My Entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #687

Happy Thanksgiving week! I celebrated with an entry in the parade-themed New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #687. The drawing is by P. C. Vey.

"Well played, Mr. Macy!"

These captions deflated quickly:

"You've GOT to see your expression!"
"Did you know you'd be wearing a Speedo?"
"I told you we could license that face."

December 2, 2019 Update:  The Finalists

December 9, 2019 Update:  Alas, I neglected to vote once again. Not an easy choice here.


December 16, 2019 Update:  The Winner

Note:  In last week's Caption Contest, cartoonist Christopher Weyant laid the proverbial egg. Take a crack at Contest #686.

In bygone times I eagerly attended the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or, in more recent years, the balloon inflation the night before, and I posted quite a few photos of the celebration here on the blog. These days, having fallen under the influence of Charles Addams, I'm more of a homebody. Still, if readers themselves are lucky enough to catch the festivities and would like to contribute a few photos of the character balloons and such, I'd be only too pleased to post them here. Meanwhile, I'll be watching it all go by on TV.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives

P. C. Vey

Thanksgiving

Gahan Wilson (1930-2019)

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

The Moment Magazine Cartoon Caption Contest

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest

All the Above Cartoon Caption Contests and Even More

Attempted Bloggery's Free-Floating Index

03090

2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation

The balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade get inflated. Let's have a party!

Overhead view of Harold the Fireman, Sinclair Oil's Dino, and Pikachu

Angry Bird!

Thomas the Tank Engine

Harold the Fireman and Sinclair Oil's Dino

Pikachu

Helium

The Pillsbury Doughboy

"Yes, Virginia!"

Elf on the Shelf

Snoopy and Woodstock

Snoopy and Woodstock

Snoopy and Woodstock

New York's Finest

Elves

Macy's Red Stars, West 81st Street

Snowflake

Street decorations, Columbus Avenue

Note:  Check out my other Thanksgiving posts. And a happy Thanksgiving to all!

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Charlie Brown at MoCCA Fest

This year's MoCCA Arts Fest featured a very special attraction. It was the Charlie Brown character balloon, on loan from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was great to be able to see the Peanuts character up close.

The 69th Regiment Armory, site of the 2014 MoCCA Arts Fest

The Charlie Brown character balloon greets visitors to MoCCA Fest 2014

The Charlie Brown balloon at MoCCA Fest 2014. I've never seen a Macy's balloon indoors before.

You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

The Charlie Brown balloon floating above MoCCA Fest 2014

The public, of course, did not get to see the balloon being inflated, but the Society of Illustrators did post a balloon inflation photo on its Twitter feed. The caption reads "Charlie is not a morning person."

https://twitter.com/SOI128/status/452059046426988544/photo/1

Perhaps you've seen this balloon around town before:

Good Grief!  The Charlie Brown balloon above Columbus Circle, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012

Photo by Marc Hoffman

http://attemptedbloggery.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-2012-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade.html

Note:  Older posts regarding the MoCCA Arts Fest may be seen here.

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Keith Haring's Figure with Heart Balloon

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade's Blue Sky Gallery series brings the designs of contemporary artists to the annual New York City celebration. This balloon is based on Keith Haring's drawing Untitled (Figure with Heart). It had its debut in the 2008 parade where I snapped this photo. I'll have a lot more to share from the festivities in the future.

The debut of Keith Haring's "Figure with Heart," Blue Sky Gallery Series, the 82nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, November 27, 2008

Keith Haring, Untitled (Figure with Heart), 1987

 http://dingeengoete.blogspot.com/2012/05/keith-haring-1958-1990.html

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Maurice Sendak's Wild Thing Balloon Design

Here are Maurice Sendak's original 1998 designs for the front and back of the Wild Thing balloon from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. All four pieces are framed together. (I've changed the order of the images.)

Maurice Sendak, Wild Thing Balloon, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1998, August 9, 1998

Maurice Sendak, Study for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Wild Thing Balloon, pencil, July 15, 1998

Maurice Sendak, Wild Thing Balloon, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1998, August 9, 1998

Maurice Sendak, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Study, July 1998.  "The tail is not properly placed--as you can see!"

323. SENDAK, Maurice (b. 1928) Wild Thing Balloon Two watercolors (each 220 x 170 mm). Executed for the front and back of the Wild Thing Balloon for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; with two pencil studies for the balloon. .both signed and dated 'july-august 1998'. Together four works framed together.
exceptional watercolors of the most famous creature in Sendak’s classic picture book Where the Wild Things Are (1963). One drawing is annotated “The tail is not properly placed--as you can see!” (2)

est. $35000 – £45000

Unsold

Wednesday 9th December 2009 at 2:00 pm

          Capture the Imagination: Original Illustration & Fine Illustrated

                    Books

Bloomsbury Auctions. New York, NY

http://bloomsburyauctions.com/detail/NY040/323.0

Here is Brechtbug's flickr photo of the balloon in the 2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:

Wild Thing Balloon, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2003. Photo by Brechtbug.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93779577@N00/3574112550/in/photostream/

Notice how circular the contour of Moishe's head is, as if he's wearing a space helmet. Sendak's original artwork gives the hair its own spiky contour and texture. Sendak also gave the legs a little more animation. The balloon, at least in this view, appears rather static by comparison.

This balloon was introduced in the 1998 parade. I don't believe it has been in the parade in recent years.

Note:  I have more on Sendak here.

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