Liza Donnelly Has Drawn Women Laughing For 40 Years, She's Now Documenting Them Too

Are women funny? While the flawed narrative that "women are neither funny nor do they understand humor" has floated for decades now, women have themselves taken the charge to change the game, and what better way than to "humor" their way through stereotypes? Though the fight for women's status in society has become stronger globally, literary humor has long been conceived as a male domain. In the United States of America, however, women cartoonists have earned their stance and compelled us to take notice. The struggle may be far from over, but beginning is a good place as any, and cartoonist Liza Liza Donnelly is documenting why.  

In an exclusive interview with SheThePeople, Liza Donnelly discusses the inspiration behind her documentary 'Women Laughing', why the theme particularly intrigues her, how cartoonists offer an insight into lives that we often overlook, and how humor holds the power to face the absurdities of life. 

A writer and award-winning cartoonist with The New Yorker Magazine, Liza Donnelly has been drawing cartoons and writing about culture and politics for forty years. Popular for live-drawing cultural events and political scenarios, she is also a screenwriter and is working on her third feature. During her time at The New Yorker, Donnelley has worked alongside several women cartoonists, who have in one way or another inspired her, and that inspiration has culminated into the foundation for her new documentary, Women Laughing. In Women Laughing, for which she began her fundraiser Kickstarter recently, Donnelly sets out to explore her lifelong passion for humor and cartooning by talking with, and sometimes drawing, other funny women. 

Excerpts From The Interview

What inspired you to choose the theme of laughing women for your new work? 

I am fascinated by women who create humor, and how humor can be a catalyst for cultural change. I wrote a book about women cartoonists, and have been studying the topic for decades. In my lifetime, I have witnessed a shift in attitudes towards women humorists. It was once believed that women weren't able to create humor!   

How do you capture the essence of laughter and joy in your drawings and how is that going to be translated in the documentary?

The documentary will be about the women cartoonists of The New Yorker from 1925-2025. I will show their work, talk about their lives as well and sit down with contemporary cartoonists and humorists who are women. I hope to show the creative process and how cartoons are joyful but also very insightful in our lives. We plan to draw together as we talk, that should be fun and I hope interesting to the viewers.

Can you describe your creative process when developing a new idea within this theme?

About five years ago, I decided that the subject of my book, Very Funny Ladies, might make an interesting documentary. Everyone loves cartoons and humor, and I wanted to make a film that showcased these amazing women and their work. So I talked to every documentary filmmaker who would speak to me and took some courses on how to make a documentary film. It is a very collaborative process, and I found two talented filmmakers to work with me. Together we brainstorm and discuss all aspects of the topic until the film starts to take shape. It still will be shaped as we do the actual filming this summer.

Do you have any specific women or stories that have influenced your cartoons or are you picking some specific women across streams for your documentary?

Yes, I identified three women in particular from the past who I want to shine a light on. This film will not be a survey-type film, so I also had to choose a small number of contemporary women to focus on. I desire to show the creative process and what humor can show us.

What are these women laughing about?

They are laughing about the absurdities of life!

What message do you hope to convey through your cartoons of laughing women?

First of all, that women are indeed very funny. I want to dispel any notion to the contrary. Secondly, their work shows us about their lives and all the joy and difficulties. Laughing with these women, we also can see our own humanity.

How is this documentary going to bring women from different cultures together? Does laughter bind women?

I think laughter can bind everyone, as long as we are not ridiculing others. In the US, there is more diversity in cartooning now, and I want to show that fact. Through the humor of a variety of cartoonists, we can see how their lives might be different or the same as ours. I would like to have an international component to this film, and we are discussing that. 

How do you balance humor with other emotional or narrative elements in your drawings?

It's not always easy. I am not sure how to explain how to do it, to be honest. In my work, I don't necessarily focus on making someone laugh but on making a connection with the viewer. I just try to stay open to all emotions when I work, except hate.  

Can you share any challenges you face while working on this theme?

One challenge with the documentary is figuring out a way to express all that I want to and make it interesting to watch. The creative process for artists/cartoonists is a very private and often quiet endeavour. I also want to try to show that, while things are better for women in the US, there is still a lot of change needed. That is difficult to show because people want to assume that everything is fine!