The Monday Tilley Watch takes a glancing look at the art and artists of the latest issue of The New Yorker
The Cover: A cat in a store
The Cartoonists And Cartoons:
Sixteen cartoons, seventeen cartoonists (Roz Chast has a “Sketchbook”). Three duos, that we know of (the Spill counts duos as one cartoonist). No newbies. Ms. Chast, who began contributing to the magazine in July of 1978 is the longest active contributor in this issue.
To see this week’s cartoons go here.
This Week’s Caption Contest Cartoonist: Elisabeth McNair
To see the Caption Contest Cartoons go here.
The Rea Irvin Talk Watch:
Back in May of 2017, Rea Irvin’s 92 year old Talk Of The Town heading (shown below) was 86ed and replaced by — no joke! — a redrawn version. The Spill is ever hopeful the iconic design will return.
To read more, go 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): 163. Number of cartoons contributed: 261.