An Elmhurst man was featured in The New Yorker magazine last month, after entering a contest he didn't even know anything about.
Mark Ashton, 31, said he sort of stumbled upon the New Yorker caption contest and shared his entry on a lark.
The uncaptioned cartoon showed two men walking side-by-side down the street carrying briefcases. One was dressed in a business suit, the other in a sash, sombrero, cowboy boots and spurs.
In his head, Ashton imagined the sombreroed man saying, "I can't say for sure, but I think the airline mixed up my luggage."
Ashton submitted his caption to the weekly contest and was chosen as one of the finalists, placing third the week of Nov. 17.
Pioneer Press reported that the Elmhurst man was excited to be chosen as a finalist and getting third place was fine with him. He recruited friends and family to vote for his submission and then lost track of the publication date for tracking his progress.
In the end, a friend showed him his name in print and he was thrilled. He's been submitting to the contest ever since, but doesn't expect to win again.
"I think I captured lightning in a bottle," he said.
