Tag: Emma Allen

The Monday Tilley Watch, The New Yorker Issue Of July 20, 2020

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Looking at the new issue I felt a bit like “Vacuum Man” from the Beatles animated film Yellow Submarine — you know, the creature who sucks up everything around it, including itself.  After what seemed like eternity during the double issue two week span, I was eager to in-take and take-in the cartoons.

Left: Vacuum Man is the guy pictured resting on the bookshelf (yes, I have a toy Vacuum Man — why not?).

The Cover: A serene cover from Richard McGuire.  I was thinking it works well now during this weird time we’re in, but it could also work anytime…so an evergreen. The horizontal pink ever so slightly recalls and reminds of the pink in the clouds on Rea Irvin’s classic first New Yorker cover, or maybe I’m just sensing things. Read Francoise Mouly’s Q&A with the artist here.

The Cartoonists:

A Henry Martin cartoon leads off the issue in recognition of Mr. Martin’s death the week before last. Read more about him here, here, and here.

Paperwork first: a newbie. Lucas Adams, is the eleventh new cartoonist added to the magazine’s stable this year and the sixty-fourth added since Emma Allen became cartoon editor in May of 2017.

A number of this week’s cartoons caught my attention. I’ll begin with Bruce Eric Kaplan’s one influencer drawing (found on page 32). I begin with it because it elicited, from me, a rare out loud laugh. This isn’t to say I don’t usually laugh at good cartoons, I do — but generally it’s a perfectly acceptable inside laugh. Anyway, good stuff from Mr. Kaplan, one of our modern greats. …Barbara Smaller’s caption (on her drawing, page 20) is right up there as well. It reminds me, in general, of great captions by the likes of Lee Lorenz, Robert Weber, and Frank Modell.  Love it… Lars Kenseth’s eruption drawing (page 38)  is a hoot or a howl, or a hahaha– (you know what I mean)… Victoria Robert’s wash that man right out of my hair drawing (page 42) is terrific… really enjoyed Liana Finck’s shining armor drawing, as well as Ed Steed’s attacking hot dogs. Such good stuff… Further applause for P.C. Vey’s people on a desert island (the way he’s drawn the people: hysterical)… and Jeremy Nguyen’s panda drawing: my favorite Nguyen drawing ever (so far).

Lastly, really enjoyed Paul Noth’s bedtime story drawing. If anyone ever does a New Yorker Book Of Mob Cartoons, this is a natural for inclusion.

Here’s the magazine’s slideshow of the issue’s cartoons (seeing them in the magazine is really the better way to go, but if you’re in a hurry, this’ll do).

The Rea Irvin Talk Masthead Watch:

The above was replaced by a redraw(!) in 2017… Read about Rea Irvin’s classic Talk heading here.

 

 

 

 

 

The Weekend Spill: New Addition To The Spill Library; The Tilley Watch Online; Videos (And An App) Of Interest: Liza Donnelly Exhibit At The Norman Rockwell Museum

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New Addition To The Spill Library

Part of the Spill‘s (self charged) charge is to keep in mind all those cartoonists who have been and are part of The New Yorker, not just the names up in lights. Larry Reynolds, having contributed to several of the biggest magazines of his day (including Collier’s, and The Saturday Evening Post) also had three drawings in The New Yorker.  In the July 1st Spill post I showed you a collection of his ongoing character, Butch, who appeared in Collier’s.  Above is the only other example (to my knowledge) of Reynolds’ work in book form. Lines Of Least Resistance, published in 1941 by E.P. Dutton & company, Inc., contains work from all three of the magazines just mentioned as well as drawings from Elks Magazine.  If my count is correct, there are 24 of his drawings in the book, plus the cover and back cover (3 drawings found in the book).

In the drawing shown above you clearly see a Gluyas Williams influence in his work — old man Kelly and two of the other characters — the men — on the right side of the drawing could’ve been in a Gluyas Williams drawing. The fellow in the forefront right, smoking a pipe, and the man running just below the Pelham sign look similar to George Price’s style (especially the way Reynolds drew the running fellow’s legs).  Other drawings seem to carry a heavy influence of a number of other cartoonists. Look at the one below: shades of Syd Hoff and the early work of William Steig (even, a hint of a Helen Hokinson luncheon lady in the frame). I’m led to wonder if Reynolds ever quite settled on a look of his very own.

