My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #930

In The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #930 from the issue of January 27, 2025, a whale is in a recording studio. The sound engineer is speaking. The drawing is by Niall Maher.

"Let's do another take after my nap."

This caption wasn't a hit:

"I still can't get rid of the reverb."

February 9, 2025 Update:  The Finalists

February 22, 2025 Update:  I voted for the caption from Mount Prospect.

March 1, 2025 Update:  The Winner

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Sidney Harris: A Significant Moment in the History of Terrestrial Whales

The cartoons of Sidney Harris often take their subject matter from the sciences. His original New Yorker art sold on April 23 at Heritage Auctions dips its toes in the theory of evolution. It was published in 1990.

A Significant Moment in the History of Terrestrial Whales
Sidney Harris
Original art
The New Yorker, October 8, 1990, p. 45

A Significant Moment in the History of Terrestrial Whales
Sidney Harris
Original art
The New Yorker, October 8, 1990, p. 45

Stamps on the verso suggest that this artwork was at one time in the inventory of ScienceCartoonsPlus.com, Harris's marketing company.

Verso

Sidney Harris
Heritage Auctions Illustration Art sale of April 23, 2024

https://fineart.ha.com/itm/mainstream-illustration/sidney-harris-american-b-1933-a-significant-moment-in-the-history-the-new-yorker-magazine-interior-october-8-/a/8161-71353.s?ic2=mytracked-lotspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyTrackedLots-101116#

Sidney Harris
Heritage Auctions Illustration Art item description

A Significant Moment in the History of Terrestrial Whales
Sidney Harris
The New Yorker, October 8, 1990, p. 45

A Significant Moment in the History of Terrestrial Whales
Sidney Harris
Original art
The New Yorker, October 8, 1990, p. 45

With cartoons by Arnie Levin and Sidney Harris

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1990-10-08/flipbook/044/

Sidney Harris
The New Yorker, October 8, 1990, p. 44

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #811

Life's a beach in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #811 from the issue of July 25, 2022. My caption is shown below. The drawing is by Farley Katz.

"Isn't it ironic that they're all afraid of sharks?"

August 2, 2022 Update:  The Finalists

August 8, 2022 Update:  I voted for the caption from Washington. Sorry, Paul.

August 15, 2022 Update:  The Winner

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Cape Cod 2021: Welcome to Chatham

I took these photographs during my travels in Cape Cod during the summer of 2021. With international tourism still somewhat problematic, people had returned to the Cape in great numbers. Parking spaces were noticeably more difficult to find. The summer began with seeming great promise as COVID-19 vaccines decreased the number of individuals susceptible to the virus. It became increasingly apparent, though, that cases of the Delta variant were surging globally, and even locally. Despite this, the wearing of masks indoors remained minimal. None of this, though, will be apparent from these photos. More to follow.

The Sagamore Bridge Over the Cape Cod Canal

Welcome to Chatham

Artist:  Swanson Studios

Artist:  Pati DuVall

Artist:  Emma Hardy

Artist:  Susanne Taylor

Artist:  Jennessa Durrani

Taking aviation literally

Lighthouse Beach

Lighthouse Beach

Gatsby's car

Shark sighting

"In memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice"

"Here lies buried
Dr. Samuel Lord
who died of smallpox
after devoted service
to the citizens of
Chatham in the
epidemic of 1765-66"

Back of 1941 monument to Dr. Samuel Lord

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #753

All ashore for The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #753 from the double issue of April 26 and May 3, 2021. Captain Ahab and Moby-Dick are both grocery shopping in a supermarket. My water-logged entry may be seen below. The drawing is by Benjamin Schwartz.

"I don't share your taste for Cap'n Crunch."

May 10, 2021 Update:  The Finalists

May 23, 2021 Update:  I voted for the caption from Washington.

May 25, 2021 Update:  The Winner

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #748

Got that empty feeling inside? Welcome to The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #748 for the date March 22, 2021. My rib-tickler is below. The drawing is by Paul Noth.

"I think that little wooden boy lied to us."

These captions didn't follow the recipe:

"Remind me again why we agreed to switch places with Jonah."
"You've got to admit, that was one hell of a party before we capsized."
"I'll tell you what his nose meant. It meant that little wooden boy was lying to us."
"It never occurred to me that we were dessert."

April 3, 2021 Update:  The Finalists

April 17, 2021 Update:  I voted for the caption from Jerusalem.

The Winner:

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Karl Haendel: New Yorker Cartoon Drawing #27

In 2007 artist Karl Haendel appropriated his twenty-seventh New Yorker cartoon, mining the work of cartoonist David Sipress for at least the second time. A 2004 work, New Yorker Cartoon Drawing #9, appropriated Sipress's "Bad dog" drawing. As with other drawings in the series, Haendel makes large graphite renderings of published New Yorker cartoon images. His process may or may not involve a light box or a projector; these renderings do not appear to be done freehand.

This drawing is one of five framed pieces that make up the Mazel Tov group. The phrase is Yiddish meaning good luck or congratulations. The Jewish theme suggested by the title may also apply to the inclusion of the lyrics to Bob Dylan's "Jokerman." The grouping was offered for sale at Sotheby's in 2013 where it apparently did not find a buyer:

Karl Haendel
Mazel Tov Group (2006-2007)
Sotheby's 2013

The work currently resides at the Henry Art Gallery of the University of Washington, Seattle.  The artist's installation view from a 2019 exhibition is notable for placing the New Yorker drawing and the Dylan lyrics well below eye level.

Karl Haendel
Mazel Tov Group (2006-2007)
Installation View, Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington

Joe Milutis's commentary on the grouping articulates the "multiple themes" to be discovered here:

https://henryart.org/exhibitions/karl-haendel-mazel-tov-group#page-navigation-overview

The museum's commentary doesn't even mention cartoonist David Sipress; it speaks only of "a Jewish-American themed cartoon from The New Yorker." That's odd because Haendel does nothing to hide the identify of the cartoonist; the signature is copied directly from his source material. The cartoon was first published in December of 2006 so Handel no doubt selected it when it was quite fresh.

David Sipress
The New Yorker, December 4, 2006, page 68

Karl Haendel
New Yorker Cartoon Drawing #27 (2007)

Cartoon by David Sipress

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/2006-12-04/flipbook/068/

Could there be some autobiographical element to Haendel's appropriation of this cartoon mixing the Jewish and Christian holiday traditions? Haendel didn't meet Emily Mast until 2009, which was two years after he completed the Mazel Tov Group. His wedding ceremony in 2011 was performed by a friend of the bride in "a ceremony that included Jewish traditions."

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/fashion/weddings/emily-mast-karl-haendel-weddings.html

Karl Haendel

Sotheby's New York Contemporary Art, March 7, 2013

https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/contemporary-art-n08967/lot.140.html

Bob Dylan
"Jokerman"
From Infidels (1983)

February 5, 2020 Update:  David Sipress writes of this piece for NewYorker.com's Culture Desk in a piece called "Stop, Thief! My Cartoon Gets Appropriated." His essay was posted yesterday and it marks the first time this blog is mentioned on the New Yorker's website—it's literally parenthetical: "(According to the cartoon-related Web site Attempted Bloggery, to date Haendel has appropriated at least twenty-seven New Yorker cartoons.)" Let's just hope I've been fact checked on this.

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