Strata: Tin Anniversary—BAR Cartoon Caption Contest Celebrates 10 Years

Pull out the tin! This issue of BAR marks the 10-year anniversary of the Cartoon Caption Contest, a familiar feature in Strata. While it has changed throughout the years, this feature remains a favorite of BAR readers. The first cartoon by illustrator Carlton Stoiber, a lawyer formerly with the U.S. State Department and an expert in international nuclear law, appeared in the July/August 2004 issue of BAR, with the winning caption by David C. Mauldin of Mobile, Alabama, announced in the January/February 2005 issue. Perhaps our readers will recognize the infamous ossuary depicted in the cartoon (above).^a

The Biblically themed contest as we know it commenced in the July/August 2006 issue and has appeared in every issue of BAR since. We’ve selected a handful of memorable cartoons with winning captions to showcase on this special anniversary.

Many thanks to our excellent illustrator Carlton Stoiber—and to our readers, whose clever captions never fail to entertain and amuse! We at BAR look forward to the next 10 years of cartoon captions.