Humorist & Cartoon Editor, Air Mail & The New Yorker (1997-2017)
Bob Mankoff: Biography at a Glance
- For over 40 years, Bob Mankoff has been the driving force of comedy and satire at some of the most honored publications in America, including The New Yorker and Esquire.
- He has devoted his life to discovering just what makes us laugh, and seeks every outlet to do so, from developing The New Yorker’s web presence to integrating it with algorithms and A.I. Mankoff is currently the cartoon editor at the weekly online newsletter Air Mail.
Biography
For over 40 years, Bob Mankoff has been the driving force of comedy and satire at some of the most honored publications in America, including The New Yorker and Esquire. He has devoted his life to discovering just what makes us laugh, and seeks every outlet to do so, from developing The New Yorker’s web presence to integrating it with algorithms and A.I. Mankoff is currently the cartoon editor at the weekly online newsletter Air Mail.
A student of humor and creativity, Mankoff’s presentation largely focus on the creative process, from writing a successful New Yorker cartoon to inspiring creativity in others and enhancing ideas with A.I and big data. With his storied career of editing literally thousands of cartoons, Mankoff brings a hugely entertaining night of laughs, tips to bring humor to the workplace, and the option of participating in a cartoon caption contest.
In 2018, Mankoff launched CartoonCollections.com, a new spin on the Cartoon Bank, the world’s most successful cartoon licensing platform that he founded in 1992. At Cartoon Collections, Bob has brought together cartoons from the New Yorker and previously unavailable cartoons from National Lampoon, Esquire, Playboy, and Barron’s to create the largest cartoon licensing source on the planet.
With comedy writer and developer Jamie Brew, Mankoff runs Botnik Studios, a network of writers, artists, and programmers who create software that augments human creativity with big data analytics.
During his recent stint at Esquire, Mankoff revived the magazine’s legacy of satire and humor, editing humor pieces, providing story ideas, and drafting his own cartoons.
For twenty years as Cartoon Editor for The New Yorker, Mankoff pored over thousands of submissions each week, analyzing, critiquing, and selecting each cartoon. He mentored cartoonists, new and old, toward the laughs readers expect. In 2005, he helped start the “New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest.” With 5,000 reader submissions a week and millions of entries to date, Mankoff partnered with Microsoft and Google Deep Mind to develop algorithms to help cull the funniest captions.
Bob is the author of numerous books, including his New York Times bestselling memoir, How About Never – Is Never Good For You?: My Life In Cartoons, of which the Washington Post wrote, “Mankoff's deep understanding of humor, both its power and its practice, is the live wire that crackles through his book.” His upcoming book, Have I Got a Cartoon for You!: The Moment Magazine Book of Jewish Cartoons, will be released October, 2019.
Mankoff’s career started, unexpectedly, by quitting a Ph.D program in experimental psychology at the City University of New York in 1974. Shortly after, he began submitting cartoons to the New Yorker. Three years and over 2,000 cartoons later, he finally made the magazine and has since published over 950 cartoons. His story and day-to-day at the magazine were the focus of the 2015 HBO documentary Very Semi-Serious.
Mankoff has taught classes at Swarthmore, Fordham, and led workshops on the creative process.
Topics
Your Sense of Humor — Don’t Leave Home Without It
As young kids, most of us were taught that humor is silly and a waste of time. And so, while five-year-olds laugh hundreds of times a day, adults are down to about fifteen. We’ll see how wrong this prejudice is and how humor and other forms of play can enhance our professional effectiveness. Humor has three main benefits. First, it’s physically and psychologically healthy, especially in the way it blocks stress. Secondly, humor makes us mentally flexible — able to manage change, take risks, and think creatively. And thirdly, humor serves as a social lubricant, making us more effective in dealing with colleagues and clients. We’ll experience all of these using pictures, cartoons, stories, and exercises.
Mr. Mankoff enjoys customizing his talks on humor and laughter for particular audiences and professions, including:
- Humor and Healthcare
- Humor and Finance
- Humor and the Law
- Humor and Education
- Humor and Leadership
- Humor and Mental Health
- Humor in Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service
Speed Thinking: How Big Data and A.I. Accelerate Creativity
With ClickHole head comedy writer and developer Jamie Brew, Mankoff is developing Botnik Studios: a network of writers, artists, and programmers whose mission is to create software that augments human creativity using big data analytics. “It’s technology as well-informed collaborator,” Mankoff says, “as opposed to a coldly automated content-creator… a person working with a computer, and adding a kind of mastery to it.”
