The Cover: Play ball!…or…ball in play! A graphically pleasing cover by Mark Ulriksen. Read about it here.
The Cartoonists: 
Note: Brooke Bourgeois is making her New Yorker print debut. Ms. Bourgeois is the 7th new cartoonist added to the stable this year and the 31st added under cartoon editor Emma Allen’s watch.
The Cartoons: The Spill spotlight falls on three of this week’s cartoons.
Lars Kenseth‘s couple on a stroll (p. 37). Cat’s been out of the bag since a summer of 2017 Spill piece that I’m a fan of Mr. Kenseth’s Deodorant roll-on people. I simply like seeing them, and enjoy the world they inhabit. In this particular drawing the triangular pockets on the fellow’s shirt add to the Kenseth-world fun.
Jose Arroyo‘s UFO drawing (p.56). I love a good UFO drawing. This is an excellent addition to the canon. The drawing of the fellow being taken up into the spaceship is terrific, as is the caption.
Ed Steed‘s Repair Shop (p.51). Mr. Steed goes basic here, and it works beautifully.
The Illustrations (used as an umbrella term to cover drawings and photographs): I’ll just say there are a lot, including 5 1/2 full pages.
Lastly: No, Rea Irvin’s iconic Talk masthead has not yet returned. Below, the real deal.
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Book Events Of Interest This Week
April 9th, in Manhattan:
A quartet of New Yorker cartoonists: Bob Eckstein with Robert Leighton, Marisa Acocella, and Barbara Smaller. Info on poster, and here.
And, in Manhattan, April 9th, A Live Podcast:
The podcasting duo of Jason Chatfield and Scott Dooley go live. Info here.
Mr. Chatfield began contributing to The New Yorker in 2017. Visit his website here. Mr. Dooley has contributed to newyorker.com. His website here.
And More Chatfield: A piece on Medium posted April 7, 2019, “The Ten-Step Process of Preparing a Weekly Batch of Cartoons for The New Yorker” (perhaps should’ve been titled “Jason Chatfield’s Ten-Step Process of Preparing a Weekly Batch of Cartoons for The New Yorker”).
April 10th, in Manhattan:
A duo: Mark Alan Stamaty, celebrating the anniversary reissue of MacDoodle Street, with Liana Finck. Info here.
April 10th, in Rhinebeck, NY:
Another quartet of New Yorker cartoonists: Bob Eckstein with Danny Shanahan, Liza Donnelly, and myself. Info on poster, and here.
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Today’s Daily Cartoonist/Cartoon
Today’s Daily, about this now-brief pre-Game of Thrones moment in time, is by Lila Ash. Ms. Ash began contributing to The New Yorker in December of 2018. Visit her website here.
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Today’s Daily Shouts
“Touristy Things I Still Do After Five Years Of Living in New York” by J.A.K. (or Jason Adam Katzenstein — your call!) along with Julia Rothman. Mr. K. began contributing to The New Yorker in 2014.
