Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!

The winner of Caption Contest 197 (Drew Dernavich's plane with stiletto landing gear) is

"She's a lover, not a fighter."
Robert McLean (Tampa, FL)

The nominees in Caption Contest 199 (Michael Crawford's snorkeler in court) are

“You think Alcatraz can hold me?”
Joshua Rosales (Rosemead, CA)

"Go ahead, waterboard me."
Lester Craft, Jr. (Basalt, CO)

“Well, the menu did say ‘Choose your own lobster.’”
Donna Palmer (Chattanooga, TN)

My loser:

"What makes you think I was doing something fishy?"

The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 200 (Ethan Kanin's Satan in God's reception room) is

"Yes, we can schedule a session for you same time next Tuesday Mr. Johnson. To be honest, you don't even have to ask anymore. As sexual role-playing businesses go, this has turned out to be a much more limited market than we anticipated. Don't forget to leave your suit to be dry-cleaned."
v

Cartoon Caption Contest 201 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 200 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all (almost) mapped out here.

33 New York (28 from the Big Apple, where Lynn Tudor has won twice)

32 California

14 New Jersey

12 Virginia (six from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Newport News, one from Roanoke, one from Stanardsville)

10 Illinois (eight from Chicago including three captions by Lawrence Wood)
10 Massachusetts

7 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)

6 Connecticut (two from New Haven, four not)
6 Pennsylvania
6 Texas (three from Houston, one from Austin)

5 Maryland (none named Mary)

4 Arizona (two from Tucson)
4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Ohio
4 Washington

3 Florida
3 Michigan
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Rhode Island

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 Nevada (Las Vegas 1, Zephyr Cove 1)
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Maine
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Parodic The Gothamer illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!

Bring out the ticker tape! New York has retaken the lead in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest. The last time New York owned the first-place position was April '05—Caption Contest 1!

So, yes, the winner of Caption Contest 195 (Danny Shanahan's housewife confronting haloed man with stigmata and tiny cherubim in doorway) is

"Which part of 'till death do us part' didn't you understand?"
Caroline Johnston Polisi (New York, NY)

Huzzah, Caroline!


The nominees in Caption Contest 197 (Drew Dernavich's airplane with high heel landing gear) are

"She thinks her bomb bay makes her look fat."
Eric Schares (Portland, OR)

"It's a pretty good aircraft, except that it keeps nagging you to ask for directions."
Adam Pfeffer (Boca Raton, FL)

"She's a lover, not a fighter."
Robert McLean (Tampa, FL)

My loser:

"They're stylish but not very functional."

The Radosh.net Anti-Caption contest goes on under the jurisdiction of guest blogger Harry Effron. The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 198 (P.C. Vey's bound-and-gagged man atop moving car) is

"I think the guy on the roof farted."
The Confidence Man

My loser:

"He's Michael Jackson's doctor. Okay, switch lanes now."

Caption Contest 199 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 199 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all (almost) mapped out here.

33 New York (28 from the Big Apple, where Lynn Tudor has won twice)

32 California

14 New Jersey

12 Virginia (six from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Newport News, one from Roanoke, one from Stanardsville)

10 Illinois (eight from Chicago including three captions by Lawrence Wood)

9 Massachusetts

7 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)

6 Connecticut (two from New Haven, four not)
6 Pennsylvania
6 Texas (three from Houston, one from Austin)

5 Maryland (none named Mary)

4 Arizona (two from Tucson)
4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Ohio
4 Washington

3 Michigan
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Rhode Island

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 Nevada (Las Vegas 1, Zephyr Cove 1)
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Maine
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Parodic The Gothamer illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!

O Canada! I think that, somewhere along the line, someone must have changed a Caption Contest rule, resulting in the very first Canadian Caption Contest candidate!

You see, the nominees in Caption Contest 196 (Phil Noth's lab workers observing lab rodents in lab suits) are

"O.K., let's slowly lower in the grant money."
Todd Bearson (Arlington, MA)

"Relax, for them it's publish and perish."
David Burns (Needham, MA)

"The research is conclusive—mice are even cuter when you dress them up in little coats."
Brad Hodges (Dungannon, Ontario!)

But sorry, Quebec—according to the new rules, "Any legal resident of United States or Canada (except residents of the province of Quebec) age eighteen or over can enter...."

