Ask the Author Live: Bob Mankoff on Cartoons

Thanks to Gregory Kogan for this link:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/ask/2010/10/bob-mankoff-humor-cartoon-issue.html

The New Yorker:
Robert Mankoff will be joining us shortly. For now, please submit your questions.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 2:56 The New Yorker
3:00


[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
Are the entries to the cartoon kit still being judged?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:00 Guest
3:01


Robert Mankoff:
We have a temporary hiatus on the cartoon kit so for now they are not being judged. I feel there were some flaws in it that led to a lot random fooling around with the images which often got people into incongruity cul de sacs they couldn't get out of.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:01 Robert Mankoff
3:01


[Comment From Andy BroomeAndy Broome: ]
What tips and guidelines would you give to a cartoonist ready to submit a batch of art to you for submission?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:01 Andy Broome
3:02


Robert Mankoff:
Do lots of cartoons for each batch - 8-10 and don't get discouraged if you don't sell a cartoon on the first, second or 92nd attempt. I tried for 2 years before I got published.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:02 Robert Mankoff
3:03


[Comment From paprikapinkpaprikapink: ]
I have been enjoying New Yorker cartoons since before I could read. I absolutely love them. My only wish is that they were a little more reflective of the world I actually live in -- where the default person isn't always white.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:03 paprikapink
3:04


Robert Mankoff:
That is an excellent point. The default person does tend to be white and really all of our staff cartoonists are also. But the fact is there are very few magazine cartoonists at all and even fewer at The New Yorker than in the world at large. One cartoonist who does regularly have people of color in his cartoons is William Haeflie.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:04 Robert Mankoff
3:05


[Comment From Farhad ManjooFarhad Manjoo: ]
Hi. I've asked thousands of people on Twitter to explain this Oct. 25, 2010, cartoon, and nobody gets it. Can you tell me the joke or reference? I'm stumped!
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:05 Farhad Manjoo
3:06


Robert Mankoff:
I can't see the cartoon so I don't know which one you are referring to but that is the case with some of our cartoons. That's why we have a feature, sometimes, in the cartoon issue called " I don't get it". Still our intention is not to be arcane and obscure.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:06 Robert Mankoff
3:06


[Comment From TobyToby: ]
What's changed for cartooning, and cartooning at the New Yorker, since you began at the magazine?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:06 Toby
3:09


Robert Mankoff:
I think there has been a gradual change in the type of humor in the cartoons that is in line with the evolution of humor style in general towards a more accesseble joke. Also, many cartoons in the past had people saying funny things in them but they themselves did not think they were funny. We observed it from the outside. Now, as in sit-com everyone has a one liner ready and they are aware of it.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:09 Robert Mankoff
3:09


[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
Do you need somebody to sort through the entries to the cartoon kit and eliminate the "chaff" before they are passed along to the cartoon editing dept.?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:09 Guest
3:10


Robert Mankoff:
Yes, someone sorts though both the entries to the cartoon kit and the caption contest. Actually the kit was much harder because all the images were different and had to be looked at individually versus the caption contest where we can just go through the thousands of caption fairly quickly ( still takes a couple of days)
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:10 Robert Mankoff
3:11


[Comment From Andy BroomeAndy Broome: ]
Can a cartoonist submitting for the first time mail in cartoons or should he/she drop off in person or is there another method?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:11 Andy Broome
3:11


Robert Mankoff:
It's probably best to mail in but use copies not the original artwork. We do go through everything and try not to misplace anything but it happens.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:11 Robert Mankoff
3:12


[Comment From LevLev: ]
How did the current form of the New Yorker cartoon come to be, and would you say there is a form or template that you use?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:12 Lev
3:13


Robert Mankoff:
That's a long story. Funny too if you include the cartoons. The best treatment in the former cartoon editor Lee Lorenz's book " The Art of The New Yorker"
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:13 Robert Mankoff
3:15


Robert Mankoff:
At the present time the cartoonists both do the drawing and the caption. In the 30's and 40's it was often a team with a gag writer and an artist. For example, most of Peter Arno's captions were created by gag writers. Not all but most. We don't run a cartoon without a caption if the cartoonist had one but sometimes we take it off and use if for the caption contest.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:15 Robert Mankoff
3:15


