Over the years, we at TVWriter™ have known many men and women who aspired to become cartoonists for New Yorker Magazine. A couple of them have been winners of the mag’s weekly caption contest, but not a one has sold an actual original cartoon there.
Maybe this will help them – and those of you we don’t know personally. This TVWriter™ minion certainly hopes so.
by Emma Allen
Howdy. I’m Emma Allen, and I take it you want to be a New Yorker cartoonist.
Before you uncap that pen or dip your quill in the blood of your frenemies,
you might want to take these cartooning tips and tricks into account. Or not! Who am I to tell you what to do?
Oh, right, I’m the cartoon editor of The New Yorker.
So, first things first. You want to know if there’s any subject matter I’m hankering for, or whether there are topics to avoid?
Not really! I suggest you do a quick Internet search to make sure your idea is fresh, but, other than that, I’m most interested in what is tickling you.
That being said, try to peruse as many cartoons as you can to get familiar with the voice of The New Yorker. Cartoonists published in the magazine and online have a wide range of backgrounds and styles, but by reading the cartoons we publish you’ll get a better idea of what makes them New Yorker cartoons.
Now you’re curious if I have any specific style tips. Both in terms of the humor and the art, I’d rather see you not try to imitate some generalized composite of New Yorker cartoons. That’s bound to be too familiar.
Style and materials vary widely. Some cartoonists stick to line work, some favor stark black-and-white, some shade with line or ink wash. Use the tools and tricks that you know best….