This NAFTA-like development must be very recent, as the soon-to-disappear voting page for Caption Contest 195 (Danny Shanahan's housewife confronting disheveled man with stigmata flanked by tiny cherubim) still stipulates that "Any U.S. resident age eighteen or older can vote"—excluding the entirety of Canada!

As for my Caption Contest 196 loser—

"We've been using the Nobel Prize instead of cheese."

—that's pretty close to Bearson's. Do you think mine is significantly worse?


The winner of Caption Contest 194 (Leo Cullum's slick operator speaking to man in desert) is

"First, we discuss my percentage of any water you find, real or imagined."
Jeff Joseph (Melville, NY)

Borne out of the same terrain as Walt Whitman, this caption returns New York to a first-place tie with California.


The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 197 (Drew Dernavich's pilot on plane with spiked heel landing gear) is

"I'm gellin' alright. And by gellin' I mean dropping napalm on noncombatants."
therblig

My loser:

"I say, have you checked for brevibacteria?"

Caption Contest 198 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 198 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all (almost) mapped out here.

32 California

32 New York (27 from the Big Apple, where Lynn Tudor has won twice)

14 New Jersey

12 Virginia (six from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Newport News, one from Roanoke, one from Stanardsville)

10 Illinois (eight from Chicago including three captions by Lawrence Wood)

9 Massachusetts

7 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)

6 Connecticut (two from New Haven, four not)
6 Pennsylvania
6 Texas (three from Houston, one from Austin)

5 Maryland (none named Mary)

4 Arizona (two from Tucson)
4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Ohio
4 Washington

3 Michigan
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Rhode Island

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 Nevada (Las Vegas 1, Zephyr Cove 1)
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Maine
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Parodic The Gothamer illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Continues!

The winner of Caption Contest 189 (Drew Dernavich's punctured acupuncturist) is

"Gesundheit."
Bob Vogel (Portland, ME)

This first win for Maine keeps New York from taking the first-place position and prevents Simon Fraser from tallying up a second win.


The nominees in Caption Contest 191 (Farley Katz's cat with other critters plunging off cliff) are:

"Just to confirm—I get seventy-two lemmings, right?"
Chris Norborg (Chicago, IL)

"Table for eleven? Right this way."
Simon Narode (Portland, OR)

"I'm just curious—what's your excuse?"
Pinghan Chua (Alexandria, VA)

My loser:

"I don't recommend doing this more than about seven or eight times."

Dan Radosh picked the winner of Anti-Caption Contest 192 (Jack Ziegler's talk show scene) before I made my submission, so of course it was a damn lucky week for all of the contestants. The winner?

"I'm sorry. I ran out of 'funny stories from the set' days ago, and yet, I remain trapped in this talk-show set/dungeon, as you stare at me with that creepy intensity, and I hope you'll understand that I'm beginning to wonder whether I'll ever see my family agai-- oh, we have to go to commercial? No, that's fine. I'll finish the story when we get back."
Tim C.

Caption Contest 193 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 193 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all (almost) mapped out here.

31 California

31 New York (27 from the Big Apple)

14 New Jersey

11 Virginia (five from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Newport News, one from Roanoke, one from Stanardsville)

9 Illinois (seven from Chicago, two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
9 Massachusetts

6 Connecticut (two from New Haven, four not)
6 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)
6 Pennsylvania
6 Texas (three from Houston, one from Austin)

5 Maryland (none named Mary)

4 Arizona (two from Tucson)
4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Ohio
4 Washington

3 Michigan
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Rhode Island

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 Nevada (Las Vegas 1, Zephyr Cove 1)
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Maine
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Parodic The Gothamer illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Coverage Continues

The winner of Caption Contest 175 (Drew Dernavich's guy with assorted outdoorsy accessories) is

"In this economy, you have to let the vacation come to you."
Michael Soskis (Cambridge, MA)

Massachusetts is now tied with Illinois for fifth place—and New York fails to tie California for first.


The nominees in Caption Contest 177 (Leo Cullum's captive with mismatched foot pails) are

"It's sloppy work like that that gives the mob a bad name."
Gordon Baumbacher (Kentfield, CA)

"We are trying to reduce our concrete footprint."
Tim Wilcox (Milwaukee, WI)

"Two weeks ago, this was not considered torture."
Avery Clapsaddle (Neche, ND)

My loser:

"If you let me know which you prefer, I'll find the match for the other one."