[Comment From Rob HollandRob Holland: ]
New Yorker is famous for its cartoons. Why do you think so few other magazines compete with you? Have you sucked up all the talent?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:15 Rob Holland
3:17


Robert Mankoff:
There is a lot of un-sucked up talent out there on the internet. I think a lot of magazines stopped using cartoons when they got taken over by art directors who couldn't find a place for them and had no sense of humor. Fortunately for The New Yorker it was part of our DNA from the start and remains so. I wish there was more competition.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:17 Robert Mankoff
3:17


[Comment From readerreader: ]
Is there a balance between being timely about the news in cartoons and still being timeless—are funny, say, political cartoons always funny, or do they depend on their context?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:17 reader
3:18


Robert Mankoff:
The more topical the cartoon the easier it is to make a joke about it. Just like it's easier for a person to get a laugh by referring to something personal that has happened to him or her among friends. We like both kinds of cartoons and both can be greater but the most enduring ones are those that are not tied to a particular moment.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:18 Robert Mankoff
3:19


[Comment From Tal AlmogTal Almog: ]
I agree, I think people ended up trying to write captions to the cartoon kit in order to "justify drawings"---it's a result of the added degree of freedom that the kit gives you.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:19 Tal Almog
3:19


Robert Mankoff:
I think we created to much freedom. Maybe in the next iteration fewer characters and no ability to distort them.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:19 Robert Mankoff
3:19


[Comment From DorothyDorothy: ]
What is your favorite Leo Cullum cartoon? And sorry about your loss.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:19 Dorothy
3:20


Robert Mankoff:
So many favorites I cannot say. He was a wonderful guy and a great cartoonist. The loss is for everyone but his cartoons will still bring joy for decades to come
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:20 Robert Mankoff
3:21


[Comment From Tal AlmogTal Almog: ]
It's Cotham's cartoon about the plane back to Ohioi
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:21 Tal Almog
3:21


Robert Mankoff:
Right, I think that was originally a topical cartoon that is no longer and honestly right now I forget the topic. A mistake.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:21 Robert Mankoff
3:22


[Comment From Susan MurphySusan Murphy: ]
Are you surprised by how little people commented, voted, or otherwise gave you and each other feedback during the contest?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:22 Susan Murphy
3:22


Robert Mankoff:
Which contest?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:22 Robert Mankoff
3:22


[Comment From from Russia with lovefrom Russia with love: ]
What is the future of the single panel cartoons without captions? Will they disappear from the magazine eventually?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:22 from Russia with love
3:23


Robert Mankoff:
Hello Russia! There used to be a lot more cartoons that had no caption. The joke was purely visual. In fact the first 8 cartoons I had published in The New Yorker were like that. It seems to be a lost art although we still have cartoonists like John O'Brien who can do it.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:23 Robert Mankoff
3:24


[Comment From Andy BroomeAndy Broome: ]
Are all the current cartoonist for the magazine freelancers or are there any staff or contract cartoonists?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:24 Andy Broome
3:24


Robert Mankoff:
Some staff and many freelancers.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:24 Robert Mankoff
3:24


[Comment From Luis PomboLuis Pombo: ]
Hi Bob, I would like to know what do you think about the new technologies like ipad, kindle, etc. And how has it worked the Animated Cartoon? Best from Mexico City.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:24 Luis Pombo
3:26


Robert Mankoff:
I think all the new technologies are great including animating the cartoons. One thing you've got to remember is that cartooning is fun and fun for people to see but it is also a business and needs a viable business model to support it. While I for the most part prefer non-animated versions of the New Yorker cartoons the animated version are much better to advertise on.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:26 Robert Mankoff
3:26


[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
What kinds of submissions do you immediately reject?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:26 Guest
3:27


Robert Mankoff:
A cartoon has to fit within the context of the New Yorker. At a comedy club obscenity might be ok and even funny. In The New Yorker it is not.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:27 Robert Mankoff
3:28


[Comment From Larry Van CleveLarry Van Cleve: ]
If we send in copies for submission is it necessary to include a stamped return envelope? Or is that standard practice?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:28 Larry Van Cleve
3:28


