My "Women Laughing" Postproduction Kickstarter Reward

On June 16, I was truly enthralled by a short preview of the documentary film "Women Laughing." This was shown at a Swann Salon, an event the night before the most recent Illustration Art auction at Swann Galleries. The film's subjects are the women cartoonists of The New Yorker. The short film was then a work in progress by a talented team led by cartoonist and author Liza Donnelly. 

The following month I made a pledge of $200 towards the film's postproduction Kickstarter campaign (plus $5 to ship the reward I readily accepted in exchange). My feelings toward crowdfunding have softened over the years. It has now become clear to me that many worthy projects could never see the light of day without it.

"Women Laughing" Postproduction
Kickstarter Campaign accessed July 19, 2025

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/womenlaughingfilm/women-laughing-post-production?ref=recommendation-ended-project-1&category_id=Q2F0ZWdvcnktMzA=

No one who reads this blog regularly will be surprised by the wonderful reward I chose for myself. Only fifteen of these signed books were available and they were grabbed up quickly.

Now the film has been completed. And here is my beautiful, new copy, decorated on the half-title with a drawing from each signer. They are (clockwise from the center) Liza Donnelly, Liana Finck, Roz Chast, Amy Hwang, Emily Flake, and The New Yorker's cartoon editor Emma Allen.

Finally, good mothers always say to send thank you notes.

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My Copy of Very Funny Ladies by Liza Donnelly

Freshly arrived his week from Oblong Books of Rhinebeck is a signed and personalized copy of Very Funny Ladies: The New Yorker's Women Cartoonists. This book is Liza Donnelly's brand new update of Funny Ladies: The New Yorker's Greatest Women Cartoonists and Their Cartoons (2005). The half title page is embellished with a festive drawing. 

Note:  Copies of Very Funny Ladies signed by Liza Donnelly remain available from Oblong Books here.

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Liza Donnelly: Funny Ladies and Very Funny Ladies

A year ago I wondered to myself whether I could resist buying a signed copy of Liza Donnelly's Funny Ladies: The New Yorker's Greatest Women Cartoonists and Their Cartoons (2005)? Certainly not, and I already owned one.

But it is now time for that classic history to cede its authority to Ms. Donnelly's new and updated Very Funny Ladies: The New Yorker's Women Cartoonists. The book is being launched tonight at 7 p.m. EST via Zoom. You can still register for the free event here and order a signed copy from Oblong Books here. I'm not hesitating, so why should you?

So, that taken care of, you may now get back to the original book and ask me, how does one come to buy a second signed copy of Funny Ladies? Well, just take a look at what arrives via email soon after one happens to glance innocently at a copy on eBay:

So then, one thinks, $27.95 is still a lot for a second copy of this book which is, after all, about to be updated. So one makes a shrewd if impractical counteroffer of $25 which the less shrewd but more practical seller accepts. So then one is all set for life with two signed copies until a year later when the updated edition, now called Very Funny Ladies, comes out, leading one to conclude that ordering a new signed copy wouldn't really count as a third one because now it's a different book. Got it?

Here then is the rest of the 2005 edition as listed on eBay in 2021:

Liza Donnelly
eBay listing accessed March 21, 2021

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284218009085?ul_noapp=true

Liza Donnelly
eBay item description

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