The needless proliferation of wait staff is the subject of a 1983
New Yorker cartoon by the late
James Stevenson (1929-2017) that comes absurdly close to reality. The long caption doesn't lead to a traditional punch line. Rather, it establishes a serving hierarchy in which Don, the waiter who is speaking, gradually reveals himself to be totally superfluous. In a sense, the kicker is at the beginning of the caption, not the end, but that isn't immediately apparent to the reader. So look at what the
New Yorker's editors, subtly wielding the power of the punctuation mark, have done. They have changed Mr. Stevenson's very reasonable opening "Hi, my name is Don" to the front-loaded "Hi. My name is Don." Full stop. Bam!
Why is that important? The caption already works fine without it. It's important because it makes the gag work even better than fine. It's subtle and stealthy. Scarcely one in a hundred readers might even notice. The careful writing and editing that permeates the entire magazine is at work in the cartoon captions as well. In how many magazines is that the case?
Remember that rule in photography, the one where you don't want a pole or a tree appearing to come out of anyone's head? Well, it's a rule in cartooning too. Stevenson's restaurant is a crowded place with lots of heads and at least four vertical beams. Look at the care he has taken to use the beams as framing devices particularly around the heads of the two principle men. This is not an accident. It is also not an accident that both the darkest and lightest shades are reserved for the main figures in the foreground while the background is more or less a series of gray wash tones.
Swann Galleries, in its January 2016 sale, noted the
New Yorker's copyright stamps affixed to the back of the frame and came to a perplexing conclusion: "Proposed, but apparently unpublished cartoon for The New Yorker, 1983."
Check, please!
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"Hi, my name is Don. I'll be introducing you to Mark,
who will be taking your drink order, and after that
to Gloria, who will be your waitress."
James Stevenson, original art, The New Yorker, October 3, 1983, page 50 |
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Swann Galleries, January 28, 2016 Illustration Art, Sale 2403, Lot249
Hammer Price
|
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| With the Buyer's Premium. A steal. |
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"Hi. My name is Don. I'll be introducing you to Mark,
who will be taking your drink order, and after that
to Gloria, who will be your waitress."
James Stevenson, The New Yorker, October 3, 1983, page 50 |
Note: To celebrate the life and work of the late
James Stevenson, I would like to hear from readers with original artwork, correspondence, or photographs to share. Punctuation counts.
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James Stevenson (1929-2017)
Original New Yorker Cartoon Art
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