Robert Mankoff:
Include the stamped self addressed envelope
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:28 Robert Mankoff
3:29


[Comment From BobBob: ]
What is your favourite ancedote about Leo Cullum? I will miss his humour
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:29 Bob
3:29


Robert Mankoff:
Jack Ziegler, the great New Yorker cartoonist sent me this rememberance of Leo

Well, it was always a surprise to run into Leo. He'd just show up from his perch 3000 miles away, flying in at the drop of a hat to various events & non-events. In the pre-Nyer days I'd run into him on the street, and a long, long time ago we traded drawings - both were pieces rightfully rejected from everywhere - his to me being a drawing of a toilet bowl thinking vile thoughts - and I think mine to him might have involved the Pope involved in some sort of rude situation. I asked him once how pilots dealt with flying to the west coast in late afternoon into the sunset and he said, " Aw, we just cover the windshield (if that's what it's called) with newspapers and put the damn thing on autopilot."
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:29 Robert Mankoff
3:29


[Comment From KimKim: ]
how far ahead are your selections made
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:29 Kim
3:30


Robert Mankoff:
Sometimes the cartoons we select run the next week. Sometimes the next month and every once in a while the next year.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:30 Robert Mankoff
3:30


[Comment From Tal AlmogTal Almog: ]
Is there any chance we'll see any of Leo Cullum's yet-unpublished cartoons appear posthumously?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:30 Tal Almog
3:30


Robert Mankoff:
Probably. Two are in the upcoming issue.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:30 Robert Mankoff
3:31


[Comment From Ross NoverRoss Nover: ]
What feedback is there from the audience when a particular cartoon is or isn't appreciated?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:31 Ross Nover
3:32


Robert Mankoff:
Hi Ross.
The feedback is often in the form of disliking the cartoon because it doesn't meet present day standards of "political correctness". People often confuse the farce in cartoons with reality.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:32 Robert Mankoff
3:32


[Comment From DaveDave: ]
I know about Cartoon Bank, but, I am interested in buying original NYer cartoon art. Do cartoonists, like yourself, Barsotti, Maslin sell art through art galleries? Sometimes I see Whitney Darrow art on Ebay, I wish I saw more.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:32 Dave
3:33


Robert Mankoff:
Original art can be purchased sometimes directly through the artist or if you see it online at The Cartoon Bank through Sarah Walker Martin who handles that for them.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:33 Robert Mankoff
3:33


[Comment From JessJess: ]
Do your artists feel limited by black and white?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:33 Jess
3:35


Robert Mankoff:
I don't think so. Everyone once in a while a cartoon demands color for the joke to be understood or better understood but for the most part color is a distraction. Harold Ross, the first editor of The New Yorker when asked why the cartoons didn't use color answered " What's so funny about red?"
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:35 Robert Mankoff
3:35


[Comment From joeyjoey: ]
How many submissions did you have to ween down to chose a few to feature as longer strips in the Cartoon Issue?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:35 joey
3:36


Robert Mankoff:
Not as many as for the regular cartoons but for which there are many hundreds but a goodly number
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:36 Robert Mankoff
3:36


[Comment From Susan MurphySusan Murphy: ]
What most salient thing have you and the NYer learned from the kit contest?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:36 Susan Murphy
3:37


Robert Mankoff:
Less is more. Not so many options which led to too much dragging and dropping and distortion of images and not enough thinking about what the actual joke would be.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:37 Robert Mankoff
3:37


[Comment From Tal AlmogTal Almog: ]
I think the idea was that the Ohio character is completely passive, and "this isn't working out" is completely unilateral----she has to "put him on a plane" (as a passive entity) back to Ohio. The joke is about things "not working out" completely unilaterally. Or perhaps I'm over-analyzing as usual!
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:37 Tal Almog
3:38


Robert Mankoff:
No that's not it. It was a topical cartoon. Maybe about some kid who the father was trying to get back from another country. Totally blanking on this now but I'm sure that was it. We forgot to run it and then did which was a mistake.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:38 Robert Mankoff
3:38