Based on the idea that you can write anything from a country-western song to a Seinfeld episode, the algorithm enables access to the text of all country western songs and all Seinfeld episodes to create completely unique content. “We’re not going to give it over the machines,” Mankoff promises, “You’re not simply spitting it out, you’re modifying it.
While Instagram and Snapchat have enabled users to edit and improve photos with filters, so Botnik has the potential to be a stand-alone tool (such as autocorrect) that users utilize to enhance creativity or humor (e.g. a ‘humor extension’ built into Instagram or Snapchat filters). Mankoff, who studied experimental psychology at university believes that “in the end, machines are idiots, or maybe idiot savants that need humans to create content that’s going to be interesting to humans.”
What's So Funny? How to Inspire Ideas, Imagination & Creativity
As the longtime cartoon editor of The New Yorker, Bob Mankoff has spent his life pursuing that elusive thing called creativity and inspiring it in others. If you’ve ever wondered where great ideas come from, or yearned to channel your creative energies, or just wanted some pointers on how to get those artistic juices flowing — this talk (and his book The Naked Cartoonist) is for you. In this fast-paced and funny multimedia presentation featuring cartoons and videos, Bob shows you the soup-to-nuts process of cartoon creation, giving you not only a detailed look at his own work but that of artists who keep you laughing every week, except, of course, when they don’t, puzzling you with a cartoon that you “don’t get.”
You don’t have to be an aspiring cartoonist to appreciate this talk; Bob’s wisdom and his practical yet whimsical approach to the creative process are designed to benefit anyone who has ever stared at a blank piece of paper or canvas and dreamed of transforming it into something truly original (and maybe even commercial). What’s so funny? Bob Mankoff knows best. He also knows how you can find your own personal voice and message, how you can learn from the masters of the past, how you can transform a current event into a comic tour-de-force…even how you can incorporate telling lies and taking naps into your daily routine — and justify it.
A Passion for Perseverance: If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try 2,000 Times
It’s not easy to get your cartoon published in the New Yorker. Just ask their former Cartoon Editor, Bob Mankoff. Since 1977, his name has been synonymous with the New Yorker, but he didn’t get there overnight—it was actually closer to 1,000 nights. It took three years and 2,000 submissions to see his name in the corner of one of his cartoons. More than talent, getting published took perseverance.
In this talk, Bob Mankoff will show audiences how to stop worrying and love the process of creating. To achieve your goals, you need to be ready for the long haul. But as Bob will explain, the long haul doesn’t have to be a real slog. This fun and interactive program will leave you ready to get to work with a smile on your face.
Funny You Should Ask: How & Why Jews Became “the People of the Joke”
From growing up Jewish in Queens, NY, to going to the Borscht Belt as a kid where he saw performances by Jerry Lewis, Buddy Hackett, and Rodney Dangerfield, among others, Bob shows how his Jewish heritage helped him to become a successful cartoonist and presents a personal and historical cartoon illustrated history of Jewish humor.
FAQs
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Contact CAA Speakers at (424) 288-2898 or speakers@caa.com to book Bob Mankoff to speak at corporate or private events, keynote speeches, speaking engagements, workshops, fireside chats, motivational speaking, or virtual appearances.
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As one of the most influential talent agencies in the world, CAA handles all speaking engagements from contract to event day coordination.
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CAA Speakers is the preferred booking agency to contact for Bob Mankoff’s speaking engagements. Contact speakers@caa.com for all Bob Mankoff in-person appearances and keynote speaking requests.
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CAA Speakers can check Bob Mankoff's speaking calendar with direct access to availability and official pricing. While many websites may list Bob Mankoff, CAA Speakers is the direct source for authentic information about availability and pricing.
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Bob Mankoff's speaking fee varies by event type, location, and requirements. As a top keynote speaker, Bob Mankoff's fee reflects their expertise and market demand.
Speaking fee factors:- Event type and audience size
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- Presentation length and customization
- Virtual vs. in-person delivery
Additional costs: Travel, accommodation, A/V requirements, and optional meet-and-greets.
