One of the most persistent myths in The New Yorker cartooniverse is that most New Yorker cartoonists in the early days (whatever that means) did not write their own ideas, that they depended on writers for their supply. The truth is (and I have a feeling this will not be the last time I say this on this site) that
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Regular Spill readers are doubtless aware that Rea Irvin was The New Yorker’s first art supervisor (he’s sometimes referred to as its first “art director” or even “art editor” — but I’m not so sure that that last title is accurate. “Art Supervisor” has always seemed the best fit). Mr Irvin created the very first New Yorker cover of
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A most interesting contribution to the Spill archive is a collection of WWII era New Yorker “Excerpts.” The Spill is so grateful to the donor for this wonderful addition. For some time, I had confused this run of publications with the New Yorker Pony editions, also produced during the war, thinking they were part of the Pony run. But they
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Latest Addition To The Spill Archive: A 1951 NYU Parody Issue Of The New Yorker What began with The New Yorker parodying itself (an in-office publication via Rea Irvin featuring a silhouette of Harold Ross in Eustace Tilley’s place, looking at Alexander Woollcott instead of a butterfly) carried on through the decades. (The Spill has a copy of Lois Long‘s
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