Earlier this week, Emdashes featured an interview with Carl Gable, the amazing three-time winner of the New Yorker cartoon caption contest. Of course, the caption would be nonsensical, in fact, bonkers, without the funny drawing that inspired it. It’s by Mick Stevens, a regular at the magazine, and he’s answered a few of my characteristically inane questions for you lovely people.

The New Yorker cartoon staff seem to have differing opinions on the cartoon caption contest. When it comes to the contest, are you a Grinch or a Who?

I was a Grinch at first, then more of a Who. Now I’m, like, Whatever.

Did you have a caption for this cartoon originally? Was the drawing from a regular batch and just wasn’t used for some reason? What about it in particular lent itself to the blank slate of the, probably, thousands of caption entries?

I’ve done some drawings especially for the contest, but in some cases the Eds will take a cartoon idea with a strong visual element and take off my original caption (the dogs!). The piano-playing chairman of the board was one of those. I have to admit the original caption probably wasn’t so great: “This one’s for all those board members out there who have ever profited and lost.”

Were you surprised by Carl Gable’s caption? Amused? Bemused? Aghast?

I laughed myself sick!

Have you ever had a supervisor who either sang or commanded you to?

No, but I’d be happy to play something on the saxophone if commanded. (I don’t think I’ve ever had a supervisor, unless you count Mom.)

Which Radosh anti-caption tickled you the most?

I liked the one that mentioned the cross-hatching. Sort of a cartoonist in-joke thing.

Are you ever tempted to enter the caption contest yourself?

Thinking up the first caption was hard. Once is enough. This Carl guy, though! He’s an animal! There’s no stopping him!

Whose paintings are in the piano-themed boardroom?

Mine, actually. They’re from my Diagonal Lines Period. I have some for sale if anyone’s interested.

Gable’s won the contest three times now. Is there a secret number of wins after which he’ll be tapped for the secret caption-writing society?

I’m sorry, that’s a secret.

In ye olde New Yorker years, Charles Addams & co. often had gag writers doing the word work for them. If you were part of a cartooning-writing team, who in the world, past or present, would you choose to do the captions?

I actually started out doing captions for Charles Addams (no kidding!). This was back when I first started. The Eds then were rejecting my drawings but keeping the captions. Ironic, isn’t it?

Which of the following songs from Mick Jagger’s solo discography best describes your life as a New Yorker cartoonist, and why? “Lonely at the Top,” “Primitive Cool,” “Ruthless People,” “Satisfaction,”* “Dancing in the Streets,” “Wired All Night,” “Memo From Turner,” or “Old Habits Die Hard”?

I’m tempted to say “Satisfaction.” (Oops. I just said it.) But only on certain weeks. Mick never did a cover of “It’s a Wonderful World,” the Satchmo song. That one could cover the good weeks.

Mick Stevens’s books include Poodles From Hell, If Ducks Carried Guns, and Other Ifabilities, and the drawings for The Complete Neurotic: The Anxious Person’s Guide to Life.

∗ I know, it’s not a solo Mick Jagger song, but I just couldn’t bear to leave it out.