The New Yorker Cover Has People Cooing Over Its Lazy ‘Bodega Cat’
Image via The New Yorker
Rent in New York is ridiculously high, but some residents still manage to live the dream life—inclusive of snacks and pets—without working for it.
The New Yorker Magazine’s latest cover, dated September 18, is an endearing one. Created by Maui-born, long-time New Yorker R. Kikuo Johnson, it centers around “the royal animal that watches over a beloved New York institution,” the bodega cat.
Bodegas hold a special place in the heart of Johnson, who moved to the city in 2003 with little money in his pocket. When the cartoonist and illustrator became a regular at his local mom-and-pop shop in Brooklyn, he was handed a pencil and notepad by the owner, who asked him to list items he wanted to have added to the store.
The artist recounted glancing around, before picking up his usual Colt 45 and Choco Taco, each priced at a dollar then. “I handed the owner back his notepad and said, ‘You have everything I need,’” Johnson shares in the cover story.
The lovely artwork shows a black cat lazing on the counter, with one eye open to greet—or judge—its visitor.
“This might be my favorite cover of all time,” one person quips on Instagram.
“Fine, I’ll get a subscription again,” notes another. “Can’t tell if I’m getting older or the New Yorker is getting cooler,” quips one person.
Johnson, who wasn’t originally a cat person, grew to love his pet of about 10 years, named Blua. Her photo remains as his phone’s wallpaper today.
The artist is “still agnostic on dogs,” however.
[via The New Yorker]
