Here’s a link to the MoCCA Arts Fest 2022 website for even more info.
Roz Chast began contributing to The New Yorker in 1978, Liza Donnelly in 1979, Maggie Larson in 2017, Barbara Smaller in 1996, and Bishakh Som in 2018.
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70 Years Ago In The New Yorker
In the New Yorker cartooniverse, the poor 1950s are generally overlooked. My perception of that decade’s cartoons perhaps unfairly goes to bosses chasing secretaries around desks, and “buxom babes” stranded on desert islands. And I think of the magazine’s cartoons falling into a graphic semi-stupor.
Coming across this gorgeous Garrett Price cover shown above, which is anything but stuporous, I decided to take a look through the issue to see if the cartoons might undo my thinking.
No desk chases, but one (full page) “buxom babe” on a desert island drawing, via Whitney Darrow, Jr. But there was also this great drawing by George Price:
and this three parter by the wonderful Anatol Kovarsky:
and this “spot” drawing by Saul Steinberg:
and this slice-of-life from Barney Tobey.
I’ve shown you four drawings out of the thirteen in the issue (Mr. Kovarsky had two in the magazine). While some of the others were mildly amusing (one of Steig’s “Dreams Of Glory” drawings for instance), all were beautifully drawn. Only one of the thirteen didn’t make a whole lot of sense (to me): a drawing by Claude Smith (he signed his drawings “Claude”). A motorcycle cop sits on a billboard as he and it are swept along in a stream. Perhaps there were floods in the news in April of 1952.
