Humor Needed

Grateful to you all here

We got some news today that the humor writer, and our friend, Andy Borowitz, was let go from The New Yorker. A few other people were terminated, too—it’s a sad state of affairs when a publication as liked (loved?) as The New Yorker has to cut staff. All cartoonists are freelance, but we still worry when we hear things like this. Will the magazine fold? Will they cut back on cartoons? It’s a possibility.

Why? Why are magazines struggling, particularly when they have good websites as well? I do not have any theories, unless it’s that people are reading less. But I don’t think that’s true, is it?

Frankly, I cannot see why anyone would want to cut back on humor. We need it, drawn or written. Humor can help us see what’s really going on sometimes, and it relieves stress. It can be a quick shot of dopamine amisdst some very scary news and articles. And humor can bring us together.

This is a cartoon I drew for The New Yorker a few years ago.

The king may not find anything funny, but the jester should keep trying.

As co-creator of Fresh Prince of Bel Air, I imagine Andy gets residuals for that very successful tv show, and so will be okay. He will perhaps get picked up by another publication for the short pieces he used to do for the magazine.

It’s just a difficult thing to hear about.

That’s why I am very grateful to you all here. This platform allows me to share my humor and thoughts, and some of you support me financially. I feel very lucky! If The New Yorker folded, I would be devastated, but I would be okay.

Please don’t let them fold before I finish my documentary on New Yorker cartoons!