[Comment From TEDTED: ]
Do you find most cartoonists to be funny in person, and what gives cartoonists a different kind of humor, than, comedians or performers?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:38 TED
3:40


Robert Mankoff:
Some cartoonists are funny in person, but many are sort of shy and save their humor for the cartoons. However, even if they are shy and not "on" talking to any of them for a while will bring out the humor that everyone sees in their work.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:40 Robert Mankoff
3:40


[Comment From ReillyReilly: ]
Do you ever match cartoons to editorial content from a particular issue?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:40 Reilly
3:40


Robert Mankoff:
No. Never.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:40 Robert Mankoff
3:40


[Comment From DustinDustin: ]
Do you ever catch people reading the magazine and laughing at a cartoon on the train, or in the park or some other public place?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:40 Dustin
3:41


Robert Mankoff:
Maybe smiling. People rarely laugh when they are alone of alone among others as on a train. When the last time you saw someone laugh to himself on a train? Usually will cause people to switch seats.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:41 Robert Mankoff
3:41


[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
How many cartoons do you personally complete per day or week?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:41 Guest
3:42


Robert Mankoff:
When I was not cartoon editor, I used to do about 3 a day.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:42 Robert Mankoff
3:42


[Comment From guestguest: ]
Is there a reason the New Yorker doesn't seem to run cartoons about actual people, but rather ones that refer to events more obliquely?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:42 guest
3:43


Robert Mankoff:
That's just our style in which the cartoons are not directly editorial but deal with almost all issues with how it affects the individual. I think it makes for a deeper type of humor. Certainly one that is less partisan
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:43 Robert Mankoff
3:44


[Comment From MimiMimi: ]
Do you prefer that freelance cartoonists submit cartoons via snail mail, or is sending by e-mail acceptable? If e-mail is acceptable, would you share the e-mail address to use?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:44 Mimi
3:44


Robert Mankoff:
Use the snail.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:44 Robert Mankoff
3:44


[Comment From DaveDave: ]
Does your personality resemble the NY'er cartoon editor in the Seinfeld episode?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:44 Dave
3:44


Robert Mankoff:
I'm cuter.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:44 Robert Mankoff
3:45


[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
How large are your original cartoons before they go into the magazine?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:45 Guest
3:45


Robert Mankoff:
There usually on about 8.5 X 11.5 paper
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:45 Robert Mankoff
3:46


[Comment From Nick L.Nick L.: ]
How do you ensure that you don't publish cartoons that are very similar to ones from two or twenty-five years ago?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:46 Nick L.
3:47


Robert Mankoff:
We have a library with all the previous cartoons both in books and in an electronic database. When we select cartoons we run them against these references to see if they are too similar to ones that have run before. Every once in a while one slips by but rarely. We do our very best to see that doesnt happen
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:47 Robert Mankoff
3:47


[Comment From Tal AlmogTal Almog: ]
Is there any kind of internal "blacklist", i.e. certain names who's submissions you don't bother reviewing because they've already sent in too many poor ones? I haven't submitted cartoons for about two years, but was just hoping my name wasn't on such a list if it exists! :-)
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:47 Tal Almog
3:48


Robert Mankoff:
No blacklist or even a dark gray one.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:48 Robert Mankoff
3:48


[Comment From Rob HollandRob Holland: ]
Give us a thumbnail of Roz Chast.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:48 Rob Holland
3:49


Robert Mankoff:
You can learn a lot about Roz through her cartoons.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:49 Robert Mankoff
3:49


[Comment From ThePromenaderThePromenader: ]
The New Yorker brand of humour is one that I've seen almost nowhere in the US (I can even compare it to artists such as Sempé here in France) - and I fear that it is becoming a dying breed. Will you persist in maintaining the New Yorker's humouristic tone?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:49 ThePromenader
3:50


Robert Mankoff:
Vive La New Yorker brand of humor! We will not only endure, we will prevail.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:50 Robert Mankoff
3:50


[Comment From Russia with loveRussia with love: ]
How many cartoons a day you make to keep you in shape?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:50 Russia with love
3:50


Robert Mankoff:
I try to jog while cartooning so I keep in double shape.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:50 Robert Mankoff
3:50