I am still awaiting the results of Anti-Caption Contest 178 (Tom Cheney's prisoner excapes into a bar...).


Caption Contest 179 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 179 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all (almost) mapped out here.

30 California

29 New York (25 from the Big Apple)

13 New Jersey

10 Virginia (four from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Newport News, one from Roanoke, one from Stanardsville)

8 Illinois (six from Chicago, two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
8 Massachusetts

6 Connecticut (two from New Haven, four not)
6 Pennsylvania

5 Maryland (none named Mary)
5 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Arizona (two from Tucson)
4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Ohio

3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Rhode Island

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Utah
2 Vermont
2 Washington

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Parodic The Gothamer illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Coverage Continues

What would New York do without champion captioner Lynn Tudor, whose second triumph came in Caption Contest 173 (Tom Cheney's businessmen lugging loads of money) with

"At the next bailout, let's also ask for a pony."

Due to Tudor's affinity for Cheney cartoons, New York is now within one point of longtime leader California!


The nominees in Caption Contest 175 (Drew Dernavich's guy wearing lots of sports stuff) are

"In this economy, you have to let the vacation come to you."
Michael Soskis (Cambridge, MA)

"He's pretty much up for anything."
Kevin Kozee (Marietta, GA)

"He has recreational A.D.D."
Mark Kane (Bayside, NY)

No submission from me, folks.


The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 176 (Mick Stevens's disorder in the court) is

"Mr. foreman, you being an upside-down chair makes me concerned about your potential bias in a case involving other unruly furniture."
Damon

My loser:

Outtake from What's Up, Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich, 1972)

Caption Contest 177 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 177 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all (almost) mapped out here.

30 California

29 New York (25 from the Big Apple)

13 New Jersey

9 Virginia (four from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Newport News, one from Roanoke)

8 Illinois (six from Chicago, two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)

7 Massachusetts

6 Connecticut (two from New Haven, four not)
6 Pennsylvania

5 Maryland (none named Mary)
5 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Arizona (two from Tucson)
4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Ohio

3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Rhode Island

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Utah
2 Vermont
2 Washington

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Parodic The Gothamer illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Coverage Continues

The winner of Caption Contest 159 (Drew Dernavich's conferees with gargantuan mugs) is

"By a 9-0 vote, the rest-room expansion project is approved."
Jon Thompson (Sedona, AZ)

Don't ask me if this anything to do with John McCain's election, but do check out the new design elements over at the website of The New Yorker.


In Caption Contest 161 (Michael Crawford's interview with gargantuan lobster), the nominees are

"So why did you leave Red Lobster?"
Paul Vogel (Arlington, VA)

"I guess we have a deal, but we don’t have to shake on it."
Candace Klomann (Tucson, AZ)

"So you think you’re ready for the corner tank?"
Meghan Dowd (Somerville, MA)

My loser:

"According to this letter of recommendation, you work best with spinach and a vanilla beurre blanc."

The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 161 is

"I'm sorry, we were looking for a more normal-sized lobster."
Francis

My loser:

"If you think working for this company is tough, look out for our Japanese competitors. They will eat you alive!"

The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 162 (Robert Mankoff's man with snake as a leash) is

"...yeah, so if my daughter turns up let me know."
Trotman

And I got nothing for ya on that one.


Caption Contest 163 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 163 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

29 California

25 New York (22 from the Big Apple)

13 New Jersey

8 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Newport News, one from Roanoke)

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Arizona (two from Tucson)
4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)

3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont
2 Washington

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Satirical "Eustace K. Tilley" illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Coverage Continues

The winner of Caption Contest 157 (Mick Stevens's living-room view of the cosmos) is

"Five hundred billion galaxies and nothing's on."
Tom Elia (New York, NY)

So New York is again five points beyond longtime leader California.


In Caption Contest 159 (Drew Dernavich's giant coffee mugs—one with tea—on a conference table), the nominees are

"Can you please pass the cow?"
Bennett Ellenbogen (Brooklyn, NY)

"Let me start by welcoming you all to Narcoleptics Anonymous."
Mike Worth (West Chester, PA)

"By a 9-0 vote, the rest-room expansion project is approved."
Jon Thompson (Sedona, AZ)

My loser:

"Who gets the lemon wedge?"

