In J.B. Handlesman’s cartoon, a bartender is addressing Ulysses S. Grant, whose face appears on a huge $50 bill. Ron Chernow, who wrote the Alexander Hamilton biography that Lin-Manuel Miranda turned into a smash Broadway musical, recently wrote a biography of Ulysses Grant, so I initially imagined the bartender speculating about Grant’s chances of becoming…
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“Robber and Therapist” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
Charles Barsotti has drawn a robber on a therapist’s couch. Next to him is a huge bag of stolen money, and the therapist is sitting in a chair. The robber/patient is talking happily. There’s always a temptation when captioning a Barsotti cartoon to reference his classic drawing of a piece of pasta saying into the…
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“Cowboy” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
In Kim Warp’s drawing, a cowboy on a horse is consulting a book and addressing a fallen cowboy he’s lassoed around the ankles. I first thought about the trope—common in old westerns—of dragging a cowboy behind a horse. In Warp’s drawing, of course, the lassoed cowboy is in front of the horse. Maybe, then, the…
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“Backstage Fruit” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
Robert Leighton has drawn a scene from an elementary school play. A teacher/director is backstage addressing two students who are dressed as an apple and a banana. Another student, dressed as a slice of bread, is on stage performing for the audience. I initially assumed the teacher was trying to answer the traditional actor’s question…
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