CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION CONTESTS CONTINUE! I'm sure you're just dying to know if my submission for Contest #43 (circus scene in courtroom) was chosen as a nominee. Nope! Nevertheless, I'm rather proud of

"So this is the famous Canio!"

It's an opera thing, you see.

Out of the chosen three contenders, there's one from Tim Harrod of Brooklyn but I'm going to give the edge to Laurie Wood of Minneapolis, Minnesota for her

"I don't know about you, counselor, but I kind of wish there were more murders at the circus."

Which, in a way, is a longer (albeit less operatic) version of my submission.

The winner of Contest #41 (arrival at a church/tavern) is Michael Kraatz of Canaan, New Hampshire, with

"Finally--a faith-based initiative I can embrace."

Congrats to Kraatz for being the first winner from The Granite State! I ask you, what are the odds that the winner of a church-related contest would come from Canaan and also have that double-a combination in his or her name?

In Anti-Caption Contest #44 (soldiers with mimey guy), the winner (out of an impressive field of submissions, which I strongly recommend you check out) is Span with

"Do you see any mimes? I mean, besides the one to your immediate left?"

It was nice for Dan Radosh to tell me I came close last week, but this week neither of my two submissions made the cut. They were

"Don't cry, Frenchy. We'll get you to that U.S.O. show!"

and

(Sniff...sniff...gag.) "Now I know why 'silent but deadly' is your nickname. Please remember to face the enemy, Pierre, when you do that. Because if it happens again, I won't consider it a misfire."

Here are Caption Contest #45 and Anti-Caption Contest #45. It's yet another Gahan Wilson cartoon!

In other caption contest news, emdashes continues to get "up close and personal" with winners.

Image by David Marc Fischer using Samsung cameraphone