How a comedic cartoonist found solemnity in his drawings after 9/11

NEW YORK - When terrorists attacked the U.S. 23 years ago, The New Yorker magazine -- known for its humor -- clearly could not be funny. 

So what was one of its most prolific cartoonists to do?

"I think there was an immediate understanding that there wouldn't be any regular cartoons," Bob Mankoff, the cartoon editor at the time, said.

Instead of his usual funny gags, George Booth, who died in 2022 at the age of 96, sketched a poignant scene showing an old woman who he named Mrs. Ritterhouse, sitting in prayer with the violin she had been playing at her side.

It also featured a cat on the floor covering its eyes.

Booth based Mrs. Ritterhouse off his own mother, Irma. 

The drawing was the only cartoon to appear in the first post-9/11 issue of the magazine. 

Only one other edition of The New Yorker had no regular cartoons--an issue from 1946 was dedicated to a long article about Hiroshima by John Hersey.

Mrs. Ritterhouse had appeared in The New Yorker before as an ebullient, energetic personality. In this image, she appeared much different.

"Mrs. Ritterhouse was this life force that, you know, you might be held back for a while," Booth's daughter, Sarah, said. "You might have to put down your violin for a moment. But you can pick it up and go back to it again."