426. Dogs in Beds, A New Aussie Pub in NYC, & the New Yorker Centoonial!
+ Substack Bestsellers Drinks & Morris' gets "resting walk face."
Coming to you from a noisy bagel shop in Hell’s Kitchen, where a naked, bearded man outside the window is singing old show tunes… Welcome to Issue #426 of New York Cartoons!
I’m still recovering from the epic weekend that just passed— between the Substavck Bestsellers event, the opening of a new Aussie pub in New York (Old Mates), and the epic 100th-anniversary celebrations for the New Yorker’s cartoonist cohort, my sleep score is now lower than federal government employment rates.
It was refreshing to spend time with so many Aussie expats, including old mates TJ Power, Andy Lee and Sarah Snook— fresh off rehearsals for her upcoming stint in The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway. The fully illustrated write-up of the night is on its way…
An Unofficial Centoonial Celebration
There's something distinctly New Yorkery about celebrating the centennial of its most iconic magazine at a secret underground club in Tribeca, where bookshelves open to reveal secret rooms, and cartoonists collide with debutantes.
The unofficial New Yorker cartoonists' party to celebrate the centennial year began at 7:00 PM, by which time most of the attendees had already spent their day shuffling between galleries displaying a century of illustrated wit. I arrived to find the Maxwell Social Club: an ostentatious old library that got drunk and decided to become a speakeasy. The walls were lined with leather-bound books and rolling ladders that dared you to clamber up them without spilling your third Martini. Cartoonists Zoe Si and Ngozi Ukazu had taken on the herculean task of herding cats, squeezing every cartoonist they could find into a room for one epic night.
Keep reading below:
Substack Bestsellers Event
Did I mention I haven’t slept for a week?… 🤪
Last Wednesday I was invited to the Substack Bestsellers event in the financial district— once again an epic night spent with some of my favourite writers in the world. I got to spend time discussing these here newsletters with people I read on Substack every week, like Magdalene J. Taylor, Anne Kadet and Liza Donnelly — along with Substack newcomer and TV legend from my childhood, Ricki Lake!
The flourishing of great writing and important ideas has been the best part of this platform over the past 5 years— I’m genuinely terrified to see what happens to that kind of free speech over the next 4 years. All I know is, the founders of Substack (inc. Hamish McKenzie, pictured below) have it front of mind and will to defend it to the hilt.
Related:
Doggo Book Update:
I’m excited to report the early reviews of my and Scott’s book have been flooding in, and they’re not terrible! In fact, they’re downright lovely…
Here are a couple of sneak peek samples of the jokes inside the book… Available to pre-order now!
Early praise:
This week’s Sketchbook is from my adventurous night drawing coin-collectors on drink coasters at the Century Club this month…
I was led down to the sitting room, where Mohammed—a fellow caricaturist from Morocco—and I were soon stationed at a table, armed with markers and a stack of round coasters upon which we were to draw cartoons of esteemed guests for the ensuing hours…
Why round coasters instead of paper, you ask?
Well.
The event was a gala for the American Numismatic Society’s International Convention— an annual gathering of coin obsessives that is only rivalled by that of the International Philatelic Society’s Convention. Yes, these are real things, and they are very passionate people. The round coasters had the logo on one side, and were blank on the obverse— this was where Mo and I were to draw people’s faces where the effigy of a monarch would usually reside.
There should be a German word for the specific dread that comes with realizing you're about to draw caricatures of wealthy people on objects specifically designed to catch condensation.
What is the Century Club, you ask?
Keep it down. They don’t like us talking about it. Stop asking questions.
Despite the Century club —or association, as it calls itself— being media averse, the unmarked five-story palazzo on 43rd Street has increasingly become the private club of choice for a particular class of journalists, particularly those from the Times, whose office is only a few blocks away.
The club was originally established for artists, writers, and intellectuals. Over time, it expanded to include leaders in various fields, including law, science, and business. The club has a rich history and counts figures like Mark Twain, Winslow Homer, and J.P. Morgan among its members. Also, legendary cartoonists like Roz Chast, Arnies Levin and Roth, and Pat Oliphant. Though, they don’t like to divulge information like that. The only time the Century tends to be connected to a person’s name in print is in their obituary, a board member informed me.
It remains one of the most prestigious social clubs in NYC, with a strong emphasis on arts and letters. So, naturally, it’s a close second to the Society of Illustrators when it comes to up-market cartoon exhibitions.
To read more about this night, and where I had arrived from, click the story below:
Snapshots of a Wrap Party
Earlier in the year, the hardest-working comic in NYC wrapped up his year-long international comedy tour with a giant blowout wrap party in Manhattan. His intrepid manager, Joel Zadak, was sporting his beautiful Leica M11 and snapping candids all night. Here are a selection of them. You can see more here.
Related:
This week on Process Junkie, I expand on the process of drawing a cartoon from life, and teach my 5 tricks to carve out time for your creative work.
I really appreciate how much time you spend in informing and entertaining your readers. I can see why your Substack is so popular. Thanks for all your hard work and sharing of your process.!
Go Ricky! Wasn't that fun?