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This program is presented in partnership with The Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC).You will have the opportunity to meet the speaker after the event, purchase books, and get your books signed. After the event, Tom will lead a cartooning workshop.
You can choose to attend the event, the workshop, or both.
EVENT
BOOK: AND TO THINK WE STARTED AS A BOOK CLUB…
6:30-7:15 pm
What can Leonardo DiCaprio, Bernie Sanders, Greta Thunberg, and Elon Musk all agree on? That Tom Toro's cartoons belong in their social media feeds. Now, with this debut collection by one of The New Yorker's contemporary stars, everybody can enjoy the timeless witticism and thigh-slapping wisecracks of Toro's cartoons without needing to go online.
In Tom Toro's hilarious world, the Grim Reaper binges television while Superman shops for health insurance. The collection features original chapter art that sets the perfect tone for these brilliant cartoons and what they reveal about the absurdity of modern life, all drawn in the author's wry and winsome style.
Showcasing hundreds of Toro's greatest hits from his fifteen-year career at The New Yorker, as well as previously unpublished cartoons that we shouldn't shy from calling "undiscovered masterpieces," this book is sure to delight readers—if not outright corrupt them.
BOOK SIGNING
7:15-7:45 pm
From 7:15-7:45 pm, you will have the opportunity to get your book signed by Tom Toro.
WORKSHOP
CARTOONING WITH TORO
7:45-8:45 pm
After the event, join Tom for a 60-minute cartoon workshop that’s suitable for beginners and experienced artists alike. You'll explore what goes into the making of a New Yorker-style cartoon, from composition to caption, and then create your very own. By looking closely at some of the greatest cartoons that have appeared in the magazine over the past century, we'll learn what makes them work, take inspiration from their humor and artistry, and apply those elements to our brand-new ideas. The workshop concludes with optional group sharing and feedback. This workshop is open to adults and teens ages 15+.
ABOUT CARTOONIST TOM TORO
Tom Toro is an acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist, cover artist, and award-winning children's book author and illustrator. His books include And to Think We Started as a Book Club... (Andrews McMeel), Crocodiles Need Friends, Too! (Little, Brown), A User's Guide to Democracy (Celadon), How to Potty Train Your Porcupine (Little, Brown), and I'm Terrified of Bath Time and Back to School, Backpack! (Little, Brown) in collaboration with 2019 Thurber Prize for American Humor in Writing winner Simon Rich. He is creator of the Substack cartoon series Undiscovered Masterpieces. Tom was a finalist for the 2019 and 2022 Reuben Award for gag cartoonist of the year. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his family, which somehow includes too many cats.
ABOUT MODERATOR JENNY ROBB
Jenny Robb (she/her) is Head Curator of Comics and Cartoon Art and Associate Professor at The Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, where she manages the world’s largest collection of comics and cartoon materials. She holds master’s degrees in History and Museum Studies from Syracuse University. Before coming to Ohio State, she worked as a curator at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. Robb has curated more than 25 exhibitions of comics and cartoon art and is the author of numerous cartoon-related book chapters, articles, and essays.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER: https://www.thurberhouse.org/fall-events-2025/tom-toro
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
91 Jefferson Ave, Columbus, OH 43215-3840, United States
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