What's up with the CartoonStock Caption Contest number 210? It features a girl talking to a firefighter while an elephant sits in a tree. That's what's up. The cartoonist is Rusty Epstein. He's new to the contest and new to the blog.
The monthly cash prize contest has new rules which I seem compelled to repeat: Five dollars will still buy up to three entries but now three additional dollars can optionally buy a fourth entry, and so on and so forth. Real cash prizes are fifty percent of the total prize pool (previously $500 was the fifty percent) for first place and ten percent of the prize pool (previously $100) for each of five runners up. As of this writing, I've put $275 into the first fifty-five pay-to-play contests and this fifty-sixth challenge brings my total cash outlay up to $280. So far I haven't purchased any of the new $3 entries. Having achieved runner-up status with three previous cash prize entries, I've collected $300 from CartoonStock, so I'm still playing with the house's money, at least for the time being. Because the contest is no longer subsidized by cash from the vast coffers of CartoonStock, the contest's odds should now be just a little less favorable, I think, unless $3 entries are being purchased in bulk by the caption-impaired. The prize pool, as I prepared my captions in the 9:00 hour before the deadline, was already pushing up against that old thousand dollar level.
So here is my big chance to redeem myself after last month's weak showing. My three entries are shown below.
"Could you check under him for the cat?" "Guess what happened to the swing." "The one thing he can't remember is how he got up there."
September 27, 2026 Update: The Winner
None of my captions made any of the lists in the judging video.
Another monthly contest already? The CartoonStock Caption Contest number 209 is set in a laboratory where an ape is perhaps doomscrolling on his cell phone while a pair of researchers looks on. The man in the lab coat is speaking. The cartoonist is Kaamran Hafeez.
The monthly cash prize contest has new rules which I seem compelled to repeat: Five dollars will still buy up to three entries but now three additional dollars can optionally buy a fourth entry, and so on and so forth. Real cash prizes are fifty percent of the total prize pool (previously $500, but more this month) for first place and ten percent of the prize pool (previously $100) for each of five runners up. As of this writing, I've put $270 into the first fifty-four pay-to-play contests and this fifty-fifth challenge brings my total cash outlay up to $275. Having achieved runner-up status with three previous cash prize entries, I've collected $300 from CartoonStock, so I'm still playing with the house's money, at least for the time being. Because the contest is no longer subsidized by cash from the vast coffers of CartoonStock, the contest's odds should now be just a little less favorable, I think. The prize pool, as I prepared my captions in the final hour before the deadline—when else would I enter?—was, as I've already hinted, securely above that old thousand dollar level.
So here is my big chance to redeem myself after last month's poor showing. My three entries are shown above the break. There is a fourth caption which is somewhat meta. I considered paying another $3 to put it out there, but then I thought better of it.
"As our new lab assistant, it will be your job to take it away from him." "We can't get him off Truth Social." "Frankly, we have no idea what Caesar is up to." * * * "I wish he had joined that barbershop quartet instead."
I'm afraid that last caption doesn't stand on its own. It should be an easily-recognized reference to The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #1002 which had its deadline on Monday night. If you know, you know. I saved my $3 because he's an ape, not a monkey.
The CartoonStock Caption Contest number 208 is set at one of those Mommy and Me swim lessons. The male child speaks. The cartoonist is Lindsey Budde. She is new to the contest and new to this blog.
The monthly cash prize contest has new rules: Five dollars will still buy up to three entries but now three additional dollars optionally can buy a fourth entry, and so forth and so on. Real cash prizes are fifty percent of the total prize pool (previously $500) for first place and ten percent of the prize pool (previously $100) for each of five runners up. As of this writing, I've put $265 into the first fifty-three pay-to-play contests and this fifty-fourth challenge brings my total cash outlay up to $270. Having achieved runner-up status with three previous cash prize entries, I've collected $300 from CartoonStock, so I'm still playing with the house's money, at least for the time being. Because the contest is no longer subsidized by cash from the vast coffers of CartoonStock, the contest's odds should now be just a little less favorable. The prize pool, as I prepared to enter two hours before the contest ended, was approaching the old thousand dollar level.
This contest is tricky. There are no real incongruities to reconcile here, just an everyday situation. For what it's worth, I'm not at all proud of my entries.
"Guess how I'm warming up the pool." "I'll let you look in my swim trunks for Nemo." "Great news! We'll be sharing a locker room."
The final prize pool tally:
August 9, 2026 Update: The Winner
The Judges Deliberate
This month, no one liked my entries. Neither did I.
In the CartoonStock Caption Contest number 207, two fish are sitting in a bar. The bartender takes a phone call and looks at them. The fish nearer the bartender speaks. The cartoonist is Tim Hamilton.
The monthly cash prize contest has new rules: Five dollars will still buy up to three entries but now three additional dollars optionally can buy a fourth entry, and so forth ad infinitum. Real cash prizes are fifty percent of the total prize pool (previously $500) for first place and ten percent of the prize pool (previously $100) for each of five runners up. As of this writing, I've put $260 into the first fifty-two pay-to-play contests and this fifty-third challenge brings my total cash outlay up to $265. Having achieved runner-up status with three previous cash prize entries, I've collected $300 from CartoonStock, so I'm still playing with the house's money, at least for the time being. Because the contest is no longer subsidized by cash from the vast coffers of CartoonStock, the contest's odds should now be just a little less favorable. Yet the prize pool, just before I entered near the contest's close, already exceeded the old thousand dollar contest. Enough people must have felt inclined to pay $3 for additional entries.
