Sight Unseen: Lee Lorenz's Old Farts Are Forever, Signed

Yes, that's the title. Old Farts Are Forever is a 2009 cartoon collection by Lee Lorenz, then the former cartoon editor of The New Yorker. An unspecified number of the cartoons are from the magazine. A signed copy of the book listed on eBay caught my eye late in December. Reportedly signed and inscribed by the author, but with no images other than a stock photo of the cover, I decided to add it to my collection of interesting books purchased sight unseen. With a $10.98 purchse price and free shipping, it was not a huge gamble on my part. At worst, I'd end up with a new book I was unfamiliar with.

Stock Image

Lee Lorenz
AbeBooks item accessed December 27, 2025

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/Old-Farts-Forever-Lorenz-Lee-Andrews/32364396548/bd

Lee Lorenz
AbeBooks item description

The book arrived Wednesday. It is signed "Best, Lee Lorenz" in the former editor's barely-legible hand. Anyway, it checks out as legit. And it's got some excellent cartoons.

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Sean's Copy of The New Yorker Book of Business Cartoons

I don't know who Sean may be, but his copy of The New Yorker Book of Business Cartoons (1998) was quite special. It was sold on eBay on September 11. The dust jacket art is by Michael Witte.

The unique feature of the book is the front free endpaper, which has drawings by five New Yorker cartoonists: Arnie Levin, Mick Stevens, Peter Steiner, Roz Chast, and Bob Mankoff. The cartoon census is one dog, one snake, one cat, and two human males. Through Stevens's signature, we learn that this assemblage dates to 1999, the year after publication.

Title page

Facing cartoons by Danny Shanahan and James Stevenson

Cartoons by Tom Cheney and Donald Reilly

Cartoons by Jack Ziegler and, again, Stevenson

A cartoon by Bernard Schoenbaum and the roster of cartoonists in the book

Back cover cartoon by Lee Lorenz

The New Yorker Book of Business Cartoons
eBay listing ended September 11, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/187559204260?_skw=signed+Yorker&epid=512875&itmmeta=01K5QGH0KS6DRRVXFTWR0EVASE&hash=item2bab6655a4:g:Uj8AAeSwlp1owhXH&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1e0PK9611tjD3x4MYjI0UTSilszT%2BAjheAETZrqA%2BeDAChD4%2FT8ebUMX9wyG4MjDVdGz%2F9u5aSmrgQHn4x%

2FvWoveYnH88BkXfKkbxK5zPDRcoo4VKcQ%2BsNjvVPe5%2BqY0QjPF80xGjBL7hFLoNVd8LEdMpM5NU1iJR7oR4A54NRjgjcjY9JO0tqgMfWR%2FE%2FyCMzLf939jKTQ2vqx3aus%2FC4VW8DFyWkuiJ69jhLyGcV6hsXw4JpWKDhdRF4H1GAymFkp%2Bp4IpH1G%2BAxlBQXNJMqkCu47j6wTvL9BCj%2FQzlwBzQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4KKxPCtZg

The New Yorker Book of Business Cartoons
eBay item description

Note:  I'm just a simple blogger who would like to post other endpaper drawings by other New Yorker cartoonists in other New Yorker books of this ilk. See what you can do.

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Lee Lorenz: A Cookout With Uncle Sam

The original New Yorker cover art for the July 4, 1988, issue by Lee Lorenz was sold at auction on June 17. Here we have Uncle Sam manning the barbecue. His apron says it all.

Lee Lorenz
Original art
The New Yorker, July 4, 1988

Lee Lorenz
Original art
The New Yorker, July 4, 1988

This artwork carried an auction estimate of $2,000 to $3,000. When the gavel fell, it sold for of $6,000, which comes to $7,500 with the premium.

Lee Lorenz
Swann Auction Galleries listing of June 17, 2025

https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/Lots/auction-lot/(NEW-YORKER)-LEE-LORENZ-(1932---2022)-Cookout-with-Uncle-Sam?saleno=2709&lotNo=138&refNo=829876

Lee Lorenz
The New Yorker, July 4, 1988

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1988-07-04/flipbook/CV1/

Lee Lorenz
Original art
The New Yorker, July 4, 1988

Note:  After today's barbecue, collectors might consider sending me additional images of original cartoon art by Lee Lorenz. Let freedom ring.

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Fireworks on Home Video: Lee Lorenz Preliminary New Yorker Cover Art

Two weeks ago, Swann Auction Galleries sold some artistic gems from the estate of Lee Lorenz, the accomplished cartoonist who served as art editor of The New Yorker from 1973 to 1993, and then as cartoon editor from 1993-1997. Preliminary art for his 1989 Independence Day cover sold for a hammer price of $600 or $750 with the buyer's premium. Given the $1,000 to $1,500 presale estimate, that's not a bad deal. Lorenz shows us an enthusiastic Uncle Sam lighting the fireworks while Lady Liberty captures the moment on video.

Lee Lorenz
Preliminary art
The New Yorker, July 3, 1989

Lee Lorenz
Swann Auction Galleries listing of June 17, 2025

https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/Lots/auction-lot/(NEW-YORKER)-LEE-LORENZ-(1932---2022)-Cover-study-Independen?saleno=2709&lotNo=139&refNo=829875

Lee Lorenz
The New Yorker, July 3, 1989

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1989-07-03/flipbook/CV1/

Lee Lorenz
Preliminary art
The New Yorker, July 3, 1989

Note:  For future posts, this blog seeks original art by Lee Lorenz, original New Yorker Fourth of July art, and original cover studies. I hit the trifecta today.

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Last Night's Swann Salon

Last night I ventured downtown to attend a Swann Salon at the auction house of that name.

There was a short preview of the forthcoming "Women Laughing" film documentary which happily exceeded my expectations. In addition, the gallery was set up for today's sale of Illustration Art: Featuring the Collection of Lee Lorenz. I thought I'd share photographs of a small selection of the art before its dispersal:

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The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1975-1985 Signed by Three

Evolving Lens Bookseller of Kingston offers a thrice-signed copy of The New Yorker Cartoon Album 1975-1985.

Unlike the personalized and well-decorated copy we saw here yesterday, this one has just three cartoonist signatures—belonging to Edward Koren, art editor Lee Lorenz, and Danny Shanahan—with no other scribbles. While the book certainly could have been signed at an event, it's rarity suggests to me that it's one of just a few copies signed almost at random on look day, the morning cartoonists traditionally brought their work in to show the art editor, later the cartoon editor.

But this conjecture of mine raises its own questions. Why was it signed by only three cartoonists? If it was look day, why couldn't  a dozen cartoonists represented in the collection have signed? Was the book meant for a corporate client of the magazine? Nearly forty years have passed, the book's signers are all gone, and it may be hard to find anyone who has the answers.

The book is priced at $275.

The New Yorker Cartoon Album 1975-1985
Evolving Lens Bookseller listing accessed July 10, 2024

https://www.evolvinglensbookseller.com/pages/books/17129/new-yorker-magazine-staff/the-new-yorker-cartoon-album-1975-1985

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