You Can't Kill The New Yorker
I’m writing a talk that I will give next weekend for supporters of the Ringling College of Art and Design. This time, I was given little direction as to what to talk about. But I know people love to hear about The New Yorker.
Below are the two who founded the magazine in 1925. Harold Ross, a midwestern journalist and editor, and Jane Grant, a NY Times City Reporter, unusual for a woman in the 1920’s. They were married, and wanted to start a humor publication for the new urban elite in the city. The publication was wobbly on its feet for a few months,
and they almost folded up shop. Luckily, they didn’t and the magazine will be celebrating its 100th year in 2025. Ross became an incredible editor—I recommend his biography, Genius In Disguise, it’s a great read. Grant continued reporting and was not involved in the daily operations of The New Yorker.
It began as a humor publication, and hundreds of cartoonists have come and gone. Now of course it is more than a humor magazine, and still highly respected. But everyone tells me they look at the cartoons first, and often that’s all they look at.
I started under the editorhsip of William Shawn, another great editor. He brought it to a different place as it ran more political writing and fiction along with humor. I’m in my 42nd year with the magazine; I sold my first cartoon in 1979, but they waited until 1982 to print any of my cartoons!
Here was the first cartoon of mine they bought. I know, it’s an odd one. It has to do with Cezanne’s three principles in art. I added a tv. Nevermind.
Below is the first one they printed in 1982. I did a lot of captionless and sequential cartoons back then when I was starting out. I was shy and suspicious of words.
And finally, this was the third one they printed, about Walter Mondale during the 1984 presidential election. He was a lovely man by all accounts, but I sensed that people were luke warm about him as a potential Presidental candidate. This was my first ever political cartoon published, I was so excited! I had always wanted to be a political cartoonist.
My talk for next weekend will be about The New Yorker, the cartoonists, the women cartoonists, and how creating is about connecting with others. For me it has always has been that way.
There is a story told about the magazine in the early months of its existance. Some of the editorial and financial backers wanted to end publication, but then a friend and advisor, John Hanrahan said, “You can’t kill The New Yorker, it’s a living thing.”
It is.
My new book, Very Funny Ladies, a history of the women cartoonists of the magazine, will be out soon. You can pre-order signed copies from this link, or pre-order anywhere you like!