Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics focus on perennial favorite Roz Chast. Roz Chast is a singular artist whose quirky, personal approach is instantly recognizable. She’s transcended the single-panel genre to touch an international audience with poignant recollections of…
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Recent Posts
“Mummy Man” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
In Bob Eckstein’s cartoon, a doctor who’s bandaging a patient from head to toe is pushing his foot against the patient’s back for leverage, and delivering the line that will serve as the caption. Focusing on the tape, I first made an insurance joke: “If you had Medicaid, I’d have to use red tape.” I…
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“ATM Man” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
Drew Dernavich has drawn a man standing at an ATM and speaking to the guy behind him. Standing inside the machine is another man whom we see only from the shins down. I have a lot of affection for this cartoon, as it brings me back to 1965, when my older sister, Barb, and her…
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“Rooftop Thugs” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
Kim Warp has drawn two thugs on the roof of a building. One of them is holding a man upside down by his ankles and, it would seem, threatening to let him fall to his death. The man who’s hanging upside down is talking. He looks annoyed (his arms are crossed) but remarkably calm given…
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Anatomy of a Cartoon: Drawing a Fine Line
Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics examine the drawing behind some favorite cartoons. Every budding cartoonist faces a dilemma: the tools are at hand, coffee’s on, and the ideas are brimming over –- now what? Sure, the gag’s great…
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