Al Frueh’s Terrif Love Letter

In 1913, long before Al Frueh (pronounced “free”) became a fixture at The New Yorker, he designed the above letter for his wife. Read all about it here.

Mr Frueh was a cover artist, as well as a cartoonist, contributing 201 cartoons during his 34 years at the magazine. Of note: he had the very first cartoon in the very first issue of The New Yorker. His one-and-only New Yorker cover, dated February 28, 1925, was the magazine’s second:

He will most likely be remembered for his theater drawings (accompanying the magazine’s theater reviews):

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Tilley Watch Online, April 20 – 24, 2026

Daily Cartoon: Ben Schwartz, Harriet Burbeck, Kyle Bravo, Felipe Galindo (bonus drawing), Tom Toro, Maggie Larson.

Barry Blitt’s Kvetchbook: “Happy Earth Day (To Those Who Celebrate)”

“His People Simply Happen”

In a 1989 collection, Conversations With James Thurber (University Press of Mississippi) edited by Thomas Fensch, there’s a terrif article, “Melancholy Doodler,” by Arthur Millier (it originally appeared in The Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, July 2, 1939). Thurber was forty-four at the time, and in the last year of the best decade of his life, drawings-wise. His eyesight, by May of ’39, had already worsened  to the point of his “struggling to type, read, and draw.”

The article makes no mention of Thurber’s eyesight or his struggles — it rolls along as if all’s well in Thurberland. Here are just a few quotes from the piece (I’d run the whole thing, but don’t want to get into a copyright muddle).

Thurber speaking to Millier:

“You are probably the only person in America who knows I write.” he said bitterly. “They all say: ‘Oh yes, Thurber?–the guy makes those crazy drawings?'”

“i’m not an artist. I’m a painstaking writer who doodles for relaxation. But it’s those doodles they go for…They’ve even labeled me a Dadiast and a surrealist…”

“I almost never have a piece of writing turned down [by The New Yorker]. They print them all — but who reads them? Whereas my drawings — the things people know me for — are often turned down.”

“Captions can make a drawing. Some of my drawings lie around the office for years — waiting for an inspired line.”

Finally, here’s Millier talking about Thurber’s drawings:

“When Thurber begins a drawing of these curious yet strangely familiar people, he rarely knows what they will look like or do. He just lets his hand move with a pencil in it. His people simply happen…”

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–The undated drawing above can be found at Vassar’s Francis Lehman Loeb Art Center.  ________________

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 Tilley Watch Online, May 18-22, 2026

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

Daily Cartoon: (the duo of) Joe Dator and Kevin Maher, Sam Hurt, Adam Douglas Thompson, Matt Reuter, J.A.K.. See them here.

Barry Blitt’s Kvetchbook: “From Heel To Calf”

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Ellie Black Guests On The Latest Cartoon Caption Contest Podcast

Ellie Black, who began contributing to The New Yorker in February of 2019 (February 11th, to be exact), joins the CCCP crew this week (it’s episode #251, for those keeping track). Listen here. 

Photo,  top l-r: co-hosts Nicole Chrolavicius and Paul Nesja. Bottom row: Ellie Black.

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Sidenote: Ellie Black is one the 52 New Yorker cartoonists profiled in At Wits End: Cartoonists Of The New Yorker (Clarkson Potter, 2024).

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. 

Peter Kuper News

A couple of fun items concerning Peter Kuper, who began contributing to The New Yorker in 2011. His book, Insectopolis: A Natural History is a Ohio Books Awards finalist in the category of nonfiction.

and…

his work is included in Cleveland’s Maltz Museum exhibit, “Icons In Ink: The Jewish Comics Experience” 

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A Reminder: Rich Sparks Today at 12:30 On Jason Chatfield’s “Draw Me Anything”

Mr. Sparks,began contributing to The New Yorker in 2016; Mr. Chatfield began contributing in 2017.

Link here to Mr. Chatfield’s site

Exhibit (In Spain!) Of Interest: Andrea Arroyo and Felipe Galindo

An exhibit of work by this married duo. Andrea Arroyo first contributed to The New Yorker in 1992; Felipe Galindo began contributing to The New Yorker in 2002.

Andrea Arroyo’s website.

Felipe Galindo’s website.

–photos courtesy of Ms. Arroyo and Mr. Galindo

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

Looking through the Spill’s A-Z this morning, my attention turned to Richard Oldden (1931-1995).  A search immediately turned up this entry on Lambiak Comiclopedia. The entry included a number of things I hadn’t known before including this:

“On 14 May 1973, Oldden and gag writer Sam Gross launched their daily newspaper comic ‘The Genius’ (1973-1977) through King Features Syndicate.”

Reading this brought memories of speaking with Sam on the phone — sometimes long conversations about cartoonists I knew little about. I can still hear Sam, in his distinctive voice, saying “Dick Oldden” this and “Dick Oldden” that (oddly, Sam never mentioned “The Genius” strip).

Checking The New Yorker’s database, I found that the magazine published 72 Oldden cartoons. Here’s the first, from the issue of July 23, 1966:

And here’s the last Richard Oldden New Yorker cartoon, published in the issue of September 6, 1993:

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.

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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.

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).

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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.

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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”

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:

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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

James Thurber, speaking to Alistaire Cooke on Omnibus:

“…after I had sold a few to the New Yorker magazine, Andy White, my colleague there, found me carefully shading in something and he said, “ Hey, stop that, don’t do that — if you ever became good you’d be mediocre.” 

This somewhat famous quote has stuck with me for decades (I’m not really sure how famous it is). It seems, on its face, simple advice, but I believe there’s way more to it than “Hey…don’t do that.” E.B. White, who of course was an advocate of clarity in writing, was heading off a notion that so many fledgling artists develop — that they should aspire to becoming “better” at drawing. If that’s really what you want to do, than, “Hey…do that!”  But I believe the hunt for “better” can sometimes stifle the artist (please remember I said, “sometimes”).

One of the very best things about The New Yorker is that it embraced Thurber’s art as it was, not as New Yorker editors might wish it would be. That’s one of the wonders of the magazine’s editorial DNA: staying out of an artist’s way. Back in 2013, in my interview with veteran artist, Dana Fradon, he discussed The New Yorker’s Art editor, James Geraghty. Mr. Fradon said Geraghty’s editorial direction was simply, “Make it beautiful.” Thanks to the magazine’s hands-off policy, and E.B. White’s two cents, Thurber did Thurber (beautifully!) and we are all the luckier for 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

A New Yorker State Of Mind Digs Into The Issue Of May 30, 1936

A New Yorker State Of Mind: Reading Every Issue Of The New Yorker Magazine does its usual (and quite wonderful) deep dive into a long ago issue of the magazine. This week it’s The New Yorker of May 30, 1936.

Read it here

Cover by the one-and-only Rea Irvin. His A-Z Entry:

Rea Irvin  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.

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Perlman’s Pod

Asher Perlman, who began contributing to The New Yorker in 2021, has announced he’s starting a podcast. His latest cartoon collection is Hi, It’s Me Again (Andrews McMeel).

From Mr. Perlman: