Sam Gross: 1933-2023
The community of New Yorker artists has been hit hard these past six months with the passing of our colleagues Lee Lorenz, Edward Koren, Bruce Petty, and Bruce McCall. This sad spell continues with the news that Sam Gross died on Saturday.
Sam began contributing to The New Yorker in the summer of 1969, but unlike so many newbie New Yorker cartoonists of that era who were bundled into the “New Yorker cartoonist” blanket, Sam’s true home seemed to be The National Lampoon. It was, after all, The Lampoon (which premiered in April 1970, less than half a year after Sam’s New Yorker debut) that published his most famous drawing, and it was The Lampoon that published the wildest Grossian material (this is not to say that The New Yorker didn’t run a good percentage of classic Gross drawings). His work, no matter how outrageous, was always funny. It was the outrageousness itself that made for explosive laughter. He knew this, and, when passing his work around a table of other cartoonists, he’d sit with a delighted look on his face — just a small grin, not a smile — as the laughter thundered. I’m not sure there has been another cartoonist who showed us so gleefully what we ourselves would likely not attempt — and probably would never want to. It was all Sam’s territory, that work on the outer outer cartoon fringes.
Anyone who spent time with Sam found him to be an interesting blend of outspoken, kind, opinionated, and barrel-full of tales of the old days. All of this roiled around anytime one spoke with him. Oh, and I left out funny. Ofttimes — most times! — he hurled the f-bomb. I have not yet met a cartoonist who did not do an impersonation of him. The ingredients are as follows: a fast talking delivery, in a low gravelly voice, accompanied by a slew of f-bombs.
The world of cartoon collections was enriched by Sam’s stewardship of a series published over the years (including Cats! Cats! Cats!, Food! Food! Food!, and Dogs! Dogs! Dogs!).That part of him that retained the bookkeeping DNA of his younger days made sure to keep the contributors informed of every penny earned and distributed. He was fair, he was businesslike, and he expected the same from publishers of books and magazines. He was the go-to guy for cartoon contract advice, and for so many younger cartoonists, he was the go-to guy for cartoon advice in general.
If there was a Mt. Rushmore for cartoonists, Sam would of course qualify. Not just for the tremendous body of work (he kept track of, and numbered every drawing), but for his deep commitment to the art form, and to this cartoon community.
–photo at the top of the post by Robert Leighton, taken the day Sam visited Spill headquarters with a bunch of New Yorker cartoonists following a visit to a book store. In the photo Sam’s looking at a collection of drawings by Peter Arno
_______________________________________________________________________
More Gross:
— The Spill will list obits, as well as articles and tributes from Sam’s colleagues as they appear.
From The New York Times, May 10, 2023, “Sam Gross, 89, Dies; Prolific Purveyor Of Cartoons, Tasteful And Otherwise” (by Daniel E. Slotnik)
From The Washington Post, May 9, 2023: “Two Funny New Yorker Artists Lured Us Into Their Mind-Bending Worlds” (by Michael Cavna. Mr. Cavna writes about both Sam Gross and Bruce McCall).
From The Washington Post, May 9, 2023: “Sam Gross, Cartoonist Of ‘Radical Honesty,'” Dies At 89 (an obit by Michael S. Rosenwald).
From The New Yorker‘s Cartoon Editor, Emma Allen, May 8, 2023, “Sam Gross Was Funny To The End”
From New Yorker cartoonist, Bob Eckstein’s blog, The Bob, May 8, 2023, “Sam Gross 1933-2023: A Tribute To My Mentor”
From New Yorker cartoonist, Jason Chatfield’s blog, New York Cartoons, May 7, 2023, “Sam Gross: The Most Absurdly Funny Gag Cartoonist To Ever Wield A Pen”
More & More Gross:
Gil Roth’s 2014 Interview With Sam Gross
The Cartoon Pad’s Interview With Sam Gross (the interviewers are Sam’s New Yorker colleagues Michael Shaw and Bob Eckstein)
A good profile: “Sex, Death, and Frog’s Legs: Sam Gross” found in Richard Gehr’s I Only Read It For The Funny (New Harvest, 2014)
Some Gross Cartoon Collections:
Directly Above: Sam’s first cartoon collection, 1956.
Truly a brilliant, fantastically funny and original cartoonist. We were lucky to know him.
Couldn’t have put this any better:
“ His work, no matter how outrageous, was always funny. It was the outrageousness itself that made for explosive laughter. He knew this, and, when passing his work around a table of other cartoonists, he’d sit with a delighted look on his face –just a small grin, not a smile — as the laughter thundered. I’m not sure there has been another cartoonist who showed us so gleefully what we ourselves would likely not attempt — and probably would never want to. It was all Sam’s territory, that work on the outer outer cartoon fringes.”
Lovely tribute, Michael. Paul Noth put it very well: “If you were a cartoonist, Sam Gross had your back.”
…And if you edited a humor magazine, too. I already miss him.
Wow – thanks for the tribute – He was one of the best – My favorites were his “frog legs” and the dog wanting his testicles back at Heaven’s Gate (which I understood Morley Safer also liked).
Très triste, Sam Gross comme Gahan Wilson, Chas Addams, Saul Steinberg ou James Thurber, des dessinateurs américains qui m’ont le plus influencé. Je me souviens de l’avoir rencontré à Paris, avec son épouse et Michelle sa fille. Nous avions fait des photocopies de ses cartoons dans une boutique de Saint-Germain-des-prés. J’en garde un beau souvenir.
Very sad, Sam Gross like Gahan Wilson, Chas Addams, Saul Steinberg or James Thurber, American cartoonists who influenced me the most. I remember meeting him in Paris, with his wife and Michelle his daughter. We had made photocopies of his cartoons in a shop in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I have a fond memory of it.
Sam was a hell of a cartoonist and a really great person! I glad to have talked and corresponded with him. He will surely be missed.