Asher Perlman needs a lot of jokes. And as a writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and a prolific New Yorker cartoonist with a hilarious new book, Well, This Is Me, he seems to have no shortage of material. Here, he reveals his top five spots to go when he needs, as he puts it, "a creative jumpstart."
The Brooklyn Museum
Even though I’m a cartoonist, I draw a lot of inspiration from traditional artists, and there’s no better place for fine art than the Brooklyn Museum. I kind of prefer it to The Met because it’s big enough to have some amazing pieces (personally, I’m obsessed with their Rodin collection), but small enough that I’m not overwhelmed by the crushing knowledge that I could never see it all.
Bathaus - Drink N’ Draw
Despite what you might assume given my clear lack of skill, I’ve never had any formal art education, so I was a little nervous the first time I attended one of Bathaus’ iconic Drink N’ Draw nights. That being said, as soon as I walked through the door, I could tell that it was a chill, welcoming space for people of all skill levels (even those who can only draw faces with pendulous noses and two expressionless dots for eyes).
Ciao Gloria
I mostly draw at home, but when I want to mix things up, I like to go to my favorite neighborhood coffee spot, Ciao Gloria. I would say there is no better place to say you’re going to “get some work done” and then instead end up scarfing down pastries for an hour before heading home having accomplished nothing.
The Brooklyn Comedy Collective
One of my favorite artistic spaces in the world is the BCC. Hot tip: their house teams Olestra and The Good Time don’t miss.
The Brooklyn Public Library - Central
Growing up, the library was my primary source for cartoon books, from The Far Side to Calvin and Hobbes. I literally love libraries so much and this is one of my favorites in the world.
