Rejection Collection Vol. 2: The Cream of the Crap

If you've gotten to this page, there's a good chance you've either seen or bought the first volume, The Rejection Collection: Cartoons You Never Saw, and Never Will See, in The New Yorker. I thought the cartoonists' responses to the questionnaires in the first collection provided a fascinating look into the creative mind. In this volume, the questions seemed more convoluted and the answers more conventional. The cartoons, however, struck me as being funnier in this volume. Two of my favorite cartoonists (Sam Gross and Gahan Wilson) are featured in both volumes. If I could only buy one, I would buy the first volume, but both collections are enjoyable.

I have to admit at the outset that I don't laugh as easily as others I know. Too much so called humor seems predictable or formulaic these days. Not so, The Rejection Collection volumes. This book and its predecessor had me giggling, chuckling, laughing and occasionally guffawing from cover to cover. The cartoons are great. Many are twisted, a little sick, or iconoclastic, which tickles me no end. The questionnaires are a fun and valuable insight into the creative minds and personalities of the contributing cartoonists. Don't miss Bob Mankoff's replies to their questions (found in the questionairre), also in the appendix! He easily holds his own in terms of wit. Laughter is a great gift. The Rejection Collections I and II are the perfect choice for someone you care about, who has a slightly twisted sense of humor. I hope there will be many more volumes to come. I'll buy them all!

The other day I happened to hear the author interviewed on a local PBS radio airing of Fresh Air. The new collection was discussed and when the author described some of the examples in the book, I laughed so hard I almost choked. The people driving next to me must have wondered what on earth I was laughing about. The verbal descriptions of some of the cartoons created such visualizations I almost shudder to think what will happen when I view the entire content. For example, a description of Titantic action figures struck me so funny that, now as I type this review, I'm laughing again. That is effective cartooning - and I haven't seen the visual yet. Yup, still laughing ...sounds like the perfect gift for those pals who have everything else and could use a good laugh.

Barely a year after Matthew Diffee offered us "The Rejection Collection", (cartoons that never made it into the New Yorker) he's back with another load of hysterical rejects. After an engaging introduction describing the life of any given cartoonist, off we go into the nether world of cartoons that might have, could have or even should have been included in the magazine. Not to worry, this is like getting several free editions of the New Yorker, minus the editors' scissors. Volume Two also includes a quirky questionnaire given to contributing cartoonists. What an odd lot! It's like the "Jeopardy!" interview portion of the game, but this time cartoonists are given more free time to reflect on topics like "what do you hate drawing?" or "have you mooned or been mooned more often in your life?" Hey, it beats having a real job anyday! Diffee also gives ten reasons why certain cartoons are rejected...a plausible addition to this volume. (It may also be a guideline to those of us who have often contributed to the New Yorker's cartoon caption contest and found our own rejection many times over) All in all, it's the cartoons, themselves, which 'sell' "The Rejection Collection", Volume Two. It's nice to know that they've found a home in our home, if not in the magazine, itself. I highly recommend this latest contribution by author Diffee....published in time for the holidays, this would make a great present!