I was sad to learn that longtime cartoonist and cover artist John Bernard (Bud) Handelsman, whose style will be instantly recognizable to readers of the magazine, died earlier this week. You can see some of his work on the Cartoon Bank and in his Comiclopedia bio. On his blog, cartoonist Mike Lynch has a tribute and more biographical information about the New Yorker, Playboy, and Punch artist.

Update: There’s now a slide show of his cartoons and a reminiscence by Nancy Franklin on newyorker.com. The Associated Press also has an obituary, which includes this quote: “‘Bud Handelsman found a way to combine the traditions of the New Yorker cartoon and editorial cartooning and make of it something totally his own,’ David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, said in an e-mail. ‘At its best, his work had political bite and, at the same time, a real humanity and wit. Everyone at the magazine—editors, writers, artists, and readers—will miss him and will miss his unique voice.'”