The man behind the cartoons

For many readers of New Yorker magazine over the the past century, the cartoons have been the main attraction, with the movie reviews (especially during the Pauline Kael years) a close second. And many of the best cartoonists — James Thurber, William Steig and George Booth, among them — developed devoted followers. But have any of them rivaled the lasting influence of Charles Addams, whose cartoons spawned movies, television series and numerous books?

These books include a lively 2006 biography by Linda H. Davis, Charles Addams: A Cartoonist's Life.

Addams, it turns out, was both very much like you would imagine the man behind those macabre "Addams Family" cartoons to be, and yet at the same time very different.

He loved cemeteries (one of his three weddings was conducted in a pet cemetery). He collected ancient weapons and instruments of torture. When he traveled he sought out old houses that looked like they could be haunted. He favored women who looked like Morticia.

Yet at the same time he was rarely seen without a smile on his face. Everyone loved him, including his wives when he cheated on them. He was gullible, kind, gentle, bashful and considerate.

Despite his looks — he was often confused with Walter Matthau — Addams was incredibly popular with women. His dates included Jackie Kennedy, Joan Fontaine and Greta Garbo. He was faithful to none of them, yet they were all devoted to him, including his ex-wives.

His middle wife was the biggest mistake of his life. She was a manipulative, often violent attorney who got Addams to sign over his real estate, many of his best cartoons and the movie and television rights to his Addams Family characters. She left him to marry into British royalty, yet continued to plague his life. He kept giving her things in a futile attempt to get rid of her.

Davis sprinkles Addams cartoons liberally through the biography. Reading her book is pleasure enough, but the many cartoons are like the topping on ice cream.