The prize pool on June 22 at the 10:00 PM hour
My entries at 11:20 PM on June 22 raised the prize pool even higher:
I found this contest to be especialy difficult, at least when sober. My three captions are listed below, above the break. In my head, I can hear the contest judge Lawrence Wood groaning—or worse. I did not pay for additional entries, essentially throwing the last two captions back in the water.
"Can't you see I'm a fish out of lager?" "Say we had to go back to the Hudson." "Just tell them some fish story." * * * "Hey, bartender, do you serve fish here?" "We're not taking calls from fishmongers."
In the CartoonStock Caption Contest number 206, a man with an apple obscuring his face right out of a René Magritte painting is being wed in church to a woman with a fruit basket on her head à laCarmen Miranda. The cartoonist is Felipe Galindo, but his proper married name is Feggo.
Dearly beloved, this time around the rules of the monthly cash prize contest have changed: Five dollars will still buy up to three entries but now three additional dollars can optionally buy a fourth entry, and so forth ad infinitum. Real cash prizes are fifty percent of the total prize pool (previously $500) for first place and ten percent of the prize pool (previously $100) for each of five runners up. As of this writing, I've put $255 into the first fifty-one pay-to-play contests and this fifty-second challenge brings my total cash outlay up to $260. Having achieved runner-up status with three previous entries, I've collected $300 from CartoonStock, so I'm still playing with the house's money, thank you very much. The contest, though, is no longer subsidized by cash from the vast coffers of CartoonStock, making the contest's odds less favorable, I would think. To be sure, the odds may still be generally considered favorable if enough people feel inclined to pay $3 for additional entries, especially ill-considered ones, or if an entrant is generally superior at this captioning game than the average contestant.
Here's how the prize pool accumulated over time:
The prize pool as of May 11, 2026
The Prize Pool as of May 24, 2026
The Prize Pool as of May 25, 2026 before I purchased my entries
To my surprise, the full $5 entry fee was credited to the prize pool, not a percentage with fees removed. Therefore, I have no idea where the odd pennies in the pool are coming from. I would think the pool would be a sum of $5 and $3 entry fees, with no pennies.
The Prize Pool as of May 25, 2026 after I purchased my entries
If the prize pool comes to exceed $1,000, the potential take would then be greater than in previous contests.
My three entries this round are unveiled below:
"They found true love at a farmers' market." "May you kiss the bride?" "And do you promise to avoid food fights?"
June 7, 2026 Update: The Winner
Magritte's painting Le fils de l'homme (1964) is known as The Son of Man in the English-speaking world.
The Judges Deliberate
Of the judges, only the cartoonist Feggo had the good sense to choose one of my captions for his top ten. He listed it at no. 9. I'll take it. Lawrence Wood still wouldn't deign to mention it in his commentary:
As noted by Victor in the comments below, the final prize pool came to $933.22, not too far down from the old $1,000 prize before CartoonStock complicated everything with its cost-cutting. At the beginning of the video, Trevor Hoey confirms that the odd 22 cents came about as a result of foreign exchange rates.
In the CartoonStock Caption Contest number 205, a man wearing a leaf blower has arrived at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter is the speaker. The cartoonist, new to this blog, is Tim Mellish.
The rules of the monthly cash prize contest have not changed: Five dollars buys up to three entries. Real cash prizes are $500 for first place and $100 for each of five runners up. As of this writing, I've put $250 into the first fifty pay-to-play contests and this fifty-first challenge brings my total cash outlay up to $255. Having achieved runner-up status with three previous entries, I've collected $300 from CartoonStock, so I'm still playing with the house's money, thank you very much. In fact, so few contestants enter that the odds may generally be considered favorable even for less-gifted caption writers. My three entries this round are shown below.
"That's an ungainly piece of equipment to bring up to a roof." "And I suppose you couldn't hear the church van?" "Why do you think your neighbor went for his rifle?"
In the CartoonStock Caption Contest number 204, a cow is concerned about a human child who is refusing to eat hay with her calf. The cow, wearing her apron, is the speaker. The cartoonist, new to this blog, is Katherine Bettis.
The rules of the monthly cash prize contest have not changed: Five dollars buys up to three entries. Real cash prizes are $500 for first place and $100 for each of five runners up. As of this writing, I've put $245 into the first forty-nine pay-to-play contests and this fiftieth challenge brings my total cash outlay up to $250. Having achieved runner-up status with three previous entries, I've collected $300 from CartoonStock, so I'm still playing with the house's money, thank you very much. In fact, so few contestants enter that the odds may generally be considered favorable even for less-gifted caption writers. My three entries this round are shown below.
"I make it while the sun shines." "I promise you the hay is grade A." "Tell your friend not to have a cow."
