The New Yorker Book of Technology Cartoons

by Robert Mankoff

Even if technology makes you weep, you'll laugh! Technology--friend or foe? That's a question the cartoonists of The New Yorker have been pondering with no little skepticism--and answering hilariously--for decades. From "portable phones" that were anything but to tiny cell phones, from room-sized computers to handheld wonders, from faxes to e-mails, the brilliant artists of The New Yorker have seen and drawn it all--the sublime, the ridiculous, and the existential. Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor of The New Yorker, has culled through thousands of drawings to select the best, the funniest, and the most illuminating cartoons on technology for this collection of 126 cartoons. Readers can also look forward to Mankoff's witty introductory essay. As an added bonus, the book comes with a bound-in CD-ROM, so that readers can e-mail their favorite cartoons via their computers (PC or Macintosh).

Genres: Humor, Comics, Nonfiction, Cartoon, Art

111 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2000

About the author

Robert Mankoff is an American cartoonist, editor, and author. He was the cartoon editor for The New Yorker for nearly twenty years. Before he succeeded Lee Lorenz as cartoon editor at The New Yorker, Mankoff was a New Yorker cartoonist for twenty years.

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars of five

Seventeen years have elapsed since this collection came out. One cartoon references search engines like Alta Vista and Infoseek! Wow...several references to "America Online" whatever that might be. So maybe the best thing about wiling away an idle half-hour with this antique was:



And back to our little library it goes.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for a chuckle or a wry grin, on the theme of modern technology? Look no further than this collection of 110 single-panel cartoons that originally appeared in the New Yorker magazine. In all, 45 artists are represented, including such New Yorker stallwarts as Charles Barsotti, John Caldwell, Edward Koren, Robert Mankoff, Mick Stevens and Gahan Wilson, all riffing on the foibles of today's (and tomorrow's) household and business technology. Tired of your computer? Fed up with your cellphone? Confused by your DVR? Give this collection a chance and you'll be smiling soon! Originally reviewed for my library's website: http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts...

[Rich Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the others in this collection, they’re a mixed bag with the best only being kind of clever, but not necessarily new and funny. Some of these were a little bit of a stretch as far as meeting the theme. The enclosed CD was a nice touch.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the strongest of the New Yorker cartoon collections that came out around this time (2000) but there’s a good chance that the humor here seemed a lot fresher then than it does 20+ years later. I’d give three and a half stars if that were possible, but if the choice is between three or four then I’m going with four.

[TJ Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book that was published in 2000 and having lived through almost two decades proceeding it was a delightful look at technology from the past and how we once thought of the future.

Two of the comics were jokes that have come true and are totally normalized. Fascinating.

[Anna Keating · Rating 3 out of 5]

woah, a lot happens in 20 years. still, so good.

[Lili Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun and funny! This book was published about two decades ago, but it seemingly foretold the future! Haha.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chuckles throughout this book. I can relate to these cartoons!

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection from a classic source

[Kevin Hodgson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of date, perhaps, but still fun

[Sivaram Velauthapillai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Technology-related cartoons that have graced the pages of The New Yorker over the years. Some are funny, some are insightful, some are boring, and some are just average. Take it for what it is.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun collection, although some of them are a bit outdated at this point.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.

[Nate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't laugh out loud at any of these. They were pretty disappointing

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly funny; many out of date. Check this out from the library.