Lee Lorenz

Lee Sharp Lorenz (October 17, 1932 – December 8, 2022) was an American cartoonist most notable for his work in The New Yorker.

Early life and education
Lorenz was born on October 17, 1932, in Hackensack, New Jersey. After studying at North Junior High School in Newburgh, New York, where he starred in student productions, he continued with his education at Carnegie Tech and Pratt Institute.

Career
His first published cartoon appeared in Colliers in 1956, and two years later he became a contract contributor to The New Yorker, which has published more than 1,600 of his drawings. He was The New Yorker's art editor for 25 years, from 1973 until 1993, continuing as cartoon editor until 1997.

Lorenz was a musician who played cornet with his own group, the Creole Cookin' Jazz Band.

Lorenz edited and wrote books on the art in The New Yorker, as well as the artists themselves, including The Art of The New Yorker (1995) and The World of William Steig (1998).

Lorenz is featured drawing in Lyda Ely's documentary film Funny Business (2009), which visited the studios of 11 cartoonists for The New Yorker.

Personal life
Lorenz was first married to Joan Gaillardet. Together they had two children. Their marriage ended in divorce. He then married Jill Runcie and divorced. He then married and later divorced Jane Plant.

Lorenz died on December 8, 2022, at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut, at the age of 90.

Awards
He received the National Cartoonists Society's Gag Cartoon Award for 1995 for his work.