Birthday Wishes

Several weeks ago I was asked to create a couple of birthday cards for the youth and missionaries from a certain ward. I came up with the following for the youth (there's nearly an identical one for the Young Men):
After drawing it, I came up with another version for the not so young:I think the gag works much better for the old, how about you?

Missionary Culture Night

I don't know how common this was in other missions, but in my mission our Mission President encouraged us to participate in one cultural event a month. The mission home was located in Vienna, Austria so the mission was smack dab in the middle of the arts. Even us missionaries in Slovenia got into the act: I probable saw more ballet on my mission that I have the rest of my life combined.

I appreciate the efforts of my Mission President in trying to give back something to his missionaries. I know I got something out of culture night (namely this and the strips for the following two weeks).

The Very Last Pinewood Derby Post Every (Most Likely)

Longtime readers of this blog know that last March I accomplished something that had eluded me for pretty much my entire professional cartooning career.* I published a pinewood derby gag in the New Era!

I had previously submitted enough pinewood gags to the New Era and failed to see any of them published (for examples of these failed attempts, see here, here, and here as well as the gag directly below), that having a pinewood derby gag published in the New Era became a major cartooning goal of mine.
In this month's Friend, you'll find a pinewood derby activity page of mine. This happened to be the very first pinewood derby themed submission I made to that magazine!
Think of that, after nearly a decade of rejected efforts to publish a pinewood derby piece in the New Era, I get something in the Friend in my first try. You know what that means? Next year, I'm going to try to get a pinewood derby oil paint published on the inside cover of the Ensign while I enjoy my current hot streak!

*I'm using the phrase "professional cartooning career" in the looses sense ever.

Growing a Foot or Two the Wrong Direction

The Old Guy in the Desert Gag

Along with the deserted island gag and the guy on the psychiatrist's couch gag, the guy in the desert gag makes up the holy trifectia of cliche gags. And like my earlier entries into these long-standing cliches, I'm asking you to come up with a caption for this gag. I'm also looking for your thoughts on additional comic strip cliches I should tackle for future caption contests.

So, to review I need from you, dear reader:

1. A new and improved caption for this gag and
2. Suggestions for future caption contests.
   

Unwelcome

While this never literally happened to me as a missionary, there were plenty of times where it sure felt like this.

Noah's Tale

This is another readers' submission from the accomplished trio Jenerva (or, if you prefer, Averjene).