Caption Contest Commentary

Tom Toro’s drawing is set in a kitchen, where two beavers (who appear to be a married couple) are staring at a pile of sticks in the sink. The female beaver is speaking. Because beavers use sticks to build dams near streams and rivers, my first caption is, “Must you every time you hear running…
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Danny Shanahan’s cartoon is set in a bar, where a princess—a Disney princess? Cinderella?—is saying something to the bartender and pushing what appears to be an empty martini glass toward him. Assuming the princess is Cinderella, I tried to figure out why she was drinking: “He seems more charming when I’ve had a few.” “The…
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Carolita Johnson’s cartoon is set in heaven, where a female angel is addressing an astronaut who’s planted an American flag on the clouds. I first assumed the astronaut was in heaven because he died at work: “You died a hero.” “Apparently you punctured your spacesuit with the flagpole.” “You can take the helmet off now….
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In Teresa Burns Parkhurst’s cartoon, a doctor is delivering what appears to be bad news to a dairy cow, who’s wearing a hospital gown and sitting on an examining table. I first considered ironic captions: “You’re lactose intolerant.” “Somehow you have a Vitamin D deficiency.” “Too much dairy.” Then I went with a sick joke…
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In Dave Borchart’s cartoon, two men, stranded in a lifeboat, are staring at a trombone lying between them. The man with his arms crossed is speaking. Many people, myself included, wish they could play an instrument but never thought they had enough time to learn—an excuse that’s no longer available to the men in the…
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In Ellis Rosen’s cartoon, a woman at an outdoor café is having a glass of wine with a ghost. The woman is speaking. Ghosting is defined as “the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication,” so I came up with these two captions: “I hope…
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