Bob Mankoff

A-yes, they certainly are. But whether you think that’s all for the good, somewhat for the good, or no good at all, we all can agree that funny is still funny—unless it’s not. For some art forms, time becomes them. Michelangelo’s stuff looks better every year! Not so much with his sense of humor, though….
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Dating back to the 16th century, the expression “a dog’s life” alludes to a miserable existence. But times they are a-changing. My dogs, Todo and Alfie, live in ecstatic comfort and ease. Plus, unlike us humans, they don’t have to think about masks, and social distancing, as the photo below illustrates. Fortunately, things are easing…
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I recently looked back at some cartoons I did decades ago for The New Yorker featuring cops. In 1999, they were funny in a straightforward sort of way to me and the editor of The New Yorker but wouldn’t make much sense if they appeared now. And, depending on one’s view of law enforcement and…
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I’m a big fan of Father’s Day. I never thought I’d be a father and didn’t have any Father’s Days until I was 47 years old. So, having been deprived early on, I treasure them all the more now. I have no idea what I’ll get for this Father’s Day from my darling daughter, Sarah,…
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There has been very little to find funny about this past weekend—protests and riots, but no laugh riots. Good sentiments and bad actors leave all but the most partisan conflicted. And yet, I think cartoons can still shine their light—not by being part of the polarization, but by being part of the discussion and hopefully…
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On the one hand, I’ve been tethered in place for the last two months. But on the other, I’ve been Zooooooooooooooooming all over the place—teaching a class on The New Yorker caption contest down at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, doing presentations on Jewish humor at JCCs all around the country, and joining a…
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