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July272008

Staten Island Yankees Catch Irvin Fever

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Martin Schneider writes:

Yesterday I went to see the Staten Island Yankees host their crosstown rivals, the Brooklyn Cyclones, at beautiful Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George. (The Yankees won, 4-1.)

I couldn't help but notice that all visitors are greeted with a big blue blast of Irvin type (or something close). I asked my friend Seth Davis to snap a few shots for evidence; they are presented after the jump.

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July112008

The Wavy Rule, a Daily Comic by Paul Morris: Tilley Meets His Maker

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As you might expect, since I just spent a number of months collecting material for a piece about Rea Irvin for PRINT, I am in love with all things Irvin. Paul--whom I thank in the piece because he's shared numerous invaluable resources and insights with me about Irvin's aesthetic--is as keen on the early years' co-genius as I am. About this cartoon, he writes: "Inspired by the photograph of Irvin in Lee Lorenz's wonderful The Art of The New Yorker. A must read." I agree. Sweet Knopf: Please bring it back into print! Click to enlarge.

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More Paul Morris: "The Wavy Rule" archive; his very funny webcomic, "Arnjuice," a motley Flickr page, and beautifully off-kilter (and freely downloadable) cartoon collections at Lulu.

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July072008

Everybody Loves Rea Irvin

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That's the headline for a story by me in the hot-off-the-presses PRINT magazine, in a special issue on type. Ever wonder who was behind Eustace Tilley--and hundreds more iconic images and visual features (including the famed "Irvin type")--in the first decades of The New Yorker? There's so much more to say about this spectacular moment in graphic history, and particularly about what came before it, but this is a start. And it was incredibly fun to write. Since I had limited space to acknowledge the many people who provided documents and contacts for the story, I'll give three grateful cheers here to cartoonist Liza Donnelly and to Dorothy Parker Society sagamore Kevin Fitzpatrick. They have both been incredibly generous with their resources and thoughts.

Very soon, we'll run the contest I mentioned the other day. It's a doozy! And I'll tell you what our interns will be up to this summer, too. And if you haven't heard about this, here's some welcome news about two new Joseph Mitchell reissues, one of which has a new introduction by David Remnick. I can't agree that Mitchell "is perhaps most remembered not for his writing, but for not writing," but there's never anything wrong with new readers for this peerless writer of New York's proud populations, human, aqueous, and otherwise.

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May072008

Designing Woman Tina Brown

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From today's New York Post (via MediaBistro): "Tina Brown has turned to legendary avant-garde design firm Number 17 to handle her new yet-to-be-named Web venture, a news-aggregation service that is being backed by her longtime friend, media mogul Barry Diller." I can attest both to No. 17's design acumen and their laudable foosball hosting and playing skills.

Elsewhere in design, journalism and political science double major (and keyboard player) Teddy Applebaum, given the challenge of a mock blow-in card, struggled among various versions of Rea Irvin's New Yorker typeface and their cost ("oodles of cash"), and had to settle for a poor imitation. Occasional spelling oversights aside, I think the kid's got something, don't you?

Speaking of blow-in cards, there was an eloquent defense of them in Wired some months ago that I keep thinking about, and not just because of the witty execution. It seems the cards really bring in the dough, and in these uncertain times, that's something we've got to support (as this Jack Ziegler cartoon suggests), right? Or at least not judge too harshly, especially when in the forest, which could probably use more edifying reading material, anyway.

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January312008

Will the Winners of the Tilley Contest Also Appear in the Magazine?

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I dunno, but this post by Len at the Jawbone Radio Show in Cleveland, who's been notified that one of his entries has been selected as a winner of the Eustace Tilley competition (congratulations!), makes me curious. Len writes: "The art will be published on Monday on the New Yorker.com and there is a slight chance that I may make it into the print edition as well. I'll be sure to publish more info as soon as I know it." A little gallery in the print edition would be a treat, but even if the winners' circle is online-only, it's been a great contest for all involved. I'm sure Rea Irvin would have been thoroughly amused.

In case you were wondering, or, as the wise Cary Tennis would say, Since You Asked, I only repeat conjectures

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January302008

People Like Winners

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January162008

Found in the Chapter Menu: The President's Analyst

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December062007

We Want Bread and Irvin, Too

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December042007

Steinberg Appropriation Hunt! (Reader Participation Alert)

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November162007

Infamous (Almost) and the Ransom Note Approach

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2008 Webby Awards Official Honoree
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Inkleaf Studio illustration