He has his personal quirks as well. In addition to the prohibition against fedoras, puns are out, and so is the image of a woman wielding a rolling pin. That doesn't work, he tells cartoonists, because no one has rolling pins anymore. Gross, a contributor for 35 years, said most cartoonists see such strictures more as challenges than limitations. William Shawn, the late New Yorker editor, once announced a ban on cartoons involving desert island scenes. The next week, Gross said, the cartoon editor was deluged with desert island gags.
For now, Diffee said, he plans to abide by Mankoff's rules. He figures his career is safe, he said, "unless hats come back in style."
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