Mort Gerberg: Celebrating the Life of a New Yorker Cartoonist

In 2017, cartoonist Mort Gerberg and I met in a conference room at The New Yorker, where we were both waiting to present our work to cartoon editor Emma Allen. Despite his legendary status in the cartooning world, Mort was approachable and friendly, engaging in conversation about sketching from life. Our connection blossomed into a friendship, and even after his move from Manhattan to Denver to be closer to family, we maintained regular communication, sharing updates about our lives and the cartooning community. Mort's journey began in Brooklyn in 1931. After graduating from City College, he was drafted into the Army, serving in the public-information office. Following his military service, he found himself in unfulfilling advertising jobs until a pivotal moment led him to leave it all behind. A dramatic incident involving a flipped desk and a nearly severed finger prompted him to drive to Mexico, where he spent a year reinventing himself as a cartoonist. By 1963, Mort was selling his work to smaller magazines, and with encouragement, he began submitting cartoons to The New Yorker. His persistence paid off after a year of dropping off submissions, culminating in 1965 when one of his cartoons was published as a full-page feature. This marked the beginning of a remarkable career that would see Mort become a prominent figure in the world of cartooning. As I visited Mort in Denver to interview him about his extensive career, I aimed to capture the essence of his journey and glean insights from his wealth of experience in the industry.