Bruce McCall on Letterman

I TiVo most of the late-​night talk shows each night, in the hopes that some band or author that I love is fea­tured – some­how, that’s easier than pre­emp­tively scan­ning TV Guide. But, I was gen­uinely sur­prised and thrilled to see the illus­tra­tor and writer Bruce McCall as a guest on David Letterman’s show, the other night.

I’m far too young to know his work from the National Lam­poon, but McCall’s New Yorker covers are ingrained in my memory:

Some of Bruce McCall’s New Yorker covers, from 1995–2008.

Letterman’s show might not have the cul­tural rel­e­vance that it once did, but you get the sense by watch­ing the seg­ment that he’d rather be sit­ting there talk­ing to McCall, than Mary-​Kate or that chick from Twi­light. It’s just one of the many things that make Dave tick, and why I have a TiVo season pass for the Late Show.

In the clip below, Let­ter­man and McCall look at and dis­cuss some of the work in McCall’s new children’s book, Marveltown.

Bruce McCall with David Letterman on November 20, 2008.