You are invited to play this quick minor league-version of the The New Yorker Caption Contest.
"New Yorker" drawing by Bob Eckstein (contest 334)
Every week I enter the contest in the magazine. Below are five captions. Three are the magazine’s semifinal selections, one is the winner, and two are mine. See if you can guess which are which.
A. “And the worst part is this isn’t my luggage.”
B. “Stop complaining. I can be used as a flotation device.”
C. “My stomach is expandable.”
D. “If you need out, just yank my zipper.”
E. “Help me get under the seat for takeoff.”
This cartoon is the property of The New Yorker. I devour every issue of the magazine and consider it “must” reading for writers and those who appreciate good writing.
Answers: E winner, C & D Duane’s captions, C Duane’s submission
Would you like to know the real caption?
Hi Bob. Sure, I’d love to know the real caption and I’m sure some of my blog readers would also. And thanks for solving a mystery for me. I wondered if for the caption contest you artists submitted the drawings captionless, or with captions and then the editor just deleted them. I now know it’s the latter, at least some of the time. I started doing the contest as a comic writing exercise (it continues to provide that benefit) and then incorporated it into my blog.
Hi Duane, So sorry for the delay–frantic with work, a funeral, bats and was offline for an extended time.
My original caption was something like “You’re lucky I’m only packed for a weekend.” or “Baggage fees, schmaggage fees.” I honestly can’t remember as I did the joke almost a year ago. Cartoonists submit the cartoons with captions and the New Yorker takes them off and buys them for the contest. It’s so competitive, so difficult to get in that any cartoonist welcomes a sale even if it’s for the contest. Luckily I managed to sell a group of cartoons in the past month so you should be seeing some of my work in upcoming issues.
I thought all the captions were good. Personally I preferred A, even over my own.
Thank you for the post.
Bob
Thanks Bob for sharing some insider scoop. And congrats for selling a group to the New Yorker. I read every issue cover to cover so I’ll look for them