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.

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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”

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I love it when a Thurber moment comes out of the blue. In this case the moment involves a 2020 Esquire article on Jerry Stiller, who played George Costanza’s father, Frank, on Seinfeld.

It’s difficult to imagine Seinfeld with Jerry Stiller’s Frank Costanza character as meek, but according to the article that’s exactly how Frank was originally conceived. We’ll never know how that would’ve worked out, but the way it did work out was comedy gold (I don’t suppose it’s necessary to mention that Jerry Stiller’s real life son, Ben Stiller directed, co-produced, and starred in a modern day take on Thurber’s Walter Mitty…well, no matter — I just mentioned it).

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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