Too Much Kale

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Liza Donnelly

blow your brains out with kale copyI think maybe we can stop obsessing about kale now. It’s time to focus on another green leafy vegetable. How about mustard greens (who need another name, don’t you agree?)? books on kaleAnd then when we are done with green, we should focus on yellow vegetables, like squash.  Once we go through the vegetables, why not switch to doughnuts? There are so many colors to chose from. And you know it is fun to draw cartoons about doughnuts.

I began drawing about food for The New Yorker in the 1980’s with a cartoon about risotto, which had just become famous. In other words, Americans in upper middle class circles noticed risotto, and writers about food followed suit (or the other way around).risotto class My cartoon was even quoted in the New York Times back then.  Then ten years later, risotto seemed to need another cartoon done about it, and I stepped up to the plate.  This time, it was less about the word risotto, and more about the people trying to make it.

And I cannot leave out radicchio. I did a cartoon in the 1990’s about that leafy bitter miracle.risotto crisis"Radicchio"

Next post: men and food.

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Let’s Retire “Battle Of The Sexes”

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Liza Donnelly

let's reduce the gender gap copy-1I draw a lot of cartoons about what some have called the “battle of the sexes.”  But that’s an old phrase.  I am not sure where it originated so I looked it up and see the phrase is a Peter Sellers movie, a radio contest, an album by Ludacris, and of course it was the famous tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. But I would like to suggest we retire this phrase.  Why does it have to be a battle? It doesn’t.  We need communication (in all forms, see above cartoon) and laughter to bring us together.

This is what I try to do in my book. Yes, I make fun of men, but do so lovingly. If we can’t make fun of each other, then it is a battle. So clearly, laughter is the better way to go.

My new book of cartoons is called “Women On Men,” published by Narrative Magazine. It can be purchased here, and here for kindle, and if you email me, I will send you a signed-with-drawing inside copy at a discount! liza@lizadonnelly.com

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Women On Men Is Here!

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Liza Donnelly

Women On Men COVER FINAL I am excited to announce that my new book of cartoons and writing, Women On Men, is available as a ebook. Below is a sneak peak of some of the drawings.  The book is a collections of over 200 of my cartoons. The theme is primarily about women being funny, women who have snark and who love to tease the men in their lives. I have published many such cartoons in the New Yorker, starting with this one in 191993 Some wine93. The editor at the magazine then was Tina Brown, and while I had been publishing with them since 1982 (when William Shawn was editor), this sort of idea/cartoon/caption was kind of new for me. Ms. Brown eventually bought a lot of my work like this, and subsequent editors have as well. While I do cartoons on a variety of subjects,  I think I found a voice that is very true to me.  Along with the 200+ cartoons, you can read more of my musings (in my handwriting) on women and humor in the book.

If you want to purchase the book for whatever kind of reader you have, even a computer,  here is the link. Write me if you have questions, or if you want a discounted special edition hard copy, signed. It is beautifully published by Narrative Magazine.

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Can Humor Be A Factor In Peace?

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Liza Donnelly

LD_Culture 2I just posted a new piece on my Forbes column, and it is about my time drawing and speaking at Forum D’Avignon, a French think-tank on culture. I hope you go visit the page and read the text and see more of the drawings I did during the conference. I went as a member of Cartooning For Peace, and the small group of cartoonists from around the world were asked to draw their reactions to the debates. It was wonderful and fascinating.

 

LD_Other 2

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Rape Culture

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Liza Donnelly

Am I going to get raped checklist FINALI drew this last week and it was first published on Medium, the new blog platform started by the founder of twitter, Evan Williams. The cartoon was in response to  discussion in the media as to whether or not women are responsible for their own behavior if they are raped. In other words, is it somehow her fault?  Many of us women go silently in our minds through the questions above before we go outside, just to be sure we are not raped. We may not even be aware we are thinking these things, we do it instinctively.  It’s a measure of rape culture.

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Do All Powerful Women Think Alike?

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Liza Donnelly

Yellen and Clinton 2I drew this cartoon yesterday because I really wanted to comment on the nomination of Janet Yellen for chair of the Federal Reserve. It’s a big deal. She will arguably be, if the nomination goes through, the most powerful woman in the world. Because of money.

But what does that mean? Anything? She may bring a different sensibility to the table as a woman, she may not. Just because she is a woman doesn’t mean she thinks differently than a man. I write a little about it on my Forbes blog, if you want to go over there.

Here is another version I did. Which one do you like better?Yellen and Clinton 2

 

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Republican Suicide Note

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Liza Donnelly

GOP ransom note suicide noteThe government shutdown is no joke. But I cannot help thinking about how badly this makes the Republican Party look.  The infighting and obstructionist behavior is sad to watch, as the New York Times reports. I, for one, cannot wait to see the next election season. Maybe we can change the make-up of the House to consist of a more rational bunch. I might even not care if it is still a GOP-controlled House– why not just a rational-controlled House! In any event, this can only be good for the Democrats in 2016, presidentially and otherwise.

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It’s Too Late In The Summer To….

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Liza Donnelly

beachball marriageSummer is almost over, and there are things we wish we had done, things we did we wish we hadn’t. But if we are lucky, there will be another summer next year. So be sure you get your beach ball tossing in early, before summer (or your relationship) is over. 

 

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Marriage And Computer Time

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Liza Donnelly

wedding-use computer 35% of timeWhat if you knew, before you married your spouse, that after a few years of marital bliss, he/she would be on the computer all the time?  Would you have walked down the aisle? Maybe some of us need a computer/cell phone/iPad pre-nup agreement.  Maybe that would help. Or maybe it’s just a good excuse for you to go on the computer, too.

 

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Smile, Darlin’–You’re So Pretty!

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Liza Donnelly

smile, pretty girlHave you ever gotten this?  It’s annoying. A friend told me when she used to get told to “smile, it can’t be that bad,” she  would reply “How the hell would you know?!”

It’s something little girls and women hear; when I was younger, I heard it. I wonder if men and boys do, too. Probably not as much,  because women and girls are expected to be pleasant and visually appealing. And smiling is part of it. If this little girl has her way, things will certainly change if she become president.

This also appeared on my FORBES.com column.

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