Here's New Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffee with one of his inexplicably rejected cartoons, from last week's supercalifragilistic Rejection Show (which Diffee co-founded, along with cheerfully deadpan host Jon Friedman). I strongly suggest you go next month—I laughed very, very, very much. I also saw drawings by aforementioned nice guy Eric Lewis and their genial colleague Drew Dernavich, and just about every cartoon was wicked funny (if I said every cartoon was, you wouldn't believe me, would you?). Thanks to Tim Siglin for the excellent photo! Click on it to travel to the land of Flickr and see it at a proper size. Here's another good one—of Friedman pimping Combino the terrifying new Rejection Show mascot, with whom I would be afraid to slow-dance even for a prize, but a brave fellow held him close for nigh upon three minutes. He's a better man than I.



Also representing graceful non-success were the hilariously bitter Mike Albo of Underminer fame—who read the most absurd dump email from a three-night stand I've ever heard—and Andrea Rosen, who is always awesome, and who got rejected from the reality show she created and had to suffer the further indignity of seeing her then-boyfriend, a bartender at Galapagos, be made producer. Anne Altman's cat-toilet-training documentary, not schadenfreudistic enough for America's Funniest Home Videos, prompted something wildly pre-human in all of us, and that was good. I also dug, and ogled, handsome devil Nick Stevens, who almost became the new Marv Albert (without the little problems) via ESPN's Dream Job. Unfortunately, he drove all the judges out of their minds without intending to, since ESPN insisted on running a promo twenty times a day featuring Nick crowing "Ramalama ham-jam!" It got on their nerves, for some reason. But he triumphed anyway, by telling the story so excellently. Really, it's an evening that can't miss. The best part is that you feel so supremely exultant in non-rejectedness, since there's nothing like being part of a giddy, laughing crowd to realize you're the successes and those visionless suits (and hipster bartenders) are the losers.

All right, Wilseyists, I promised, and I try not break promises, especially to you. Here's Sean Wilsey's book tour schedule. Just promise me in return that you won't creep him out with any excessive stalking, OK? Gifts of whimsically packaged Jelly Bellys, good; lurking in his shrubbery paparazzi-style, bad. Jot this down on a notecard if you're afraid you might mix them up.

For this show, 'Rejection' leads to success [Daily News]
Cartoonist speaks about modern life through quirky drawings [Nice profile of Matthew Diffee and his cartooning process and also the NYer's rejection process, Fort Worth Star-Telegram]