Book Review: The New Yorker Book of Dog Cartoons (New Yorker magazine)

The New Yorker Book of Dog Cartoons, by “New Yorker” (Knopf, 1992, 112 pages, $22)

Short, Sweet and Fun to Pick Up!

The New Yorker Book of Dog Cartoons will bring back smiley memories even if you have never subscribed to the magazine. I bet, however, that you have picked up an issue or two in the past and are familiar with the unique font and font size, the original covers, the style of stories, even the list and write-ups of movies and Broadway plays, but most of all – the priceless cartoons.

By famous cartoonists whose names you know and whose cartoons you immediately recognize . . . . but you may not be able to connect the illustrator with his work - clever “drawers” and wordsmiths like Charles Addams, James Thurber, Peter Arno, Robert Mankoff, and George Booth.

Never fear. This is just a fun book of quiet humor.

Favorites

You will have your favorites, just as I do. You may even “dog-ear” those pages – or not - but every time you pick up this Book of Dog Cartoons, you will gravitate toward your favorites.

My favorite, by Robert Mankoff, depicts a dog at a typewriter, typing out the caption: “The quick brown dog jumps over the lazy fox.” (Like it did with me, it may take you a while to ‘get’ this one, but then you will laugh, if even to yourself.)

And my other favorite (by Robert Weber) has a dog, sitting (something dogs do so well) while his person says, “Speak.” No response. Then the person tries, “Heel.” No response. Then, “Roll Over” Again, no response. And, finally, the person achieves success, as he walks away, with “Stay.”

More New Yorker

Check out The New Yorker Book of Dog Cartoons or The New Yorker Book of Cat Cartoons, The New Yorker Book of Doctor Cartoons, or The New Yorker Book of Lawyer Cartoons, The New Yorker Book of Teacher Cartoons, or The New Yorker Book of Library Cartoons, or The New Yorker Book of Golf Cartoons, or . . . .