New York Drawings

by Adrian Tomine

Two strangers, both reading the same novel, share a fleeting glance between passing subway cars. A bookstore owner locks eyes with a neighbor as she receives an Amazon package. Strangers are united by circumstance as they wait on the subway stairs for a summer storm to pass.

Instantly recognizable, Adrian Tomine's illustrations and comics have been appearing for over a decade in the pages (and on the cover) of The New Yorker.

New York Drawings is a loving homage to the city that Tomine, a West Coast transplant, has called home for the past seven years. This lavish, beautifully-designed volume collects every cover, comic and illustration that he has produced for The New Yorker to date, along with an assortment of other rare and uncollected illustrations and sketches. Complete with notes and annotations by the author, New York Drawings will also feature an all-new introductory comic (in the style of the final two pages of Optic Nerve #12).

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Art, New York, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comix

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

Adrian Tomine was born in 1974 in Sacramento, California. He began self-publishing his comic book series Optic Nerve. His comics have been anthologized in publications such as McSweeney’s, Best American Comics, and Best American Nonrequired Reading, and his graphic novel "Shortcomings" was a New York Times Notable Book of 2007. His next release, "Killing and Dying" will be published by Drawn and Quarterly in October 2015.

Since 1999, Tomine has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughters.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever been to New York, you’ll know the place is incredible and majestic and so recognisable from a million movies and tv shows and photographs and paintings and songs that you’ll find yourself stopping in the middle of the street just to marvel at a corner you’ve seen somewhere before. It’s like you’ve stepped into that work of art, you are in that movie, and you are expecting that character to walk past at any moment. Adrian Tomine creates moments like this in his art. Scenes that anyone familiar with New York city will see and find themselves reminiscing, their minds travelling back in time to when they were there. At least, that was my experience with this book.

Tomine is best known for his comic book series “Optic Nerve” and his graphic novel “Shortcomings” as well as numerous other books, but he’s also been a continuous contributor to the New Yorker magazine, supplying several covers and the occasional strip. These, along with sketches of snatched moments with strangers around the city, are collected here in a beautifully produced hardback with high quality thick paper.

The sketches are particularly good - Tomine includes a small note about the scene and the person within it like on the subway “this woman stared ahead, unmoving, smiling for 4 stops and then got off”. Each drawing feels like a story in itself. The New Yorker drawings are absolutely gorgeous, Tomine’s clean, precise style and eye for placement and angle making for an image that captures your attention instantly. There are also a few strips here, though not many, including a 3-page comic intro to the book which tells the story of the artist’s first New Yorker party when he had just moved to the city. The strips are the kind of low-key yet thoughtful and interesting stories that Tomine fans love him for.

“New York Drawings” is a book containing portals into New York and for anyone who loves the city Tomine offers you a scene to step into, a person to imagine a conversation with, and a moment to lose yourself in. It is a wonderful tribute to an incredible artist and definitely worth buying and returning to again and again to include exquisite New York moments within your days.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five stars for the artwork - after reading a few of Adrian Tomine's books in a row now, I think I'm in love with his style. Particularly in these New Yorker illustrations, the simple, clean lines and clear scenarios present a narrative far stronger than you'd expect. It reminds me of Chris Van Allsburg's works.

With that in mind, much of New York Drawings reminded me of The Chronicles of Harris Burdick. Images are paired with the article titles, making the reader wonder what exactly the images are attempting to evoke. After a while, you end up writing the story in your mind.

That said, I often found myself wanting some commentary from Tomine. Why choose this illustration? How was the image received? That piece seemed to be missing from New York Drawings... until I reached the Index, which contained a full description of the article associated with each image, as well as occasional commentary from the author.

What the heck is that?! So, if I want to truly understand Tomine's artwork, I have to flip back and forth from the index to get the full context? Hell naw. That'll cost you a star, New York Drawings.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly fabulous New Yorker covers, some sketches woven in from subway rides or park sits, and a few scattered one page stories that make the often grumpy Tomine (by his one admission grumpy!) sort of endearing, in a self-deprecating way. Terrific art work; interesting how in the last ten years Tomine evolved from a real outsider artist to a sophisticated New Yorker cartoonist, one of the quintessential New Yorker artists (though there are several of those). Great stuff. I like the story of his going at a New Yorker party, completely imposter syndrome stuff, hilarious...running into Philip Roth and Steve Martin, not really talking to anyone except to ask where the coat check was... :) Why would I not give this 5 stars? I dunno, I guess because it is a collection of covers and not a story, and I'm reading for stories at the moment... but the art is amazing on so many levels.

