In this TED video, the cartoon editor for The New Yorker takes apart what makes their so-called “idea drawings” work. Mankoff is a cartoonist himself (he claims to have been rejected countless times by the magazine he now works for before eventually breaking into the business) and understands humor at an anatomical level. He’s also a pretty funny presenter. Watch it here.
Addendum: In conjunction with this talk, Mankoff also selected his eleven favorite New Yorker cartoons ever.
+