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How much does it cost to book Bob Mankoff as a keynote speaker?
The cost to book Bob Mankoff as keynote speaker includes their speaking fee plus travel and logistics expenses.
Total booking cost includes:- Bob Mankoff's keynote speaking fee
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How to contact Bob Mankoff for speaking engagements?
Contact CAA Speakers at speakers@caa.com for all Bob Mankoff speaking engagements.
Official contact for Bob Mankoff bookings:- Email: speakers@caa.com
- Website: https://www.caa.com/caaspeakers/bob-mankoff
- Response time: 24 hours
Include your event date, location, audience size, and budget when contacting CAA about booking Bob Mankoff.
Is Bob Mankoff available for virtual speaking events?
Yes, Bob Mankoff speaks at virtual events with professional-grade equipment and interactive presentation style.
Bob Mankoff's virtual event options:- Live virtual keynotes with Q&A
- Interactive workshops and breakouts
- Hybrid events (in-person + virtual)
- Pre-recorded presentations
Virtual events offer global reach, flexible scheduling, and reduced travel costs while maintaining Bob Mankoff's engaging presentation quality.
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What events can I book Bob Mankoff for?
Book Bob Mankoff for corporate conferences, industry events, private functions, and virtual presentations. Bob Mankoff customizes content for any audience size or event type.
Event types:- Corporate meetings and conferences
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Bob Mankoff engages audiences from private executive meetings to large conferences with thousands of attendees.
Contact CAA Speakers to discuss how Bob Mankoff can customize their presentation for your specific event.
Bob Mankoff booking information and availability
Check Bob Mankoff's speaking availability through CAA Speakers at speakers@caa.com. Book 3-6 months in advance for best date selection during peak seasons (September-November, March-May).
Availability factors:- Event date and location
- Speaking fee and budget
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- 3-6 months: Best availability
- 3-6 months: Best availability
- 2-3 months: Good availability
- 1-2 months: Select availability
- Under 30 days: Limited availability
Contact CAA early in your planning process to secure Bob Mankoff for your preferred event date.
Book Bob Mankoff keynote speaker through CAA
Book Bob Mankoff through CAA Speakers for guaranteed authentic representation and professional event coordination. CAA is the preferred booking agent for Bob Mankoff, with direct access to their speaking availability and decades of experience representing the world’s top keynote speakers.
CAA booking advantages:- Direct access to Bob Mankoff's calendar
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Trusted by Fortune 500 companies for their most important speaking engagements. Contact speakers@caa.com to book Bob Mankoff for your next event.
Will Bob Mankoff speak at private events?
Yes, Bob Mankoff speaks at private corporate events, executive retreats, board meetings, and exclusive functions.
Private event types:- Executive retreats and board presentations
- Client entertainment and VIP gatherings
- Corporate celebrations and award ceremonies
- Private dinners and exclusive functions
Private event benefits: Customized content, enhanced interaction, complete confidentiality, and flexible scheduling.
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How quickly will I get a response about booking Bob Mankoff?
CAA Speakers responds to Bob Mankoff booking inquiries within 24 hours during business days. Complex requests or international events may take up to 48 hours for detailed proposals.
Response timeline:- Initial acknowledgment: Within 24 hours
- Availability confirmation: 24-48 hours
- Detailed pricing proposal: 48-72 hours
- Urgent requests: Same-day priority response
Include complete event details (date, location, audience size, budget) for fastest response times.
How far in advance should I book Bob Mankoff?
Book Bob Mankoff 3-6 months in advance for best availability, especially during peak speaking seasons. Early booking ensures better date selection and rate negotiations.
Recommended booking timeline:- 3-6 months: Optimal availability and pricing
- 2-3 months: Good availability
- 1-2 months: Select availability
- Under 30 days: Limited availability
Peak seasons: September-November and March-May book fastest. Contact CAA Speakers early for priority consideration.
How do I get Bob Mankoff pricing information?
Get Bob Mankoff pricing information by contacting CAA Speakers at speakers@caa.com with your event details. Receive detailed cost breakdown within 24-48 hours with no obligation to book.
For accurate pricing, include:- Event date and location
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CAA provides transparent pricing with all costs included - speaking fee, travel, accommodation, and technical requirements.
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