Close to Bennett Ellenbogen, but the opposite, yet still about as funny?


The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 160 (Tom Cheney's suburban hell house) is

"The devil you can get rid of; it's cat piss that never goes away."
Weller

My loser:

Neewollah Orrazib

Sigh.


Caption Contest 161 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 161 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

29 California

25 New York (22 from the Big Apple)

13 New Jersey

7 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Roanoke)

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)

3 Arizona (two from Tucson)
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont
2 Washington

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Satirical "Eustace K. Tilley" illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Contest Coverage Continues!

The winner of Caption Contest 156 (Leo Cullum's high-heeled androgyne in a bar) is

"Actually, I'm not crazy about long walks on the beach."
Naji Chammas (Del Mar, CA)

So California is one win away from hitting 30!


In Caption Contest 158 (Zachary Kanin's kid amid people buried in sand), the nominees are

"Run! The kid with the little red shovel is coming back!"
Timothy Gunn (New York, NY)

"We save a bundle on suntan lotion."
Pedro Diaz (Nyack, NY)

"You got that? Three bottled waters, two sodas, one coffee, and six straws."
Robin McCauley (Newport News, VA)

My loser:

"Write about what you know, young Sam Beckett. Write about what you know!"

I know it's hysterically funny, so what's wrong with it? Too intellectual??


The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 159 (Drew Dernavich's conference table with giant servings of coffee and tea):

"So who wants abortions in their coffee? I know, I know, not Steve! Because [girly voice] 'Steve's not a monster anymore!' Hey, if he's not a monster anymore that musta been me raping my kids last night!"
TG Gibbon

My loser:

"Drink as quickly as you can--the first person to reach the boiled moose balls at the bottom will become the next Fear Factor Apprentice Survivor Running Mate of John McCain. And that will put an end to our thorough selection process!"

By pure coincidence, that's not so different from some other submissions, including Roger Kaputnik's

"Wanna survive as a Senior VP at JP Morgan Chase? First four of you to devour the boiled remains of their Bear Stearns counterpart win the prize: to keep your fucking job. Puke and you're out. I'm joining in just for the pleasure."

Caption Contest 160 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 160 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

29 California

24 New York (21 from the Big Apple)

13 New Jersey

7 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Roanoke)

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)

3 Arizona (two from Tucson)
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont
2 Washington

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Satirical "Eustace K. Tilley" illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Coverage Continues!

Let's give a warm welcome to Louisiana, which makes its Winner's Circle premiere in Caption Contest 154 (Drew Dernavich's marshmallow roast over conference table) with

"The first rule of s'mores club is you do not talk about s'mores club."
Jason Melancon (New Orleans, LA)

So perhaps that offers some cheer during this sad anniversary.


In Caption Contest 156 (Leo Cullum's androgyne in heels at bar), the nominees are

"Actually, I'm not crazy about long walks on the beach."
Naji Chammas (Del Mar, CA)

"I'm looking forward to casual Friday, when I can put on some flats."
Emily Milstein (Chilmark, MA)

"I'm working my way up to a sex-change operation."
William Babula (Santa Rosa, CA)

My loser:

"I'm slumming. Usually I only circulate among the well-heeled."

In Anti-Caption Contest 157 (Mick Stevens's living room on edge of the cosmos), the winner is

"What? Sorry, I couldn't hear you. Did you just scream?"
Alan Weld

My loser:

"Yeah, yeah, yeah--we're already familiar with the anus joke."

Caption Contest 158 is here. Anti-Caption Contest 158 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

28 California

24 New York (21 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

7 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Roanoke)

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 North Carolina (two from Charlotte)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)

3 Arizona (two from Tucson)
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont
2 Washington

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Louisiana (New Orleans)
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Satirical "Eustace K. Tilley" illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Coverage Continues!

The winner of Caption Contest 152 (Mick Stevens's car behind very large globe) is

"Honey, I told you the whole world is headed to the Cape this weekend."
Terri-Lee Burger (Brooklyn, NY)

So that's two wins in a row for the Big Apple, narrowing California's lead to four!


