And Remembrances” Of Edward Koren; The Monday Tilley Watch…The New Yorker Issue Of April 24 & May 1, 2023

The below letter, written by political cartoonist, Jeff Danzinger, was sent to Liza Donnelly this morning. I asked Mr. Danzinger’s permission to share it with the Spill’s readers, and he graciously obliged. My thanks to him for this wonderful piece on Ed Koren, who passed away last week. 

 

“Some thought and remembrances:
Ed Koren was my neighbor up here in Vermont, and yet, like some of us, was a more appreciative Vermonter that the native born, largely because of his Manhattan roots. His kindness was legendary and his service to the community was a great example for us all.

But he wasn’t perfect, viz. I remember a fledgling meeting of the Vermont Homebrewers Association, or club or whatever it was. This was back before home brewing was a yuppie touchstone, back in some misty year in the 1970’s. I was put in charge of judging the stouts which I did carefully and rigorously. The local brewers did not shrink from competition. Some of the stouts tasted like Guinness, some tasted like Quaker State 10W30. The event was at Ed’s property in Brookfield, Vermont, and was well-attended. It was one of those Vermont summer days that make you want to live forever.

Ed was given the job of judging the IPA’s, and this was back before anyone actually knew what IPA meant or stood for. The judging was announced and a ripple of anticipation went through the crowd. But where was his honor the judge? Ed was still on a cross country run through the woods near his place. He was late getting back and missed the judging role. Someone else, certainly less qualified, was quickly appointed. (Whispers of “fraud” and “kombina” were heard.) After the winner was announced, Ed showed up, still panting from his run. He apologized but it was too late. The damage to his reputation was done.

Thankfully this was the only example of Ed failing to perform an important civic role. In all other areas of human endeavor he was an example of reliable rectitude – the local fire brigade and so on. He wasn’t a bad cartoonist either. I’ll miss him and hoist an IPA in his memory.”

______________________________________________________________________________

The Monday Tilley Watch Takes A Glancing Look At Some Of The Art & Artists Of The Latest Issue Of The New Yorker

The Cover: Handiwork.

The Cartoonists and Cartoons: 

 Seventeen single panel cartoons in this double issue, and twenty-one cartoonists (Roz Chast has a “Sketchbook,” Bob Eckstein has a “Sketchpad” and the two caption contest cartoonists).

One duo, that we know of (the Spill counts duos as one cartoonist). Two newbies: Kit Fraser and Mo Welch, who are the 8th and 9th additions to the magazine’s cartoonist stadium this year, and the 134th and 135th additions since Emma Allen took the cartoon editor reins in May of 2017. 

The longest active cartoonist contributor in this issue is Roz Chast, whose first  New Yorker drawing appeared in July of 1978. 

See all of the single panel cartoons here. 

The Caption Contest Cartoonists: Maggie Larson, Robert Leighton, and P.C. Vey.

The Rea Irvin Talk Watch:

Regular visitors to the Spill will be familiar with seeing Rea Irvin’s Talk design (shown here) appearing weekly, on Mondays. We’re now moving into the sixth anniversary of its ousting from the space and place it occupied for 92 years. Six years! Seems like a long time, but still, never too late to bring it back home. Read more here.

Rea Irvin’s entry on the A-Z:

Rea Irvin (pictured above. Self portrait above from Meet the Artist) *Born, San Francisco, 1881; died in the Virgin Islands,1972. Irvin was the cover artist for the New Yorker’s first issue, February 21, 1925. He was the magazine’s first art and only art supervisor (some refer to him as its first art editor) holding the position from 1925 until 1939 when James Geraghty assumed the title of art editor. Irvin then became art director and remained in that position until William Shawn officially succeeded Harold Ross in early 1952. Irvin’s last original work for the magazine was the magazine’s cover of July 12, 1958. The February 21, 1925 Eustace Tilley cover had been reproduced every year on the magazine’s anniversary until 1994, when R. Crumb’s Tilley-inspired cover appeared. Tilley has since reappeared, with other artists substituting from time-to-time. Number of New Yorker covers (not including the repeat appearances of the first cover every anniversary up to 1991): 163. Number of cartoons contributed: 261.

______________________________________________________________________________