“Rapid Fire,” a 1992 action film starring Bruce Lee’s son, Brandon, is not a great movie—the late film critic, Gene Siskel, declared it a disaster—but Powers Booth has one great scene in it. He plays Lieutenant Mace Ryan. While bowling with his colleagues he tries to get a spare and leaves just one pin standing….
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Asian Babies Cartoon Exhibit – Asian Cartoonists in The New Yorker
I had the chance to attend the opening of Jeremy Nguyen and Amy Hwang’s fantastic new cartoon exhibit, Asian Babies, at the the Pearl River Mart Gallery last week. I asked Amy to give us her thoughts on putting together the show and about the history of Asian cartoonists in The New Yorker. If you’re…
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“Walking Fire Hydrant” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
In P.C. Vey’s drawing—which is bizarre even by his standards—a man is walking his dog near a fire-hydrant with legs. The fire hydrant is on the move, and man is talking. I first had the man suggesting to the dog an easier alternative to the moving hydrant: “Let’s look for a nice, stationary tree.” I…
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Anatomy of a Cartoon: Armchair Quarterbacks
Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics take a look at football. The annual journey to the Super Bowl is underway in packed stadiums filled with roaring fans. For the masses, however, the temple of their fevered partisanship is at…
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“Witch Pool” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
Drew Panckeri has drawn a witch addressing an adult couple she has turned into inflatable pool floats. I first imagined her chastising the couple for complaining: “You’re lucky I turned you into something that floats.” “One more word and I’ll turn you both into stones.” “You know what they’d do to me if I floated?…
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