In Caption Contest 154 (Drew Dernavich's men in suits roasting marshmallows over burning conference table), the nominees are

"The first rule of s'mores club is you do not talk about s'mores club."
Jason Melancon (New Orleans, LA)

"Next, Jenkins, I expect a ghost story. On my desk at 3 P.M. sharp."
Audrey Bartus (Naperville, IL)

"I think we got some really good ideas from bring-your-child-to-work day."
Geoffrey Holm (Bellevue, WA)

My loser:

"I'm still not getting that Bohemian Grove feeling."

Thoughts?


In Anti-Caption Contest 156 (Lee Lorenz's two civilians at Wizard of Oz therapy), the winner is

"This group is for overcoming poppy-dependency. You two meth-heads need to go next door."
therblig

My losers:

"They finally found Toto, washed ashore at Montauk Point. He was almost unrecognizable."

"They're suffering from Post-Traumatic Shoe Disorder."

"Do you think this Dr. Oz is a humbug?"

Caption Contest 156 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 156 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

28 California

24 New York (21 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

7 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Roanoke)

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)
4 North Carolina

3 Arizona (two from Tucson)
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont
2 Washington

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Satirical "Eustace K. Tilley" illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

Cartoon Caption/Anti-Caption Coverage Continues!

The winner of Caption Contest 151 (Tom Cheney's office with giant pencils and giant sharpener) is is

"Let's continue this discussion over a hot barrel of coffee."
Adam Caraher (New York, NY)

So with this 23rd win, New York stays within five points of front-runner California...and the Big Apple alone reaches a whopping 20 wins! If my count is correct, that is.


In Caption Contest 153 (Leo Cullum's courtroom with female kickline), the nominees are

"I know you have the law and the facts on your side, but I'm going with the dancing girls on this one."
Mark Nebrig (Charlotte, NC)

"The jury foreman will now sing the verdict."
Hughes Richardson (Afton, OK)

"Overruled, counsellor. This is sweeps week."
Joseph Taylor (Beaufort, SC)

My loser:

"Now that's what I call an entertainment lawyer!"

The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 154 (Drew Dernavich's marshmallow roast over burning conference table) is

"Well, if none of you brought marshmallows and I didn't bring marshmallows then that explains why these marshmallows taste like mice."
TG Gibbon

My loser:

"Yes, yes, yes, Carruthers. The marshmallows are gluten-free. How many times do I have to tell you?"

Caption Contest 155 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 155 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

28 California

23 New York (20 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

7 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Roanoke)

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)
4 North Carolina

3 Arizona (two from Tucson)
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont
2 Washington

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

"Eustace K. Tilley" illustration realized by Deborah Grumet from concept by David Marc Fischer

CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION COVERAGE CONTINUES!

The winner of Caption Contest 148 (Drew Dernavich's police lineup with five religious figures) is

"By the way, we are not allowed to show the face or image of No. 6."
Joel Collier (Roanoke, VA)

Congratulations to Collier, whose win advances Virginia into the fourth-place position!


In Caption Contest 150 (Lee Lorenz's man with gun to his head in bullet-riddled room), the nominees are

"Bullets don't grow on trees, Harry."
Stephen Schweiger (Montclair, NJ)

"I told you to hire a professional!"
Ela Kotkowska (New London, NH)

"Just come to bed and kill yourself in the morning."
Marcos El Malo (Los Angeles, CA)

My loser:

"For heaven's sake, Fred, it was only a caption contest."

Opinions?


In Anti-Caption Contest 151 (Cheney's office with giant pencils and sharpener), the winner (selected by Harry Effron) is

"You know the worst part about this job? I'm allergic to pencils. And they knew it, too, when they hired me. I hate this fucking company."
Tom Meltze

Congrats to Deborah for snagging an honorable mention with

"Your job would be to sharpen these pencils. What experience do you have sharpening pencils?"

I didn't get anything for any of my submissions:

"As I'm sure you know, pens are famous for being mightier than swords. But these seven pencils--when sharpened properly and wielded by a skilled practitioner--are just as powerful as pens, if not moreso. So, Mr. Grasshopper, I ask you the last and most important question of this interview: Do you have the patience, discipline, and concentration to sharpen your skills to become a true master of the Seven Deadly Pencils? I ask because, you see, you left that space blank on the application."

