Nov. 30, 2015

Chris Ware: Animated New Yorker cover

Ira writes:

Cartoonist Chris Ware had the idea to make a New Yorker cover that would come to life as animation when you press play, for everyone who reads the magazine on iPad or smartphone. It’s gorgeous! Visually inventive and emotional and everything we could’ve hoped for.

We co-produced this animated cover with The New Yorker. Chris came to me a year ago and asked if I had a story that might work. I had this interview with Hanna Rosin that didn’t fit into our “Regrets We Have a Few” episode. Hanna’s one of the new hosts of NPR’s Invisibilia, but also a podcaster for Slate and a reporter for The Atlantic. Nico Muhly added music, and Chris set about animating with artist John Kuramoto. Co-producing meant, basically, that I gave Chris and John the audio and waited while they drew. I saw nothing til it was done, other than a stream of self-deprecating emails from Chris.

If you like this, Chris and John have done three other animations with our show: here, here and here.