[Peter Derk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever felt nostalgic for a place you've never lived?

[Barnaby Haszard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tomine is one of my fave comics artists for a few reasons. He's fearless in depicting moments of unbearable awkwardness, usually involving himself. His drawing style is clean and easy on the eye, with an ethnographer's eye for detail. Most of all, his subjects are nearly always doing something mundane and instantly recognisable, like smoking, or talking, or reading -- so often they're reading. In one single-panel strip, he illustrates an airport lounge full of delayed passengers, and every single one of them is looking down at a book. Nearly twenty years after it was first published, that piece feels both nostalgic and fantastical, like -- imagine seeing that many people reading in one place! You wouldn't even see that in a library!

[Jo Cameron-Symes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book of Tomine's that I have recently read. It is a collection of his cartoons from The New Yorker. I bought it thinking that the drawings could make excellent prompts for writing short stories. I think that lots of the drawings are reminiscent of Edward Hooper in their realism but set of course in today's society. I liked the drawings he did of real people on the subway, this was a nice touch. Another standout for me was the cartoon at the beginning of Tomine's awkward experience of his first New Yorker party.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going through this collection in the days of “shelter in place”, I half expect to turn to the last page and see Tomine’s December 7, 2020 New Yorker cover that seems to have captured the feeling of 2020 best. This collection of sketches, illustrations, comics and covers that Tomine made for the New Yorker (or simply while in New York) that was published in 2012 includes a lot of great work. At times it definitely feels like missing the context of the associated article lessons the impact of the drawing and the brief end notes don’t do much to make this more of a collection that you can quickly just page through. Good for completionists but even as a fan, I didn’t find much here to grab onto.

[N. N. Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over-hyped, I feel. Some of the pieces have more visual interest than others (Storytelling, below), while some are so bland I wonder why they were singled out for inclusion in a retrospective (Reviving Handel and Back on their Feet, not below as their images are not called out on the internet, I wonder why). The pieces with narrative (like the cover) have a little more to them, though as with much Tomine, tend to get stuck at a level of dispirited tweeness.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Tomine's illustration and comics work, so this is a great addition to my collection of his books. The trim and heft make it an ideal coffee-table book, which is exactly where I'm keeping it!

The introduction comic made me laugh out loud, and it was really nice to see both familiar images and never-before-seen ones. While this volume is very tastefully put together, the commentary being isolated to the back of the book does make it a bit harder to take in. I looked through the whole book once, then went through again, flipping back and forth between the text and images to get more info. I totally get it from a design perspective, but my reading experience would have been a bit more seamless if the notes and commentary were included next to the images in question. But a small quibble!

Overall, a great book for fans old and new.

[Salomão Diniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosto do Tomine.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to buy this. The way his art still makes me feel, like feelings are possible, like romance is possible, and not necessarily only for another person.

[Matthew Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

New York Drawings is a collection work from Adrian Tomine, most of which originally appeared in the New Yorker over the last decade. I bought this book thinking I would be disappointed. I had seen some of Tomine's New Yorker covers before - I have a copy of the great Amazon delivery one somewhere - but most of my exposure to his work had been through two of his graphic novels (Shortcomings and Summer Blonde). The main thought running through my mind as I opened the book was will Tomine's themes of loneliness and alienation blend well with his love of awkward moments in a single panel?

My worries were for nothing! This collection is amazing. I want to leave it on my coffee table so everyone can marvel over the images as I have. Some of my favorites - The Lost Girl and Meditation - are not available online to show you and I am to lazy to scan them myself, but trust me they are so beautifully simple.

Tomine manages to condense complexity to one page over and over. Take the cover above. Has one image ever so subtly mocked our entire conception of reality? We are obsessed with seeing what is real on T.V. and experiencing simulated realities. Yet, the image mocks this whole concept. It seems to call for the people watching the movie to take down the screen and stare at the real existence behind it.

