Coming this July from Ohio State University Press, A Mile And A Half of Lines: The Art Of James Thurber.
Edited by Michael Rosen, with contributions from Rosemary Thurber, Liza Donnelly, Seymour Chwast, Ian Frazier, and yours truly.
From the publisher:
Humorist, cartoonist, writer, playwright. James Thurber was to the twentieth century what Mark Twain was to the nineteenth. At one point, his books were the most read of any American in the world. His work could be found anywhere—from the pages of the New Yorker to the pages of children’s books, from illustrated advertisements to tea towels and dresses. Now, in celebration of the 125th anniversary of Thurber’s birth, A Mile and a Half of Lines: The Art of James Thurber is a long overdue introduction and reintroduction to James Thurber and the artwork that fundamentally changed American cartoons. Including some 260 drawings, this collection is the first comprehensive focus on his work as an artist, a cartoonist, and an illustrator.
Coinciding with the first major retrospective of Thurber’s art presented by the Columbus Museum of Art in 2019, A Mile and a Half of Lines showcases both classic Thurber as well as visual material never before seen in print.
Here’s James Thurber’s entry on Ink Spill‘s New Yorker Cartoonists A-Z:
James Thurber Born, Columbus, Ohio, December 8, 1894. Died 1961, New York City. New Yorker work: 1927 -1961, with several pieces run posthumously. According to the New Yorker’s legendary editor, William Shawn, “In the early days, a small company of writers, artists, and editors — E.B. White, James Thurber, Peter Arno, and Katharine White among them — did more to make the magazine what it is than can be measured.”
Key cartoon collection: The Seal in the Bedroom and Other Predicaments (Harper & Bros., 1932). Key anthology (writings & drawings): The Thurber Carnival (Harper & Row, 1945). There have been a number of Thurber biographies. Burton Bernstein’s Thurber (Dodd, Mead, 1975) and Harrison Kinney’s James Thurber: His Life and Times (Henry Holt & Co., 1995) are essential. A short bio appears on the Thurber House website: http://www.thurberhouse.org/about-james-thurber/
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Video of Interest: Liza Donnelly
Liza Donnelly was just out in Silicon Valley live-drawing at the Global Women In Data Science Conference. A short video here about her work.
Ms. Donnelly began contributing to The New Yorker in 1982. Here’s her website.
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Radio Interview of Interest: Bob Eckstein
A lot of fun snowman talk in this half -hour radio interview with Mr. Eckstein, who has been contributing to The New Yorker since 2007. (scroll down to February 13, 2019).
Mr. Eckstein is also the editor of this upcoming cartoon anthology:
Link here to Bob Eckstein’s website.
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Radio Interview of Interest: Roz Chast
From WBAI (NYC), March 6, 2019, this hour-long interview with Roz Chast.
Ms. Chast began contributing to The New Yorker in 1978. Here’s her website.
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Chris Ware In School
From Skidmore College, March 6, 2019, “Cartoonist Chris Ware Talks Art careers” — Mr. Ware began contributing to The New Yorker in 1999.
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Today’s Daily Cartoon
Facebook is the subject of today’s Daily, courtesy of cartoonist Farley Katz. Mr. Katz began contributing to The New Yorker in 2007. Here’s his website.
