A friend of the Spill who specializes in sending me (scans of) eye-popping books off his shelves, recently sent this in.
It’s not the Dr. Seuss illustrated cover that stirred things up around here, or that the book, published in 1933, is by Frank Sullivan (sorry, Seuss, and sorry, Sullivan):
No, the exciting thing about this particular copy is what you find when you head inside. Even then you’ve a few things to jump up and shout about:
The book is signed by Frank Sullivan, with a friendly somewhat lengthy inscription to most likely this Joan Payson.
Opposite the inscription is the part that causes balloons to drop and confetti to fly: a complete Thurber drawing he has titled “Village Nut Club”…a real wowzer of a surprise.
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Daily Cartoonists (& Their Daily Cartoons)
Time to play catch-up with this week’s Daily Cartoonists.
Monday: Johnny DiNapoli on running out of things to talk about.
Tuesday: Emily Flake on a pandemic pregnancy.
Wednesday: Ali Solomon on vaccine appointments.
Thursday: Colin Tom on migrating gourds.
You can see all the above (in a slide show) and so much more here.
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Out this Spring (June 1st) from Peter Steiner, a New Yorker cartoonist who wear several other hats, including novelist: The Constant Man (this is his seventh novel).
Mr. Steiner is, of course, the fellow who created the most reprinted New Yorker cartoon in modern times. Visit his website here.
Steiner’s Spill A-Z entry:
Peter Steiner Born, Cincinnati, 1940. New Yorker work: July 9, 1979 – . Collection: “I Didn’t Bite the Man, I Bit the Office” ( 1994). Mr. Steiner is responsible for one of the most famous (and most republished) New Yorker cartoons in modern times, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” (published July 5, 1993). An indication of its enduring popularity in our culture: a wikipedia page is devoted to it. He has also had novels published, as well as the limited edition “An Atheist in Heaven.” Key cartoon collection: I Didn’t Bite The Man. I Bit The Office. Washington Times, 1994.