On December 22, 1984, Bernhard Hugo Goetz shot and wounded four black teenagers on a New York City subway train, claiming they were attempting to rob him. The shooting made national news and Goetz became known as New York's "Subway Vigilante." Goetz initially had a lot of support from a public fed up with crime, but that support lessened as further details surrounding the shooting were learned.
Paul Conrad, political cartoonist for the Los Angeles Times, responded to the story in 1985 with a cartoon showing The New Yorker's Eustace Tilley brandishing a handgun in a parody of the famous anniversary issue cover by Rea Irvin. Now Goetz was in no way representative of New York City's residents, nor was he emblematic of the liberal editors of The New Yorker, nor of its readers or staff writers. The magazine, in turn, is by no means a stand-in for the city on which it is focused. The magazine's editor, William Shawn, no doubt incensed, demanded a retraction. Conrad responded, so an eBay listing tells us, by releasing the cartoon as a limited edition print. Number 4 of 25, framed, was recently offered on the auction site for $1,000. It did not find a buyer, and was subsequently declared "no longer available."
 |
| No. 4/25 |
 |
| Paul Conrad's signature |
 |
| Paul Conrad eBay listing ended May 1, 2021 |
 |
| Paul Conrad eBay item description |
Note: The story of this Paul Conrad print is derived exclusively from the eBay listing. I have not found any online sources to corroborate it. I would be pleased to hear from anyone who can confirm the history provided or add additional details.
03619
No comments:
Post a Comment