E.B White: Writer, Editor and … Cartoonist

Back in the 1920s, when the little magazine that was bankrolled by Fleischmann's Yeast was a mere fledgling, E.B. White was known as a writer and an editor there. The magazine was, of course, The New Yorker, and E.B. White helped set the kind of style and tone of it.

He was also the cartoon tinkerer; writing and thinking up cartoons for the cartoonists (along with the able assist of his friend James Thurber). For instance, cartoonist Carl Rose drew the picture, but it was E.B. White who captioned this famous cartoon in the December 8, 1928 issue:

"It's broccoli, dear."

"I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it."

But you knew all that. What I didn't know (or maybe I knew once and then just forgot) was that Mr. White drew a cover of the magazine about seven years into its existence. His cover is at the top. Look for the "EBW" in the corner. Michael Maslin's Inkspill blog shows us that April 23, 1932 cover -- as well as an armed forces edition of essays with the cover reprinted (in an unflattering black and white).

E.B. White: renaissance man.