Cartoon Caption Contest Podcast Celebrates Its 250 Episode

Congrats to the fine folks at the Cartoon Caption Contest Podcast on their 250th! Listen to their special episode here. 

____________________________________________________________

Paul Noth Cartoon Collection Cover Revealed

The collection by Mr. Noth, who has been contributing to The New Yorker since 2004, will be out this October.

The post Saturday Spill: Cartoon Caption Contest Podcast Celebrates Its 250 Episode; Paul Noth Cartoon Collection Cover Revealed first appeared on Inkspill.

Another in a series of quick looks at an artist’s very first New Yorker cartoon and their last. 

Here’s one of the 80 or so New Yorker artists who had but one cartoon in the magazine. I call them “One Clubbers” in the Spill‘s A-Z; this fellow appears on every One Clubber’s entry:

Fougasse’s first and his last New Yorker cartoon appeared in the issue of March 28, 1925.

_______________________________________________________________

Fougasse’s A-Z Entry:

Cyril Kenneth Bird  Born, London, December 17, 1887. Died, 1965. New Yorker work: 1 cartoon, March 28, 1925. Known professionally under the name Fougasse, Bird became art editor of Punch in 1937, and assumed the title of editor in 1949. Key book: The Good-Tempered Pencil, A Survey of Modern British and American Humorous Art (Max Reinhardt, 1956).

_____________________________________________________________

More Fougasse:  here and here. A goodly number of original work here at the Chris Beetles Gallery.

 

The post Friday Spill: First And Last…”One Clubber” Fougasse first appeared on Inkspill.

Peter Kuper’s Spy Vs. Spy Poster For MAD Issue #600

Peter Kuper, who began contributing to The New Yorker in 2011, has posted his Spy Vs. Spy poster appearing in MAD Issue #600 (Mr. Kuper has written and illustrated that feature since 1997).

__________________________________________________________

Interview Of Interest: Ivan Ehlers.

From Printmag.com, June 12, 2026, “Ivan Ehlers’ Political Cartoons Feel More Important Than Ever.” 

A short interview with Mr. Ehlers who began contributing to The New Yorker in July of 2021. Visit his website here.

 

 

_____________________________________________________________________

The Tilley Watch Online, June 8-12, 2026

An end of the week listing of New Yorker artists whose work has appeared on newyorker.com features

Daily Cartoon: Jorge Penne, Ngozi Ukazu, Bob Eckstein, Keith Knight, (the duo of) Jason Chatfield & Scott Dooley.

Artist At Large: Millie von Platen’s “Superstitious Behaviors Of Knicks Superfans”

Sketchbook: Zoe Si’s “Power Play: Behind The Music of ‘Heated Rivalry'”

Barry Blitt’s Kvetchbook: “Looksmaxxing For Dummies”

The post Weekend Spill: Peter Kuper’s Spy Vs. Spy Poster For MAD Issue #600; Interview Of Interest…Ivan Ehlers; The Tilley Watch Online, June 8-12, 2026 first appeared on Inkspill.

The Monday Tilley Watch takes a glancing look at the art and artists of the latest issue of The New Yorker

The Cartoonists and Cartoons

Sixteen cartoons, eighteen cartoonists (Ed Steed has “Spots”; Ben Schwartz has a “Sketchpad”). One duo (the Spill considers duos as one cartoonist). No newbies. The longest active cartoonist in the issue is Roz Chast, whose first New Yorker drawing appeared in the issue of July 3, 1978.

This week’s cartoons (in a slideshow)

This week’s Cartoon Caption Contest (Felipe Galindo provides the drawing for this week’s contest).

The Rea Irvin Talk Watch

Rea Irvin’s above design, which ran in The New Yorker for 92 years, was disappeared in May of 2017 and replaced by — no joke! — a redraw by a contemporary illustrator. The Spill continues to hope that Mr. Irvin’s work returns. Read more here.

__________________________________

Rea Irvin’s A-Z Entry

Rea Irvin (pictured above. Self portrait above from Meet the Artist) Born, San Francisco, 1881; died in the Virgin Islands,1972. Irvin was the cover artist for the New Yorker’s first issue, February 21, 1925. He was the magazine’s first art and only art supervisor (some refer to him as its first art editor) holding the position from 1925 until 1939 when James Geraghty assumed the title of art editor. Irvin then became art director and remained in that position until William Shawn officially succeeded Harold Ross in early 1952. Irvin’s last original work for the magazine was the magazine’s cover of July 12, 1958. The February 21, 1925 Eustace Tilley cover had been reproduced every year on the magazine’s anniversary until 1994, when R. Crumb’s Tilley-inspired cover appeared. Tilley has since reappeared, with other artists substituting from time-to-time. Number of New Yorker covers (not including the repeat appearances of the first cover every anniversary up to 1991): 179. Number of cartoons contributed: 261.