Larry Reynolds entry on the Spill‘s A-Z:

Larry Reynolds (Photo from I Feel Like A Cad, 1944; self portrait above right from Colliers Collects Its Wits, Harcourt Brace & Co., 1941) Born, Mt. Vernon, NY, c. 1912.  Died, March 4, 2002, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. New Yorker work: 3 drawings: Jan 7, 1939 / Feb 24, 1940 / April 6, 1940. Collection of Note: I Feel Like A Cad (drawings from Collier’s Weekly).  Link to Allan Holtz’s Reynold’s Stripper’s Guide Profile here.

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An end of week listing of New Yorker artists* who have contributed to newyorker.com features

July 6 -July 10, 2020

The Daily Cartoon: Yasin Osman, Will Santino, Amy Kurzweil, John Cuneo, Patrick McKelvie, J.A.K.

Video: How To Draw A Child by Emma Allen** & Emily Flake

…and Barry Blitt’s Kvetchbook

*For clarity, the names of artists who have not yet appeared in the print magazine are not bolded.

**Emma Allen is The New Yorker‘s Cartoon Editor

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Videos ( And An App) Of Interest: Liza Donnelly Exhibit At The Norman Rockwell Museum

Here are links to two videos that are part of the Liza Donnelly exhibit at The Norman Rockwell Museum (it opens to the public tomorrow).

This link takes you to a video of Donnelly talking about her live drawing.

And this link takes you to an in depth look at her career.

Also: there’s an app that features Donnelly speaking about individual pieces in the exhibit. See the video about it here.

Personal History: Attended Donnelly’s “virtual art opening” last night, except it wasn’t virtual for me — I was there. Watched as Donnelly (who besides being a colleague, is also my wife) gave a tour, being followed by a cameraman wielding a “live” camera and a photographer documenting the moment (the above photo was not taken by the photographer — it was taken by me with my flip-phone camera as the cartoonist spoke about her sketchbooks in the display case).

For me, the most touching piece on display is also, I believe, the most modest in scale — it may be the smallest piece in the exhibit. It’s the drawing that leaped Ms. Donnelly into The New Yorker;   the first drawing of hers bought, but not the first run. Though OKed (bought) in 1979, it did not run until the issue of November 22, 1982. I believe she speaks about it in the longer video I’ve linked to above.

Go see the exhibit, non-virtually, if you’re up that way. It’s a real treat.

 

 

 

 

The Monday Spill: The New Yorker Cartoonists Glossary (Updated)

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No Monday Tilley Watch today as we’re in the second half of a double issue stretch (the latest issue is dated July 6 & 13, 2020). The next new issue, dated July 20, 2020 will be out next Monday).

Just for fun, I thought I’d dust-off and update the Glossary I compiled some years back for a newyorker.com feature. The original version appears there, but here’s a slightly expanded version reflecting changes at the magazine’s Cartoon Department. Even though the magazine’s employees are working from home during this time, it’s temporary, and so I’ve left in the areas referring to the cartoonists going into the magazine. They will return!

The Glossary 

If the average person happened to sit down with a group of New Yorker cartoonists, they would likely hear some common words and expressions used in unfamiliar and possibly confusing ways. Here is a glossary of commonly used words and expressions by the magazine’s cartoonists:

Batch: As in “I faxed my batch early.” Or “My batch is thin this week.” A batch is the collective term for the drawings a cartoonist submits weekly to the magazine [see Magazine, the].

Cartoon: Drawing

Colin: Colin Stokes, the assistant cartoon editor. Usage: “I’m not sure if there’s a meeting this week—I’d better give Colin a call.”

Daily: Refers to a drawing used online as a Daily cartoon, or to the online feature itself, as in “Did you see today’s Daily?” or, “Who did today’s Daily?” A Daily cartoon does not appear in the print magazine; print magazine cartoons do not appear as Daily cartoons. Go here for a fuller explanation.