"Welcome to the headquarters of The Big Store! Are you enjoying 1988 as much as I am? This is going to be a great year for us, and a great year for the Mets!"

"What do you mean when you say you'd 'like to put lead in my pencil'? Which pencil?? And why not use graphite, silly???"

Caption Contest 152 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 152 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

27 California

22 New York (19 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

7 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville, one from Roanoke)

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)
4 North Carolina

3 Arizona (two from Tucson)
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Washington
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Image by David Marc Fischer using Samsung cameraphone

CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION COVERAGE CONTINUES!

Picking up where we left off, the winner of Caption Contest 146 (Leo Cullum's interview with Smiley McStickfigure) is

"I'm sorry, this is Tic-Tac-Toe—applications for Hangman are down the hall."
Gavrilo Gnatovich (Tucson, AZ)

Congrats, Gavrilo Gnatovich—that's two for Tucson!


In Caption Contest 148 (Drew Dernavich's religious leaders in a lineup), the nominees are

"Will No. 3 please step forward and achieve satori."
Denis Cullinan (Jamaica, NY)<--shouldn't this be Queens, NY?

"It's always a problem for us when a crime is committed on Halloween."
Diane Ross Kahan (San Antonio, TX)

"By the way, we are not allowed to show the face or image of No. 6."
Joel Collier (Roanoke, VA)

My long-awaited, totally clueless, loser:

"Symmetry is next to Godliness."

You can survey this week's retro substitute for the Anti-Caption Contest here.


Caption Contest 150 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 150 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

27 California

21 New York (18 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania
6 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville)

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)
4 North Carolina

3 Arizona (two from Tucson)
3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Washington
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Image by David Marc Fischer using Samsung cameraphone

CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION COVERAGE CONTINUES!

California conquers in cartoons again, in controversial Caption Contest 145 (Harry Bliss's belatedly acknowledged takeoff on Jack Kirby "monster at the window" comic book cover art):

"O.K. I'm at the window. To the right? Your right or my right?"
Patrick House (Palo Alto, CA)

So House wins with an apartment joke that isn't too far from the caption that I submitted. Yay, me?


The nominees for Caption Contest 147 (Jack Ziegler's attorney representing killer whale) include a strong contender from Brooklyn:

"Objection, Your Honor! Alleged killer whale."
Will Simon (Brooklyn, NY)

"My client maintains that the penguin had a gun!"
Dan Von Kohorn (Chestnut Hill, MA)

"I demand a change of venue to a maritime court!"
S. Michael Ricciardi (Watchung, NJ)

My loser:

"Your Honor, I object! Is this the fin of a loan shark?"

That wasn't any worse than the nominees, was it?

You don't have to answer that.

Maybe I should've submitted one of my rejects:

"Killer, sure. Loan shark, never!"

Whatever.


Catching up on Anti-Captions: The winner of Anti-Caption Contest 147 (Jack Ziegler's attorney representing killer whale) is

"Fuck, it's the dream again. I'm on trial, surrounded by tiny non-whale mammals, and I don't even know what I'm being tried for. Wake up, don't worry, you'll wake up, wake up."
Snazzy Spazz

WWI? player Deborah merited an Honorary Mention with

"Your honor, my client requests a jury of his peers! And some water. Immediately."

My loser:

"Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle
tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle
tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle!!!!!!"

And in Anti-Caption Contest 148 (Drew Dernavich's religious leaders and Satan in a line-up), the winner is

"The black one."
Clambone

My loser (perhaps reflecting my unawareness that the religious figures were in a line-up, not a portrait):

"Of course, they are as nothing compared with our Supreme Lord and Master, Drew Dernavich."

If you think that's off-base (perhaps not such a bad thing for an anti-caption, wait 'til you see my caption submission).


Caption Contest 149 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 149 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

27 California

21 New York (18 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania
6 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville)

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)
4 North Carolina

3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 Arizona
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Arkansas
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Washington
1 Wisconsin

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Image by David Marc Fischer using Samsung cameraphone

CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION COVERAGE CONTINUES!

