Elizabeth McMahon, Staff Writer
Instead of the usual, shallow complaints about un-cancelled snow days and fraternity beef, YikYak was filled with doodles inspired by the famous comics popular in The New Yorker. The number of upvotes skyrocketed on all of the original poster’s cartoons, poking fun at everything from Sewanee culture to a strangely worded email from the Farmhouse. YikYak’s anonymous posting feature allowed this unknown creator to carve out a space to share their creativity.
Although the students of Sewanee are familiar with the cartoons floating around, not much is known about the artist themselves. In an interview with this artist that goes by the handle @ysrnewyorker, The Sewanee Purple uncovers the hidden truth of the mysterious cartoonist behind the curtain.
“I’ve been drawing my whole life,” @ysrnewyorker said, “I’m much of a doodler.” Their love of art has always been a favorite pastime for them. They said they were consistently sketching, whether they were huddled in the corner of McClurg or tucked in bed. A pencil and paper is always ready.
Despite their love for art, they said, “I’m an economics major, not even an art minor.” Regardless of their major, art is a vital part of @ysrnewyorker.
Like their namesake suggests, the artist behind @ysrnewyorker is a huge fan of the actual newspaper The New Yorker, specifically their cartoon section. When they were asked what their inspiration was, they said that they were “a big fan of the actual New Yorker comics,” and that they “really like that style.” Many of the artist’s cartoons feature the classic black-and-white style found in The New Yorker’s comics with similar corny punchlines.
Although they take artistic inspirations from The New Yorker, the plotlines come solely from popular YikYak posts. They said, “The initial idea was to just sort of get inspiration from other people’s jokes and little stories so that I can just interpret it artistically.” The little quips and funny stories that students share throughout the day sparks their inspiration to make a Sewanee student grin.
@ysrnewyorker “Class Winter Dress” Feb. 20, 2025
It is no secret that social media can be a very negative place which is often amplified by anonymity. Despite the negativity, @ysrnewyorker tries to bring more positivity to the platform. They said, “I do like making things that make people smile and laugh.”
It is just as much for YikYak users’ entertainment as it is for @ysrnewyorker. For them, these quick sketches that are uploaded onto social media are just as enjoyable to make as they are to see. When asked what their favorite cartoon that they had created, @ysrnewyorker said, “The Fiji Pledge…that one was really funny.”
Although the cartoon depicting a comical representation of Phi Gamma Delta’s new members was their favorite, they are proud of all of their comics.
@ysrnewyorker “Fiji Perp Lineup” Feb. 18, 2025
Overall, the @ysrnewyorker account has been widely viewed by the Sewanee students as a talented artist that brings laughter with every witty post. Although the artist may not exactly realize this, they have made the day of some members in this community and brought joy to those that need it most. They touch many from their art and, for that, they are greatly appreciated by their fellow students.