The image below is equally stunning and simple. Two strangers on trains heading separate directions make eye contact as they read the same book. The loneliness and sense of lost opportunity that this image conveys needs time to be properly absorbed. Perhaps this is love for Tomine - two strangers destined to be heading separate ways.

There are also a few short comic strips in here that showcase the wit and dialogue of Tomine - which is almost always great. However, if you really want to have more experiences with Tomine's comic work I would suggest picking up Shortcomings, Summer Blonde, or Optic Nerve #12 - they are all pretty amazing.

If you are looking for a coffee table book, love drawings, are a fan of Tomine, or just want something different check this book out. If you happen to see it somewhere take a few moments to browse through it. This book is worth a first and second look.

[Liam O'Leary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a story, it's a collection of Tomine's work for the front cover of 'The New Yorker'. Premium coffee table material. Many of these images make up part of my laptop desktop background slideshow. It's therefore sort of silly to review it, but the art does not disappoint.

I couldn't choose one favourite. It's a tie between the cover image ('Missed Communication'), 'Road Trips' and 'The Next Small Thing'; to me these three all have a stronger sense of setting than the others. More than the others, they tell a story. Perhaps I see it this way because there is more focus between the interaction of two characters in a strict non-mundane context (no extras, clearly a 'main' scene to the people involved, many questions raised).

[Sungjoon Hwang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Except for the first few pages and in the middle, the rest is entirely filled with drawings, which are The New Yorker covers, illustrations in it and miscellaneous ones. In fact, I started it as a preview before reading Shortcomings, which is this author's representative work rather than this book.

Reading a short comic about a timid, somewhat socially maladjusted minority person, you discover overflowing wit. It makes you laugh all the way through and even makes you smile when you finish it. So attractive that you'll want to frame each page and hang it on the wall.

[Inès · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not hard to see why Adrian Tomine became a regular artist for The New Yorker. He manages to say a lot with seemingly so little, creating small, surprising narratives in such a limited space. Would have loved to have the commentary next to the images instead of compiled at the end of the book though.

[Michael Thorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of Adrian Tomine's illustrations. He has a wonderful compositional and colour sense that always seem to add to the mood of the story he tells through pictures, and this is no less true with his stand alone drawings. Highly recommended.

[Adan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bunch of Tomine's art that has been featured in The New Yorker and other magazines and ephemera. Nowhere near as many comics as I would have liked, but Tomine's illustrations are pretty great regardless.

[chi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compilation mostly consists of work that Tomine has done for “The New Yorker”. These images are like a collection of snapshots and fragments, beautifully drawn, with lovely colouring. It creates a feel, which is a bit like watching a new and interesting world unspool by the window of a lazy train ride.

There are a handful of short, short stories in here and each one is a treasure in its own way “My Ex-Barber” and “E-vangelism” both made me smile in recognition, but surely the pick of the bunch is the opening story.

Some of the details made in some of the notes on the sketches he made whilst on the train, were quite interesting. A dark haired woman with a bandana looking out the train window, 6/27/04 -STARING STRAIGHT AHEAD, SMILING – SEEMINGLY VERY CONTENT – DIDN’T MOVE A MUSCLE FOR FOUR STOPS. Or an Asian looking woman 7/3/04 –MAYBE SHE KNEW I WAS SKETCHING HER – GOT UP AND LEFT ABRUPTLY.

Tomine draws women as well as anyone in the graphic genre and I particularly love the way he catches the angles of their faces, they always appear so absorbed and intense. “Missed connection”, the drawing that is also used in the cover speaks beautifully about What ifs?

This collection makes for a voyeuristic, intimate, profound, poignant, seductive and subtle experience that shows the many sides to Tomine’s work. The only criticism would be the length, it is a bit short, but it does stand up well to repeat viewing. He captures that space between and his art work is soaked in sehnsuct and wistful contemplation that makes his work such a pleasure to engage with.

