In the Style of P.C. Vey: The Funniest Reader Cartoons We Received

In the moment, it’s rarely funny: the waistband that splits, the machine that refuses to cooperate, the routine conversation that takes an unexpected turn.But with a little distance, even life’s small indignities can become a source of amusement.When we invited readers to submit single-panel cartoons in the spirit of P.C.

Vey, the longtime New Yorker cartoonist who died recently, we received more than 200 submissions.The cartoonists found humor in the everyday absurdities of being human, our uneasy relationship with the modern world and our often futile efforts to improve ourselves.Many of the cartoons were clever and visually striking, and plenty made us laugh out loud.We also asked Mr.

Vey’s wife, Tina, what she thought of them.She liked one about the perils of saving for retirement and another about the simple pleasure of avoiding people.“They had the essence of Peter,” she said by phone.Below is a selection.Just Another Day in the AbsurdThe world doesn’t always make sense.

Fortunately, neither do we.Humans Versus the Modern WorldTechnology was meant to make life easier.So why doesn’t it feel that way?The Road to SomewhereWe’re all trying to get somewhere: to become more accomplished, more organized, more enlightened, more stylish.

But the road to becoming our best selves, it turns out, has a few potholes.ImageCredit...Doug Barat...