Bets's Copy of Edward Koren's Are You Happy?

Bets, short for Elizabeth, did not attend Edward Koren's book signing for Are You Happy? And Other Questions Lovers Ask (1978) held, one suspects, at the Madison Avenue Bookshop (1973-2002), but a friend of a friend was there and she was thrilled that the cartoonist would draw an animal of the buyer's choice in each book. That was an attractive offer then, as it still would be today. So Bets got her book with a drawing of a Scottie. In April, some four decades later, the book was listed for $100 by Argosy Book Store. It has since been sold.

Edward Koren
AbeBooks listing retrieved May 2, 2019

https://www.abebooks.com/Happy-Questions-Lovers-Ask-KOREN-Edward/30307979632/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

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Signed Books with Original Drawings

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Attempted Bloggery's Dog-Loving Index

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The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #33

This week I did not enter the Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #33 although I did write a caption after the fact. The drawing is by Kim Warp.

"Welcome to my poetry reading."

July 31, 2019 Update:  The Winner

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Kim Warp

Cowboy

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

The Moment Magazine Cartoon Caption Contest

All These Cartoon Caption Contests and More

Attempted Bloggery's Western Index

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My Entries in the Moment Cartoon Caption Contest for Summer 2019

I went overboard with my entries in the Moment Cartoon Caption Contest for Summer 2019. Summer? What should have been the May/June issue is now a "Special Summer Double Issue" covering May through August. That can't be good news. This issue's cartoon is based on the Book of Jonah. The drawing is by Benjamin Schwartz.

"No one will ever believe this. I'll just say the whale vomited me out."
"Arrivederci, Geppetto!"
"Surf time! Who's in?"
"That settles it! They're telling my story on a fast day."
"Best whale watch ever!"
"The Jew abides!"
"This is more than a fluke!"
"Whales have uvulas? Who knew?"
"I say cowabunga with chutzpah!"
"Arrivederci, Pinocchio!"
"Make way for the prophet of cool!"
"Gesundheit!"
"Hasta la vista, baby beluga!"
"Some just can't take a ribbing!"

October 6, 2019 Update:  The Finalists

October 15, 2019 Update:  I voted with Colorado Springs.


November 10, 2019 Update:  The Winner

Note:  Whales do not have uvulas.

Last year's Moment profile of some of the Caption Contest contestants may be read here.

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Benjamin Schwartz

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The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

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All These Caption Contests and More

Attempted Bloggery's Seafaring Index

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My Entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #670

Saddle up for my entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #670 dated July 22, 2019. The drawing is by Brooke Bourgeois.

"I feel ridiculous without my lance."

These captions needed a white knight:

"I've outgrown just knee pads."
"It was either this or go back to training wheels."
"It's included with Citi Bike."

July 29, 2019 Update:  The Finalists

August 12, 2019 Update:  I like them all but I voted with Malibu.

August 19, 2019 Update:  The Winner

Note:  Last time around, cartoonist John Klossner showed us a little stand-up routine in the nursery. My caption was strictly off-mike. Check out Contest #669.

This marks Brooke Bourgeois's first appearance on this blog. It's all downhill from here.

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Bicycles

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 Unbalanced Index

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V's Copy of George Sprott (1894-1975) by Seth

A copy of George Sprott (1894-1975) is dedicated by author Seth to someone named V in 2009, the year of publication, and it has an original drawing of the fictional television talk show host. Offered on eBay in 2013 with a Buy It Now price of $40, it ended up selling with a single bid for only $20, so even with shipping added it cost less than a brand new unsigned copy of the book. That's the way to do it. There were some condition issues, but these seem relatively minor.

Seth

eBay Listing Ended December 18, 2013

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261356603288?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661

Seth

eBay Item Description Ended December 18, 2013

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261356603288?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661

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02987

Rome 2019: The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore

This is my third trip to Rome, the previous ones being in March of 1985 and in January of 1995. This month I wasn't prepared for the summer heat, the humidity, and the sheer number of tourists. After taking a connecting flight from Zurich, we took a cab from the airport to our hotel in Rome.

We stayed in Relais Santa Maria Maggiore, an easy walk, as its name suggests, to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. It is also convenient to the Rome Termini train station, and even a reasonable walk to the Colosseum. I can't recommend the hotel, though, as rooms were very small—we were given the very smallest—and some staff members were unhelpful if not downright rude. By all means recommend the place to someone you don't like.

The church of Santa Maria Maggiore was new to me, although often mentioned in my freshman-year introductory art history class. Since my last visit, security has increased significantly, especially around religious buildings and museums, as it has had to in many places.

Façade

The interior is spectacular:

The nave

The high altar with the apse on the left

Confessional

Entrance to the sacristy

The plan

The apse, center, is just behind that first tree to the left.

Onward around Rome:

Emperor Claudius

S. P. Q. R.
Senātus Populusque Rōmānus
The Senate and People of Rome

Via del Boccaccio

Palazzo Barberini

The Trevi Fountain

What about Byron?

Keats-Shelley House

The Spanish Steps

Would you enter this door?

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Rome

Travel

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02986

Linda's Copy of I Am Blind and My Dog is Dead by Sam Gross

"What's so funny about red?"

—Harold Ross, founding editor of the New Yorker, on why the magazine published only black and white cartoons  

Ink Spill

Cartoonist Sam Gross for one thinks the color red is funny. He's made bold use of the color rather singularly if sparingly in a series of cartoons about tampons—yes, tampons—that appeared in National Lampoon; it goes without saying that these cartoons were by their nature unsuitable for the New Yorker and therefore unable to pretend to answer Ross's famous query, at least on his own turf.

Just listed on AbeBooks is a copy of Gross's signature 1977 collection I Am Blind and My Dog is Dead personalized to one Linda and including—you guessed it— "..an original tampon drawing." It's priced somewhat dearly at $300 but then how many times does one get the chance to purchase such an object at any price?

Sam Gross
AbeBooks Listing Retrieved July 19, 2019

https://www.abebooks.com/Blind-Dog-Dead-GROSS-Sam-Dodd/30373316166/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

Not that you asked, but I would be remiss if I didn't give an example of a classic Sam Gross tampon cartoon (again, definitely not from the New Yorker):

Sam Gross
National Lampoon, August 1976

http://www.marksverylarge.com/page/7/

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