15 Comments
Jul 8, 2023Liked by Liza Donnelly

Never apologize for sticking to themes! A good cartoon should be enjoyed more than once and an appealing point of view, always!

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Thanks, Jo!

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Jul 8, 2023Liked by Liza Donnelly

Timeless! Truly. Thanks for sharing these. Omg.

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Thank you!

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Wow. That last one is ubiquitous mansplaining/manspreading.

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My favorite one!

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Jul 8, 2023Liked by Liza Donnelly

Made me laugh, and cringe.

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These are great. And in some cases, right up to date.

Incidentally, have you heard of Donald McGill? He was an English cartoonist specializing in naughty comic postcards that were sold all over the place but especially at seaside resorts. In 1941 George Orwell, no less, wrote an essay about him that you can read online:

https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/the-art-of-donald-mcgill/

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Thanks, no I am not familiar with him. George Orwell, wow!

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Mr. Orwell is thought of as a political writer, but he was also a literary critic and something of a pioneer in the study of popular culture—the McGill essay being an example.

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Jul 9, 2023Liked by Liza Donnelly

Hi, Liza. It might have come up before somewhere before, but Linda, in preparing to write her biography of Charles Addams, looked at every cartoon and drawing published in the NYer up to that time. In those days in meant going to a college library day after day to view them on microfilm. She loved the ladies, too, and often showed me cartoons by them that she had made copies of. It's easy to look back and praise someone for being a pioneer, but it's a tough job to be one. Hail to these women, hail to the NYer for encouraging and publishing them, and hail to you for bringing them back to life. I'm sure Linda would say they've been having a fine time waiting while having drinks with Addams (and other fine folk) in the Styx Bar.

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Jul 11, 2023·edited Jul 11, 2023Author

Thanks, CHuck. Yes, you or Linda told me how she looked at every cartoon. It is fascinating to do that, I have done it --almost all, at least in the early years! A great way to view history, I think. And thank you, it was such a joy to write about them. Changed my life.

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Jul 9, 2023Liked by Liza Donnelly

It was invigorating scrolling through these cartoons. These kinds of 'truths' from and about women have been quietly silenced over time. I am excited you are reviving them in your doco Liza and of course, here on Substack.

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Thank you, DL! And in my book, too. It all started there for me, the first edition was in 2005 and it was a joy to research....pre-internet and a bit difficult. But then the publisher and I did a revised work in 2021 to include all the new women! There's equity now. Here's the book: https://www.amazon.com/Very-Funny-Ladies-Yorkers-Cartoonists/dp/1633886867

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Thank you! I will purchase it momentarily. For now, can I respectfully disagree about equality 🙂

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