CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION CONTEST CONTINUES! The winner of Contest #25 (guy in deep-sea diving suit at social event) was the Blog About Town pick: "Bob just came directly from work." Congratulations to Mario Hieb of Salt Lake City, Utah!

The nominees for Contest #27 (guys with parrots at conference table) were pretty good. And there's even a candidate by a New Yorker: "Well, it's not my fault booty revenues are down this quarter." Way to go, Ben Sadock!

For the moment, Ben's got my vote. Perhaps that's because my own entry was very similar: "If Polly wants a cracker, she's going to have to do better in the fourth quarter."

To get to that caption, I had to go through a bunch of others, including the following:

"Don't look now, but a guy in a deep-sea diving suit is right behind you."

"Parrots are on our shoulders, five doors down we've got women outvoting men 4-3, and all of us are white? We must be in The New Yorker!"

"Go back to the high seas if you're so worried about the dry cleaning."

"I hope you don't mind my saying this, but your parrot just relieved itself in your coffee."

Meanwhile, Dan Radosh's anti-caption contest continues to amuse with results for Contest #28 (modern businessman accosting Viking-type who is atop a horse and wielding a mace). The winner, by Zudz, follows (take a deep breath):

"My name is William Shawn! I am from the future but have been reincarnated in your time! Attend my tale:

In my age, I was a very powerful and widely respected man. A man no doubt like yourself, of strong character and firm beliefs. One day, a cruel young upstart-- swelling with pride and jealous of my rank--wrote an outrageous and baseless ad hominem attack against me. (This young man's name was "Mr. Wolfe" and he was indeed not unlike that most rash and ravenous of beasts!) What would you have done in my position? This lying youth defamed my character and by extension the character of all who respected me and payed me obeisance. By the look in your eyes I know your answer: You would kill such a man. But, friend, had I committed that just act, the fathers of my town would have stripped me of my rank and thrown me into prison! For such was the unjust nature of my time: I had no recourse with the sword and died without avenging Mr. Wolfe.

Gentle sir, in the cottage to my right there lives a wizard. A wise old sorcerer among whose many potions is a drink that may allow a man to move through time. I see the doubt in your expression, yet these wizards are wondrous men and he assures me that the potion works. (I bought it for a pretty free, I'll tell thee.) I ask but this. Drink the elixir with me and let us ride through time and to my former life in centuries hence. Then let us find the savage "Wolfe" and slay him and just as quick return to where we stand. For this I'll give thee gold. What say you?"

Now we confront Contest #29 (another Gahan Wilson cartoon, this time one having to do with a map-like picture). With remarkable alacrity, Radosh is already all over that one.