Episode 105: Bizzy Coy & Lia Strasser

What makes a good New Yorker cartoon? More to the point, who makes a good New Yorker cartoon? In our latest episode of As Told To: The Ghostwriting Podcast, we visit with the magazine's self-described "toonsome twosome," the cartooning team of Bizzy Coy and Lia Strasser, and discover what it takes to tap the talents of a like-minded soul to help you discover your best creative self. "It was out of frustration that I reached out to Bizzy," reflects Lia, the illustrator of this dynamic duo. "I was struggling in the sense that I'd had these ideas that I thought were great and these drawings that I'd thought were great and I'd been submitting to the New Yorker for about a year and nothing was hitting, and a friend of mine suggested I find a writing partner, and of course my ego felt a little dented by that." "I think it took us maybe even a year to even establish, 'What is our creative dynamic?'" recalls Bizzy Coy, the humor writer of the pair. "And it's constantly changing." Lia is a cartoonist, graphic designer, and visual essayist whose work explores narrative illustration at the intersection of politics, culture, and personal history. She is also a kick-ass barista in Sullivan County, N.Y., where her latte foam art is much in demand. Bizzy is an advertising and marketing copywriter who has contributed humor writing to the New Yorker and McSweeney's. Her short humor collection, Personal Space, is a compilation of her favorite pieces, which originally appeared in the above-mentioned publications, and in Splitsider, Points in Case, The Belladonna, and The Establishment. Join us as these two friends and collaborators talk toons, reflect on how they've come together as artists, and share their thoughts on what New Yorker readers find funny. (Oh, and you just might come away with a tip or two on how to game the magazine's popular "Cartoon Caption" contest.) Learn more about our guests: Lia's WebsiteLia's InstagramBizzy's WebsiteBizzy's Instagram Please support the sponsors who support our show: Gotham Ghostwriters' Gathering of the GhostsRitani Jewelers Daniel Paisner's Balloon DogDaniel Paisner's SHOW: The Making and Unmaking of a Network Television PilotHeaven Help Us by John KasichUnforgiving: Lessons from the Fall by Lindsey JacobellisFilm Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discountLibro.fm (ASTOLDTO) | 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you start your membershipFilm Freaks Forever! podcast, hosted by Mark Jordan Legan and Phoef SuttonEveryday Shakespeare podcastA Mighty Blaze podcastThe Writer's Bone Podcast NetworkMisfits Market (WRITERSBONE) | $15 off your first order Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discountWizard Pins (WRITERSBONE) | 20% discount