What a weird coincidence. The winner of Caption Contest 141 (Drew Dernavich's angel with bat wings) is

"It just looked so uncool to wear a seat belt in the Batmobile."
Steve Rogers (Los Angeles, CA)

So what are the odds that the winner would be a Batman joke from a guy with the same name as Captain America's alter-ego? Staggering, I'm sure.


In Caption Contest 143 (P. C. Vey's businessman with blow-up doll, the nominees are

"I couldn't find a real naked woman to ride with me in the H.O.V. lane."
Brian Julius (Washington, DC)

"Hey, you teach C.P.R. your way, and I'll teach it mine."
Rose Locander (Waukesha, WI)

"She's my Seeing Eye doll."
Abigail Crim (Greenbelt, MD)

My loser:

"So you see, I firmly hold that there's an upside to inflation."

Not so bad, eh?


In Anti-Caption Contest 144 (Mick Stevens's fisherman on an analyst's couch in room full of levitating fish), the winner is

"Cod... sea bass... flounder... orange roughy... sex with my mother -- I mean, Arctic char..."
kejo

My losers:

"Whatever happened to Anti-Caption Contest #142? Whatever happened to Anti-Caption Contest #142?

"I keep on asking that question, Doc, but I'm not getting answers. It's like no one's listening, or everyone thinks I'm joking. But I swear this ain't no red herring, Doc. I swear it!

"Whaddaya say, Doc?

"Doc??"

Caption Contest 145 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 145 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

26 California

21 New York (18 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania
6 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville)

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)

3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 North Carolina
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 Arizona
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Washington

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Image by David Marc Fischer using Samsung cameraphone

CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION COVERAGE CONTINUES!

Hey, New York's still in the game! The winner of Caption Contest 139 (Leo Cullum's lions over a doctor's remains) is

"I still have room for a second opinion."
Julie Schuman (New York, NY)

So New York is just four points behind California.


In Caption Contest 141 (Drew Dernavich's bat-winged angel), the nominees are

"It just looked so uncool to wear a seat belt in the Batmobile."
Steve Rogers (Los Angeles, CA)

"I only got halfway through my deathbed conversion."
Mark Blankenship (Brooklyn, NY)

"I'm allergic to down."
Zach Wilson (St. Paul, MN)

Looks like the Batman joke was made by Captain America! As for my loser:

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think the Riddler did it."

In Anti-Caption Contest 142 (Jack Ziegler's taxi in stairwell of posh club, still mislabeled as Anti-Caption Contest 143), the winner is

"Well, I think that speaks for itself and we can...AGH!! MEN IN CHAIRS!!!"
seth

My loser:

"Perhaps the driver is Dan Radosh, who might have confused 142nd Street and 143rd Street as well as Anti-Caption Contest 142 and Anti-Caption Contest 143. Or maybe not."

Caption Contest 143 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 143 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

25 California

21 New York (18 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania
6 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville)

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)

3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 North Carolina
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Arizona
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Washington

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Image by David Marc Fischer using Samsung cameraphone

CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION COVERAGE CONTINUES!

The winner of Caption Contest 138 (P. C. Vey's marriage counselor with water tank) is

"Get naked, jump in, and make this marriage work!"
Trent Swanson (Anchorage, AK)

That's the second win for Alaska, where, I imagine, Swanson is never far from frozen food.


In Caption Contest 140 (Gahan Wilson's covered wagon heading toward spotlights through a passd), the nominees are

"Forget Oregon. I'm going to Vegas."
Shyam Jha (Tucson, AZ)

"There's red carpets in them thar hills!"
William Binder (New York, NY)

"Indian casino. I'd say Comanche."
Jeremy Voas (Phoenix, AZ)

Interesting that this Western-themed cartoon has two nominees from Arizona. My loser:

"What did we do before E-ZPass?"

In Anti-Caption Contest 141 (Drew Dernavich's angel with big bat wings), the winner is

"Yeah, and 20 gigs more than the white!"
Heather

My losers:

"There are some things even a utility belt can't reverse, Robin."

"What do you mean, there's no Halloween in heaven?"

Caption Contest 142 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 142 is here.


And congrats to Dan "Anti-Caption" Radosh on making Time's Top 25 Blogs.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

25 California

20 New York (17 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania
6 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville)

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)

3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 North Carolina
3 Ohio

2 Alaska
2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Arizona
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Washington

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Image by David Marc Fischer using Samsung cameraphone

CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION COVERAGE CONTINUES!

