Keith's Copy of Inked by Joe Dator

Inked: Cartoons, Confessions, Rejected Ideas and Secret Sketches from The New Yorker's Joe Dator (2021) is by none other than . . . The New Yorker's Joe Dator. Keith's copy was inscribed by Joe in 2023 with an original sketch of the character Walter. This year marks Joe's twentieth at The New Yorker, and we're all the better off for it.

05199

Mrs. Robinson: Joe Dator and Harry Bliss

"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?"

—"The Graduate" (1967)

The line is one of the most famous from "The Graduate," Mike Nichols's celebrated 1967 film starring Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman. The film poster is iconic, showing a staged still photo of the hotel room scene with Mrs. Robinson donning her stockings after she has seduced Benjamin. This is not actually the scene with the famous above quotation, but it's an image everyone remembers, and Mrs. Robinson's stockinged leg stands out in both scenes.

https://beloitfilmfest.org/biff-event/guess-whos-coming-to-din
ner-fnb-classic-film-2017/the-graduate_movie_poster/

Joe Dator gives us his take on the famous scene in a 2014 New Yorker cartoon with a contemporary twist:

Joe Dator
The New Yorker, May 26, 2014, p. 68

Note that Dator gives Benjamin a suit similar to what he wore in the earlier seduction scene, but not in the hotel room scene. On pages 54 to 55 of Inked: Cartoons, Confessions, Rejected Ideas and Secret Sketches from The New Yorker's Joe Dator (2021), he discusses how he had to carefully rework his caption to make it conform not to the actual line from the film but to the way most people seem to remember it.

In February of this year, Harry Bliss co-opted that same scene himself in his syndicated panel cartoon Bliss. He too moves the famous seduction line into the hotel room scene, but his speaker is a dog.

Harry Bliss
Bliss, February 17, 2023

https://store.harrybliss.com/product/mrs-robinson-youre-trying/

The line in question is spoken by Benjamin after Mrs. Robinson invites him into her home and offers him a drink:

It occurs here just after 3:40.

A cartoon by Joe Dator

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/2014-05-26/flipbook/068/

And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson.

04277

Joe Dator: E.T. Bikes

In January, cartoonist Joe Dator gave his fans a rare opportunity to purchase some of his original New Yorker cartoon art on eBay. The first piece to sell was a wordless cartoon the artist calls E.T. Bikes. As one would expect from the author of Inked: Cartoons, Confessions, Rejected Ideas and Secret Sketches from The New Yorker's Joe Dator, each cartoon is listed with an insightful description and reliable publication information. All that could leave a cartoon blogger with very little to do.

Joe Dator's signature

Joe Dator
eBay listing ended January 7, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284597744938?hash=item424358f52a:g:nLsAAOSwhxJh1109

Joe Dator
eBay item description

Note:  This sale of numerous New Yorker originals inspired Michael Maslin's Ink Spill to begin a new Auction Watch feature on January 11. Hear, hear!

04017

My Copy of Inked by Joe Dator

The full title of Joe Dator's funny and informative new book is Inked: Cartoons, Confessions, Rejected Ideas and Secret Sketches from The New Yorker's Joe Dator. The official release date is Tuesday, October 19, and my personalized copy just arrived in Friday's mail. The inscription is inspired and, come to think of it, says much about my reason for keeping this blog going all these years. The original sketch features Joe's character Walter—the one on the cover wearing a tie—rising brilliantly over the serene landscape. 

Joe Dator and Inked

Note:  Inked is a terrific read. I found the book to be very humorous as well as insightful about the creative process, striking a balance that is rarely seen in cartoon books. I don't hesitate to recommend Joe Dator's Inked to all the readers of this blog.

03780