by Roz Chast
First published 2012
Jeanne Steig opens the archives of her husband William Steig, the New Yorker cartoonist who created Shrek and won acclaim for children's books like Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. She presents over 450 cartoons that never reached publication during his seven-decade career at the magazine. Steig draws from personal memories and intimate knowledge of Bill's creative process to illuminate each piece. She shares stories about their life together and reveals how he developed his distinctive artistic voice. The collection spans his evolution from sharp social commentary to whimsical character studies. Steig explains the circumstances behind individual cartoons and describes her husband's working methods. She offers glimpses into their domestic life and professional partnership. The book captures both the public genius readers knew and the private man behind the art.
Genres: biography, art, humor, comics
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, intimate
Setting: New Yorker
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
352 pages · Kindle Edition · Abrams ComicArts