The winner of Caption Contest 136 (Drew Dernavich's businessman with vulture on desk) is

"Let me guess—the lab results aren't good."
Jacob Kono (Jersey City, NJ)

That's a first win for Jersey City, as Jacob Kono helps the Garden State secure its third-place position.


In Caption Contest 138 (P. C. Vey's marriage counselor with large tank), the caption candidate writers are a Swanson, a Goldman, and a Woodman. Sounds like a joke in the making, eh?

"Get naked, jump in, and make this marriage work!"
Trent Swanson (Anchorage, AK)

"We call it shark-tank therapy."
Mara Goldman (Jackson Heights, NY)

"And if you'll agree to drop the divorce proceedings and reconcile I'll throw in a pair of lobsters."
Thad Woodman (Westerville, OH)

My loser:

"My ex-wife has custody of the fish."

In Anti-Caption Contest 139 (Leo Cullum's lion lying by a doctor's remains), the winner is

"I'm going to lick my balls now."
J. D.

My loser:

"His last words were that he was Dr. Kevorki-something and that he had chosen to rent the convertible. What do you suppose he meant by that?"

Caption Contest 140 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 140 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

24 California

20 New York (17 from the Big Apple)

12 New Jersey

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania
6 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville)

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)
5 Texas (three from Houston)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)

3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 North Carolina
3 Ohio

2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Alaska
1 Arizona
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Washington

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Image by David Marc Fischer using Samsung cameraphone

CARTOON CAPTION/ANTI-CAPTION COVERAGE CONTINUES!

California resumes its winning ways in Caption Contest 134 (Jack Ziegler's couple in bed wearing protective suits):

"Next time can we just get flu shots like everyone else?"
Matthew May (Westlake Village, CA)

In Caption Contest 136 (Drew Dernavich's businessman with vulture), the candidates are

"Janice, hold all my calls. Indefinitely."
Peter Bruno (Rutland, VT)

"Could you order me a B.L.T. on whole wheat with a side of carrion?"
Wayne Martorelli (Lawrenceville, NJ)

"Let me guess—the lab results aren't good."
Jacob Kono (Jersey City, NJ)

My loser, which is very close to Wayne Martorelli's entry:

"I'll have a regular coffee, a danish, and a bloody carcass."

Dang!


In Anti-Caption Contest 137 (Gahan Wilson's man doing semaphore on couch), the winner is

"If your old bitch dead mother could see us now! Me with not one, but TWO flat screen TeeVees and you dancing around like an idiot on that couch of hers. Not to mention using her prized place mats for fun. I hope she's roasting in Hell."
SK

My losers:

"Oh, I get it now! You're parking your 'S' on the couch again.

"I'm sorry I took so long figuring that out. I was having trouble interpreting your left arm position, you see--it's like you have an accent in semaphore!

"Anyway, that was a fun diversion. So thank you!"

Caption Contest 137 is here, while Anti-Caption Contest 137 is here.


THE STANDINGS

Here is the current New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest breakdown by state. You can find it all mapped out here.

24 California

20 New York (17 from the Big Apple)

11 New Jersey

6 Massachusetts
6 Pennsylvania
6 Virginia (three from NOVA, two from Richmond, one from Charlottesville)

5 Connecticut (two from New Haven, three not)
5 Illinois (four from Chicago—two captions by Lawrence Wood, two drawings by Leo Cullum)

4 Georgia (includes two-time winner Carl Gables)
4 Maryland (none named Mary)
4 Texas (two from Houston)

3 Minnesota (Minneapolis 2, St. Paul 1)
3 North Carolina
3 Ohio

2 District of Columbia
2 Florida
2 Michigan
2 Mississippi
2 Missouri
2 New Hampshire
2 Oregon (both named Eric, both from Portland)
2 Rhode Island
2 Utah
2 Vermont

1 Alabama
1 Alaska
1 Arizona
1 Delaware
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Nevada
1 New Mexico
1 Oklahoma
1 Washington

Map Introduction

Thanks to Andriy Bidochko for Map Builder.

Image by David Marc Fischer using Samsung cameraphone