Bob Eckstein is an American cartoonist, writer, illustrator, and

humorist A humorist is an intellectual who uses humor, or wit, in writing or public speaking. A raconteur is one who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way. Henri Bergson writes that a humorist's work grows from viewing the morals of society ...

. He is best known for his work in ''The New Yorker'' and his books ''Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores'' and ''The History of the Snowman''. His work has been featured in various publications, and he has been a vocal advocate for

independent bookstores An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned. Usually, independent stores consist of only a single actual store (although there are some multi-store independents). They may be structured as sole proprietorships, ...

. His 2024 book, ''Footnotes from the World's Most Fascinating Museums'', is an illustrated exploration of 75 museums across North America, combining art, history, and humor to create a family-friendly travel guide inspired by the challenges museums faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early life and education

Eckstein was born in the Bronx, New York City, and grew up on Long Island. His father was a bus driver. Eckstein showed an early interest in art and humor, which led him to skip his senior year of high school to attend art college.

Career

Eckstein began his career as a freelance illustrator and writer, contributing to publications such as ''

New York Newsday ''New York Newsday'' was an American daily newspaper that primarily served New York City and was sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The paper, established in 1985, was a New York City-specific offshoot of ''Newsday'', a Long Island- ...

'', ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'', and '' TimeOut New York''. His breakthrough came in 2007 with the publication of ''The History of the Snowman'' by Simon & Schuster. This book established him as the world's leading expert on snowmen and led to numerous television and radio appearances. In 2016, Eckstein published ''Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores'' (Penguin Random House), which became a New York Times bestseller. The book features illustrations and anecdotes from some of the world's most iconic bookstores. This work was followed by a series of successful books, including ''The Ultimate Cartoon Book of Book Cartoons'' and ''The Complete Book of Cat Names (That Your Cat Won't Answer to, Anyways)''. Eckstein's cartoons have appeared in ''The New Yorker'', ''The New York Times'', ''MAD magazine'', ''Reader's Digest'', and many other publications. He has been nominated twice for Gag Cartoonist of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society. Besides his work as a cartoonist and writer, Eckstein has taught writing and cartooning at institutions such as

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...

, and the

School of Visual Arts The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. History This school was started by Silas ...

. His 2024 book, ''Footnotes from the World's Most Fascinating Museums'', offers an illustrated journey through 75 museums across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, featuring 100 stories and 150 original pieces of artwork. The book serves as a family-friendly bucket list, highlighting quirky facts, amusing anecdotes, and the importance of art, history, and community in museums. Inspired by the struggles museums faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Eckstein's work aims to raise awareness of these institutions while providing an entertaining and educational experience for readers. He has taught at NYU, Pratt Institute, and the School of Visual Arts.

Exhibitions and public speaking

Eckstein's work has been exhibited in several prestigious venues, including the Cartoon Art Museum of San Francisco, the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

, and the Cartoon Museum of London. He has also spoken at over 200 TV and radio shows, including ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...

'', and at events such as the Miami Book Fair and the

Norman Rockwell Museum The Norman Rockwell Museum is an art museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, United States, dedicated to the art of Norman Rockwell. It is home to the world's largest collection of original Rockwell art. The museum also hosts traveling exhibition ...

. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and festivals, including the annual Writer's Digest Humor Conference and the Milford Readers & Writers Festival.

Advocacy and public engagement

Eckstein has been a vocal advocate for

, speaking publicly against

online shopping Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of th ...

. He has used his platform to raise awareness of the importance of supporting local bookstores.

Personal life

Eckstein resides in New York City with his wife who he had met in art college. He has a particular interest in museums, which led to the creation of his latest book, ''Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums'' (Chronicle Books, 2024). This work features stories and illustrations from over 75 museums across North America.

Bibliography

* ''The History of the Snowman'' (2007) * ''Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores'' (2016) * ''The Illustrated History of the Snowman'' (2018) * ''The Ultimate Cartoon Book of Book Cartoons'' (2019) * ''Everyone’s A Critic: The Ultimate Cartoon Book by the World’s Greatest Cartoonists'' (2020) * ''All's Fair In Love & War'' (2021) * ''The Complete Book of Cat Names (That Your Cat Won't Answer to, Anyways)'' (2022) * ''Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums'' (2024)

References

External Links

Official website

The Bob Substack Newsletter

The Cartoon Pad Podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eckstein, Bob American editorial cartoonists American humorists American magazine illustrators The New Yorker cartoonists American lecturers Living people People from the Bronx People from Long Island