Caption Contest Commentary

Benjamin Schwartz’s cartoon is set in a police station, where a virologist is looking at a lineup of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. The germ on the far right appears to be the coronavirus. The virologist is saying something to the police officer standing behind him. My first caption is a pun that alludes to both…
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In E.S. Glenn’s drawing, formally dressed servers carrying silver trays sit in or pass through a waiting area. One has a basketball on his tray. Another has what I first thought was a high-top sneaker but on closer inspection appears to be a boot—look at the sole. The other two have more traditional offerings (bottles…
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In Maddie Dai’s drawing, a couple is sitting together having tea while surrounded by barrels of oil. The man is checking his phone and saying something to his wife. I first assumed this was a reference to the reduced demand for oil (a consequence of the pandemic) that has forced companies like Exxon and Mobil…
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This week’s contest has a prize, and it’s a great one: the featured cartoon, signed by the artist (Michael Shaw), with the winning caption. If I were competing for this prize, I’d be very upset with whoever decided I didn’t deserve it. More than 1,000 people entered this contest, and now I have to disappoint…
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In Lars Kenseth’s drawing, a cyborg is sitting on what appears to be an examining table, while a woman who’s wearing a lab coat and writing on a clip board addresses him. I first imagined the cyborg suffering from and seeking treatment for oxidation: “You need less fresh air.” “It’s not arthritis. It’s rust.” I…
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Evan Lian has drawn a bald Superman putting his toupee on (or taking it off) a wig stand. Next to him is a woman—Lois, I assume—who’s wearing a bathrobe and holding a cup of coffee. Superman is speaking to her. I immediately thought of Lex Luthor, Superman’s bald adversary, and imagined Superman admiring his archrival’s…
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