David: David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker. His is the final word on whether art is bought. [see O.K. and/or Meeting, the]

Drawing: Cartoon.

Emma: As in “I spoke to Emma about it.” Or “I’ll run it by Emma” or “Emma held [see Held] twelve this week.” Emma is Emma Allen, The New Yorker’s cartoon editor.

Finish: As in “I’ll get that finish to you by the next week.” Finish is short for “finished drawing.” It refers to an O.K.ed drawing that has been readied by the cartoonist for publication.

Held: The drawings Emma holds on to from your batch. A held drawing has the potential of being O.K.ed, although it could still be rejected.

I’m going in : As in “I’m going in next week.” If you’re going in, you’re going in to the magazine to see Emma and show her your batch.

I’m in: As in “I’m in this week.” Or “I’m not in this week.” Refers specifically to one of your drawings being published in the current issue of the magazine.

I went in: As in “I went in last week.” “Went in” refers to going to The New Yorker’s offices, specifically to the art department.

Magazine, the: The New Yorker. As in “I haven’t seen this week’s issue of the magazine—am I in it?”

Meeting, the: The weekly art meeting, at which David Remnick and Emma look over, discuss, and decide which drawings will be bought. David, as the magazine’s editor-in-chief, has the final say on whether a drawing is O.K.ed or rejected.

O.K.: As in “you got an O.K. this week” or “I got an O.K. this week” or “I haven’t had an O.K. in seven months.” This is the two-letter word that every cartoonist lives for—it means that The New Yorker has bought a drawing [see Drawing] from you ( i.e., O.K.ed a sale).

Pitch/Pitching: see Submit/Submitting: “pitch” or “pitching” has begun to take the place of “submit” or “submitting”; I prefer (and argue for retaining) submit to pitch, as pitch seems like a Hollywoodism. It conjures up the artist sitting before a few people and verbally trying to sell an idea. Cartoonists traditionally let the work speak for itself.

Resub: As in “I sent in mostly resubs this week.” Resub is short for “resubmitted.” Cartoonists sometimes send rejected drawings back to Emma for another shot.

Submit/Submitting: What you do when you send in your batch, or bring it in for Emma to see. As in “Yeah, I submitted this week — did you?”

The Monday Tilley Watch, The New Yorker Issue Of July 6, 2020; A Spill Cartoonist List: Fun At First Sight

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The Cover Artist: Kadir Nelson returns just two weeks after his stunning cover of June 22nd.

The Cartoonists:

The Cartoons:

A double issue with eighteen cartoons by eighteen cartoonists (with two duo efforts: Bliss & Martin, Guerra & Boothby). There’s also a Sketchpad drawing from J.A.K., and a newbie in the midst: Patrick McKelvie. Mr. McKelvie is the tenth new cartoonist to join The New Yorker’s stable this year and the sixty-third brought in by cartoon editor Emma Allen since she was appointed in the Spring of 2017.

Here are some of the cartoons in this week’s issue that caught my eye: a classic  lighthouse light bulb drawing by great Sam Gross, and then perhaps my favorite Ellis Rosen drawing ever (so far!) — his cave people drawing (much like Mr. Gross’s lighthouse drawing) proves that there is plenty of humor to unearth in these favorite cartoon scenarios. Liana Finck’s tent basement is terrif, as is Amy Hwang’s great ice cream on the beach scene. Enjoyed Roz Chast’s six-squares (the way she uses language here reminds me of Bizarro Superman).  Lars Kenseth’s superhero is so much fun. Repeating myself here, but Mr. Kenseth’s drawings never fail to amuse me upon first sighting — I’m sold before I get to the caption.

Fun At First Sight:

Thinking of that kind of reaction has caused me to think about (and mention) some other New Yorker cartoonists whose styles alone have won me over at first glance. I’m going to list only those who’ve passed into the great beyond so as not to offend anyone still around who I might inadvertently forget to mention.

