Tuesday Spill: Michael Witte’s New Yorker Timeline

Looking through The New Yorker‘s 1990 anniversary issue yesterday I was reminded of Michael Witte’s wonderful New Yorker timeline that appeared in the issue.

Mr. Witte contributed several features to the magazine as well as two covers: February 11, 1980 and December 14, 1992. His New Yorker presence will also be remembered for his numerous “takes” on Rea Irvin’s Eustace Tilley, both within the magazine and on covers of a number of the magazine’s cartoon collections, such as these two popular titles:

But back to that anniversary issue of 1990 (February 26, 1990) — the magazine’s 65th anniversary issue. Here is a small sample of Mr. Witte’s timeline. It ran along the bottom of 15 pages in the Goings On About Town section (sometimes referred to as “GOAT”). Good stuff!

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Personal History: Meeting Edward Sorel

I cannot mention Michael Witte without thinking of my introduction to the great caricaturist, Edward Sorel. Back in the late 1970s, Mr. Witte, who I’d met through the The New Yorker, was kind enough to invite me to a gathering of cartoonists held in his home in Brooklyn. I believe the occasion was to meet and greet a bunch of visiting cartoonists from the United Kingdom. Wending my way through the partying crowd, I came upon a small circle of the honored guests (I could be wrong, but I believe we all wore name tags) listening to a fellow speaking New Yorkese. It was Edward Sorel. I knew of Mr. Sorel’s work, but, until that evening, had never met him. I joined the circle and heard Mr. Sorel speak, hilariously, of his affection for New York City life vs. country life in upstate New York. City life was winning.

Above: Mr. Sorel’s fab collection, Superpen, published in 1978