The post Monday Spill, The New Yorker Issue Of June 22, 2026 first appeared on Inkspill.

Ronald Searle’s James Thurber Medallion 

Below is a Ronald Searle designed medallion that turned up on Ebay the other day. I know nothing about medallions, or Ronald Searle‘s part in designing them, so I’m recommending that you visit Attempted Bloggery‘s posts on them here.

I like the dog side of the medallion; the Thurber portrait side…not so much. Here’s the Ebay listing for the piece shown below.

_____________________________________________________________________

James Thurber’s A-Z Entry:

James Thurber Born, Columbus, Ohio, December 8, 1894. Died 1961, New York City. New Yorker work: 1927 -1961, with several pieces run posthumously. According to the New Yorker’s legendary editor, William Shawn, “In the early days, a small company of writers, artists, and editors — E.B. White, James Thurber, Peter Arno, and Katharine White among them — did more to make the magazine what it is than can be measured.”

Key cartoon collection: The Seal in the Bedroom and Other Predicaments (Harper & Bros., 1932). Key anthology (writings & drawings): The Thurber Carnival (Harper & Row, 1945). There have been a number of Thurber biographies. Burton Bernstein’s Thurber (Dodd, Mead, 1975) and Harrison Kinney’s James Thurber: His Life and Times (Henry Holt & Co., 1995) are essential. Website

 

 

 

 

The post Thurber Thursday: Searle’s Thurber Medallion first appeared on Inkspill.

My Own “I Like The Kitty” Moment

Many of us recall the famous Seinfeld episode, “The Cartoon” (written by my New Yorker colleague, Bruce Eric Kaplan) that includes the scene where Elaine Benes goes into “The New Yorker” to confront the editor (“Mr. Elinoff”) about a cartoon she doesn’t understand.

Here’s the dialogue:

• Mr. Elinoff: Miss Benes, cartoons are like gossamer, and one doesn’t dissect gossamer.
• Elaine Benes: Well, you don’t have to dissect it if you could just tell me why this is supposed to be funny.
• Mr. Elinoff: Oh, it’s merely a commentary on contemporary mores.
• Elaine Benes: But what is the comment?
• Mr. Elinoff: It’s a slice of life.
• Elaine Benes: No, it isn’t.
• Mr. Elinoff: A pun?
• Elaine Benes: I don’t think so.
• Mr. Elinoff: Vorshtein?
• Elaine Benes: That’s not a word. You have no idea what this means.
• Mr. Elinoff: No.
• Elaine Benes: Then why did you print it?
• Mr. Elinoff: I like the kitty.

I had my own “I like the kitty” moment yesterday when a Mr. Cooper from Victoria, Canada wrote in asking me to explain a drawing of mine that appears in the 1987 collection (edited by Sam Gross), Cats! Cats! Cats!. 

Here’s the drawing:

My immediate reaction was to write Mr. Cooper back saying, “Vorshtein.” But instead, I admitted I had no idea what the cartoon meant. This morning I showed the cartoon to my wife (who is also a long time New Yorker cartoonist). She immediately furrowed — not a good sign.

If any cartoonist out there has had a similar experience (that is: not “getting” one of your own drawings) I’d love to hear about it.

___________________________________________________________

The Tilley Watch Online, June 1-5, 2026

An end of the week listing of New Yorker artists whose work has appeared on newyorker.com features

Daily Cartoon: Matt Reuter(twice), Elisabeth McNair, this cartoonist, Jorge Penne.

A Cartoon Soccer Selection: “Kicking It” 

A Cartoon Basketball Selection: “Full-Court Press”

Barry Blitt’s Kvetchbook: “Data Centers Bring The Buzz”

______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

The post Saturday Spill: My Own “I Like The Kitty” Moment; The Tilley Watch Online, June 1-5, 2026 first appeared on Inkspill.

The Monday Tilley Watch takes a glancing look at the art and artists of the latest issue of The New Yorker

The Cartoonists and Cartoons

Eleven cartoons, thirteen cartoonists (Barry Blitt has the cover, and Roz Chast has a “Sketchbook”). No duos, that we know of. No newbies. The longest active contributing cartoonist in the lot is this cartoonist (I began contributing in 1977).

This week’s cartoons (in a slideshow).

