Comic Quote by Bob Mankoff
““I have entered the New Yorker's Cartoon Caption Contest almost weekly virtually since it began and have never even been a finalist. I have done more writing for free for the New Yorker in the last five years than for anybody in the previous 40 years. It's not that I think my cartoon captions are better than anyone else's, although some weeks, understandably, I do. It's that just once I want to see one of my damn captions in the magazine that publishes the best cartoons in the world." - Roger Ebert (By the way, in 2011 Ebert finally won, after 107 tries.)””
About This Quote
Source The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest, Ongoing Participation, 2010‑2020
Persistent effort without recognition can still be valuable for skill development and personal satisfaction.
In simple terms: Keep trying even without winning.
Key Takeaway
Value the process over the prize.
Themes
persistence
creativity
writing
humor
competition
Mood
determined
humorous
reflective
Type
Comic:0
Five years:0
Roger Ebert:0
Yorker Cartoon:0
Caption Contest:0
Captions Magazine:0
Cartoon Captions:0
Captions Better:0
When to use this quote
- career development
- creative writing
- contest participation
- personal fulfillment
Key Concepts
caption writing
skill building
resilience
Questions to Reflect On
- What motivates you to continue without external validation?
- How does repeated practice shape your creative voice?
A Different Perspective
Winning may not reflect improvement.