[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
What are your thoughts on the Seinfeld episode about New Yorker cartoons? (I know this goes back a few years, but still...)
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:50 Guest
3:52


Robert Mankoff:
The episode was great and was written by one of our cartoonists, Bruce Eric Kaplan (BEK). I love the part where the cartoon editor playing me explaining to Elaine the cartoon says " It's gossamer Elaine, you can't explain gossamer" I always use that line when I'm stuck also. And now that I realize it that Cotham cartoon no one got is "gossamer"
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:52 Robert Mankoff
3:52


[Comment From ZackZack: ]
It is possible to submit cartoons to the mag, even if you don't live in USA?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:52 Zack
3:52


Robert Mankoff:
Sure.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:52 Robert Mankoff
3:53


[Comment From Krishn KaushikKrishn Kaushik: ]
How do you come up with cartoon ideas, upto 3 a day? I am an amateur cartoonist (really like just beginner) and it's tough to think of even one per day. How many sketches does it take you to reach your final product?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:53 Krishn Kaushik
3:54


Robert Mankoff:
It's like pushups. You maybe can do only a few when you start and then you build u p to it gradually. The first ideas are the hardest to get and then ideas beget more ideas. My book " The Naked Cartoonists" has a few chapters on it.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:54 Robert Mankoff
3:54


[Comment From DarinDarin: ]
Do you create the cartoon for the caption contest?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:54 Darin
3:54


Robert Mankoff:
Different cartoonists do. I've done a few.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:54 Robert Mankoff
3:54


[Comment From HolsteinHolstein: ]
Do you think any of the characters from current contributors could become a spin off for a movie or TV show?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:54 Holstein
3:54


Robert Mankoff:
Roz Chast's would be the most likely.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:54 Robert Mankoff
3:55


[Comment From tod formantod forman: ]
how do you choose what kind of cartoon makes the best front cover?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:55 tod forman
3:55


Robert Mankoff:
I don't do the covers. That's handled by our brilliant cover editor Francoise Mouly.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:55 Robert Mankoff
3:55


[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
Where is the snail address located?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:55 Guest
3:56


Robert Mankoff:
The Conde Nast Building
4 Times Square, 20th Floor, NY, NY, 10036
ATT: Robert Mankoff, Cartoon Editor
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:56 Robert Mankoff
3:56


[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
Is there a particular size submissions should be?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:56 Guest
3:57


Robert Mankoff:
Normal letter size is fine
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:57 Robert Mankoff
3:57


[Comment From kimkim: ]
I'm interested in hearing more about the selection process-do interns make the first cut? Does everyone get looked at?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:57 kim
3:57


Robert Mankoff:
Everyone gets looked at. No interns but my assistant looks at everything and gives me what she thinks might be worthwhile. I also periodically look at everything.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:57 Robert Mankoff
3:58


[Comment From JocelynJocelyn: ]
Someone may have already asked this but I am always curious to know what the cartoonist's ctptions would be/are for the Caption contest -it would be interesting to know what the cartoonist had in mind no?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:58 Jocelyn
3:58


Robert Mankoff:
Sometimes they have captions and when they do that caption is also always one that is one of the ones that are entered
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:58 Robert Mankoff
3:58


[Comment From ReaderReader: ]
Are there any successful cartoonist teams? My only hope of ever being a cartoonist would be to find someone else to do the drawing half.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:58 Reader
3:59


Robert Mankoff:
There have been in the past so don't give up hope.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:59 Robert Mankoff
3:59


[Comment From Krishn KaushikKrishn Kaushik: ]
I am a graduate student at Columbia School of Journalism. I really love cartoons and would like to do a profile on you. DO you think it could be possible that I can meet you for it?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:59 Krishn Kaushik
3:59


Robert Mankoff:
Sure call my office and we'll arrange it.
Wednesday October 27, 2010 3:59 Robert Mankoff
4:00


[Comment From paprikapinkpaprikapink: ]
How can I know you're not a dog?
Wednesday October 27, 2010 4:00 paprikapink
4:00


Robert Mankoff:
By my breeding. Good reference. Peter Steiner will appreciate it. Signing off now. It's been fun
Wednesday October 27, 2010 4:00 Robert Mankoff
4:00