This week’s Cartoon Caption Contest (Colin Tom provides the drawing for the latest contest)

The Rea Irvin Talk Watch

If you look through this latest issue of The New Yorker, I guarantee you will not find Rea Irvin’s classic Talk design (shown here) in the magazine. Instead, you’ll see a redrawn(!) version of Mr. Irvin’s work. The redraw showed up in May of 2017, replacing Irvin’s work that had been in place for 92 years. For some inexplicable (to me) reason, the redraw has stayed there ever since. The Spill continues to hope Rea Irvin’s work returns. Read more here. 

The post Monday Spill, The New Yorker Issue Of June 15, 2026 first appeared on Inkspill.

And The Award For (Possibly) Most UnThurberlike Book Cover Goes To…

The 1974 Czechia edition of Thurber’s The 13 Clocks.

Originally published in the US in 1950 by Simon & Schuster, and illustrated by Marc Simont:

_______________________________________________________________

James Thurber’s A-Z Entry:

James Thurber Born, Columbus, Ohio, December 8, 1894. Died 1961, New York City. New Yorker work: 1927 -1961, with several pieces run posthumously. According to the New Yorker’s legendary editor, William Shawn, “In the early days, a small company of writers, artists, and editors — E.B. White, James Thurber, Peter Arno, and Katharine White among them — did more to make the magazine what it is than can be measured.”

Key cartoon collection: The Seal in the Bedroom and Other Predicaments (Harper & Bros., 1932). Key anthology (writings & drawings): The Thurber Carnival (Harper & Row, 1945). There have been a number of Thurber biographies. Burton Bernstein’s Thurber (Dodd, Mead, 1975) and Harrison Kinney’s James Thurber: His Life and Times (Henry Holt & Co., 1995) are essential. Website

The post Thurber Thursday: And The Award For (Possibly) Most UnThurberlike Book Cover Goes To… first appeared on Inkspill.

A New Yorker State Of Mind Digs Into The Issue Of April 11, 1936

 

A New Yorker State Of Mind: Reading Every Issue Of The New Yorker: always fun, always interesting reading.

This week: the issue of April 11, 1936. Read it here. 

Cover by Helen Hokinson.

Her A-Z Entry:

 

Helen Hokinson (above) Born, Illinois,1893; died, Washington, D.C., 1949. New Yorker work: 1925 -1949, with some work published posthumously. All of Hokinson’s collections are wonderful, but here are two favorites. Her first collection: So You’re Going To Buy A Book! (Minton, Balch & Co, 1931) and what was billed as “the final Hokinson collection”: The Hokinson Festival (Dutton & Co., 1956). According to a New Yorker document produced during Harold Ross’s editorship (1925-1951) rating their artists, Ms. Hokinson and Peter Arno occupied a special category unto themselves above all others.

_________________________________________________________________

 

The post Sunday Spill: A New Yorker State Of Mind On The Issue Of April 11, 1936 first appeared on Inkspill.

One of the first cycling cartoons I drew.

A bit more about the road / sport side of cycling than some of my more recent work.

Found in the Cycling Cartoonist, published by Bloomsbury.

The post 20 reasons to love cycling appeared first on Dave Walker.

Bishakh Som In Group Exhibit

The exhibit, “Drawn Out: A Queer Comics Celebration” includes work by Bishakh Som, who began contributing to The New Yorker in 2018.

_________________________________________________________________

Roxie Munro Gallery Appearance

The terrif New Yorker cover artist, Roxie Munro, was recently at The Annapolis Gallery, signing books, and talking about her work. Visit her website here. 

Ms. Munro contributed 14 covers to The New Yorker.

 

 

The post Tuesday Spill: Bishakh Som In Group Exhibit; Roxie Munro Gallery Appearance first appeared on Inkspill.

Upcoming Women Laughing Screenings 

 

Women Laughing, Liza Donnelly and Kathleen Hughes documentary film about New Yorker women cartoonists past and present, will be screened at a number of venues beginning this Spring and into the Fall. You can see the schedule here.

Please note that three screenings are happening within the next few days:

Portland Museum of Art
May 9, 2026 Portland, ME

The Moviehouse
May 9, 2026 Millerton, NY
Followed by conversation with Liza Donnelly, Kathleen Hughes, Amy Hwang. 

The Church
May 15, 2026 Sag Harbor, NY
Followed by conversation with Liza Donnelly, Kathleen Hughes and Emma Allen.

__________________________________________________

Update: Thurber Prize For American Humor In Writing Awarded

Congrats to Shalom Auslander for being awarded the 2026 Thurber Prize for American Humor in Writing … and congrats once again to Emily Flake the (previously announced) 2026 Thurber Prize winner for American Humor In Cartoon Art.

 

 

The post Friday Spill: Upcoming Women Laughing Screenings; Update…Thurber Prize For American Humor In Writing Awarded first appeared on Inkspill.