MAY 23, 2006 - 4:05 PM
Leo Wasillie scores an unprecedented top finish number three, although it could be argued that some of the credit belongs to Rep. Young for being so inspiring.
Who can resist the hubris of a guy like Don, who does things like declare his opinion on global warming is as sound as any scientist's, then later plain makes stuff up on the topic. Scientists that do likewise get pounced on by their colleagues and suffer shame. Alaska Politicians that do it get reelected.
Leo's caption fit because it accepts Representative Young's proclomation that what he asserts as reality is what matters, not the boring real world that the rest of us live in. He can lecture a frog on thermodynamics as he sits in a kettle unfazed by actual heat.
MAY 16, 2006 - 3:59 PM
Bow down to Brian Dollerhide, who came up with not only the winning caption, but the first runner up. There were many contenders but Brian's tight, minimalist captions won the hearts of our jaded judges. To Brian we offer our admiration and whatever measure of status one can wring out of triumphing in our cutthroat caption competition. It's GOT to be a real resume enhancer.
To the rest of you we offer another shot at
legend status next Tuesday when a new cartoon goes up.
Thanks to all who contributed!
Peter Dunlap-Shohl
Master of ceremonies
MAY 9, 2006 - 3:18 PM
C. Hoehn so bedazzled the judges they awarded the humble humorist from Haines top honors AND a runner-up pat on the back. Hoehn married two bad ideas- the "AKB4UDIE" tourism billboard, and the state philosophy of spending like there won't be any tommorow- to come up with a great caption. It's the miracle of cartooning physics- take two pieces of anti-matter, smash them together and they produce an explosion of laughter.
More dangerous experiments in humor coming next Tuesday.
Looking forward to it...
Peter Dunlap-Shohl
ADN cartoonist
MAY 2, 2006 - 5:44 PM
Sue Donohue of Big Lake took top honors with the earliest twist on the "imaginary friend" angle. Her caption captured the absurdity of the Gov.'s protracted discussion of something the rest of can't even see. At the same time it suggests a second subtle theme: Our Governor's abysmal poll numbers. Imaginary friends are better than no friends at all.
There were scads of strong captions, thanks to everyone who contributed. A new cartoon will go up next Tuesday. Given that the legislature is near the end of the regular session, there should be inspiration aplenty.
See you then,
Peter Dunlap-Shohl
APRIL 25, 2006 - 4:30 PM
Congratulations to Amber Lee of Anchorage for her victory this week. Amber's inspired take on the image cleverly raised an unspoken question: Who in the world would choose a strip mall as a permanent feature of the world they encounter day in and day out?
The answer, unfortunately, is us.
When it comes to aesthetic crimes Anchorage is a serial offender. Thankfully it's dark half the year and these banal buildings are obscured. Is it any wonder that the long daylight hours of summer are when people leave town? There is little romance in the slanting golden light of Alaska summer evenings glinting off the metal roof of a Zamarello shoebox.
APRIL 18, 2006 - 5:09 PM
Jim Petersen of Chugiak came up with a beautifully executed winner that captures the high steaks, oops, make that "stakes" in play when wildlife (especially salmon) is the subject of Alaska politics.
Sure there are passionate debates about issues like the death penalty. If you mean the death penalty for wolves.
We fight over bear, caribou, pike, and Beluga Whales. In the case of the Coastal Trail extension we fought over sea worms. We even have fights over Maggie the African Elephant. One elephant in the state and still we can turn it into a controversy. And don't get us started on loose dogs or licensing cats.
APRIL 11, 2006 - 4:24 PM
Leo Wassilie of Anchorage comes up with another zinger to take the top spot. Understated irony, beauifully apt, what's not to like? Er, I mean besides the fact that the North Slope infrastructure is rotting.
On an artistic note I found it amusing that there was criticism of the depiction of Caribou (or were they moose?) out of season on the Slope, but no objection to the fact that they were wearing hazmat suits. More proof that not only do we all see reality differently, we see unreality differently, too.
