The Monday Tilley Watch takes a glancing look at the art and artists of the latest issue of The New Yorker
The Cartoonists and Cartoons:
Fourteen cartoonists, fourteen cartoons. No newbies, and no duos, that we know of. The longest contributing cartoonist in the issue is Roz Chast, whose first drawing appeared in the magazine dated July 3, 1978.
Nice to be back to a new issue after the double issue break.
This week’s cartoons (in a slideshow).
This week’s Cartoon Caption Contest.
The Rea Irvin Talk Watch:
Way back in 2017 the above 92 year old perfect Talk design by Rea Irvin was ditched for — if you can believe it! — a redrawn version by a contemporary illustrator. The Spill continues to hope Mr. Irvin’s work returns despite it beginning to look like the powers that be might be serious about hanging on to the imitation. Read more here.
Rea Irvin’s A-Z Entry:
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): 179. Number of cartoons contributed: 261.