William Steig (1907–2003) was a one-of-a-kind cartoonist, artist, children's book writer and larger-than-life personality; as his wife, Jeanne, puts it, “He was not, as he was moved to say of those who puzzled him, like the other boys and girls.†Hailed as “King of Cartoons†in a 1995 Newsweek
article, Steig enjoyed a 70-plus-year career that included more than 1,600 illustrations and 120 covers for the the New Yorker
, 18 books of drawings and 31 children's books (including Shrek!
and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
). Steig's jittery, energetic, highly influential style draws from his bustling New York City childhood as the son of hardworking Eastern European Jewish immigrants; in her introduction, curator Nahson characterizes his cartoon cast of “curmudgeons, cranks, and complainers.... [as] a rich source of humor, but... also crucial to one of his central insights—there is much to be dissatisfied with in the world.†With more than 280 of his haphazard, wonderfully emotive illustrations in the book, readers will find a reason to smile (if not laugh out loud) on every page. Alongside reminiscences from colleagues, friends and family, this companion to the Jewish Museum exhibit is a delight for devotees of the New Yorker
, children's book illustration and cartooning. (Nov.)