[Israel Vento · Rating 3 out of 5]

The few comics in this are funny and the subtle nod of including himself in his best work is a fun detail to continue to search for. Almost all the images feel flat because there are no shades of color or shadows, but it makes when he does include shadow that much more meaningful. For it all feeling flat his ability to still give depth in simple layers just shows he's a dog at drawing and perfected what his personal illustration technique is. He sticks to his guns. His portraiture and figure drawing is what his style leans on the most, although he doesn't explore the range of the single body, he makes panels (or covers) that are filled with motion feeling paused in that moment. Also the title is everything you need, it feels older than it actually is given the subject matter but more contemporary than it is because of the colors. Would love to read more of his comics

[Nikola Š · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't find Tomine's art particularly affecting, but I have to admit he is skilled, and I'm happy he found a home in New Yorker. Most illustrations collected are accompaniments to articles or reviews and don't really offer much beyond that (and author's commentary for each is for some reason delegated to the end of the book, so you have no idea what you're looking at until you're finished). The few covers and comics are much more fun, offering a surprisingly lighter tone than the usual pity-fest of his earlier works. Who would have known that moving to New York, getting a dream job and starting a family can improve one's mood?

[Peter Knox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful collection.

Tomine’s art makes you either yearn for (if you’re not here) or appreciate New York (if you are) in a new way.

It’s wonderful to review his work, whether I missed it or not for the first time in the New Yorker (which most of this is).

Don’t miss his context/commentary in the back of the book! It had me flipping to the page again to appreciate it again, differently.

Side question: is this fiction or not? Since it’s not all strictly real, I’m going with fiction.

[Brendan · Rating 3 out of 5]

He's a skilled artist, but too much of his work just seems pointless. Or whatever.

There's a series called New York Sketches, with observational notes on the subject of each piece. I kind of wish he had done more like that.

Favorites:
"Road Trips" - Two women kissing. (I wonder why he chose that title for that scene.)
"The Lost Girl" - A woman alone at a bar, with the guys checking her out.
"Missed Connection" - A woman reading a book on a subway car sees a man reading the same book on the adjacent subway car.
"A.C." - A woman sleeping.

[Shayna Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of illustrations and a few short comics by Adrian Tomine that shows his work he's done for the New Yorker, as well as a few album covers and miscellaneous projects. If you like Tomine's style, you will enjoy looking at additional art of his. If you are looking for a collection of work that has deeper meaning or a story, this is not the way to go - find his graphic novels instead.

[Charles Eldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not what I expected. It really is just drawings of New York. I guess I got a little over eager on my Adrian Tomine kick and didn’t read the small print. But that’s what libraries are for! The art is fine, but I discovered that - to me - his art is elevated when his stories are attached. Seeing a band or comedian drawn in his style for a machine article doesn’t speak to me.

[Adrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never been to New York but felt connected with it as soon as I opened Adrian Tomine's beautiful collection of sketches and illustrations, most of them taken from the pages of The New Yorker. I loved how he portrayed scenes of daily life through his characters's happiness, love, dreams but also loneliness and nostalgia. There is a vibrant energy coming from these drawings. They appeal to the imagination, giving you a feel of the stories behind them, their movements, sounds and music. I also liked the references to cultural icons, with movies like Mulholland Drive and Chungking Express (all-time favorites!) and music bands like TV on the Radio. After reading the fantastic Shortcomings, Summer Blonde, Sleepwalk and Killing & Dying, it's another piece of work that I highly recommend to anyone!

[Neil Pasricha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of New Yorker covers by graphic novelist Adrian Tomine. Likely just for superfan completists because it’s more of a flipper. If you’re new to Adrian’s incredible work then I’d recommend starting with KILLING AND DYING (my fave) or SUMMER BLONDE.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Tomine's work and his signature style - clean lines, minimalist - ad his humor, so this collection didn't disappoint. A few typos/errors in the text...hope it was edited in subsequent editions/reprints... Would have liked even more commentary from the artist...

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reflective look at New York City by one of The New Yorker's better artists. It's a collection not meant to "wow" you but to make you think about the content of each drawing, each painting. Be SURE to read the notes at the back of the book that are associated with the artworks.

It won't be to everyone's taste, but it's nicely done.

[Victoria Arana · Rating 3 out of 5]

me encanta la portada. Tal vez me hubiese gustado más weas relacionadas a situaciones y no tanto a las personas. Esos comics eran chistosos y el artista tiene potencial, con razón está en THE NEW YORKER. Metas.