This week’s cover by David Hockney, artiste!
First order of business: for those hoping that Rea Irvin’s classic Talk Of The Town masthead would suddenly pop up for Spring: alas, such is not the case. Here’s what it looks like, lest we forget:
And below is the barely one year old re-do. Irvin’s classic wins by a knock-out.
Last week in this space it was mentioned that illustration in that week’s issue seemed to be everywhere. This week is the same, but more so. I count 20 illustrations/photographs, including a double-page spread as well as two full pages. You might wonder why this is even mentioned. I trace it back to (some) cartoonists’ sensitivity surrounding the arrival of New York magazine. It made liberal use of illustration and photography — a model that spawned a flotilla of like-designed publications. There was not a cartoon in sight.
It’s interesting watching the Monday Tilley Watch trying to find its footing. It began lightheartedly as a breezy look through each new issue, commenting on the cartoons (but not criticizing them). I’ve found, as each new issue presents itself, that there are sometimes cartoons that don’t work (for me) or that escape me (which actually is the same as not working for me). But what’s always been the most fun is coming across a cartoon that is so good its energy comes off the page or screen. I came across two in this current issue: Liana Finck’s and Bruce Eric Kaplan’s. Ms. Finck’s drawing of a sun going off to work is in Steig territory. Mr. Kaplan’s drawing is slice of life from the school of classic New Yorker cartoons. Very good solid work.
— See you next week