Each of the following had a “theirs alone” style unlike any other being published in the magazine. That’s a wonderful thing, and difficult to do in a crowded cartoonist universe; each brought something else to the drawing paper as well — sometimes easily defined (see Dean Vietor’s work, for example: I’ve mentioned his thrilling wild energetic drawings before on the Spill), and sometimes not.

So here, in alphabetical order are some (not all!) of those fun at first sight New Yorker artists …Addams, Arno (Peter & Ed), Charles Barsotti, Whitney Darrow, Chon Day, Alan Dunn, Dana Fradon, Helen Hokinson, Nurit Karlin, Anatol Kovarsky, Robert Kraus, Frank Modell, Mary Petty, Price (George & Garrett), Gardner Rea, Donald Reilly, Carl Rose, Al Ross, Charles Saxon, Bernie Schoenbaum, Barbara Shermund, Otto Soglow, Steig, Steinberg, James Stevenson, Richard Taylor, Thurber, Dean Vietor, Robert Weber, Gluyas Williams, Gahan Wilson, and Jack Ziegler.

The Rea Irvin Talk Masthead Watch:

Would love to report that Rea Irvin’s iconic design had returned (it’s been collecting dust since it was replaced by a redraw(!) in the Spring of 2017). But such is not the case. Bah, humbug.

Read about it here.

Here’s what we’re missing:

 

 

 

The Monday Tilley Watch, The New Yorker Issue Of May 25, 2020: CBS Sunday Morning’s Mini-Slideshow; Today’s Daily Cartoonist & Cartoon

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It’s become (almost) the norm during these strange days, weeks, and months that the online digital edition of The New Yorker is not as yet posted by this time of day (early morning that is). Back in the pre-shutdown days it usually appeared in the wee hours (usually around 3 a.m.). There was even a time before that when it was posted, in a sort of dramatic reveal, at the stroke of midnight.

I’ll post more about the new issue later in the day when I have the online issue in front of me. If possible I like seeing the cartoons as they appear on the magazine’s pages before saying a thing about them. I’ve already seen them this morning as they appear in the slideshow found on this page and, despite what I just said about commenting, have already said something about one of the drawings.

Update: The digital issue was all ready to go this mornin (May 19). A few additions to the Monday Tilley Watch below, as well as some content removed.

The Cover: I had a hunch we’d see a Barry Blitt cover much sooner than later following his Pulitzer…and bingo!

Read the short Q&A with him here about the cover.

The Cartoonists:  I’ve * the two cartoonists who are newbies, Kate Isenberg and Suzy Becker. The two newbies are the seventh and eighth new cartoonists to join the stall this year and the sixtieth and sixty-first to be brought in under Emma Allen’s cartoon editorship that began in May of 2017.

  Ellis Rosen, Liana Finck, Zachary Kanin, P.C. Vey, Edward Koren, Victoria Roberts, Teresa Burns Parkhurst, Navied Mahdavian, Hartley Lin, Tom Toro, Elisabeth McNair, *Kate Isenberg*, Roz Chast, Sofia Warren, Jared Nangle,*Suzy Becker*

The Cartoons:

Really enjoyed Victoria Robert‘s celebrity drawing and caption, as well as Edward Koren‘s family cliff-climbing outing. Lovely drawings. Also catching my eye: Elisabeth McNair‘s fun take on the famous Magritte pipe (This Is Not A Pipe).  and Jared Nangle‘s Jack-In-The-Box.

 

The Rea Irvin Talk Masthead Watch: Mr. Irvin’s classic Talk masthead (below) is still in storage…but hopefully not forever. Read about it here.

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CBS Sunday Morning’s Mini-Slideshow

CBS Sunday Morning ran a mini slideshow of three coronvirus theme New Yorker cartoons on yesterday’s broadcast. Cartoonists responsible for the three drawings: Roz Chast, Victoria Roberts, and Danny Shanahan.

The show has been attentive to New Yorker cartoonists over the years, with several profile pieces, including this one from 2017 and this one from 2009.

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Today’s Daily Cartoonist & Cartoon 

Ali Solomon on a facsimile.

Ms. Solomon has been contributing to The New Yorker since November of 2018. See more of her work here.