The New York Times On William Steig’s Shrek

Here’s a welcome out-of-the-blue, awkwardly headlined New York Times article by Brian Raftery on William Steig and his most famous creation, Shrek.

“Nobody Once Told Him the World Was Gonna Meme Shrek” 

I have two bones to pick with this otherwise terrif piece — both concern “a thousand illustrations” found in this sentence:

“Steig began selling his art to publications including The New Yorker, to which he’d ultimately contribute more than a thousand illustrations.”

Bone #1: technically, “…more than a thousand…” is correct, but of the very few New Yorker cartoonists who have contributed 1000 or more cartoons to The New Yorker (approximately 20 something out of the approximately 850 cartoonists who have contributed since 1925), only four have contributed in the range of 2000: Steig, James Stevenson, Alan Dunn, and Lee Lorenz. A (perhaps weedsy) feat worth mentioning, at least here on the Spill.

Bone #2: cartoons are not illustrations, and illustrations are not cartoons. The New Yorker has had a 100 year practice of making sure the cartoons in the magazine do not refer to the accompanying text. Illustrations accompany and refer to accompanying text — cartoons do not. Cartoons stand alone — they are graphic islands.

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William Steig’s A-Z Entry:

William Steig (photo above) Born in Brooklyn, NY, Nov. 14, 1907, died in Boston, Mass., Oct. 3, 2003. In a New Yorker career that lasted well over half a century and a publishing history that contains more than a cart load of books, both children’s and otherwise, it’s impossible to sum up Steig’s influence here on Ink Spill. He was among the giants of the New Yorker cartoon world, along with James Thurber, Saul Steinberg, Charles Addams, Helen Hokinson and Peter Arno. Lee Lorenz’s World of William Steig (Artisan, 1998) is an excellent way to begin exploring Steig’s life and work. New Yorker work: 1930 -2003.

A good coming-of-age movie works when it remembers that growing up never feels like it's easy as it's happening, because growing up is awkward, lonely, funny, embarrassing, and hardly anybody around you seems to realize that you're really suffering in silence. This movie understands all of that painfully well, but it also knows that one of the most important parts of adolescence is finding the right people at the exact moment you need them.

‘He’s having a great time with his new 47% equity,’ one entrepreneur jokes, warning that some startups may leave Australia behind

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Tech entrepreneurs have mocked the government’s capital gains tax changes by posting AI-generated photos of Anthony Albanese as their “new founder” and warning that increased taxes could push people away from working for new businesses or send startups overseas.

Startups and entrepreneurs may yet receive a carve-out in the federal government’s planned changes to the CGT discount, with the prime minister saying he wanted to support innovation and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, revealing that consultation was continuing with the sector.

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

date stamped on slide June 1990

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Famous 2000s Malaysian alternative rock band Disagree has returned with a brand new single in Let’s Do It All Again after being absent from the scene for over a decade. 

The three times Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) winner, currently made up of Zahid (vocal and guitar), Hamka (drums) and Taa (bass), is not just returning with a comeback single but this is just the first step leading into their upcoming full-length album Black & White in Colour. 

Disagree via a surprise press release said that their return is not just built on nostalgia alone but also to ‘complete what was left unfinished’ – referring to their silent departure from the music scene in the early 2010s. 

“We didn’t really get to say goodbye,” Disagree wrote in the press release.  

“Life moved forward, and so did we but somewhere along the way, we left something unfinished. 

“After years of stepping away from music due to life transitions, family commitments, and career priorities, the band quietly went on hiatus, leaving behind a legacy in Malaysia’s alternative rock

scene and a fanbase that never fully let go, until now.”

This is also reflected in Let’s Do It All Again’where the song tells the story of a band that once had everything – drive, connection and loyal audiences– however just to slowly walked away without saying their goodbyes. 

At its core the song is a sincere apology letter to make things right and an invitation to reconnect – It is both nostalgic and forward-looking, a reminder that what appear to be endings can sometimes just be life’s pauses.

The track was recorded across Malaysia and Australia where it was mixed and produced by multiple AIM winner Greg Henderson and mastered by Leon Zervos, a renowned Grammy winner, at Studios 301 in Australia. 

Who were Disagree?

Originally active throughout the early 2000s and early 2010s, Disagree cultivated a strong following with their distinct Malaysian indie progressive rock sound, performed in English. 

Famously known through tracks such as Crumbs, Suicide Note, Scarecrow, Adams, and Osaka, which not only received repeated local radio airtime but also made them a staple act at the annual Rock The World festivals during that era. 

They have also opened for famous international bands such as Hoobastank and The All-American Rejects. 

The band had also received several local awards recognition in their early days including receiving the Most Airplay at Hitz.FM inaugural Malaysian English Top 10 Awards and they have also won three AIM trophies including for Best New Artiste at AIM 12 in 2005, and for Best English Album and Best Album Cover at AIM 17 in 2010. 

Their debut album At The End Of The Day, was also recognised as the fastest selling album in 2005 by Universal Music Malaysia. 

If Disagree once represented the voice of youthful uncertainty and emotional grunge intensity, today they stand for something more reflective: reconnection over recognition, sincerity over perfection and music as a bridge back to the fans and not just to the stage. 

Disagree’s Let’s Do It All Again is now available to stream on all music streaming platforms while the official music video is out now on YouTube.