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Frequently Asked Questions
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How does the contest work?
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If you have another caption for the current cartoon, fill out the form beneath it and click 'Send.' |
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It'll automatically post in the Archives. |
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Everyone is invited to vote for their favorite caption. |
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After rotating out of the Archives, a winner is chosen.
Contest winners receive an autographed B&W print of the cartoon (with their winning caption).
Winning cartoons are then available for syndication to various print publications. |
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An updated version of the winning toon re-appears on the net to be recaptioned and is published on hundreds of other web sites. |
...and it starts all over again.
Do you have any captioning tips or suggestions?
As a matter of fact, I do have a few:
Check out what others have already submitted.
It's a waste of a good caption if someone else has already posted the same thing. |
Keep 'em clean and in good taste!
Otherwise, I will delete them. |
Take note of who (or what) is speaking in the cartoon.
Two way conversation captions, and captions with the wrong subject speaking just won't fly. |
Take note of the expressions on the characters' faces.
Often, a caption is excellent, but it doesn't fit the picture. |
DON'T SEND CAPTIONS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, UNLESS THE PERSON IS YELLING!
It's irritating...see what I mean? |
Send captions that will still be funny a year or two from now.
I love topical gags, but they will probably be 'really old' by the time they come around for re-captioning. |
Try not to send long, run-on captions (longer than 20 or 25 words).
When they get too wordy, I can't fit them into the limited space that I have under the cartoon...and still have them remain legible. |
If possible, come up with several ideas before posting your submissions.
That way, you can look them over and pick your best five to submit. |
Can I publish "The Joke's on You" in my print publication?
You sure can! Just click here for information.
Can I publish "The Joke's on You" on my site?
Yep...free! Just follow the instructions, here, and "The Joke's on You" will appear on your site automatically.
How often is a new cartoon posted?
The cartoon distributed to other web sites changes daily (Monday through Friday). The only exceptions are occasional holidays and when I take a much needed vacation. For the time being, cartoons for the caption contest are only posted once a week (on Sunday).
Is there a limit to the amount of captions I can send for each cartoon?
Yes...you are limited to 5 captions per person per cartoon.
Where are the caption submissions posted?
Each time a caption is submitted, it is automatically posted in the Archives.
Is every caption submission posted?
As long as the caption submission isn't obscene or malicious, I'll let it stay. I am a strong advocate of freedom of speech, and I avoid censorship whenever possible.
Why didn't my caption appear in the Archives after I posted it?
It could be one of a couple of reasons. If your caption contains common profanity, the server will automatically reject those specific words. Your caption will appear...minus the profanity. Other than that, I suggest that you 'refresh' or 'reload' your browser. That should take care of it.
Can I vote for my favorite caption?
Yes. Just go to the Archives, and click on any of the toons listed. Read the captions and decide which caption you like the best. Then cast your vote at the bottom of each page.
Can I vote for my own caption?
Sure. If you honestly think it's the funniest caption, you should vote for it. I would.
Can I vote for more than one caption per cartoon?
Nope...only one vote per person per cartoon...sorry.
What's to prevent someone from voting for themselves more than once?
Actually, nothing. Theoretically, anyone could vote for themselves several times. Even though voting more than once per cartoon is obviously cheating, it does happen sometimes; so I reserve the right to make the final decision on the winning captions. Plus, it's easy to tell when someone is 'stuffing the ballot box' (so to speak). When that happens, I just disqualify that caption.
What do I win?
Contest winners receive an autographed B&W print of the cartoon (with their winning caption). Winning toons are published in various print publications, as well as on hundreds of sites around the net.
Why don't you post the winning captions when you announce the winner?
In order to guarantee print publications a chance to publish the cartoons first, I don't post the winning captions until the cartoons re-appear on the net to be recaptioned. However, you could beg and plead with your local newspaper to publish our feature by sending them here.
When will the winning toons appear in print?
The winning toons are available to print publications as soon as we accumulate enough to fill a new CD.
How can I get "The Joke's on You" in my home town paper?
Just pick up the phone and give them a call. Speak to the 'Comics & Features' editor. Let them know that you would like them to publish 'The Joke's on You.' Tell them that they can find more information at www.thefunnypages.com
...specifically here.
Your local newspaper is very interested in what their readers want. If enough of their readers respectfully express their desire to have them publish our feature, they will respond.
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