Who is Grim Reaper? Typically, the first thing that comes to mind is most likely a skeletal figure in a black cloak, wielding an ominous scythe. On the other end, the last thing that one would ...

The Grim Reaper—that black-coated, scythe-carrying personification of death—has appeared in over a hundred and four cartoons in The New Yorker since 1937. But where was he prior to that? Why do we ...

Most people can picture the Grim Reaper instantly: a robed skeleton, face hidden, scythe angled like a verdict. That image feels ancient because it borrows from older death-figures, but the “full ...