Name: Anatomy of a New Yorker cartoon
Uploaded: 2013-06-26T15:00:04Z
Duration: 20 min 46 s
Description: The New Yorker receives around 1,000 cartoons each week; it only publishes about 17 of them. In this hilarious, fast-paced, and insightful talk, the magazine's longstanding cartoon editor and self-proclaimed "humor analyst" Bob Mankoff dissects the comedy within just some of the "idea drawings" featured in the magazine, explaining what works, what doesn't, and why.

The New Yorker receives around 1,000 cartoons each week; it only publishes about 17 of them. In this hilarious, fast-paced, and insightful talk, the magazine's longstanding cartoon editor and self-proclaimed "humor analyst" Bob Mankoff dissects the comedy within just some of the "idea drawings" featured in the magazine, explaining what works, what doesn't, and why.

Anatomy of a New Yorker cartoon

Humor’s power lies in its context and its ability to challenge expectations, not just in the joke itself. At The New Yorker, only about 17 of the 1,000 weekly cartoon submissions make it to print. Cartoons that succeed ask readers to connect unlikely ideas and reflect on their own assumptions. The most memorable humor provokes both a laugh and a moment of self-recognition, revealing that comedy is as much about the audience as the punchline.