{"id":72596,"date":"2019-02-15T10:24:20","date_gmt":"2019-02-15T15:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/?p=72596"},"modified":"2019-11-06T16:25:59","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T21:25:59","slug":"video-maker-stories-why-cartoonists-are-like-oysters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/2019\/video-maker-stories-why-cartoonists-are-like-oysters\/","title":{"rendered":"Video | Maker Stories: Why Cartoonists Are Like Oysters"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L1HcZ2AMQXU\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You don&#8217;t choose to be a cartoonist, cartooning chooses you,&#8221; says Mort Gerberg. And it certainly made a good choice, considering that Mort&#8217;s been at it for more than 50 years.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re excited to announce that we&#8217;re offering an exclusive collection of framed art prints\u201312 illustrations, each a limited edition of 10\u2013signed by the legendary cartoonist. We had the honor of visiting him in his New York City home, where he&#8217;s created pieces for <em>The New Yorker<\/em>, <em>Life<\/em> magazine, and numerous other publications. Watch our video to find out why Mort says cartoonists are like oysters and to see inside his creative space. For a behind-the-scenes look into the artist&#8217;s inspiration and a peek at each limited edition print, check out some highlights from our chat with Mort below.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_72625\" style=\"width: 1810px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/curated\/mort-gerberg-collection?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-72625\" class=\"wp-image-72625 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/MortGreberg_HomeStudioPortrait.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-72625\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mort at his drawing desk in his Manhattan, New York, apartment.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>1. World&#8217;s Fair<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/worlds-fair-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72598 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/use49768_1_1200px.jpg\" alt=\"UncommonGoods\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThis was my first cartoon in The New Yorker,\u201d Mort says about this 1965 illustration.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/worlds-fair-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">World&#8217;s Fair by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/worlds-fair-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>2. Men Working<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/men-working-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72599 size-full\" title=\"Men Working by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/use49769_1_1200px.jpg\" alt=\"UncommonGoods\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/men-working-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Men Working by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/men-working-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>3. Seal Directs<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/seal-directs-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72601 size-full\" title=\"Men Working by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/seal49770_1_1200px.jpg\" alt=\"UncommonGoods\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThis drawing is very reflective of my personality, because I have to be in charge of everything,\u201d says Mort.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/seal-directs-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seal Directs by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/seal-directs-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>4. Liberty Hails<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/liberty-hails-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72604 size-full\" title=\"Liberty Hails by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/lib49771_1_1200px.jpg\" alt=\"UncommonGoods\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/liberty-hails-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Liberty Hails by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/liberty-hails-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_72626\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/curated\/mort-gerberg-collection?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-72626\" class=\"wp-image-72626 size-full\" title=\"Liberty Hails by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/MortGreberg_Drawing.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-72626\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mort numbers and signs each print using the pen he uses to draw.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>5. Castaway Island<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/castaway-island-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72607 size-full\" title=\"Castaway Island by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/island-49772_1_1200px.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/castaway-island-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Castaway Island by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/castaway-island-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>6. Butterfly Changed<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/butterfly-changed-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72610 size-full\" title=\"Butterfly Changed by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/butter.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/butterfly-changed-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Butterfly Changed by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/butterfly-changed-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>7. Smarty Snowboarders<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/smarty-snowboarders-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72611 size-full\" title=\"Smarty Snowboarders by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/snow.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThis is my homage to Charles Addams, the legendary cartoonist of The New Yorker,\u201d Mort says about his 2001 illustration for the same magazine. \u201cCharlie\u2019s had these double ski tracks but they were being formed by one skier\u2014that was his particularly lugubrious humor. I looked at that and thought, \u2018What would be the contemporary?\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/smarty-snowboarders-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Smarty Snowboarders by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/smarty-snowboarders-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>8. Sisyphus Baseball<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/sisyphus-baseball-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72613 size-full\" title=\"Sisyphus Baseball by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/baseballuse.jpg\" alt=\"UncommonGoods\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/sisyphus-baseball-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sisyphus Baseball by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/sisyphus-baseball-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>9. Mets Fans<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/mets-fans-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72614 size-full\" title=\"Mets Fans by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/mets.jpg\" alt=\"UncommonGoods\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThis is a drawing from a historic spread in Life magazine when The Mets won the World Series,\u201d recalls Mort of his 1969 illustration. \u201cLife never ran any drawings, any cartoons, so this is kind of a great breakthrough.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/mets-fans-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mets Fans by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/mets-fans-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_72627\" style=\"width: 1810px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/curated\/mort-gerberg-collection?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-72627\" class=\"wp-image-72627 size-full\" title=\"Sisyphus Baseball by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/MortGreberg_BWPortraitPiano.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-72627\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yep, he <em>also<\/em> plays the piano.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>10. Woman&#8217;s Work<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/womans-work-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72615 size-full\" title=\"Woman's Work by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/women.jpg\" alt=\"UncommonGoods\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI was inspired a lot by what was going on,\u201d says Mort  of this illustration from his 1971 book, <em>Right On, Sister!<\/em> \u201cI had previously met the woman who would become my wife, who was an activist, so I was marching even before I knew I was.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/womans-work-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Woman&#8217;s Work by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/womans-work-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>11. Equal Rights<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/equal-rights-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72616 size-full\" title=\"Equal Rights by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/tunnel.jpg\" alt=\"UncommonGoods\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/equal-rights-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Equal Rights by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/equal-rights-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>12. Guitar Practice<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/guitar-practice-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72617 size-full\" title=\"Guitar Practice by Mort Gerberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/guitar.jpg\" alt=\"UncommonGoods\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThere was a lot going on in Greenwich Village, the clubs where Bob Dylan was starting out,\u201d recalls Mort of this illustration for folk music magazine <em>Hootenanny<\/em>, one of the first in his career. \u201cEverybody wanted to become a guitar player and a folk singer.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"item-name-price\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/guitar-practice-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Guitar Practice by Mort Gerberg &#8211; $250 <\/a> <a class=\"buy-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/guitar-practice-by-mort-gerberg?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buy Now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With each purchase from this collection, UncommonGoods will donate $10 to the New-York Historical Society.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/curated\/mort-gerberg-collection?source=blog_video_mortgerberg_cta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shop Mort Gerberg&#8217;s limited edition prints here&gt;&gt;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ufeff\ufeff &#8220;You don&#8217;t choose to be a cartoonist, cartooning chooses you,&#8221; says Mort Gerberg. And it certainly made a&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":72624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1303,743],"tags":[557,2042,2585,1064],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72596"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/122"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72596"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73353,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72596\/revisions\/73353"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}