We'll serve up another dose of unreality next Tuesday. It won't be the same without you. Or with you, for that matter
APRIL 4, 2006 - 7:39 PM
Steve Straub, of Peters Creek snagged the top spot with a nifty caption that sends up the inept maneuvering of our fearless leader in pursuit of the proposed petroleum tax. The judges were impressed with the thoughtful and savvy captions that came in this week's crop. Picking the victor was a pleasure. Take a bow, Steve.
In an unexpected move, most of the captions avoided the "Air Frank'' angle. Overlooked possibilities include: "Not only do I soar with eagles, I can also lay an egg" and "Insecurity Aviation". If we want to push the envelope into outer space, there's "We were going to have a chimp make the first flight, but PETA objected."
MARCH 28, 2006 - 2:09 PM
Let's have a round of applause for Vern Nusunginya, this week's victor. Vern, of Soldotna, embarrassed the local talent, winning in spite of being off his home turf with an Anchorage-themed drawing. The judges were taken with his double-jointed word play and ability to find an angle that didn't include Rambo prawns.
By the way, is Stallone getting residuals on this namesake seafood, and if so, what's next... "Rocky" Rockfish? Jumbo "Eye of the Tiger" Prawns?
And wouldn't Rambo prawns be the ones carrying enormous weapons, remodeling your kitchen with bursts of hot lead and setting the other prawns free? Do we really want our entree to be tougher than we are? And how can these questions still be unanswered so late in the mayoral campaign?
MARCH 21, 2006 - 4:13 PM
Three months into their time on the bench, and the judges have yet to get jaded. It's hard to get tired of gems like this week's winner from Clayton Awe of Anchorage. Taking a phrase that's supposed to be a mock warning and turning it into an authentic alarm was a nice bit of inspiration. It just works better the more you think about it. The judges didn't think, they just laughed themselves sick. Which raises the question "If laughter is the best medicine, how can we get sick from it?" Shouldn't we be laughing ourselves healthy? And if laughter IS the best medicine how can there be "sick humor?"
MARCH 14, 2006 - 5:05 PM
An unprecedented two in a row for Thomas Huttunen whose captiion fit the cartoon the way a shell fits a cocktail shrimp.
When I first started out as a cartoonist I thought that it meant a few hours of brainstorming followed by long luxurious periods of drawing, punctuated by the occasional angry phone call.
I've found since that the real time is spent on deciding what I think and how I want to say it. After almost a quarter of a century at this game, I've finallly figured out how to get the hard part out of the way painlessly and effiiciently: Outsource the captions! You guys are hard workers and the rates are darned reasonable.
MARCH 7, 2006 - 4:48 PM
Some people see the Elvis in Bill Clinton. Many of you saw the Johnny Cash in Ted Stevens. But there was something so right in Thomas Huttunen's discovery of the Buddy Holly in our senior senator that the judges awarded Huttunen the laurels for this week. The subtle alchemy that turned a cocksure young man's boasting into a potent threat from a powerful politician was a succinct answer to the burning question of just what would go on a Ted Stevens concert set list.
It's fun to imagine what else might be on the list. How about a duet with Bono on "Where the Streets have no Name"? It could be dedicated to all the rights of way that Alaska would like to turn into highways. Given his recent mutterings about quitting, he could deliver a mean version of "Should I stay or Should I go?" by the Clash. Or how about a Green Day medley performed in his Hulk persona? This could segue into B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone". He could follow up with "I'm not Angry" by Elvis Costello. As a former surfer maybe he could treat the crowd to a reverb-heavy take on "Wipeout". Or how about a bluesy tribute to the airport railroad depot? You guessed it: "Mystery Train."
FEBRUARY 28, 2006 - 3:28 PM
Congratulations to Jon Krukoff for becoming our first repeat winner. Jon's rueful take on the image was a tangy bit of sarcasm that bravely looked on the bright side of lurking disaster.
The Judges applaud Jons wit, consistency and willingness to entertain the rest of us for the joy of it.
I had the chance this week to talk to a group of exchange students from Islamic regions about the Danish cartoon controversy. There was a wide variety of backgrounds and opinions. Reaction to the drawings ranged from passionate to blase. The discussion lasted over two hours.
I was asked to prepare an opening statement and will post it below. Some of the students plan a piece explaining their take which I hope to post when it is ready.
FEBRUARY 21, 2006 - 3:02 PM
Congratulations to the winner for this week, Pat Bobo.
