The Monday Tilley Watch takes a glancing look at the art and artists of the latest issue of The New Yorker
The Cover: reflecting the issue’s theme: Fall Style & Design
The Cartoonists And Cartoons:
Fifteen cartoons, fifteen cartoonists.
Four duos, that we know of (the Spill counts duos as one cartoonist). At the very least, these four duos tie the record for known duo appearances in one issue (there are some cartoonists who prefer not to publicize that they work with an idea person).
Two newbies: Amelia Cossentino, and Kyle Bravo. They are the 12th and 13th cartoonists brought into the magazine’s cartoonist stadium this year, and the 138th and 139th cartoonists added since Emma Allen took the cartoon editor reins in May of 2017.
The longest active cartoonist in this issue is Roz Chast, who began contributing in July of 1978 (Sam Gross, who began contributing to The New Yorker in 1969, passed away in May of this year).
To see this week’s cartoons go here
The Cartoon Caption Contest Cartoonists: Avi Steinberg, Frank Cotham, Mick Stevens
To see this week’s caption contest cartoon go here.
The Rea Irvin Talk Watch:
In May of 2017, the below design by Rea Irvin — a perfection that ran for 92 years — was replaced by, if you can believe it, a redrawn version. The Spill continues to hope that Mr. Irvin’s work returns.
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.