Carolita Johnson’s cartoon is set in a psychiatrist’s office, where the patient is being levitated above the couch by a magician. The magician is passing a hoop over the patient to show that there are no invisible strings. The psychiatrist is speaking. I first tried to reconcile the disparate elements—magic and psychiatry—by referring to a…
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“Fish Room” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
This contest, featuring a cartoon by Ernio Hernandez, may be the most challenging yet. I stared at the drawing for an hour, trying to figure out what was going on. There are two fish; that much I know. Though they appear to be on the outside of a fish tank—more on that in a bit—they…
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“Viral Hitman” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
Benjamin Schwartz’s doctor is conducting a back-alley transaction. While checking to make sure there are no witnesses, he hands a picture of the coronavirus to a hitman. The doctor is speaking. I first made several references to former President Trump’s ridiculous comments about Covid-19 (e.g., “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle,…
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“Exit Interview” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
Robert Leighton’s cartoon is set in an office, where a man behind a desk is reviewing a single piece of paper. Sitting across from him is The Grim Reaper, holding a scythe in his hand. The man is talking. All my captions assume that the man behind the desk is from Human Resources. If he’s…
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