FEBRUARY 14, 2006 - 3:53 PM
Congratulations to Jon Krukoff for crafting a winner so witty that it survived a near-death experience when the story the drawing was based on took an unexpected turn.
Many of you found ways to work the Assembly's surprise decision to volley Mr Coffey's return back in his face into your captions. The judges commend your resourcefulness, but found that Jon's offering actually gained momentum with the twist in the tale. Witty AND lucky, critical attributes in the cartooning dodge.
Jon and the rest of you can test your fortunes again when we'll post a new cartoon in search of a caption next Tuesday.
FEBRUARY 7, 2006 - 2:39 PM
Sorting captions was heavy lifting this week. Folks offered everything from the poetic (Before the door stands a guard dog...) to the vulgar (a fusillade of fart jokes that somehow missed the "secret meetings-silent but deadly" angle). But the judges aren't afraid of heavy lifting- that's what steroids are for! Ever notice how nobody ever tests the judges for performance-enhancing substances?
But I digress... this week's winner is SHARON VANVALIN for her scathing yet subtle take on our favorite governor's deal-making savvy. Sharon lampooned his prediction of a timely wrap-up to negotiations that he has made ever more complex. Frustrtion builds as negotiators crawl forward through an atmosphere of mystery, suspicion, and now, thanks to Sharon, well-crafted derision.
JANUARY 31, 2006 - 4:16 PM
The judges howled, they snorted, they roared... oh, sorry, that was the animals in this week's cartoon. But there was definitely a snort or two as well as generous guffawing from the bench when the panel got to Bert Verrall's simple yet inspired caption. Bert's win brings the honor of top entry to Palmer, proving that Wasilla isn't the only part of the Mat-Su that's good for a laugh.
There were many strong entries this round, I cackled like an addled grouse every time I glanced at the web page. (OK, no more animal sound effects.) But is funny the right measure of a political cartoon?
JANUARY 24, 2006 - 4:02 PM
Another tough call for the judges, but after hours of gut-wrenching debate and earnest soul searching, the decision goes to Tim Kelley, of Anchorage.
Tim's Wal-Mart discount gag took a fresh interpretation of the image and gave an unexpected and almost poignant rationale for the look on the character's faces. The judges thank Tim for doing all that, and making them laugh to boot.
Coming up with drawings that provide latitude for your interpretation without being so insipid that they fail to spark inspiration has been a creative challenge for me. I feel like an angler trying to find the right bait without knowing what what kind of fish are biting. Judging from the responses so far, you're finding ways to make it work. Come back next week when I test your satiric powers by posting an ink blot. (Cue Maniacal laughter).
JANUARY 17, 2006 - 5:40 PM
Well done all. Between Web and email entries we amassed around 90 captions (and new ones are still coming in as I write this, days after the deadline has passed.) The wealth of entries yielded a clear winner: Take a bow Leo Wassilie, for "Honey, I thought you said we were going up SHIP Creek." Leo used local geography and an adroit pun to acerbically sum up his disgusted disbelief at the bridge appropriations aftermath. To see the judge's other choices, look in Sunday's paper.
Extra credit goes out to Thomas Pease who submitted 15 entries while laid low with a bellyache- proving that political cartoonists do their best work when they get sick to their stomachs. If Thomas is any indicator, Avian Flu will be the best thing for cartooning since Boss Tweed.
JANUARY 10, 2006 - 4:21 PM
Congratulations to C. Hoehn for coming up with the laugh-out-loud funny winner. Things must be slow in Haines, as Hoehn also had enough idle time to craft a runner-up entry last week.
Political cartooning tends to be a negative art, and one of the things that made this week's winner stand out was that it puts a relatively positive spin on the drawing, conjuring up the tenacious commitment of our senior Senator to what he sees as Alaska's interest. At the same time it skewers his pugnacious bluster and delivers a solid laugh. Deftly done.
Not so deftly done was our printed announcement of results. We mixed up two different contributors named John, attributing John Wedin's caption ""Oblivious to labels, Uncle Ted inadvertently opened another dreaded can of Aunt Nelly's Worm Ragout." to John Cowan. Apologies to both of you.
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