Caption Contest Commentary

Kim Warp has drawn a prop comedian (he has an arrow through his head) performing a stand-up routine for that toughest of audiences: God. Because the comedian is in heaven, I first thought of the old saying that addresses both death and comedy: “Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.” I then thought of captions that…
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The late Charles Barsotti drew an employee crawling out from under an exploding desk, addressing his colleague, and delivering the line that must address both the explosion and the office setting. Barsotti is perhaps best known for this cartoon of a friendly and anthropomorphic piece of rigatoni answering the phone by saying, “Fusilli, you crazy…
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Drew Dernavich has drawn an awards ceremony, where the trophy is being presented by three men operating a huge slingshot—the type that was used in Modern Family to “chunk a punkin.” They’re aiming the trophy, which is enormous, toward the back of the auditorium. The announcer is on stage, behind a lectern, wearing a tuxedo,…
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A novice cartoonist, Bob Mankoff, has drawn a married couple on a couch floating down a river, seemingly unaware that they’re headed toward the edge of a waterfall. The wife is calmly addressing her husband, who’s reading the paper. I initially thought this couple, just seconds before their untimely end, might be oblivious enough to…
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David Borchart has drawn several angry sheep circling a few frightened herding dogs. One of the dogs is speaking. Because it looks like the oppressed have risen up against their oppressors, I first went for something political. Maybe the sheep were radicalized by something they read, and that possibility led to, “Damn that Communist Manifesto.”…
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Here we have a courtroom scene from Mick Stevens. The judge is on the bench and looking at two men at the defense table. They appear to be identical, and they’re wearing the same plaid suits. One of them is standing, speaking to the judge, and therefore delivering the line that must address both the…
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