May cartoon caption contest winner scratches Capt. Hook’s itch

U.S. Stamp Notes by John M. Hotchner

If there are heroes, there must also be villains. In 2017, the United States Postal Service celebrated 10 of them in a se-tenant (side-by-side) issued (Scott 5213-5222) devoted to Disney villains.

One stamp (Scott 5217) features Capt. James Hook from Disney’s 1953 Peter Pan.

In more recent years, this particular villain has been criticized as being a poor representation of people with disabilities because he is, well, a villain.

Nevertheless, that 2017 stamp was the cartoon caption contest stamp for May. Several Linn’s readers cast the character in the most deplorable of roles: postmaster general.

The first such entry came from Bryan Gross of Pittsburgh, Pa., who has Postmaster General Hook saying, “Hmmm, I think it’s time to raise postal rates again.”

Other readers looked at the practical problems Captain Hook might face while working on his stamp collection. The earliest of these was by William Lunceford of Sandy, Ore., “I wish this was a stamp tong and not a hook!”

Rich Wolf of Westminster, Md., wins the best nonphilatelic line shown in the image above. The character Mr. Smee is Hook’s right-hand man, so to speak, in the 1953 movie Peter Pan.

On the philatelic side, Scott Cassie of Westfield, N.J., takes the prize with, “I’ll find a way to outbid you for that inverted Jenny by hook or by crook!”

Both winners will receive a 13-week subscription to Linn’s (a new subscription or an extension).

Here are the best of the other runners-up:

“Did I hear you say that your local post office sold you a sheet of stamps that you can’t separate?” by Merle Farrington of Medway, Mass.

“James Hook for President! I think I could pull it off with this outfit!” from Walter Robidoux of Smyrna, Ga.

“It’s better to be Captain Hook than Captain Hooks!” sent by Mitchell Zais of Columbia, S.C.

“If the post office only sold stamps that were good for future use, would it be called the ‘Neverland Foreverland Post Office?’ ” from Steve Kotler of San Francisco, Calif.

“People tell me I should wear gloves when handling my stamps. Seriously?” by Joshua Kreitzer of Chicago, Ill.

“After helping Dad lick his old stamps for postage, I’m glad I have this hook to remove the stamp gum stuck between my teeth,” from Laura and Tom Tomaszek of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

“I wonder, Smee, just how many of these lost boys will have stamp collections I can plunder?” by Dan Herting of Richland, Wash.

Thanks and a tip of the hat to all who entered. The next contest will be announced in the July 8 issue of Linn’s.

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