‘A Wealth of Pigeons,’ by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss Q&A

“I know Steve,” Mouly said in a phone interview, “and he is very thoughtful about what he does. Harry came to mind because he has the same intellectual honesty and generosity of spirit as Steve. I thought they would be a good match. When I mentioned Harry, he said that he loved Harry’s work. I thought, ‘That’s a good start.’ ”

“A Wealth of Pigeons,” a collection of more than 130 cartoons at once surreal, silly, satirical and, at times, oddly moving, bears the initial fruits of their collaboration. (They are also working on a narrative project.) In one cartoon, a detective in an interrogation room commands the perp, “Tell us again — a little less graphic,” as his shocked-looking colleagues retch. In another, a couple considers whether to “encourage or discourage” their toddler, who is depicted juggling while riding a unicycle.

In cartooning, as in comedy, timing is everything. The cartoons were created and released during the pandemic. “It’s delightful to see this good match come to something so pleasurable,” Mouly said, “and pleasure is something we can use these days.”

In a joint conference call with Bliss and Martin, Martin said: “I’m feeling good; it’s an upbeat book.”

The following interview was edited for length and clarity.

Q: Steve, you were familiar with Harry’s work before Françoise recommended him. What is it about his cartoons that resonate with you?

Martin: His drawing style is very identifiable; it’s very clear drawing. The first cartoon idea I sent him was the one that’s early in the book of the dog begging on the street corner, and his sign says, “I have no thumbs.”

Q: Harry, what was your introduction to Steve? The movies? “Saturday Night Live”?

Martin: It was cartooning. He had never heard of me. [Harry laughs.]

Bliss: Steve isn’t far off there. I’ve learned a lot about him and learned to appreciate qualities about him that I never knew. Growing up, yeah, he was the “Wild and Crazy Guy” from those SNL sketches with Dan Aykroyd, and, of course “The Jerk” appealed to my sense of humor as a young person. I loved it, and I still love it.

Q: Steve, I came across a quote attributed to Kurt Vonnegut: “Practice any art, not to get money and fame, but to . . . make your soul grow.” With all of your creative outlets, is that mind-set what inspired you to branch out into writing cartoons?

Martin: I wish I could say yes; that’s a great quote. [I would say] there’s a little bit of an element of ego. I always envied cartoonists and couldn’t figure out how they did it. I told Harry the hardest cartoons to make are when he’ll send me a drawing of a guy and a dog walking down a street. There’s no indication of where it’s headed; it can go in any direction. I wanted to see if I could do it. I wasn’t just going out on a whim. I had contributed to a friend’s cartoons and I liked it. You get a little confidence if you get one or two that are good. Once it starts, it’s on. You’re now committed.

Q: Writing and cartooning are solitary endeavors. How did your collaboration develop?

Martin: We just hit it off. I’m just guessing that Harry was probably more forgiving at first trying not to hurt my feelings. It should be noted we work in retrograde and forward motion; sometimes I’ll send him an idea, and sometimes he’ll send me a drawing. And if Harry sends me a drawing, then I could tell it was a drawing he really loved to do.

Bliss: We have similar tastes in art. He’s a collector, and we both love Winslow Homer. One of my favorite drawings in the book is the lobster fisherman in the boat with the woman, and she says: “It’s been three dates. Time for some action.” That was an example of me wanting to, in my own way, replicate Winslow Homer. I had no idea what the caption would be. I just wanted to do that drawing. And when Steve sent back that caption, just the incongruity of the frankness of her response killed me. The word “action” just kills me.

Q: Cartoonists don’t have the luxury stand-up comedians have of honing a bit in front of an audience. One of the cartoons in the book shows Steve trying out a cartoon on his wife, his young daughter and, finally, his cat. How do you two know a cartoon is ready to go out into the world?

Martin: This is a medium where there is barely feedback. For the first time in my life, I’m going with, “Well, I think it’s funny.” Because when I do stand-up and I think it’s funny and the audience doesn’t, it’s out the next day. In a strange way, this is more fun, because you just kind of believe in it. Some days I go back to cartoons we’ve written, and I go, “I don’t get it anymore,” and some of them grow in their humor.

Bliss: Every Sunday is my syndicate deadline, so I have to come up with six cartoons, which isn’t a big deal, because outside of raking the leaves and piling firewood, there’s not much else I do. I think it’s instinctual. If something makes me laugh and then I send it to Steve and we both think it’s funny, it’s a go.

Q: There is one that mentions “Game of Thrones,” but it’s rare your cartoons reference popular culture. Was this a conscious decision?

Martin: I don’t like [making topical references], because it provokes unwarranted responses. Sometimes you make an innocuous reference, but if someone has an opinion about that independent of the joke, they get offended, and it starts the ball rolling. I see that on Twitter. Suddenly, you’re way off base of what you set out to do. I just generally find it easier if I avoid it. I also think of it as a reprieve for the reader.

Bliss: I totally agree. I listen to the news, but it’s too much to bring into my work. It’s not fun.

Donald Liebenson is an entertainment writer. His work has been published in the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, VanityFair.com and New York Magazine’s Vulture website.

By Steve Martin and Harry Bliss